Best Keyboard Pedals & Footswitches
Before you buy a piano pedal, ask yourself this: do I know the polarity of my piano? Classic-style sustain pedal for use with any electronic keyboard.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"M-Audio SP-2 | Universal Sustain Pedal with Piano Style Action for Electronic Keyboards. I don't know why but I decided I needed to review this pedal after using it for a little over a year. The pedal definitely works like an acoustic piano's sustain pedal since it has half-pedal expressive capabilities, which can be extremely useful."
"I ordered it on a Saturday and it wasn't scheduled to arrive until the following Wednesday, but it showed up on my doorstep on Monday (which also happened to be President's day). Pros: - Works as expected. - High quality, very sturdy. - Great Price. - "Real" action. - Easy setup, just plug in and play. Cons: - The sustain "switch" issue."
"Unfortunately, with this recent order, the plastic cover was making a noise each time I would press the pedal, so I had to replace it with the plastic from my old pedal."
"It will not move at all while positioned on the floor rug or regular carpet. Just like a real piano sustain pedal. I am a former Electrical Engineer Computer Specialist and sound."
"I know with some pedals the polarity get whacky and the sustain stays in, but havent had that issue with this at all."
"I own a Baldwin upright and I do love the sound and expressiveness, however keeping it in tune is costly and inconvenient."
"Turns out its the same one that my real keyboard player friend uses heavily, and his has held up great as well."
"This pedal just radiates quality -- the housing, the pedal, the spring action - everything feels great!"
The SP-Dual and SP-Triple pedals are built to function with nearly any MIDI keyboard that has multiple pedal inputs. If you are unsure if you can use two or three pedals, just check the back of your keyboard for available inputs or ask the keyboard manufacturer. The SP-Dual has two and the SP-Triple has three momentary non-latching foot pedals that allow for the ability to be connected and assigned to keyboards that have multiple pedal input connections. Typically, pianos have several pedals with different functions, sometimes just different versions of sustain pedals, and some keyboard manufacturers may want to emulate this. Sustain pedals act similar to a basic circuit, so saying the sustain pedal is Normally Open is saying that the circuit is open while the pedal is up, i.e. the circuit is disconnected and the flow has been stopped. This means that connecting a normally open pedal to a keyboard expecting normally closed may result in the keyboard sustaining until the pedal is pressed down. Trick the Keyboard Hold down the pedal while powering the keyboard on. Alternatively, you can try plugging in the pedal after the keyboard has been turned or holding the pedal down while plugging it in while the keyboards is on. Edit the Keyboard Response A lot of keyboards have the ability to change Min/Max (up/down) values or polarity of the pedal inputs from their standard editing features or global parameter menus. Sustain and Soft functions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"M-Audio SP-2 | Universal Sustain Pedal with Piano Style Action for Electronic Keyboards. I don't know why but I decided I needed to review this pedal after using it for a little over a year. The pedal definitely works like an acoustic piano's sustain pedal since it has half-pedal expressive capabilities, which can be extremely useful."
"I ordered it on a Saturday and it wasn't scheduled to arrive until the following Wednesday, but it showed up on my doorstep on Monday (which also happened to be President's day). Pros: - Works as expected. - High quality, very sturdy. - Great Price. - "Real" action. - Easy setup, just plug in and play. Cons: - The sustain "switch" issue."
"Unfortunately, with this recent order, the plastic cover was making a noise each time I would press the pedal, so I had to replace it with the plastic from my old pedal."
"It will not move at all while positioned on the floor rug or regular carpet. Just like a real piano sustain pedal. I am a former Electrical Engineer Computer Specialist and sound."
"I know with some pedals the polarity get whacky and the sustain stays in, but havent had that issue with this at all."
"I own a Baldwin upright and I do love the sound and expressiveness, however keeping it in tune is costly and inconvenient."
"Turns out its the same one that my real keyboard player friend uses heavily, and his has held up great as well."
"This pedal just radiates quality -- the housing, the pedal, the spring action - everything feels great!"
Style: Assignable Sustain Pedal. 6-Feet cable with 0.25-Inch plug.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Just to make sure unplug your pedal, unplug your piano adapter and plug in the pedal and plug in your adapter for the piano and turn on your piano and it should work correctly."
