OWNER’S MANUAL
INTRODUCTION TO MIDI
MIDI (Musical Instrumentation Digital Interface) is the communication specication dened by the
world's musical instrument manufacturers to allow one electronic device to talk to another. The speci-
cation was initially intended to allow keyboards to communicate with other keyboards and computers,
and thus, the specication includes codes to represent note on, note o, volume dynamics, pitch bend,
patch change, etc. In fact, an examination of the controls of a synthesizer gives a good indication of the
types of commands that the MIDI specication covers — anything that you can control in the synth can
also be controlled through the use of MIDI.
A portion of the MIDI specication deals exclusively with music generation, i.e. note on, note o, pitch
bend, and other commands, the rest of the MIDI specication provides a means to control the function
of electronic hardware. The MIDI program and control change commands oer a wide range of possibil-
ities for controlling patch bays, internal routing of signals in mixers, eects units, and many other digi-
tally accessed audio related equipment. The ability of the PDS-3500, THE MIDI PEDAL, to store in
memory up to 1,984 dierent presets and transmit these MIDI control codes to various pieces of equip-
ment makes it a very powerful tool for the performing musician and MIDI studio.
INTRODUCTION THE PDS-3500, THE MIDI PEDAL
The PDS-3500, THE MIDI PEDAL, is a foot controller that will let you enter a series of MIDI pro-
gram changes and recall them at the tap of your foot. Although the PDS-3500 is in a foot switch format,
the touch pads can be actuated with the gentle touch of your nger so that you could use the unit on
top of your keyboard. With the addition of the FX-17, Wah/Volume controller pedal, the PDS-3500 can
be used to control MIDI specication continuous controllers like volume and modulation depth, as well
as pitch bend and channel pressure.
The PDS-3500 is housed in a DigiTech dual foot switch cast-metal housing. The left foot switch pad
is the BANK/STORE switch. It is used to advance the BANK number and to store data when program-
ming. The right foot switch is the PRESET/INCREMENT switch and it is used to advance the PRESET
number and increment the data values during programming. The top of the housing has two three-
position slide switches. The left-hand slide switch is the MODE SWITCH. It selects the OPERATE mode,
the PROGRAM mode, or selects the PEDAL STATUS number during programming. The right-hand slide
switch is the DATA SWITCH. It selects during OPERATE(ing), one of two operating modes: BANK/
PRESET or BANK DUMP or during PROGRAM(ming) selects: BANK and PRESET, PROGRAM CHANGE
number or MIDI CHANNEL number.
The PDS-3500 also has a four-number LED display mounted on the top of the chassis.
On the right side of the PDS-3500 chassis are two jacks: the D to +5 volt input from the FX-17 pedal
and the A.C. power adapter jack.
The PDS-3500 requires the use of an A.C. power adapter IDDD PS-3 A.C. power adapter to operate.
NOTE: The use of any other A.C. adapter other than a DigiTech or DOD power adapter will void the war-
ranty.
The 9-volt battery found under the plastic cover on the top of the unit is to back up the settings pro-
grammed into the PDS-3500 when the A.C. power adapter is withdrawn from the unit.
On the left side of the PDS-3500 is the MIDI output jack.
USEFUL TERMINOLOGY
PRESET: a group of numbers th at are transmitte d to MIDI devices to eect changes in the
way the MIDI devices operate. A PRESET in the PDS-3500 consists of: a BANK number, a PRESET num-
ber, a MIDI PROGRAM CHANGE number, a MIDI CHANNEL number, and an optional PEDAL STATUS
number.
BANK: a group of up to 31 pre sets. Access to the num b er of presets in a BANK may be limite d
by the use of the END-OF- BANK or the END-OF-PROGRAM markers.
END-OF-BANK marker: The use of the END-OF-BANK marker ("Eb") in a preset limits the access
to presets to those which precede the marker. When the END-OF-BANK marker is encountered, the
PDS-3500 resets the preset number back to “0" within that bank.
END-OF-PROGRAM marker: The use of the END-OF-PROGRAM marker ("EP") limits the access
to those presets and banks which precede the marker. When the END-OF-PROGRAM marker is en-
countered in a BANK, the PDS-3500 resets the PRESET number back to "0" within the BANK. When the
END-OF-PROGRAM marker is encountered when advancing BANK numbers, the PDS-3500 resets the
BANK number back to BANK number “1”.
PROGRAM: a group of up to 63 bank s. Access to the num ber of BANKS may be limited to
those BANK numbers which precede the END-OF-PROGRAM marker.
