need help setting up my Hi-Hat Pedal

[Poldi-1]

Until I get a real Hi-Hat machine and proper dual-cymbals I want to keep using the simple on/off-switch-style Hi-Hat pedal from my Alesis DM5 Set. I had it working once but after I needed to reset my settings I kinda forgot what I did to make it work.
I tried every combination of "Hi-Hat Pedal Type", "Hi-Hat Pedal AltIn", "Hi-Hat Pedal LvlsReverse" and the Impendance switch on the front. The only change I see is the VU meter being completely filled in some settings combination, but not reacting to presses/releases in any combinations.
Can someone please point me to the right settings?

[dmitri]

1. Start with default settings.
2. Press the pedal a few times.
3. Set LevelsAuto to No.
4. Set LowLevel twice as much as what you have there after MegaDrum did auto levels detection.
5. Set HighLevel 20% lower than what you have there after MegaDrum did auto levels detection.

[Poldi-1]

after doing that with levelsAuto Yes I had a Low value of 25 and high value of 870 while having constant CC messages on my MIDI monitor when the pedal is NOT pressed.
When adjusting as u suggested above the pedal doesn't produce any reaction.

[dmitri]

after doing that with levelsAuto Yes I had a Low value of 25 and high value of 870 while having constant CC messages on my MIDI monitor when the pedal is NOT pressed.

The impedance switch is in the "low impedance" (UP) position?

When loaded default settings and pressed the pedal a few time, did the VU meter move up/down?

While LevelsAuto is still set to Yes:
1. Increase LowLevel to a maximum it would allow.
2. Decrease HighLevel to a minimum it would allow.
3. Press the pedal a few times. What values do you get in LowLevel/HighLevel? Is it still sending CC messages?
At this step, while it is sending constant CC messages:
4. Set LevelsAuto to No. Still seeing CC messages?
5. Decrease HighLevel by one until CC messages stop. What value do you have in HighLevel? Press the pedal. Still no Up/Down movement on the VU meter?

[Poldi-1]

Yes, switch is up.

After playing around a bit I have it this way now:
when I press the pedal MIDI/CC is sent with a value of the full 127, when I release it I get 126. No more constant messages floating through MIDI-OX but no reaction on the small VU meter (its all the way down).
Is that a good point to go further from? What do I have to do further to have it send a value of 0 when releasing the pedal?
atm autolevels is off and I have a high/low value of 686 and 24

[dmitri]

Please, follow the steps I suggested and post answers to questions 3, 4 and 5.
Also, make sure you didn't disconnect the cable coming from the Low/High impedance switch when you disassembled the case.

[Poldi-1]

After following steps 1-3 I have a Low-Level of 0 and a High-Level of 40 while it is still sending CC messages (with a MIDI velocity between 17 and 59). the upper 1/4 of the VU meter reacts.

Set LevelsAuto to No and still had endless CC messages as before. Raised High-Level from 40 to 800 to make the endless CC stop. On pedal press I get CC message with velocity of 124, 123 on release of the pedal. No VU meter movement. with pedal released I get like 10-20 CC message when I hit any other pad. so I tried to raise HighLevel until I get rid of those extra 10-20 CC messages. At around 900 until 1023 (highest value) it sends endless CC messages again.

after repeating steps 1-3 at this time I got a LowLevel of 655505 and a HiLevel of 1 (not the other way round)...

I will check the cable tomorrow but I am pretty sure I didn't touch it.

edit: cable is ok!

[dmitri]

1. Set AutoLevels to No.
2. Set LowLevel to 25 and HighLevel to 40. In what position is the VU meter with the pedal up? With the pedal pressed down?

[dschrammie]

not to hijack someone else's thread, but I just wanted to say that I followed what I'm calling Dmitri's "set up procedure 2"
While LevelsAuto is still set to Yes:
1. Increase LowLevel to a maximum it would allow.
2. Decrease HighLevel to a minimum it would allow.
3. Press the pedal a few times. What values do you get in LowLevel/HighLevel? Is it still sending CC messages?
At this step, while it is sending constant CC messages:
4. Set LevelsAuto to No. Still seeing CC messages?
5. Decrease HighLevel by one until CC messages stop. What value do you have in HighLevel? Press the pedal.

And it appears to have worked...at least the little green MIDI indicator light is no longer on when the pedal is up. Ended up with a low level of 203 and a high of 482.
Small victories....now on to others.

[Poldi-1]

With Low/High of 25/40 the VU-Meter was half filled while not pressed with constant messages. I decreased High until the VU meter filled up completely and constant CC messages stopped, ended up with 33 High. Still had too much CC messages on pedal action, so I raised Low to 29. I attached pics of MIDI-moitor on a single and several pedal press & release.

what pedal are you using dschrammie?