"It works fine as a sustain switch for keyboards, but, if you are used to real piano pedals, you may be disappointed, as the throw is much shorter and the feel is much different. (even though it works as one) I'd be disappointed if I were expecting the feel of a sustain pedal, but am very happy with it as a momentary switch."
"My girlfriend used to play piano, but we don't have room for one in our apartment, so I bought her the Yamaha P115 88-key Digital Piano and FC4A Piano Sustain Foot Pedal."
"Having tried several different volume pedals, I have to say that hands down, this one is my favorite; The action is very smooth; looking inside (when the pedal is up), it appears to be simply and well constructed."
"I've enjoyed having a keyboard for a few weeks, but everything just sounded so choppy."
"good for voluming and expressing, has a nice amount of travel between totally off and full volume."
"Excellent quality build for an inexpensive pedal."
"When you press the same key using the sustain pedal, the note is "sustained" as it is supposed to be and it sounds like it was played on a piano instead of an electronic keyboard."
Best Keyboard Benches
The thick, padded seat features a leather touch and strategic air vent offering preservation against normal wear, and is beautiful when paired with any digital piano or keyboard. 4 Wood Legs and a Comfortable Padded Seat.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"On this particular order, I can't trust the integrity of the bench when the screws holding everything together have rust all over them."
"A standard folding chair is not only too difficult to maneuver, but terribly awkward to carry with precise optical equipment."
"Nice simple bench."
"She can also use it to scoot over to her drop down desk for a convenient seat."
"Nice, sturdy keyboard bench."
"Not the best piano seat i ever sat on for sure but as a keyboard seat for less than an hour practise once in a while it does the job."
"This is NOT a Yamaha product as the listing would lead you to believe."
"It is "Distributed by Yamaha Corporation of America". • The product is imported by The Music People Inc of Berlin, CT. Positives: • Easy to assemble. You learn to manage the wobble, and the bench does work."
Best Keyboard Power Supplies
The PA-130 adapter replaces the PA-3C and is environmentally friendly by reducing the power when the musical instrument is turned off, saving you money! The Yamaha PA130 power supply is compatible with the following Yamaha keyboard models: YPT-200, YPT-210, YPT-220, YPT-230, YPT-240, YPT-300, YPT-310, YPT-320, YPT-330, YPT-340, EZ-200, EZ-220, YPT-400, YPT-410, YPT-420, YDD-40, and DD-45. The PA150 adapter replaces the PA5D and reduces the power when the musical instrument is turned off; saving you money! Certified Yamaha power supply.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Works as intended for my sons electronic keyboard."
"Works on my PSRE-343 Yamaha Keyboard."
"This adapter works perfectly with my Yamaha 61 Key Keyboard."
"Nothing beats original."
"works as advertised for my VL70-m tone generator."
"Bought a keyboard with no plug."
"It's a mystery to me why the AC adaptor isn't sold with the keyboard itself."
"Bought it in april."
Best Keyboard Bags, Cases & Covers
Two models of the GKC series stretchy keyboard dust covers are available, the GKC-1540 designed to fit 61 & 76 note keyboards and the GKC-1648, designed to fit 88 note keyboards. Brand:GATOR.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Although this cover is a tight fit, it works perfectly with my Roland V-Combo VR-700 (that board's exact dimensions are 51.5" long x 16.25" wide x 4.785" high. Since this was a tight fit over my board I did not need to use the added drawstring that allows you to adjust it for smaller boards."
"With the piano's sheet music stand mounted, I can fit the cover over the keyboard while letting the music stand jut up behind the fabric. In other words; the stand is not covered but the entire top, front and sides of the piano are; and I prefer this since I don't want to tear the fabric nor stress the music stand. So with the cover in place, it presses against the patch cords, the sustain pedal cord, and the power cord, forcing them to bind at a sharp angle against their plugs."
"The Gator 76 Note Keyboard Cover Is Fabulous!"
"You can't, for example, cover the keyboard with it for a gathering and expect it to protect the keyboard if someone places their sweating soda can on it! And, of course, it does not cover the keyboard with the music rack inserted."
"I have a Korg Kross and it's length is 59", so I was super happy to find a cover for it."
Best Keyboard Stands
Heavy-duty keyboard stand is designed to support most 88-key keyboards, and features adjustable height and width. Price For: Each Weight:: 18.82 lbs.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The stand is about 20" deep and my keyboard is only about 10" deep so I have a LOT more stand than I do keyboard."
