Drum pedal recommendations

[Ben-jammin]

I currently have a beat buddy mini 2 and I’m happy with it for the most part. I use the extension pedal so I can add cymbals crashes and stop at start the loops bypassing the outro and intros. My issue is having to bend forward to change tempo or styles In between tunes. With the extension you can tap to do these functions but it can be kind of painful and time consuming. Ideally I would be happy if I could control those functions remotely from a tablet mounted on my music stand. Does anybody have any recommendations?

 

[Ben-jammin]

It looks like after $33 for an app, $50 for a Bluetooth to midi converter and upgrading to the Non Mini BeatBuddy $370 I could have that feature. My other thought was to modify my existing BB mini2 to make the integral foot switch on the unit remote so I can have the unit at an appropriate height while having the main foot switch lower.

 

[Ventura]

i agree

first, is it a physical latching switch as typical on FX pedals,
or is it a momentary (because it triggers a software switch)

and i usually try and make mod's minimally invasive, so offhand
would say if there is room, just add a 1/4 switchcraft
( 3 way switching plastic type so the base is not grounded )
and wire it so that you interrupt the built in
footswitch when you plug in a cable
( so the new footswitch on the other end takes over )

the last similar mod i did was on the VK8m Roland Drawbar module
so that i could trigger the "Leslie" with a more convenient switch

who needs Bluetooth when we have Soldering Irons and Drills !

 

[Ben-jammin]

I am 95% sure it’s a momentary switch as it is used more as a trigger to start the loop, initiate a fill, hold to switch to the alternative pattern for the loop. I started taking the pedal apart and removed all the apparent screws and 1/4 Jack bushings to try to get at the switch and the circuit board still seems well fixed in place and I didn’t want to break anything. Ideally it’s a N.O momentary switch and I can just wire a parallel circuit to a 1/4 Jack, so the original switch works as well.

 

[Ventura]

yes, for a momentary you may only need to tack solder
your 2 wires to the circuitboard traces that connect to
the switch legs, not even need to remove the board !

test by just touching with a jumper to the traces once you
identify them for sure
(essentially shorting out the switch)
if it works nicely there ya go !

and that was my reason for the plastic shell non-grounding Switchcraft,
because a momentary may not be using ground, but floating
on it's own part of the circuit

 

[JerryPH]

I've never used a BB, so am not able to comment, but one of our users here (Larry) does and is also quite adept at getting things to talk via bluetooth protocol. hopefully he will not only answer back, but show the process.

 

[Ben-jammin]

Adding a remote foot switch was even easier than anticipated. The foot switch acts as a sink to ground so I was able to use an uninsulated Jack. Now the hand controls are accessible and I can control the primary foot switch with the sustain pedal I had for my digital piano.

 

[Ventura]

we don' need no steenkin Bluetooth !

 

[Chris Laarman]

we don' need no steenkin Bluetooth !

You mean Soretooth? ;-)

 

[JerryPH]

Hey, I love my BT! I can do more with that than without it in my setup... and when CME's wireless BT analog transmitter/receivers comes out I will be an early adopter for sure. It seems they've solved the latency issues with a 1ms delay from one end to another... pretty amazing!