Non-foot Volume Pedals?

Bruce Burhans · Post by **Bruce Burhans** » 18 May 2005 3:47 pm

Dean Parks,

Another hi-tech solution...Interesting idea. But
since physical movement would be required, why
not just a lever of some kind?

I'm really liking the dual vertical knee bars at
this point. Same basic movements as the volume
pedal and vertical knee levers.

Archie Nicol,

Probably illegal.

Bruce in Bellingham

db · Post by db » 18 May 2005 5:11 pm

A while back I engineered a "Nut Mute Release System" for Stanley Jordan
(The "touch" guitar player).
I was a simple "photo shutter release bulb"
The bulb was positioned in the "arm-pit".
With a simple squeeze (of either arm), the mute would be lifted.
This is an "un-involved" body part that could do the volume adjustment.
Although, the bulb might get "pretty rank" after a while!

------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3

[This message was edited by db on 18 May 2005 at 06:13 PM.]

db · Post by db » 18 May 2005 5:28 pm

Another device that is not exactly a solution . . .
But, a similar "alternate volume control" topic . . .
Back in the 70's Emmett Chapman ("The Chapman Stick")
had a pressure sensitive pedal for volume or other control functions.
I have heard that he is working on a new model of this device.
The pressure pad could be controlled by the heel pressure
instead of a "heel-toe" pivot movement.
So as not to change the leg elevation.
------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3[This message was edited by db on 18 May 2005 at 06:30 PM.]

Bruce Burhans · Post by **Bruce Burhans** » 18 May 2005 8:23 pm

db,

Actually, the under-arm idea _would_ mess up your
picking/blocking or bar control/movement. They all
start right there...

About the pressure plate. Those exist in other fields.
But any time you put un-necessary electronics or
complex mechanics between yourself and what you are
trying to effect, an expressiveness that comes only
with physical intimacy is lost.

Why not use solenoids and "pressure plates" to pull the
changer rods? Because you'd no longer be able to FEEL
the changers/strings.

I still can't see anything that could do the job
physically besides the knee movements currently taken
up by changer knee levers.

And this is only a viable idea because freeing up both
feet for the pedals would allow for _more_ possible
change-combos than the current norm.

Bruce in Bellingham

Scott Appleton · Post by **Scott Appleton** » 19 May 2005 12:50 am

I cant see the point of having more levers .. wheels ..
pullys .. wrist straps .. all that hardware when a simple small wind controller could take care of it .
Area sensitive lazer systems exsist that can change
movment within a defined space into voltage. That voltage can be used with a VCA voltage controlled
amp. job done.

Bruce Burhans · Post by **Bruce Burhans** » 19 May 2005 1:42 am

Scott Appleton,

But I am not talking about adding any more more
"levers..wheels.. pulleys..wrist straps...".

Simply re-arranging them. It's pretty obvious that
you haven't read the other posts here and don't
care to because you are hooked on hi-tech solutions.
That's fine.

But it is annoying to be misquoted, and that is
essentially what you have done.

There is nothing "simple" about midi or lasers. They
are incredibly complex. Just because YOU aren't doing
the work and haven't looked under the hood doesn't
mean that what's in there is simple.

It's not that your ideas wouldn't work. Simply
that they belong, in my opinion, in the world of
synthesizers, not the world of the pedal steel.

Bruce in Bellingham

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 19 May 2005 3:46 am

There's a whole slew of work being done on neurogical controls to assist the handicapped of every sort, do some googling on combinations of "handicapped", "neural", "computer", "controls" etc.

"...the electrical nature of the human nervous system will be the basis for direct neural control of computers. The neural interface refers to a direct data link between a computer and the human nervous system. The user can control the activities of the computer directly from nerve or muscle signals without the need for a keyboard or mouse. 'Someday it can even be possible to think a command and the computer will interpret and execute the thought command via neural interface' - as seen in the "primitive" version for Kris Rytter with her Alternative Communication System." - http://www.mala.bc.ca/~soules/media113/utopia2/kerem/utopia.htm

"... Phil Kennedy, a neuroscientist and CEO of Neural Signals Inc., has successfully fused the human brain with a computer. By strategically placing a handful of electrodes near a few good neurons, Kennedy has allowed his patients to write words on a computer screen just by thinking about it. Future patients endowed with subcranial cortical implants, believes Kennedy, will learn to use signals to control what they want. As researchers such as Kennedy are discovering, the flexibility and adaptability of the brain is astounding." - http://www.sentientdevelopments.com/disabled.html

The critical issue, as I see it, lies in convincing the researchers with the big government budgets that steel guitarists are physically impaired or mentally handicapped, because they can't make their instruments sound the way they want them to. This might be a tough sell.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 19 May 2005 6:12 am

How about a bogus bar or other type of lever attached to the volume knob, to be operated by fingertips? (I use my whammy as a wrist wrest on my Dano, so my fingers can do the walking.)

