Side by Side Comparison of: Yamaha

For what you pay, this is a great pedal. (Got a discount with Prime)
I was expecting to receive a dinky pedal about the size of my hand. This is a sturdy large pedal, even wider than my guitar wah pedal. I bought this for use with my Yamaha Reface. This is a great buy for amazon Primer's.

I love these flat FC5 sustain pedals. They are much more durable the standard pedals. Although I still have an original Yamaha pedal that I purchased back in 2002 and it still works perfectly till this day, I'm a little more partial to this one now. I've been using this pedal for 2 years now and I haven't had ANY problems with it. I bought this one to keep in my laptop gig bag, in case of a faulty pedal when I do gigs out.

Basic sustain pedal. If using it at home I'm sure it will hold up. As a gigging musician, I go through a couple of these per year, but for the price I see it as the cost of doing business. Sure there are fancier more expensive models out there, but they all eventually break, usually at the point where the cable enters the pedal. They are designed to fail, so why spend more when a supply of these cheapies does the trick? HINT: if you want a long lasting sustain pedal, or any kind of pedal, try to find one that uses a detachable cord.

High Quality, great performance. Mind you this is a on/off pedal so if you are looking for 1/2 sustain then you are better off buying FC3. I like FC5 swell but this one feels more like the conventional pedals that a Acoustic Piano has. The spring offers enough resistance to give close to real feel.

These sustain pedals take some getting used to, but they are much better for live use than the sustain pedals that operate more like a traditional sustain pedal, in my opinion. Here's why:

1) They don't have reliability issues - All traditional sustain pedals I have used (e.g., Yamaha FC4) develop problems with the actual mechanism (this includes models from Yamaha, On Stage and M Audio). They typically go down right in the middle of a live show, and either don't sustain or leave the sustain on at all times. Not fun. These little pedals never fail. I have had one for over 20 years, and it always works. Sometimes you need to re-tighten the side screws after extended use -- but that's it.

2) They don't slide around as much as FC4 type sustain pedals -- much easier to keep reined in under your feet when performing - whether you stand or site when you play.

3) They work better with Ultimate Support APEX-type stands -- because you can fit the sustain pedal in front of the feet on those stands. FC4-type sustain pedals must be angled sideways to be usable with an APEX-type stand unless you want to stand at a strange angle while playing. Angling those pedals will work -- but it further shortens the time you have before that type of sustain pedal wears out. Also, when you stand and play, you don't need to raise your foot as high with these FC-5 type pedals -- much less fatigue.

4) They are easier to transport, because they are much smaller and lighter.

5) They cost less -- especially when you consider they don't need to be replaced nearly as often.

For me, it has been well worth the time to get used to how these pedals work to take advantage of improved reliability and stability. They also work really well as control footswitches (e.g., to trigger a Leslie fast/slow effect on a Nord or similar keyboard). Personally, I will not be buying any more FC4-type pedals. The ones I have that still work will be used at home.

I have used various pedals in gigs/shows and sessions over the years. This is by far the very best.Quality: First off, it's a sturdy make. I used to use M-Audio SP-2 pedals primarily, and the SP2s would just start acting weird after a couple months. And they squeak. Well, not the Yamaha FC4! I now use these pedals all over for gigs/shows/bus tours/sessions etc., I throw them around, pack them up in my gig bags and just go. It's been as solid as ever, I never have to worry about it acting up. And it never squeaks. I have now swapped all my sustain pedals for this model.Touch: It has a great touch. It's designed heavy enough to not be flimsy, yet very responsive.Polarity Switch: This pedal does not have a polarity switch. However that has not been a problem. I have used those pedals with various Yamaha keyboards - Motif XF8, Motif XF6, Motif XS8, MOXF8, MOX - they work with Yamahas of course. But I also use it with a Nord 73-key Electro 3, Roland Juno GI, Roland RD-800, M-audio Keystation 61, Axiom 49... It works with all of them. Just plug and play. And they work great. And if you ever have the reverse polarity issue upon starting up (where the sustain is off when you press the pedal down, and on when you don't press it), just 1. leave the pedal plugged into the board, turn the board off and on again and it'll fix itself (ala my keystation 61), or 2. go to your keyboard internal settings and switch the polarity from there (ala Nord keyboards).Length: The pedal's design is a little longer than some other similar designs. To me it's a good thing - it makes it easier to find your pedal with your right foot when you are on stage with little/no light, playing furious on your fingers and trying to navigate your army of sustain/expression/effect pedals without looking on the floor. It has a good grip on the floor too so you don't worry about it slipping off. Only problem might be storage - if your gig bag's glove compartment is too small for it. It has however not been a problem with me - I slide them into the front pockets of my Nord 73-key soft case and/or Roland Juno GI bags with ease.Do yourself a favor and get it. And have fun making music.

