Endorphin.es has announced that it has collaborated with musician and content creator Loopop to create a simple, yet powerful desktop expression and sustain pedal. The PLUS 3 is able to unlock features in MIDI controllers, synthesizers, effects pedals and semi-modular synths, Eurorack instruments and DAWs in ways never before possible – all in an ultra compact form factor that is easy to operate for either live or studio performance.
PLUS 3 is designed for musicians who prefer compact desktop control of features accessible via the sustain and expression jacks of their instruments, as opposed to controlling features with their feet, or by using bulky sustain and expression pedals on a desktop.
Expressive performance and feature access at your fingertips
The PLUS 3 controller includes a high-quality fader for expressive performance and automation, a momentary sustain key, and an innovative “drone mode” toggle switch – enabling users to free their hands and hold notes indefinitely. In drone mode, the momentary key’s functionality changes, enabling the user to swap droned notes with new ones.
PLUS 3 comes bundled with three cables in the box: a 1 meter TRS cable for the expression side, a 1 meter TS cable for the sustain side, and a TRS breakout cable for connecting PLUS 3 to semi-modular and Eurorack gear. This breakout cable allows use of PLUS 3’s expression side as an attenuator, and its sustain side as a gate control for CV for a greater degree of sonic control.
As a completely passive unit, the PLUS 3 requires no outside power source to function. Further, it features an aluminum encasing, so it’s sturdy, light, and portable. Its sustain key is based on standard mechanical keyboard-style keys and can be customized, so users can swap the key out and use the key of their own choice.
PLUS 3 also features an on panel RTS/TRS switch for various expression jack configurations, and an internal “hidden” jumper enables use of its sustain side as an expression toggle.
Capabilities and features
PLUS 3’s sustain side unlocks instrument capabilities with a sustain jack, subject to the instrument’s own capabilities:
- A momentary sustain button for instruments that don’t have a dedicated physical sustain control (most don’t!).
- A dedicated drone/hold/arp latch switch for instruments that don’t have one (many don’t!). It’s important to note that even if an instrument has a hold button, its sustain jack may unlock additional functionality or behavior (for example, a button that simply holds notes does not cause Piano VSTs to resonate sympathetic strings in the way using sustain does).
- Momentary and toggle control of any parameter mappable in a DAW synth’s mod matrix/menu system, or effect pedal (for example, sostenuto, freeze effect, dry/wet bypass, swapping presets, etc.).
PLUS 3’s expression side unlocks features for instruments with an expression jack that include (among others):
- The device is particularly useful for adding an expressive physical fader to MIDI controllers that don’t already have faders, but have an expression jack (for example, Native Instruments Kontrol MK3, or M32; or Korg’s KeyStage).
- Use PLUS3’s fader for direct access and expressive control of any single parameter mappable in your DAW, effects pedal or synth in ways not possible with a regular keyboard (for example, bowing a violin, an orchestral swell, fine tuning a track’s level in the mix).
- For DAWs, synths with a mod matrix or effect pedals with expression jack mapping capabilities (e.g. many Chase Bliss, Boss, EHX pedals, and Endorphin.es’ own Ghost and Golden Master pedals), use PLUS 3’s fader as a macro control to change multiple parameters at once – almost similar to preset morphing, based on your instruments ability to map its expression input to multiple parameters.
The PLUS 3 is available now, priced at $79 USD / €79 EUR.
More information: Endorphin.es
