M-Audio Sustain Pedal
A sustain pedal keeps the keys you are depressing in a sustained state when pressed, but doesn’t do this to any keys you depress afterwards.
Lots of digital pianos these days come with either a very flimsy pedal that moves all over the place, or don’t come with one at all. If you’re looking for a solution to this problem, the M-Audio keyboard sustain pedal looks to be a good choice for your digital piano.
This pedal has gotten glowing reviews and is cheap. It serves the same purpose as an acoustic pedal and the action is just as realistic. It’s a universal keyboard sustain pedal, compatible with all keyboard models.
M-Audio Keyboard Sustain Pedal: Breaking it Down
To solve the problem of the pedal shuffling around whenever it is pressed, M-Audio fitted the bottom of this pedal with rubber that will grip the floor. As you can see from the video below, it does a really good job of this. A couple reviews I came across stated that it works better on a hard surface than on a carpeted one.
The pedal also has some weight to it which helps in this regard as well. It’s pretty rugged, and at 10.5 inches is long to accommodate the largest feet. It has a 6-foot cable so it’s plenty long enough to reach any jack. It also comes with a 1-year warranty.
A Couple Tips
- Always plug the pedal into your keyboard BEFORE you turn it on – otherwise the keyboard may not recognize it
- If you find that sustain is on and the pedal is not depressed, flip the polarity switch on the bottom of the pedal to the other position
Customer Reviews
Here’s a few recent reviews I came across from people who have bought this pedal:
“…this is one example where you get something far greater than what you pay for.”
“Elegance, ruggedness, durability, and usability, this pedal has it all.”
“It has the feel of a real piano pedal.”
Summary
Between the price and the quality, this looks to be the best sweet spot out there in terms of a keyboard sustain pedal. The owner feedback is very positive.
(some links here are sponsored affiliate links. The owner makes commission if you buy after clicking these links. The owner is not a bona fide user of this product, but has thoroughly researched it and provided his personal opinion only)