This works perfectly with my electric piano. Its comfortable, and the cord is the perfect length.

I have a Yamaha DGX-505, and the basic sustain pedal it comes with SUCKS. It's terrible. I don't know why the small sandwich pedals are distributed or even considered a legitimate accessory, but they slip if they're on the wrong floor, they give you a small target to hit, and if you aren't wearing shoes they can hurt... But enough about the crappy original pedal.This pedal feels a lot like an actual piano pedal, and that's a very good thing. The finish is smooth, so it's pleasant to put your foot on it (Shoes or not), the action is smooth, it's perfect in every way for a pedal as far as feel. The pedal is heavy enough that it stays in place, and the rubber on the bottom grips my hardwood floor nicely so it doesn't slide at all.The one thing I would mention that could be construed as negative is the fact that the pedal itself is long, meaning if the keyboard is up against a wall and the back of the pedal is as well, the pedal isn't in a great position. I shifted my keyboard out about 2" for the pedal, but shorter players may need to move it more. It doesn't really effect the function, but it's worth noting.

I bought a Yamaha piaggero keyboard couple a year back but never had the sustain. Was eyeing the FC3 as it apparently has a variable capability. The FC4 is on or off. It makes a big difference though. I play my piaggero both through its speakers and also use it as a midi controller for my DAW on my PC. The sustain works to send midi sustain to the VST synth so that is good also. I did not go for the FC3 because of more negative reviews regarding reliability. The FC4 is very basic and I expect it to serve me along time and also across future keyboards i.e. I would like to upgrade to a higher end keyboard. Although the little piaggero is really a great little keyboard with some basic but nice built in sounds and also a low profile so I can slide it under my home studio workstation sliding drawer. Now I have the sustain pedal which makes my life complete for now.

Works like a charm, and I've been using it for about two years. Just make sure your foot is off when you turn on the keyboard, or the polarity is reversed and it has the opposite effect.

Sustain peddles for electronic piano keyboards are scattered all over the map and they range from tiny light pocketable things to cumbersome easy to break clunks. The Yamaha FC4, has been around for some time and has become the good old reliable sustain peddle that can take a kicking and still remain reiable and trustworthy, and it has enough heft to remain in place no matter your tempo.Just remember to plug it in, BEFORE you turn ON your keyboard, or you'll end up with the sustain on all of the time, except when you trigger it. Just unplug it. Turn off your keyboard. Plug in the FC-4. Then turn on your keyboard.

Very good product in terms of the price, make, material and usability. It has enough weight so that it stays in position and does not move around while you are pushing it during a performance. It is best if you can place it on a small rug. The cable is long enough so it can be placed adequately on the ground while the keyboard is placed on the highest possible elevation on a stand.

The Yamaha FC3A foot pedal works as advertised, as I use it for my Yamaha MOXF8 with sounds that's able to use half-pedaling (Pre1 Full Concert Grand). You have a bit of travel on the pedal before it actually registers (I have to go almost halfway down before I notice an effect), and the half-pedaling effect seems to go to a full pedal early (Don't hear much a difference between 3/4ths and fully depressed pedal). If there was a way to adjust the sensitivity on this pedal, I would definitely give it 5 stars. It's well worth having one of these, especially if you have another pedal plugged in alongside it, though I would want to test one against the original Yamaha FC3.

Ok, I know you just bought this pedal and plugged it in with the power on your Yamaha Digital piano and it works backwards, right? It sustains with the pedal up, right? It has reversed polarity because you didn't unplug your adapter. 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.