"I was looking for a good quality stand for a 31 lbs keyboard that would allow the player to sit comfortably while playing. The adjustment pins are spring loaded and there is padding on the surfaces that contact the floor and the keyboard, and a hex key for assembly duties. It won't be very quick though, because you will still need to assemble it and disassemble it, by screwing in and out the two (left and right) side bolts that hold it together. But, putting it together is neither a long nor a tedious task, unless you have to set things up very quickly before your performance."
"Another thing to note is that I work in a small studio space, so I had to do a lot of rearranging in order to find a place to set up the stand and align the keyboard in a pleasing way."
"This is one heavy duty keyboard stand!"
"I love this stand!"
"I bought the following: Yamaha EZ-220 61-Lighted Key Premium Portable Keyboard Package with Headphones, Stand and Power Supply. Not a chance - the key board would slide around and jump the tabs and everyday I risked my kids breaking their keyboard."
"I do play it seated so I can't comment on what might happen if I had it raised to standing height. Not to say it can't be part of a traveling rig, as long as you're OK with carrying a hex wrench, screwing & unscrewing two long bolts, keeping track of square washers, and finding somewhere to store & carry the various pieces."
"Excellent build quality, sturdy metal with easy to adjust system."
Best Keyboard Amplifiers
In addition to its four input channels, this flagship amp includes an Output Select switch for selecting the monitor sound destination, a Shape switch for quick sound adjustment and an XLR Line output for direct connection to a mixing console. 3-band EQ and Subwoofer output compatible with the KCW-1 XLR Line output for connection to mixing consoles.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Sounds great."
"With that said, I purchased this amp to use with my Korg Kronos 88 (another amazing piece of equipment). The sound blended perfectly, and when it was time to solo I increased the volume about 15% on the Kronos and my keyboards were sharp, consise, and clear."
"There is a dedicated subwoofer output plus XLR out and 1/4" out; particularly nice features to have if you want to connect to another sound system. It is powerful enough to function as an independent PA system for small events such as children's birthday parties, multimedia presentations, backyard BBQ's and wedding ceremonies. You can even get away with using the KC-550 if you have an event that only requires modest sound or a basic PA system."
"A pleasant surprise to find jacks to tie into even larger PA system mixer and enrich the output to limitless size venues."
"I bought them new when they cost just under 500.00 each. My son even snuck them out of the house and through them in the backseat of his truck powered by an inverter and had that "thump thump thump" that youth seem so fixated about."
"A very good keyboard amp (and PA system too if so needed) that is great for players who use a lot of left hand bass lines."
"I arrived at time, excllent amplifier."
"I have my microphone and two keyboards hooked up to this amplifier and the sound is clear, powerful and ready go."
Best Keyboard Cleaning & Care Products
Made of velvet which is much better than those cover made by spandex or Lycra, no annoying small black bits of spandex residue left behind. Good appearance to fits your keyboard Made of superior quality velvet fabric material which is the top grade appearance looking for decoration and exhibition. Specifications: Material: velvet fabric and nylon. Size: 56 x 20 x 5 inch. Color: black. Fit for: Casio: PX110,PX120,PX135,P115,PX150,PX310,PX320,PX330,PX350,PX358,CDP120,CDP200R,CDP220R…. Yamaha: P45,P85,P95,P105,p35,P115…. Roland: F20, FP30, FP50... Fits for most brand models - Yamaha, Williams and other 88 keys piano keyboard (less than size 56 inch (L)x 20 inch (B)) are perfectly suitable.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Well made and ample - it fits over my instrument and even has a tie string if I wanted to use it but I don't find that necessary."
"Fits perfectly and looks classy on our Yamaha P-115 piano (which is also awesome, just like this velvet dust cover)."
"I have been looking for a cover for my piano that would keep it clean and this fits it perfectly."
"it is great product, and the material is so nice."
"I bought this to cover my Kawai ES110."
"This Piano Keyboard Dust Cover is very good , it can protection piano from dirt and dust."
"I bought a digital piano a few weeks ago and I bought this cover later."
"It's a little flimsy, but it protects the piano perfectly and the price was right!"