Bruce Burhans · Post by **Bruce Burhans** » 19 May 2005 2:47 pm

Charlie McDonald,

That hand already has more than enough to keep it busy.
Good idea for guitarists wanting to emulate steel sounds,
though. They usually use their pinkies on the knob and
a lever would work better.

Bruce in Bellingham

Scott Appleton · Post by **Scott Appleton** » 19 May 2005 6:15 pm

Bruce i was simply addressing the general topic here
and not specificly pointing a finger at you or anyone.
why so touchy?
I am a trained electronics tech and have many years working with the world of VCA a very simple device.
yes the lazer stuff is a bit compicated but could be easily made into a stomp box type controller with
cheap parts and be effective.
It seems the thread was talking about how to do volume controll without using valuable pedal and knee lever realestate. 7 + 7 and a goodrich is all I need to play my rig.

------------------
Mullen S12 Almost Mooney
71 Tele, Regal 45
Sho Bud S10 NP
Line 6 Flextone 3 + JBL D130, Acoustic 100 W all tube, Nash 112
digitech 2101 FX

Bruce Burhans · Post by **Bruce Burhans** » 19 May 2005 6:32 pm

Scott Appleton,

Okay. Would you mind taking a look above at the
section of my post beginning with:

quote:

<pre>
================= ================= bars
|_______________| |_______________| axles (on back
of instrument)

</pre>

The left and right bars would be spring-loaded to
return to a center-point (on the same plane) which

:endquote

and telling me how you would wire up the arrangement I
describe? (using just pots and mechanical manipulations).

Since you are a trained electronics tech, this should
be childsplay for you. Mechanical interfaces of one
kind or another are necessary for almost every hi-tech
device, so you must be very familiar with them.

Thanks a lot,

Bruce in Bellingham

Bruce Burhans · Post by **Bruce Burhans** » 19 May 2005 7:15 pm

Scott Appleton,

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>It seems the thread was talking about how to do
volume controll without using valuable pedal and knee
lever realestate. 7 + 7 and a goodrich is all I need to
play my rig.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

With the set-up I have outlined above, (15 pedals in
two staggered rows like a piano keyboard with both
feet) one could do every change that you have, and a
WHOLE lot more.

It would be possible to push 6 pedals at once, rather
than just 2 pedals and 2 knee levers, with the knees
completely free to deal with volume control.

And that volume-controlling would not in any way
interfere with the free movement of the feet across
the pedals (although it would take practice, though
no more than learning to use the knee levers and
pedals together).

added later: Conventional, changer knee levers often DO
interfere with manipulating the pedals.

Note: Yes, I am aware that some players can press 3 or
even more knee-levers at the same time, but this would
still be only a very few combinations, whereas the one
I suggest would have DOZENS of 4-6 pedal combinations
available.

-----------------------------------------------------

Hi-tech is great where it is needed, and a burden
where it is not.

Sure. You could build a tiny, clean, nuclear device
that would do a wonderful job of removing old stumps.
But WHY? Ammonium nitrate and charcoal work just
fine and is a whole lot simpler to make. It also adds
nitrogen to the soil.

Bruce in Bellingham

[This message was edited by Bruce Burhans on 19 May 2005 at 09:39 PM.]

db · Post by db » 19 May 2005 11:28 pm

WOW... WHAT A CAN OF WORMS!
To find the "un-involved" body part!
I like the "Bite-System" so far.
Or try a "Nose-twitch", "Ear-wiggle" or "Wink" system!

------------------
Dan Balde
U-12/8&5, S-7/D 3&1, S-6/E,A & G3[This message was edited by db on 20 May 2005 at 12:31 AM.]

Bruce Burhans · Post by **Bruce Burhans** » 19 May 2005 11:54 pm

DB,

|

Well...I've got a probe up my ___ and a machine under
my arm and a laser beam pointing at my head and two
devices in my mouth...

Really, I've had better days

Bruce in Bellingham

Gary Spaeth · Post by **Gary Spaeth** » 20 May 2005 6:27 am

how about under the chin? velcro a bigsby volume pedal to your chest with the bigsby logo facing your neck, spring load it so it always goes to volume off position. just kidding about the bigsby, them suckers is huge, but something unobtrusive like the bulb mentioned earlier.
or how about a push in shaft located at your chest so you move in for more volume. would look like your getting into the music like classical pianists do.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 20 May 2005 6:45 am

Okay, a harmonica holder with a spring-loaded bite-pressure device.
Think I'll keep looking for a volume pedal.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 20 May 2005 7:17 am

You could hook up a chest strap like Hannibal Lecter when they had him strapped to the dolly, and rock from side to side like Stevie Wonder... you've already GOT a dolly, right? Bolt it to the back of your pac-a-seat, hook up a pully to a Clarostat and off you go![This message was edited by David Mason on 20 May 2005 at 08:23 AM.]

Bruce Burhans · Post by **Bruce Burhans** » 20 May 2005 9:25 am

Charlie McDonald wrote:

Think I'll keep looking for a volume pedal.

Why would you say something like that?

Bruce "Hannibal Bigsy Boobs" Burhans