CONTROL DESCRIPTIONS
MODE SWITCH: This is a three position slide switch which selects either the operating
mode or the programming mode. It also enables the pedal status number input when the PDS-3500 is in
the programming mode.
DATA SWITCH: This is a thre e position slide switch. When the MODE SWITCH is in the OP-
ERATE MODE, the DATA SWITCH selects either the BANK I PRESET MODE of operation or the BANK
DUMP MODE of operation: Whe n the MODE SWITCH is in the PROGRAM MODE, the DATA
SWITCH selects the BANK/PRESET, MIDI PROGRAM CHANGE NUMBER, or the MIDI CHANNEL
NUMBER for data input.
BANK/STORE FOOT SWITCH: This is the foot switch on the le ft side of the pedal unit. When
the PDS-3500 is in the OPERATE MODE, this foot switch advances the BANK NUMBER. When the PDS-
3500 is in the PROGRAM MODE, this foot switch stores the values selected,
PRESET/INCREMENT FOOT SWITCH: This is the foot switch on the right side o f the pedal unit.
When the PDS-3500 is in the OPERATE MODE, this foot switch advances the PRESET NUMBER. When
the PDS-3500 is in the PROGRAM MODE, this foot switch advances the data value being programmed.
If the foot switch is held down, the values advance at about ten per second after a moment's pause.
The capacity of the PDS-3500 is 64 banks with 31 presets in each bank. Each preset consists of: (1) a pro-
gram change number, (2) a MIDI channel number, and (3) a pedal status number. The pedal status
number assigns the function of the FX-17 to one of the dened MIDI continuous controllers, pitch bend,
or channel pressure.
Apply power to the PDS-3500 with the switches in the OPERATE and BANK/PRESET positions. If
the LED display does not read "10," remove and re-apply power to the unit.
The PDS-3500 has two operating modes, the BANK/PRESET mode or the BANK DUMP mode.
As you increment through the BANK numbers, the PRESET number shown on the LED display is
"0." This is a null preset that does not transmit any data, but acts as a starting point for either of the two
operating modes.
The BANK/PRESET MODE allows you to step through the presets in each bank one at a time, the
left foot switch selecting the bank number and the right foot switch selecting the preset number. When
the right foot switch is depressed, the PRESET NUMBER is advanced by one, the MIDI PROGRAM
CHANGE number stored in memory for that preset is displayed momentarily and the preset data is
transmitted.
The BANK DUMP MODE sends out all of the presets in the selected bank. This mode allows you to
set up many dierent eects units with dierent corresponding MIDI program numbers with one tap of
your foot. You can assign each eect device to listen on a dierent MIDI channel, then in each preset in
order, program a dierent MIDI program number for each MIDI channel (the continuous controller
denition being the last preset). Put the left hand switch in the OPERATE mode and the right hand
switch in the BANK DUMP mode, select the BANK number with the left (BANK/STORE) foot switch.
Only when you depress the right (PRESET/ INCREMENT) foot switch are all of the presets in the bank
transmitted in the order of the preset numbers. The LED display will show "...." while all of the presets in
the bank are being transmitted.
Programming the PDS-3500 .is straightforward. With the use of the left and right three-position
switches and the two foot switches, the BANK number, the PRESET number, the MIDI PROGRAM num-
ber, the MIDI CHANNEL number, and the PEDAL STATUS number are quickly programmed into THE
MIDI PEDAL. The programmed settings are stored until changed and are backed up by a battery when
power is removed from the unit.
The rst step in programming the PDS-3500 is to determine what you wish to put into the unit. The
approach you will take to programming the PDS-3500 is dependent on your external MIDI controlled
eects and devices and how you are able to program them individually and their ability to be controlled
by external devices to them:
1. You can preset the eects and patches you want in your external units so that you may access the
combination of eects and patches with one MIDI program change number. Or,
2. You may "tune" each of your external devices to a dierent MIDI channel [this allows you to con-
trol up to 16 dierent units independently), and "assemble'’ the setup you want with a combination of
MIDI program change numbers transmitted over dierent MIDI channels to the respective devices you
wish to change. With this approach to programming the unit, it is necessary to limit your presets to 16,
as there are only 16 channels over which you can send MIDI program change numbers.
One additional concept is useful in programming the PDS-3500. When in the BANK/PRESET
MODE, think of the BANK as a song and the PRESETS as dierent setups for sounds within the song
and organize your songs into sets. And when in the BANK DUMP MODE, think of each bank with its
assigned presets as a single sound setup, and that to change to another sound or setup, you will have to
change to another BANK. With good planning THE MIDI PEDAL can be a super tool to help you control
your eects and other MIDI devices. Randomly accessing disorganized bank and presets can be awk-
ward.
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