When a damper pedal is connected to the RD-88/RD-88 EX, the following symptoms may occur depending on the pedal type, the unit’s settings, or how the pedal is connected:
- The pedal works in the opposite way when pressed
- Notes remain sustained continuously, or do not sustain at all
- The pedal behavior changes each time the unit is powered on, or feels unstable
If you experience any of these issues, please check the points below.
Are you using a specified damper pedal, and is the polarity setting correct?
The damper pedals that have been confirmed to work with the RD-88/RD-88 EX are the following Roland products:
Pedals other than those listed above are not covered by Roland’s operation guarantee. Please note that even when using a specified Roland damper pedal, the pedal may appear to work incorrectly if the damper pedal polarity setting on the RD-88/RD-88 EX does not match the pedal.
You can check the damper pedal polarity setting here:
[MENU] → SYSTEM → GENERAL → DamperPole
When using DP‑2, DP‑10, or RPU‑3, set this to STANDARD.
Note:
- If you change the setting, be sure to save it using SYSTEM WRITE.
- Some third‑party pedals use a polarity different from Roland pedals. In such cases, the polarity can be matched by changing the DamperPole setting, but correct operation is not guaranteed.
Are you pressing the pedal during startup?
The RD-88/RD-88 EX automatically detects the polarity of the connected damper pedal when the unit is powered on.
If the pedal is pressed or the plug is disconnected while the power is being turned on, the polarity may not be detected correctly.
If you need to reconnect the pedal, follow these steps:
- Turn off the RD-88/RD-88 EX.
- Disconnect and then firmly reconnect the damper pedal.
- Make sure the pedal is not being pressed.
- Turn the power on.
Do not operate the pedal until the unit has finished starting up.
Other
- In some cases, damage to the damper pedal itself or its cable may also prevent correct operation. If possible, try connecting the pedal to another instrument and compare the behavior.
- If the damper works on some scenes or zones but not on others, please check the Ctrl Damper setting in ZONE EDIT. Zones where Ctrl Damper is set to OFF do not receive damper pedal messages.