Although I've used Sonar since Cakewalk's version III, I've never plugged in an expression pedal. I'm using a Roland RG300X keyboard with X2 Producer.  I plugged in the pedal to the non-damper output (labeled "control"). I opened an existing project, and wanted to set up a Dim Pro track (organ) to use that pedal to control volume. It didn't work automatically, so I went into the Dimension Pro midi matrix of the particular synth patch I was using. I added CC11 and indicated it should control "volume all."  I set the paramaters at 45 and 4.0, respectively. But still no go. I remember setting my pitch bend wheel to do this same thing, and that works, but the pedal mapping did not. Does anyone know if there's a way to set the pedal globally for volume, or perhaps to use it for wah on guitar patches and volume on other patches such as organ. Possibly some other VST's have built in settings for this, but I usually use Dim Pro for organ sounds (the Classic Keys group).
If anyone can give me a clear, step by step guide about using the expression pedal in X2, please let me know, and I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks to all..
Dave

I thought volume was CC 7 - been a while.  I used to use a Behringer FCB1010 midi foot controller and had the two expression pedals set for volume and wah wah.  I got that working by using midi learn in Guitar Rig 4, I believe - though it might have been 3 - cannot remember.

Anyways, I would think midi learn would work.

Sorry I am a bit rusty with this - it has been 2-3 years since I plugged in the Behringer pedal - though I dust it once in a while.

Bob Bone

Firstly, I suspect you need to check what CC (if any) the pedal is actually sending. This may require configuring in the keyboard.

MIDIoX is good for identifying what's being sent where MIDI wise.

Secondly, although CC7 is generally considered to be "volume", what each CC does is generally down to what the synth in question decides to do with it. For example, filter resonance in one synth may be CC25, in another it might be CCsomethingelse.

CC11 is generally called "expression". What this does varies not only from synth to synth but patch to patch. In most synths it can be pointed at whatever you want it to do via the synth's internal CC routing. For example, in one Mopho patch I might set "expression/CC11" to control filter frequency, in another patch it may be controlling an LFO rate.

The modulation wheel is often a special case in that it's referred to as the wheel rather than as a CC number.

First off I suggest you check which CC the controller is sending  when the pedal is moved. If it's sending anything at all....

As well as an app like MIDIox you can check what's going on using Sonar  - if a MIDI channel is receiving MIDI data of any kind the red "light" at the top of the meter lights up. Assuming that's working, you can then record some of that MIDI and look in the events list or piano roll view to see which CC is being received by Sonar.

It didn't work automatically, so I went into the Dimension Pro midi matrix of the particular synth patch I was using. I added CC11 and indicated it should control "volume all."

 
In this case, that wasn't necessary.  Dimension Pro has several MIDI CCs "hardwired" to performance parameters.  CC11 for Expression would be one of them (along with CC7 for Volume, CC64 + CC66 for sustain / sostenudo, a couple for global attack & release).  So - while you *can* add a MIDI matrix routing with the same controls - those controls will run in parallel to the hardwired routings.
 
So that points to this:

Firstly, I suspect you need to check what CC (if any) the pedal is actually sending. This may require configuring in the keyboard.

 
I had a quick look at the manual and MIDI Implementation Chart of your keyboard (actually, the closest model number that I could find was a Roland RD-300GX).  In that, I saw several possibilities that might block your control pedal from sending CC11:
 
1) An External switch has to be engaged to transmit most MIDI messages.
2) The control pedal can be turned on/off per-zone.
3) The control pedal can be configured for several CC messages, pitch bend, and aftertouch under the Edit (Zone)button.
4) A special case where the sustain pedal (when it switches Setups) prevents control pedal operation.
 
I didn't see where the default messages were described for any of the controller devices.  BTW, if that is indeed your keyboard controller model, it looks like it's a very full-featured device.  I really like the way it's set up.  Hopefully one of these tactics will help to get you sorted out.