Best Keyboard Expansions & Sound Libraries
Use the content to create your own version Ok Go's infectious tunes, mix and match content with your own samples create remixes, or create entirely original sample-based music using the simple, step-based recording layout of the volca sample. Compact size, battery operation, and built-in speaker.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's an extremely small plastic box that runs on 6 AA batteries and features no slot for external media (USB, SD card, etc.). You could load up a series of tuned notes and generate a walking bass line using either motion sequencing/automation, or by setting the same sample to different pitches. However, I view that as one of the device's selling points, and an excellent 3rd-party app from the Caustic developer quickly emerged to allow even more power over sample creation and uploading (I believe this is also available for Android and PC). Aside from uploading obvious samples (like .wav files of 808/909 sounds available all over the web), you can create your own without leaving your iPhone or iPad and store them in AudioShare. Part of the fun of the entire Volca series, however, is taking a very brief and straightforward musical idea and then mutating with filter sweeps, modulation, and effects. That's a bit of bummer, but less than the other Volcas, since Live Play actually responds quite well with the touch keys (and quantizes to nearest 16th note), and you'll spend most of your time programming grooves with the step sequencer anyway. One final note - I think some of the negativity for the Volca Sample comes from the fact that what it offers isn't as "rare" as the Keys, Bass, and Beats. In that sense, it isn't the same "freak of nature" that my little Volca Bass is, belting out warm, analog tones from an inexpensive, battery-powered box. All of my pitched samples are tuned to a "C" note, so it becomes pretty easy to generate basslines and simple melodies using these charts for quick reference."
"Basically you find whatever relatively short sample you want online or from a song, add it to the app, plug the cable from the audio out of your device to the sync in port of the Volca, run the app on your device, and it will transmit the sample to the Volca in a format that sounds like an old dial-up modem, which of course the Sample receives and then saves as an actual sound. It should be noted that in order to edit a certain sound in a sequence, you'll need to remember which of the ten sound slots it's in, then use the little arrow bottons near the tempo knob to scroll to it, and then make your edits."
"It has it's limitations, like not responding to velocity through MIDI and just 3 voices."
"After reading extensive product reviews, I felt that the Korg Volca Keys would be a good "bang for buck" product for me to purchase, to get back into making music."
"I do plan on replacing probably all of the sounds on it with more standard-ish drum sounds when I get the chance."
"Korg had the band OK GO submit them a sample set, which resulted in a spicy gumbo of sounds and sequences that are high quality."
Best Accordion Accessories
Features front and side pocket for music sheets, music stand, extra straps and accessories, Heavy-duty Padded Nylon Carrying Handle, Adjustable Padded Shoulder Straps, Zippers on each side of the bag to easily maneuver the accordion in or out with no hassle. Constructed with rip stop Nylon and is lined with 20 mm padding.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In November, I done a long workshop and practised every day with the ladies and the teacher showed me her piano accordion travel bag. When I ordered this from Amazon before Christmas, he was concerned that the sides of the case would be too floppy, making it near impossible to flip over the piece of cardboard to hide my busking money so no one could take it. Clayton placed my Excelsior with a mounted harmonic bracket in the case, and it fit like a glove in this googley accordion travel backpack. Clayton turned the money over once and hid it all under the soft keyboard protector included in the case and it makes it extra secure. I hope it fits in the overhead storage lockers so I can carry my own accordion without having to worry about it being thrown around by the airline staff."
"A big improvement over the hard case."
"Fits my 120 bass accordion perfectly."
"It's a little big for my 120 but the music pocket and a spot for a music stand is awesome!"
"I ended up buying a bag designed for a 72 bass accordion, and my accordion fits just right."
"This bag is really roomy and provides a pocket that is well big enough for mics and cords."
Best Organ Accessories
Packaged in a four ounce plastic bottle with a flipper lid dispenser. Designed to lubricate and protect all the mechanical generator parts found in vintage tone wheel organs.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Worked and quieted down organ."
"This Oil was the correct remedy for my L-112 tone generator."
"Oil, along with You Tube info."
"The product is what I expected."
"It did the trick and saved my organ from an expensive repair."
"Organ worked much better."
"Works as it should."
Best Music Wire
K&S Engineering.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Worked great for a rag loom."
"Perfect for making your own RC landing gear."
"These are what I needed."
"Exactly what i was expecting."