The earliest bass pedals from the 1970s consisted of a pedalboard and analog synthesizer tone generation circuitry packaged together as a unit.
Since the 1990s, bass pedals are usually MIDI controllers, which have to be connected to a MIDI-compatible computer, electronic synthesizer keyboard, or synth module to produce musical tones.
The chassis has buttons on top, also designed to be operated with the feet, which enable the performer to change the sound.
The benefit of the bass pedal's sustain button is that it facilitates legato, sostenuto basslines in slow ballads.
Given that bass pedals are typically used to play deep-pitched basslines, some models had a "low note priority" circuit.
Since the bass pedals are on the ground, there is a risk that the player might accidentally press on one of the buttons and change the sound.
A few of the bass pedals designed to be used with electronic or clonewheel organs have features that operate the upper manual keyboards, such as an expression pedal or swell pedal, which is a treadle-style potentiometer for controlling the volume; buttons to turn on or change the speed of a Leslie speaker, a rotating horn speaker in a cabinet; or program change buttons, which send a MIDI message to the other upper keyboards to change to a new sound or setting.
In the 1960s, home spinet organs by Hammond, Farfisa, and other manufacturers included short, 13-note bass pedals attached to the base of the chassis.
To make organs more portable, they were changed from being housed in heavy wooden consoles with an integrated amplifier and speaker and bass pedals (the home organ approach) to being made as a main keyboard, a detachable stand, and detachable bass pedals.
However, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin used bass pedals while sitting down at a keyboard.
A Taurus also appears in the song's music video, with Mo Foster using his hands, rather than his feet, to play it.
These pedalboards have to be connected to a MIDI-compatible computer, electronic keyboard or rack-mounted synthesizer to produce musical tones.
A smaller number of manufacturers, such as Classic Organworks, sell a MIDI controller in full-sized 32-note AGO layout that can be used to perform virtually all organ repertoire.
Some churches use MIDI pedalboards to trigger digitally sampled sounds for the low register of the pipe organ.
This agreement can come either because both follow the official MIDI standard specifications, or else in the case of any non-standard functionality, because the message meanings are directly agreed upon by the two manufacturers.