NAMM 2023: Black BT claims its SusEx is the world's first wireless combination sustain and expression pedal, and that it could revolutionise your keyboard performances and even speed up your studio workflow.
The SusEx pedal includes two modes: Sustain and Expression - hence the name - and you can switch between these using a simple foot action. Press SusEx at the front and it plays just like an ordinary sustain pedal, but press it on top and it changes to Expression Mode.
On stage this can have a number of different applications, especially as the device uses BLE MIDI (Bluetooth Low Energy) so can send its MIDI information wirelessly.
A typical example is that you have SusEx in Sustain mode for playing and then use Expression mode to switch between sound or effect presets in a DAW or hardware MIDI instrument. This means you can audition sounds without needing to stop playing or physically switch between other pedals.
Another example would be to use the continuous controller Expression Mode to increase the amount of mix effect you are playing in Sustain Mode. SusEx's unique advantage is that it can also perform these operations wirelessly so there's an extra layer of flexibility and practicality for performing.
Black BT believes that SusEx will cut down the amount of pedals you'll need on stage and speed up your workflow in the studio.
"It creates a natural way to creatively 'play' multiple pedal parameters without stomping switches or moving back and forth between multiple single-parameter pedals," the company says.
SusEx was actually first demo'd a few month's ago, but will ship this April and retail for $150. There's more information at Black BT's website where you can pre-order the device now.
For other NAMM news, head on over to our NAMM 2023 main page.
