Foot Pedal Issue Revisited

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OblioV
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Foot Pedal Issue Revisited

Post by OblioV »

Using the tips in one of the previous messages, I was able to modify the foot pedal from my cassette-based transcriber to work with Goldwave on the game port, and have found it to be an excellent tool. But I just got a new computer, and it doesn't even have a game port - and none of the computers I've looked at recently do either. It looks like I'll have to put an audio card into the computer, and disable the audio on it (leaving only the game port.)

I suggest that it's time to revisit the USB foot pedal question. Is there any possibility of having it included in a future release? Even if you only chose to support one or two models, I'd certainly go out and buy the recommended one as opposed to putting a (mostly) useless card into my computer.
DewDude420
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Post by DewDude420 »

The first thing you should know is the DB15 gameport has been pretty much phased out, and pretty soon you'll find NO hardware that's got it..so picking up a sound card might be an option, if you can find one that's got it. Other than that...no one's even using the gameport anymore AFAIK...any new device that comes out is USB.

What you might want to try to do is get a USB -> gameport adapter. The problem with USB is you couldn't directly wire a footpedal up to it and would need some circuitry to communicate with the PC...USB only has 4 pins...two for power and two for data. I know goldwave will work with a USB gamepad...so no issues there..but if you've gotten it to work on a gameport, you might want to go ahead and try a gameport adapter.

The OTHER alternative you could do is this..I've seen USB gamepads for like, $9.99..they're just basic small gamepads...buy one, tear the sucker apart and wire your footpedel up to the approipate button. it's not a "pretty" solution, but it would work.
OblioV
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Post by OblioV »

Dewdude:

Thanks for the reply, and I agree that game ports are obsolete. My new computer doesn't even have a game port (as do most computers being sold today). That's why USB foot pedals are becoming more attractive (necessary?), and why almost all of the new ones being produced are USB based.

A temporary solution might be to find a PCI-based game port card, but I haven't been able to locate one.

But I am interested in your comment "I know goldwave will work with a USB gamepad..." I have not seen this capability - how do you enable it? I am more than willing to do some kludge work to get this going, but the preferable solution would be for the capability to be built into the program.
DewDude420
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Post by DewDude420 »

With my USB gamepad (or flight stick in my case) installed...goldwave seemed to automatically pick it up. It doesn't seem to look for the gameport specifically and rather, uses windows API to get input from the game controller..so it's actually a function of windows itself. It's possible, depending how the USB foot controls work, to use one in goldwave. However most of those would probably be mapped to thier own HID and not installed as a joystick.

In reality, all you have to do is get windows to recgonize a joystick/game controller...Goldwave can pick up from that.
DougDbug
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Post by DougDbug »

I'm not sure what you want the footswitch to do, but you can get programmable footswitches, and you may be able to make the footswitch work with GoldWave as-is.

A quick search turned-up this.
GoldWave Inc.
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Post by GoldWave Inc. »

Just to clarify: GoldWave does not require a game port connection. All it requires is a foot switch that is recognized as a game controller by Windows. The connection can be USB, serial, game port, etc. As long as it comes up in Game Controllers under the Windows Control Panel, then GoldWave will be able to use it. You can find such as switch here.

You can even get a cheap USB gamepad like controller, put it on the floor, and use your toe to control playback with the four buttons or the directional pad.

Chris
The Great Watbol!
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Post by The Great Watbol! »

what exactly is the foot control for¿?
is one really that nessessary¿?
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DewDude420
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Post by DewDude420 »

foot pedels were common long ago. they're basically a switch that's in the form of a pedel that's connected to a tape deck, allowing one to basically start and stop recording without using ones hands.
The Great Watbol!
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Post by The Great Watbol! »

so, it's simular to the old mic's that had a pause/start switch on the shaft?
I get it now.
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DewDude420
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Post by DewDude420 »

no..i don't know of a mic that's got a start/pause switch on the shaft....they generally will have power switches of some type.
The Great Watbol!
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Post by The Great Watbol! »

I had a rhapsody recorder that there were 2 - 1/8 mini plugs and the recorder had a jack for remote and one for signal. Somehow the switch on the mic shaft was directly relative to the capstan motor and paused it.
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DewDude420
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Post by DewDude420 »

that was a specalized thing..i deal solely with the standard equipment you'd find in a studio.
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