The spring-loaded pitch bend wheel on my Motif is great when I’m not playing chords. Except then I don’t really need it. How do I do use it when my hands are busy with a big fat chord?

I know Yamahas had aftertouch since the DX7, so the Motif probably still does, but routing aftertouch to pitch seems like a half solution, as it will likely bend only up or down, not both. (nor will it jump back to a neutral midpoint like the wheel.) A FC7 pedal has the same issue, potentially (I think). Some chords I need to slide into from below, others from up… Hmm.

So what is the correct way to bend two-handed chords? With a breath controller? By taping a MCS2 somewhere within leg reach? :-) Thank you for all suggestions

This question strikes me as the result of too much idle time spent over thinking something..:).

A bi-directional foot controller? I’m not aware of any. Nor am I aware of a footswitch that
is bi-directional.

Best you could do is hold the chords down with your sustain pedal and then move the pitch bend. That’s what I would do in a live playing situation.

Or just forget about playing a two handed chord live. In a band situation it really isn’t that necessary.

what if the chords aren’t being held long enough to sustain… and it’s just a quick movement needed?

man… it trips me out how sarcastic and condescending you guys can be when you respond to people’s honest questions.

“too much idle time spent over thinking something"…
then telling him how to play his chords or his music… he never mentioned that he was “in a band” or “in band situation.”

it pays to be nice… i’m just saying…

mrdelurk…

I’m not in front of my motif, but I do remember that on the Korg sound engines that we are allowed to have “negative” parameter adjustments.  technically it reverses the affect of whatever parameter it is controlling.. I am not sure that Yamaha has anything like this built into the Motif engine…

but maybe you can use the assignable function switch to temporarily reverse your pitch modulation (via aftertouch) so that the aftertouch will slide into the chord from which ever direction you need it to slide in from.

aftertouch is (or can be) a very powerful and useful control tool and you pay extra for the flagship boards because it’s in there (motif vs mo series who don’t have aftertouch...) you may as well get the best use of it that you can…

another idea or concept that you can possibly entertain is the use of portamento as a means of sliding into certain chords.

I’m not sure how full proof any of these suggestions are, but I think it would be fun to at least try them and see if they work for what you need.

Let me know what you think.

You can map aftertouch as a positive or negative modulation of pitch but not BOTH. You either bend up or down, on a per patch basis.

As far as Dave being condescending, over more than 25 years I have heard many people requesting ways to bend pitch while both hands are on the keys.

In that time, I have never seen any synth maker come up with a way to do that other than using AT or expression pedals, which are unipolar controls.

You could try using AT for bends up and a pedal for bends down.

Thank you for your replies. Having tried Dave’s pedal held chord bending idea, 90% of the time I can’t reach the PB wheel fast enough with my hand for the tempo even at karate chop speed. Now, I can reach it with my foot if I’m playing sitting, but not standing up on stage. (Unless the keyboard is mounted so low I must hunch down to play it.)

Aftertouch works better for bending, maybe in 50% of the applications. One issue is, as soon as one lifts the fingers, the pitch bends back before the sound ends, one can’t just pull a brass fall-type slide eg. spontaneously where the sound doesn’t bend back up. (Unless the patch envelope was pre-tweaked to end before sustain.) Sliding into notes is also tricky, a setting of +2 semitones sounds a bit less than a diatonic note up, while +3 semitones sounds already a bit more. And on.

It’s hard to replace a pitch bend wheel… wish someone sold one as a pedal. I might just end up playing some small cheapo MIDI controller’s pitch wheel with my foot. :-)

Have you looked at the Behringer FCB1010? This may not accomplish exactly or all you want but it seems like a reasonably powerful unit.

None of us want to stifle creativty here of course but, to Dave’s point, the initial request does ‘seem’ a bit strange to myself also, who has spent more years on the road playing extremely complicated keyboard parts than I care to reveal and I have never found the need for such a device. If the pitch up / pitch down requirements are an absolute necessity, why not program this/these into the actual Voice(s)? A thought.

Good luck!

MrMotif - 12 March 2015 09:54 PM

Have you looked at the Behringer FCB1010?

Looks like a guitar pedal board, but thank you for the idea. From that corner of the world, a Doepfer Wheel Electronic might fall closer to the target, but still, me and soldering, that’s 3.

MrMotif - 12 March 2015 09:54 PM

to Dave’s point, the initial request does ‘seem’ a bit strange

What would be nice is a spring loaded foot controller, center off, toe bend up, heel bend down, which would replicate a PB in an assignable input.  It would not be impossible to devise one with a little bit of ingenuity.  I don’t know what kind of demand there would be for one, but if it works well with a prototype, you could patent it.  Maybe then, some manufacturer would buy the rights.  Good Luck!

Oh, by the way, I could see where a small band could use something like this, where a Motif player would split a keyboard with organ chording left hand and lead guitar solo with right hand and using a PB.  It’s really not a stretch of the imagination.

Do I sense the first piece of Motifator community IP here? Have at it, folks. Just make sure we get a good deal on it for re-sale at the shop!

robinvt - 13 March 2015 06:38 PM

What would be nice is a spring loaded foot controller, center off, toe bend up, heel bend down, which would replicate a PB in an assignable input.

Especially if the wheel is sideways, so one can operate it with leg fingers while standing on one’s heel. Because the other foot is already doing this with the sustain pedal. One needs both heels free to stand in any sort of balance.

Or, hey, here’s an idea. A sustain pedal that is also a sideways pitch bend as above. One pedal doing two functions. Better body balance with one leg totally free.

In fact, one might not even need ANY pedal for this. It could be just an iphone app that tracks optically (with the phone safely behind you, not near the public :-)) which way you wiggle your chosen foot. Heel up-down: MIDI sustain pedal. Left-right: MIDI pitch bend. Since the app needs to track only one point, a tiny reflective sticker dot on the shoe might make its job easier.

Do you have a problem sitting down and performing?  This might give you two feet you can use.  Look at your first post, nothing states you are standing up.

I guess you really aren’t seriously looking for an answer.

robinvt - 13 March 2015 11:19 PM

Do you have a problem sitting down and performing?  This might give you two feet you can use.  Look at your first post, nothing states you are standing up.

I guess you really aren’t seriously looking for an answer.

While it’s true the OP didn’t mention standing while playing initially, I don’t think it is quite fair to say he is therefore not seriously looking for a solution.

He is apparently looking for a solution that can be accomplished while standing and playing...which is how many people prefer to perform.

Is there one available?  I don’t know, that is what he/she is trying to figure out!

The context determines everything. When I record in the studio, I prefer to sit. When I play with a symphonic orchestra, most everyone sits so I sit too. When I play with a jazz/rock/etc. group, most everyone stands and acts cool and sexy swinging to the rhythm on stage, so do I. Looking like you belong there is as much a part of the job as sounding like it. So when I’m looking for a musical tool, I’m trying to find one that fits most performing situations.

While my days of acting “cool and sexy swinging to the rhythm on stage” are but fond and distant memories, I prefer to play standing also!

Sorry, if I stand for more than 10 minutes, I have to find a restroom!LOL :-).  And that ain’t cool.