I bought this to use with an old Yamaha SPX90. It works great. My only complaint is that it only has one function. It would have been better if there was a way to go forward AND back but that is more an issue with the SPX90 design than this pedal. The chord could also be longer.

The pedal works great for triggering drum machines, punching in and out while recording, and for turning effects on and off. It's just a momentary switch, but functions well.

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. Of course, it's only thirteen bucks so, you probably shouldn't expect a perfect feel as a sustain pedal.

The rubber on both the top and bottom provides good grip. It doesn't move around much on my hardwood floor, and I like that the entire bottom surface is rubberized, instead of just having four rubber feet, like so many pedals have. I found that the top surface seems just a bit stickier than the bottom, so, if you have a really slick floor, you can just flip the footswitch over and use it like that.

The cable is just the right length, without too much extra length to get tangled up in, but long enough for flexibility in placing the switch. I could see where a 1/4" jack instead of a hard-wired cable would be nice to allow users to change the length, and also to prevent the cable from wearing out, but if you take decent care of your gear, this pedal should last a long time.

The housing is metal and seems sturdy, in case you are wondering.

It seems like a good value, works like it should, and should last. It would be five stars if it was labeled simply as a "momentary foot switch" instead of as a sustain pedal. (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.

Great deal!

I've been through 3 pedals in 2 years. You'd think I was stomping on them. My M Audio pedal was a piece of junk. Had an older Roland Pedal and then tried a flat M Audio pedal. This one seems sturdy. I play standing up and it does tend to float on me. I had to put a small piece of velcro on the bottom.

This sounds almost like a sustain pedal on an actual piano. It's far better than the one that ships with the Yamaha P35B, which doesn't do much. Compared to this one, that other is like a toy. This will work well if used for an open-mike night or other performance. Just be sure that the keyboard is turned off before you plug this in, otherwise, the sustain stays on perpetually. If you forget, just unplug it, turn off the keyboard, then plug it in and turn the keyboard back on. It's attractive, too, heavy enough not to slide around while you're using it.

Great quality. Nice feel. Rubber on the bottom slides on hardwood floor :-( , so I find myself "chasing" it with ever used. Placing a small swatch of carpet underneath helps solve that, but taking a swatch of carpet with you when you perform out of the house doesn't always look the best. However, I can't say enough about the quality of the product itself as far a how it sounds. VERY realistic. So I'll deal with the "sliding pedal" issue.Thus the reason I gave it only 4 stars. But it is 5 star as far as sound and 'feel' of pedal.

I am using this with Garageband and Mainstage 3 with my M-Audio Oxygen 66 keyboard. It works exactly like the sustain pedal on my piano though it is a bit slippery on a wood floor. A couple times my settings got reversed and when I stepped on the pedal instead of sustain it waited until I released. Then I had sustain until I hit the pedal. I don't think it's a pedal issue at all and I'm still stumped at how the switch reversed itself. Software settings would not return it to normal and though I never figured it out, the next time I plugged everything in it was back to normal. The pedal is a good size and weight, I'm sure it will last as I don't move it much.

This pedal sustains well, exactly as it should, and operates in the same way as the sustain pedal on an upright piano, as long as it's in position. Since the pedal has a rubber base, I assume it stays put on a hard floor. But it does slide around on the carpet. I have put a piece of latex rug anchor under it to help that, but it only reduced the problem, doesn't solve it. Here's an opportunity for somebody to create a "dish" with pegs on the bottom to contain the base of the pedal and bite into the carpet to keep the pedal where it needs to be. Meanwhile, this pedal is still the best answer for a single sustain pedal if you're playing a Yamaha..

It's simple plug and play, and it works beautifully with my Yamaha EZ-220.This combined with an electronic keyboard with weighted keys and you got yourself a good substitute for an actual Grand Piano!(plus the additional "voices" and the much greater mobility)As other reviews state, it'd probably be best that you have the pedal up as plugging it in and turning the piano on to avoid sustain issues. I myself have made caution to these previous reviews and have not had a problem yet.On the flip side (since we're talking electronic keyboards here) I think it would be important to note that the sustain only works successfully for a handful of the voices your electronic keyboard provides.For the original Grand Piano voices and others of the like... it'll work beautifully.For other more artificial sounds like Strings and Techno themed voices, the pressing sustain pedal will cause the notes to play indefinitely (the equivalent of holding the note down forever until the pedal is released).

cool

This works ok for me, but I'm pretty disappointed since I bought it for the 'half pedal' functionality and I couldn't get it to work at all for me (and this product IS the one I have- the FC3A, not a different model).

