controlling overdrive with volume pedal

[Zaknafain]

Hey

I saw a couple of bands using that technique on bass:

preamp->volumepedal->amp
the volume pedal controlling volume and amp overdrive at the same time.

so I tried this on my old solid state amp (an ashdown) and it actually worked and sounded great (to my taste), but the amp died quickly. Now I own an orange bass terror 500 (which has preamp tubes) and I'm wondering if its save to try this, because i heard it might damage class D amps and is only supposed to work on 100% tubes...
Also: Will it make a difference to play it with active or passive input?

[JHAz]

AFAIK, no volume pedal can deliver a hotter signal than the instrument connected delivers. Which is to say, if the amp could survive without the volume pedal it should survive with.

Unless you have an active bass that is too hot for the passive channel, since you are trying to overdrive things, it seems likely you would want the hottest signal in, which would be the passive input.

Surely somebody will correct me if I'm wrong . . .

BTW I do the same thing with mu GUitar, using the volume control on the guitar. CLean at 6 or 7, dirty at full up.

[Zaknafain]

Originally Posted by JHAz

AFAIK, no volume pedal can deliver a hotter signal than the instrument connected delivers. Which is to say, if the amp could survive without the volume pedal it should survive with.

yeah, thats why i use a preamp (sansamp vt pro) before the volumepedal. I think you can get a pretty hot signal out of it and then use the volumepedal to fade between hot and line level.

It works, but im worried it will damage class d amps. (Because thats what a musicstore owner told me)

[will33]

Just use a passive volume pedal. It has the same cut-only pot that's on the volume control on a passive bass, just hooked up to a pedal instead of a knob, that's all. It can't hurt the amp. Using a clean-boost pedal or stacking preamps would be a different deal all together.

[Zaknafain]

hey, thanks..
so, would a clean boost pedal controlled by a volume pedal savely work with a class D hybrid amp?

[will33]

I wouldn't get too hung up on the Class D thing. You can use any amount of pedals as long as you watch your gains. The passive volume pedal can't boost signal, only cut it.