Limited expression pedal information

[JFace]

I did a pretty extensive search, and most information on expression pedals is either specific to single situations, or is somewhat older.

Perhaps we can make this the go-to thread for expression pedal information, seeing how sparse information is.

If you have any useful information, please add to the thread.

Some questions I have are:

Do all expression pedals work for all single unit effects with expression inputs?

Which expression pedals have the most even effect in their sweep?

Which ones are well built?

Should I stay away from a particular one? If so, why?

Is the Yamaha FC7 suitable for effects units?

[bongomania]

No, not all expression pedals work with all effects that have exp. pedal inputs. Variables include:
-range of sweep
-polarity
-taper
-active or passive

I'm not aware of any expression pedals that have a really even effect in their sweep, barring certain custom-made units, but the usual "good expression pedals" are "even enough" for most purposes.

We talk about durable ones pretty often, so that info is findable; but the Alesis F2, Yamaha FC7, and recent-issue Moog are known to be pretty solid. The older Moog ones are crummy.

The Yamaha is great if it meets the criteria in the top item for the effect you want to control.

[grovest]

Maybe we could put meters on pedals and report their range? Individual units will vary so ideally we could average multiple units of the same model given enough time. My EB VP JR 25K pedal reads 29K at the max.

[TOOL460002]

i had a roland ev-5 that felt quite durable- but it was expensive and very stiff- so i took it back.

i now own an m-audio ex-p which i am very happy with. its smooth and takes no effort to push up/down- which might not be ideal- depending on what parameter youre manipulating.

anyway- i guess my point is that i happen to prefer the cheap one. even though i am 100% sure it will break when i inevitably handle it improperly- i will continue to use it and buy another to replace it.

[bongomania]

Oh, and I forgot to mention there's an Alesis F2 in the classifieds right now...

[rasthedoctor]

I have found the EHX one that comes with the HOG to be less than thrilling. It has a knob on it that may or may not be there to control the sweep of the effect, problem being, once I turn it more than 1/5th of the way around, it ceases to function at all.

I don't know if it's just mine or if I'm completely misunderstanding its use, since I had trouble finding any documentation on it at all, and I don't know if it would work with other pedals, but it seems to be one to avoid (though I hope I'm just ignant).

[niftydog]

The problem with this topic is that there just isn't any common acceptable methods or standards. Some pedals require a control voltage input, others just need a potentiometer. Some circuits work ok with virtually any value potentiometer, but others are really picky about the pot value. Some are designed to work with audio taper pots making them usable with modified volume pedals, whereas others are designed for linear tapers. I could go on...

This is made even worse by manufacturers simply insisting that you use their exp. pedal and not giving out specifications.