For me, this straight up works as an on/off switch- that's it. Either the pedal is down and I get 100% sustain for as long as the note would normally allow, or it's off and the note stops abruptly. There's no in-between where I can control the length of the sustain by how far I hold my foot down, or if I let up slightly, etc. I might be totally mis-understanding what half-pedal does, but from what I read I as expecting to be able to control the dynamics of the sustain by altering how far I put my foot down, but I'm not able to get that at all. I tried using the internal voices in my NP-31 (which did say it suppors half-pedal functionality), as well as in my DAW when using it as a MIDI controller, and I saw no difference.

I do sometiems also get the reversed functionality issue where not holding the pedal produces sustain and pushing it down stops sustain. I usually just have to unplug for a few seconds and re-plug it in, or turn the keyboard on and off again and that fixes it. Similarly kind of annoying though.

I returned this item and it won't work on my Yamaha Keyboard. Wrong description.

I purchased this for my Hammond XK-1c for a volume pedal. It works, but it has a slow response. It also feels like there are only 4 settings... full volume, half, soft and off. It doesn't seem to have a smooth transition either.

The polarity is reverse from what is used by Ableton Push. I'm currently running a Max for Live plugin to switch the signal in Live, but it would make more sense to buy a pedal with a polarity switch on it from the start. Otherwise, the construction and action are good. As others have said it is very light. Great for portability, but it'll move around on you as you use it.

Unfortunately I ordered ad paid for the older style FC4 but received the FC4A. The older one has a rubber base which keeps the pedal from migrating away while you are using it whereas the FC4A only has a couple of rubber spots on the bottom which don't do the trick.As far as function otherwise, I see no difference. If you can get the old stock it's worth the 2 or 3 dollars difference in aggravation.

Since I've played the piano for much of my adult life and only just got a Yamaha keyboard, I chose the FC4 Piano Style Sustain Pedal. Maybe I should have chosen the other style—more of a flat surface. I find it very tricky to place the pedal so that I can easily manipulate with my foot. I finally found an odd position with the pedal at right angles to my foot. That said, the pedal does what it's supposed to—sustains the notes.

This works as intended, but it slides away from you when used on smooth floors.

My kids use this for our Yamaha keyboard. They report that sometimes the pedal works and sometimes it doesn't. It is not a connection issue. I got it so they could practice using a pedal because we don't have a piano.

This pedal works fine however I am disappointed with the quality of materials used. The wire is thin and seems to unforgiving if it is used for a lot of rip down set up every night gigs. I use it for the piano in my studio where it stays put. I think it is fine for that type of situation.

I have a Casio CDP-120. The Yamaha FC4 only works with Yamaha digital pianos. The polarity of the FC4 is set and cannot be changed. Do not buy this pedal unless (1) you have a Yamaha keyboard/digital piano or (2) you can switch the polarity on your piano. Unfortunately I was passed my return time on Amazon so I ended up dumping the pedal. It does seem to be of fairly high quality.

Nicely made pedal but it is not compatible with our Casio digital keyboard. Works backwards. (Sustains when just plugged in and stops when you press the pedal). Should say what brands this works with as it implies it works with all.

Well built. Be warned: there is a compatibility issue that prevents this expression pedal from working properly with M-Audio, Roland, and earlier Nord Electro keyboards. You will have to either resolder the wiring yourself (thus voiding any warranty) or purchase an adapter for about 20 bucks. Ridiculous that this is not mentioned in the product description.

The pedal itself works fine, but the actual mechanics of pressing and releasing the pedal make a lot of noise. It might be ok for performances with an amp and an audience, but for classical piano in my living room it was excessive and distracting. After using this pedal for a bit I ended up purchasing Yamaha LP7A Keyboard Foot Pedal Unit. I've found it to be nearly silent so I'm much happier with that.

