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Rating And Reviews: Roland PK5 MIDI Pedal

13-key velocity-sensitive, polyphonic/monophonic pedalboard

User Ratings
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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
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"Forget every other pedalboar but the ROLAND PK-5" submitted February 16, 2005

By a customer from nycap.rr.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: semi-pro
Music Style: classic rock / hard rock / modern rock
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Sound: You need a sound source for this unit - no "built-in" sounds Feature: The Roland PK-5 pedals are without a doubt the best of all midi pedals out there. They are designed to be used with the Roland "E" Series of keyboards, but will work with any MIDI-capable device. As most others have mentioned, there is no way to tell "where you are" with the octave, midi channel, or program number. Would be nice if they would include 3 separate LED's with this info... Quality: I have had my PK-5 pedals since 1993...and I have not had ANY PROBLEMS at all with the functioning of the pedals or the controls. I did have to replace the power supply a few years ago Value: I paid $495 for these pedals back in '93, and I would absolutely buy them again...these pedals rule!!!! I would DEFINITELY recommend the PK-5 over the Fatar crap... Manufacturer Support: I haven't had to deal with Roland with this...but my past experience has been very positive with them. The Wow Factor: If you need to add "color" to your 3-piece band...this unit, and a sound module or keyboard will definitely help. Add a double-neck bass/6-string, and you too can become a 4-piece band with 3 people in it... Overall: If and when my PK-5 pedals die, I will absolutely replace them with the newer PK-5 - my pedalboard doesn't have the "bar" under the pedals like the new ones apparently do. Hopefully, Roland will (at some point) take the suggestions of those that that use these pedals on a regular basis, and incorporate them into the design.
39 of 41 people (95.12%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"i can play like rush!" submitted July 22, 2007

By a customer from rock.com
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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
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Value
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The Wow Factor
Musical Background: musician
Music Style: progressive rock, progressive metal
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Sound: This pedalboard is insane! i saw it equipped with a roland fantom x, and i was really coming up with some very complex and cool stuff Feature: more than what i need but regardless the extras are pretty cool Ease of Use: all i do is step on the pedals and off im going Quality: very rugged material Value: this controller is like no other. not to mention i can be "the geddy lee of guitar" if you will because i play guitar and keyboards in my band and the stuff we write is so complex that ill definetely need it Manufacturer Support: what support? dont need it The Wow Factor: well not too many fans would actually see it but regardless the presentation is awesome Overall: i would definetely recommend this to any guitarist or bassist who also does keyboards like myself, its truly a guitarist/keyboardist's dream
15 of 16 people (93.75%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"To Try it is To Buy it, and then be happy for ever more" submitted June 27, 2007

By a customer from hotmail.com
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Features
Ease of Use
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Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: active musician
Music Style: country
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Sound: I bought my pk-5 in the early 90's, I use it with a roland e-66 arranger, I play bars and festivals year round at an average of 4 nights a week and I never had to service it, what a great piece of equipement. Ricky Feature: I don't use the start stop, or variety change features, just because of the complication of playing and having to use two or three combinations to do that, it would be great if it had a direct start/stop and variety change switch. Ease of Use: I don't think it is too complicated, like any other instrument you have a learning process but the manuals are clear, Quality: I've been using it for over 10 years and never had a problem. Value: quality price, perfect balance Manufacturer Support: never nothing haha The Wow Factor: I put adjusting legs to it, as not every stage is level Overall: I love this equipement , I just bought a second one to use in my home studio, just the start stop and variation options , would be nice if made easier, instead of midi maybe direct like the ps/2 pedals
7 of 8 people (87.5%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Make a church or jazz music in your own house." submitted February 5, 2006

By a customer from seznam.cz
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Sound
Features
Quality
Musical Background: At present "Hobbyist", before "active church organ player and jazzband leader"
Music Style: Church music, Old Time Jazz, Gospels,
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Sound: My Pk5A works together with Yamaha CVP201, so it use only sounds programmed on CVP201. This couple of instruments sounds very nice and a performance of CVP201 has been strongly improved by Pk5A. Especially dual organ on CVP and tuba of Pk5A in a church music or dual piano on CVP and accoustic bass of Pk5A in jazz are excellent. Feature: I use mono and poly register only. Quality: Mechanical parts are made for "hard feet", factory quality OK. Value: Selling price is OK. Manufacturer Support: No, I have not need yet any service or solve a problem. Overall: I hope I will be satisfied with this product for a long time.
7 of 8 people (87.5%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"roland pk5 pedal" submitted January 6, 2013

By gerry lambert in brampton, ON
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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
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Musical Background: I now play at home. I have the aUDYA 5 WORKSTAtion.
Music Style: rock; country' blues'reggae'and easy listening.
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Overall: I have had this pedal for at least 15 years with a lot of continuous use .I use the midi out to trigger chords on various workstations i have owned. It always performs flawlessly and has neved let me down. I highly recommend it for my type of application.
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"It does exactly what it says on the box" submitted June 22, 2005

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Features
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Feature: It does what you need Quality: Faultless since purchase almost 10 years ago Value: Got it for
3 of 3 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Outrageous instrument selection" submitted December 7, 2005

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Musical Background: hobbyist
Music Style: varied
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Sound: The multiple midi channel output selection and instrument selection allow great flexibility when connecting to a Yamaha Clavinova. Feature: The vast instrument selection provides for great add in voice flexibility. Good product construction.
3 of 4 people (75%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Poor Quality" submitted October 4, 2008

By a customer from gmail.com
Overall
Features
Ease of Use
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Value
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Musical Background: Hobbyist
Music Style: New Age, Easy Listening
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VERIFIED BUYER
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Sound: No sound, duh. Feature: All I wanted was a pedal controller with MIDI out - when it worked, it was fine. Ease of Use: Changing midi channels and other functionality isn't that intuitive. Quality: This is the first Roland product I've owned that didn't last. It lasted about 18 months but now the midi out port will not work (in and thru still work, but out is dead which makes this thing worthless). Value: A product that doesn't last isn't worth squat. Manufacturer Support: I emailed support who responded with a note for me to call them. It's out of warranty so I'm expect repairing it won't be cheap. I'd buy somebody's else's pedal controller if there was one. The Wow Factor: I just want it to work! Overall: I expected this thing to last forever considering there isn't really much to it. Sadly, it didn't. And this is from very little use and no movement at all. I have no idea why it quit working, but now I have an expensive paper weight.
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"Transpose? I don't think so." submitted February 6, 2008

Overall
Sound
Features
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Musical Background: Gigging musician with a day job
Music Style: Rock
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Sound: Doesn't make sound. Feature: Everyone raves about this but I was bummed with it from day 1. They claim it "transposes" over 9 octaves. I don't call octave-shifting transposing. If anyone can tell me how I'd like to know! Even the Fatar (which I don't own and reviewers dis) looks like it can do real transposing "Transposition +/- 24 Half Steps". I wish I'd bought that instead. Oh yeah, somewhere I got the idea it had ability to program it to play two notes at once. Octaves only folks. For the price they could have done some sweet stuff with this, but no, they want to sell you extra synths for that. Ease of Use: That's all I got to say. Quality: That's all I got to say. Manufacturer Support: Manual is lame. Overall: Biggest disappointment in a while.
2 of 9 people (22.22%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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