More complicated still are the harmonisation options which reflect a frequently used dual plucking technique. Other preferences include round-robin selection, sample offset, the tightness of timing and pitch, polyphonic legato threshold and direction, pick-blocking level and pitch-bend range. For example, it is possible to change the volume of mechanical noises, such as pedal presses, picking and slide-bar friction, and to decide on the frequency that such articulations should occur. The lower half of the interface is home to a set of controls that enable the user to customise sample playback and triggering. The mod wheel is also brought into use for controlling tremolo depth and rate in manual mode, or as a threshold control when tremolo is set to Auto mode.Īny keyswitch changes that are made are reflected on the main control panel where there are a set of corresponding dials that can be altered directly, should the user prefer them to keys. This note–playing section (identified by its pale blue colour) occupies the centre of the keyboard and is bookended by six keyswitch sections which enable the user to quickly perform mode, articulation, fret position and chord changes. Nearly 10,000 samples of a modern 10-string E9 pedal steel were taken, and they were mapped across four octaves of the keyboard with an average of nine round–robin variations per key. So to create this virtual instrument, Impact Soundworks had to make it possible for users to trigger the characteristic sliding, key shifting and tremolo articulations of a real pedal steel using a standard controller keyboard. At the same time, the musician makes key changes by pressing and releasing pedals with their feet and squeezing levers with their knees.

Pedal steel guitar players usually pluck the strings with their right hand while their left moves a slide across the fretboard and generates vibrato.

Midi pedal steel guitar