This is an original Yamaha product. However the rubber protector from the upper part does not fit into the lower part causing a split off of the upper rubber. Only in “seat position” it works well, but not so in the “stand position”. This gave me a disenchantment, because the rest is a solid and firm construction.

It may only work with a Yamaha keyboard. Most foot switches have a "normally open" set of contact. That is to say; when you step on the switch the contacts close. This foot switch is the opposite. On my Casio keyboard this results in getting a sustained note continuously, unless you step on the pedal. This would mean having to continuously depress the pedal while playing unless you wanted a sustained note(s) or other foot operated functions. I returned it.

I don't like the way it works opposite the way a sustain pedal works on a piano. Difficult to try to use when you have played piano.

The Yamaha sustain pedal did not work with my Radio Shack keyboard. In fact, the pedal worked in a way opposite from what one would expect. If I did not depress the pedal, the sound was sustained. If I depressed the pedal, the sound was not sustained. Perhaps this oddity was the result of some incompatibility between the pedal and my keyboard, but I had to return the pedal.

The pedal work both ways on my keyboard just keep on running opposite direction when I step on the pedal. Wish it didn't work that way cuz got me confused while playing.

I don't know about you guys but it really made no difference. You can notice the extending but very very little. You had to pay close attention to realize that it was on. Its not all that great. And I have a yamaha dgx-230

Although it promotes itself as working with most keyboards. Please note: It does not work with Casio-the polarity is backwards and there is no switch to change the polarity. Went with a different brand that has a switch-works great.

Sustains when it's NOT pushed down and does not sustain when used as a pedal. ANNOYING. Worked well at first and then decided it was opposite day. It's been joking like that ever since. Not funny!

Doesn't work. By the time we were able to test it we're no longer able to return it.

It is extremely difficult to set the volume level, seems to be a small distance on the pedal from loud to very soft. The old Yamaha volume pedal which I stupidly included when I sold a previous Yamaha keyboard worked much better. I've just set it aside, worthless

Be advised: This sustain pedal does not have a polarity switch. This means that its polarity will be reversed for some keyboards (like mine... a Casio electric piano, as well as my Alesis VI61 MIDI controller). Basically, when you don't have the pedal pressed, it will sustain your notes... and when you press it, your notes will be unsustained (cut short). So the reverse of the sustain may happen, depending on your keyboard.

Yes, I tried several online remedies, however, to now avail.

I'd give zero stars if it were possible.

Unfortunately for me I didn't work this into my rig until a month or two after I bought it; I did test it out to make sure it worked with my keyboards (a Kurzweil pc3 and Roland vr-700). I used it at one gig, worked fine. I bought it to toggle the leslie speed on the Roland primarily, and the next gig it simply didn't work. I tried it with the pc3 as well to make sure it wasn't a problem with the Roland, but no dice there either. So I paid quite a bit for a leslie toggle switch for one gig, and my mistake for not gigging this dud right away (as then it would have been close enough to the date of purchase to return).

I'm very careful with my gear, there was nothing traumatic that happened to this pedal. It simply stopped working.

I planned to use this as a Kick & Bass drum trigger for my Alesis PerformancePro Pad. The sounds didn't trigger until the press was released. So you'd have to press, then release to get your sound. Definitely not good for that usage.

I got the product today but it did not work. I am going to return it. Hopefully it is accepted.

The pedal works in reverse. It sustains without pressing the pedal. In order to stop the sustain, you press the pedal. Exactly the OPPOSITE way a normal sustain pedal works.

I have the same polarity problem but it suddenly started after 5 months of use,and I cannot return it anymore!Waste of money!

YOU STEP TO NOT SUSTAIN!!??This product is backwards and show have a switch or something to reverse the staining abilities?

when i connected this pedal to my yamaha keyboard, when i press the pedel it does not vibrate, when i leave it vibrates ...it works the opposite..i did not have any buttons or keys to change the polarity :(

I've tried everything everyone else has said to reverse this pedal and it still doesn't work. Why they can't just put a freaking switch on the pedal is ridiculous.