Roland PK5

13 note pedalboard. It is powered by batteries or by an external power supply, which is identical to the power supply used by Roland/Boss guitar pedals. You could probably daisy chain it off your pedals if you wanted.

It has everything you want from a MIDI pedal board. You can play notes, transpose the octave, and send a program change.

midi in, out and merge

Here's the cool stuff: it is really, really well thought out. Unlike many pieces of equipment, it works exactly the way it should.

It can switch between mono and poly mode. In a stroke of genious, the mono mode defaults to sustaining the note until you hit the next one. The use for this might not seem obvious but if you try to play string bass with pedals you'll see why: you don't want the note to cut off while your foot is moving to the next note.

Best of all: MIDI OUT merges MIDI IN with the pedal MIDI signals! If it didn't do this, there would be NO WAY OF ROUTING 2 KEYBOARDS AND PEDALS TO A SINGLE SOURCE! That is, this functionality is NECESSARY if you are to play a traditional organ/b3 setup.

More keyboards should have this functionality.

I play keyboards and I have frequently found myself in bands doing without bass players. I also use it for triggering various stuff (like harmonizers) when I do have a bass player.

I'm an organist by background and really appreciate having this thing.

It has required exactly no servicing since I bought it new in London in 1991, and 16 years and 3 continents later it is holding up fine in New York. I can't say that for any other electrical piece of equipment I own. It is the single most reliable piece of gear I have ever owned. Even tanks like my Hammond B3 and Hohner clavinet have needed fixing, and my '90s synths have gone to the great gig in the sky, but the PK5 still soldiers on.

reliability
how I use ut

I play harmonica, guitar, and bass pedals (same time). I've done so for over 35 years. I play an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, funk, and whatever else I'm in the mood to play. I work constantly. I'm tough on my gear.

The Roland PK5 is a 1 octave bass pedal MIDI controller. It's built like a Sherman tank. If Saddams guys were driving these ..... well, who knows.... They're velocity sensitive, settable at power-up. There are 8 option switches on top, for bass (monophonic),polyphonic, sound effects, drums, etc. The remaining three switches are for MIDI channel, MIDI patch, and PK5 options like "Double" (plays octaves), hold (sustains indefinitely - turn notes off by pressing the BASSkey), etc.

The pedals can run from 6 AA cells. Battery life is decent. But I'm cheap and run mine from a wall wart. I keep good batteries in it as a failsafe.

I cutrrently have two PK5's. I want a spare (just in case!), and I can plug on into the other and ue them as a set for 2 octaves.

I've owned a PK5 for decades. And they get used. I've had to replace one pedal switch. I ordered thepart from Roland. They got it to me post haste. I replaced it with no problem. Rolands service department was extremely helpful, and the parts department likewise.

It's MIDI pedals. MIDI in, out, thru. MIDI IN merges with MIDI out.

None necessary.

I could be jailed for the way I mistreat my PK5. It's a well designed solid piece. If stolen, would I replace? In a nanosecond.

My one gripe? That it's not available in 1-1/2 or 2 octaves.

And don't mention the PK7. It's 1-1/2 octaves and MIDI, but that's it. No velocity, no double, no joy. If only Roland made the PK5 with more keys..... sigh....