Pedal Harp
Both harps in Berlin Symphonic Harps and the SSP Pedal Harp offer full control over the harp pedals. This patch type offers all the possibilities you would have with a real concert harp. With it, you can easily create a huge amount of different scales. This is why sometimes the harp is regarded as a more creative tool than the piano because it allows for more experimental freedom.
Assigning and Storing Pedal Positions in Symphonic Sphere
We created a 3D model of the harp’s pedals to make the pedal control realistic and user-friendly. Just use the mouse and click on the pedal you want to adjust. Using the slots you can see on the left of the mic knobs, you can save pedal presets.
Adjust the pedals, press “store” and then the slot you want to assign the preset to. Now you can easily switch between the presets you created just by clicking on the different slots.
Note:
You can trigger the slots via MIDI with any kind of MIDI controller.
Use this if you want to switch between presets while you are playing.
Assigning and Storing Pedal Positions in Berlin Symphonic Harps
The True Pedal patches provide control over all seven harp pedals. You can use the mouse to click on the pedal you want to adjust. All pedals have flat, normal and sharp positions. These positions alter the pitch of all strings of that respective pitch.
Adjust the pedals, press “store” and click the preset number you want to assign the setting to. Now you can easily switch between the presets you created just by clicking on the different slots.
You can save and load all ten presets with the save and load buttons in the top left.
Note:
You can trigger all of the individual pedals, as well as any of the ten presets, via MIDI with any kind of MIDI controller. Set this up in the Controller Table.
Use this if you want to switch between presets or adjust pedal settings while you are playing.
By default, you can alter the harp pedals with the Key Switches C-1-F-#1 and you
can trigger the presets with Key Switches C7-G7.
Controller Table
Why pedal control?
The pedals of a harp have the purpose of transposing the strings either to a sharp key, a regular key or to a flat key.
For example:
Put down the C pedal and every C becomes a C sharp.
Put up the C pedal to the high position and every C becomes a C flat.
With these adjustments, it is possible to play nearly every scale you can imagine.
Assuming you want to play a glissandi in a C major pentatonic scale: Set the B to B sharp and the E to E sharp. The E now sounds like a F, the B sounds like a C.
With 5 different pitches but 7 different strings played, the “F” exists two times and the “C” exists two times, as well. Now you have a pentatonic scale, this is what is called an enharmonic change. B sharp is not C but it has the same pitch. This way, it is possible to create further scales like major, minor, pentatonic, whole tone etc.
Another advantage of the pedals is that you can transfer patterns and melodies into other scales without thinking about how to change the notes and chords you are playing.
For example:
You created a melody in F minor.
It might be interesting to hear how the melody sounds like in a pentatonic scale without thinking about how you have to change the notes you are playing. With the pedals this is possible: Just adjust the pedals to the scale you need and play the same keys as before and your melody is transferred into another appearance. This is a very huge and creative possibility.
Note
In this instrument, only the white keys are mapped to samples because a harp has only 7 strings.