Extreme Overwhelming Roland PK-5A Gear Lust

[Annoying Twit]

I hope this thread isn't too self-obsessed, but I've just seen a set of second hand Roland PK-5A MIDI pedals for £199.

I'm overcome with gear lust for these,

In one thread http://basschat.co.uk/topic/224561-multi-instrument-playing/, I was asking about playing a keyboard with one hand while tapping with one hand to be able to produce a bit more music when playing solo. If I had pedals, I could play stuff with my feet, then I would still have two hands free for the bass. On that thread there was also a comment about playing some drums with the feet while playing bass, and that was very interesting. With MIDI foot pedals, I could play simple drum parts with my feet, overdubbing more drums if I'm using a looper.

In another thread, I'm discussing a looper that I'm writing myself. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/218120-diy-looper-project/ It's currently in a getting near to usable state, but the big problem is the interface hardware. I'm looking at buying foot switches at £3 each or so then needing to mount them in a big enclosure to go on the floor. If I had some PK-5A pedals, then I could make my looper be controlled primarily through MIDI, using the pedals of the PK-5 as control buttons. If I write the code so that there is a configurable mapping between different types of MIDI events and commands to control the looper, then I could easily have it that the pedals can do all sorts of functions, using the other switches on the pedals to change mode. It would also make it much easier for other people to use my looper when it gets released to the world, as they could configure the looper to accept input from whatever MIDI devices they have to hand, not needing additional hardware or electrical building. I also wouldn't need a big casing for my looper, I could attach my Pi in its plexiglass case to the PK-5A with velcro or something.

I do spend a carefully limited amount of money on myself, and this would mean no fretless bass for a while. As well as some other compromises. But, I've just seen these pedals and I'm just thinking MUST HAVE MUST HAVE MUST HAVE.

Any comments/advice?

Edit: In hindsight, it's not clear what I'm asking. But, is there anyone that has taught themselves to play with bass pedals and/or used them to control equipment?

Edited December 14, 2013 by Annoying Twit

[bertbass]

I used bass pedals to play bass when I switched to guitar, I had a twin neck at the time and this was before midi. A lot of faffing about but the results were good.

[Annoying Twit]

I keep on thinking up ways that they would be useful. By some means, I will need to enable my feet. However, thinking about it, I need the buttons to send MIDI. If they don't, if they only change the internal state of the pedals, then I can't use those ones. I've got the manual and am going through it.

Edit: Wait a second, that's not try. Even if the buttons only make the pedals change internal mode, they transmit MIDI data on different channels in some of those modes. Hence, the pedals could control multiple functions by using, say, MIDI channel 10 as transmitted in drum mode as a control channel.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Annoying Twit