"...can't I achieve this same 'result' with foot pedals (just purchased two)."
I've never used a BC, so I'm reading this thread with interest. But I suspect that the answer to Rob's question is that a BC allows for a kind of MIDI control that supersedes any other in terms of speed, agility, and sync to the note. Clinically speaking, you can do the same things with modwheels and foot pedals, but BC's offer a mechanical advantage.
We're talking about BC's for strings, I know. But can VI be customized for soft, double, and triple tonguing of wind and brass? I'm wondering if bursts of air could actually triggers notes.
Another question. There used to be a device on the market called something like the "Wind Machine." It was a small box that did nothing more than convert BC into MIDI data. It's no longer available. What devices do people use for BC's when their MIDI keyboard does not accommodate one? There was a time when I thought about buying a Yamaha VL for that purpose, but those days have passed.
It seems to me, considering "modern sample libraries," there would be a market for such a device and a retrofitted method to use it.