line 6 expression pedal alternative?

thombo · #1 08-19-2009, 08:27 AM

i was researching the line 6 EX1 and can't help but to think that it is too expensive. does anyone know of any cheaper alternatives that are compatible with the green line 6 DL4?
will any expression pedal work?

judas jedermann · #2 08-19-2009, 08:33 AM

Roland EV5 works just fine with DL4. It may not be cheaper than Line6 expression pedal though...
I am not sure if this works but it could be cheaper option: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/EXP.html

Bofee · #3 08-19-2009, 08:51 AM

If you can figure out what potentiometer value the DL4 needs to "see", you can find the pedals that will work. (You may have to measure the one you are currently using. I just went through this with some other effects.) Barge Concept has put together a useful list. Between the two charts on this page, you can figure out what the value for the various pedals are.
http://www.bargeconcepts.com/xchart.html

While I've generally not cared for Behringer products, their CV pedal is big, cheap and works well.

thombo · #4 08-19-2009, 09:30 AM

so, for a line 6, if i understand this, i need a pedal w/
-mono jack
-dip switch set for 1-2-x-x (can this be changed on a pedal?)

what does "jack-out" mean?
what does "pedal pot setting" mean?

behringer FCV and CV... same thing?

thombo · #5 08-19-2009, 03:00 PM

while on the subject of expression pedals, does anyone know of a non-moog expression pedal for a moogerfooger?

gastric · #6 08-19-2009, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thombo

while on the subject of expression pedals, does anyone know of a non-moog expression pedal for a moogerfooger?

I second that request. The MOOG expression pedals are horribly panned for being cheap plastic that breaks in a couple of months.

rasthedoctor · #7 08-19-2009, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by judas jedermann

Roland EV5 works just fine with DL4. It may not be cheaper than Line6 expression pedal though...
I am not sure if this works but it could be cheaper option: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/EXP.html

I have both a Line6 exp pedal and that m-audio one, so I'll try the m-audio one out tonight and let you know if it works.

Side note - my Line6 exp pedal broke about 18mos after buying it and using it about once every two weeks, never hard and I never put my full weight on it. IMO it was poorly built in the first place and is not worth your money if you can find a pedal that is built with better materials.

Bofee · #8 08-19-2009, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thombo

so, for a line 6, if i understand this, i need a pedal w/
-mono jack
-dip switch set for 1-2-x-x (can this be changed on a pedal?)

what does "jack-out" mean?
what does "pedal pot setting" mean?

behringer FCV and CV... same thing?

It can be confusing. The two tables on the Barge site are meant to show which pedals are usable with their products. You have to work backwards through both table and decipher what the value of a particular pedal is.

Mono Jack: Standard instrument jack/cable

Jack-out: This means you supply the cable. Many expression pedals have a fixed cable dangling from them.

Pedal Pot Setting: Some expression pedals have a control to limit or vary the range of adjustment.

The Behringer FCV 100 pedal is a cobination volume and expression pedal. To use it as a volume control it needs a battery, not so for use as an expression pedal.

Looking at the top chart on the Barge Concepts site, it lists the proper DIP switch setting for the Line 6 as 12XX. (8k Ohms in the bottom chart.) The only other expression pedal on the list that uses the same setting is the Boss-50L.

The DIP switch they are talking about is inside the Barge Concepts stompbox, not in the expression pedal. They have designed the expression controls on their effects to be adaptable to just about any pedal you can find. (What a nice user friendly idea!)

Unfortunately, most effect manufacturers do not tell you what value of expression pedal will work with their gear because they want to sell you one of theirs. If you have a DVM you can measure the resistance range of your Line 6 expression pedal. This will give you a place to start.

Hector_G · #9 08-19-2009, 05:04 PM

I have a Line 6 FM4. I got the Line 6 expression pedal free with the rebate when I purchased the FM4. There was no way I was going to pay that much for their expression pedal.

Aside from that, I purchase the M Audio pedal to use with my Boss SYB-5. I have tried it with the FM4 and it works just fine. The M Audio has a switch on the bottom that can be used to switch polarity so it can match up with most pedals. It also has a pot on the side which you can use to control the amount of sweep it has.
Very handy and only costs $30.
http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-MII-EXP-LIST

Downside, it doesn't seem extremely sturdy. made out of light plastic. But I don't forsee any problems as I don't stomp the hell out of it.

gastric · #10 08-19-2009, 06:50 PM

From my research the MOOG EP-2 is a 50k linear pot. Which is seemingly unique.

thombo · #11 08-20-2009, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gastric

From my research the MOOG EP-2 is a 50k linear pot. Which is seemingly unique.

that is a bummer... they are just such poorly built pedals.
anyone else on line 6 or moog expression pedal alternatives?

sevenorchids · #12 08-20-2009, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thombo

that is a bummer... they are just such poorly built pedals.
anyone else on line 6 or moog expression pedal alternatives?

Are you talking about the new Moog Expression Pedals? I thought that I read that the EP-2 is a redesigned pedal. It seems well built and is pretty darned heavy for an expression pedal (a little over 2.5 lbs.). I haven't used it extensively, but it seems more substantial than the Line 6 pedals that I bought, and was about $10 cheaper...

I guess we'll have to check back in a year to see how they hold up. I think that I have a year warranty on it.

biggs1249 · #13 08-20-2009, 10:50 PM

You can very easily use any volume pedal as a moog expression pedal. I am using a VP junior. Go to radioshack and buy a battery container that holds 3 AA batteries. Wire that to a quarter inch jack(positive tip, ground sleeve), put that in the input of the volume pedal, take the output to the moog. Works great. You might need to experiment with how many batteries. (I use 4 AAs, but one is purposely drained)

OR

get a TRS to 2 mono Y cable. put one end into the moog and put the other two ends into the in and out of a volume pedal. This works but only if you are only using one expression pedal with your moog. If you want to use more than one you need to do the above option.

relevant info here:
Moogerfooger CV question.

TaySte_2000 · #14 08-21-2009, 04:49 AM

The M13 works perfectly with a 25k EB Jr volume pedal, so I assume you need a 25k expression pot.

I would personally look into getting the EB they pop up cheap ebay, last forever and worst case you have a great volume pedal afterwards

thombo · #15 08-21-2009, 04:37 PM

i do have a eb volume and a Y-cable, so i'll be trying this out tonight w/ my mf-101.

tayste, do you hook the eb up to the m13?

TaySte_2000 · #16 08-21-2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thombo

i do have a eb volume and a Y-cable, so i'll be trying this out tonight w/ my mf-101.

tayste, do you hook the eb up to the m13?

I do stupidly I use it to control a volume pedal parameter in the M13

thombo · #17 08-21-2009, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TaySte_2000

I do stupidly I use it to control a volume pedal parameter in the M13

i am confused on the use of the use of the EB to control the Line 6- are you using it in the same fashion that one would use the expression pedal to control the DL4 or FM4?

if so, how are you hooking it up? mono cable from the Line 6 expression pedal jack to output jack of the EB? stereo-Y from the Line 6 to the in and out of the Line 6?

side question, do you folks still call 1/4" by the same name across the pond or is it a .635 cm jack or something like that?

thombo · #18 08-22-2009, 09:09 PM

anyone else on how to wire an EB volume to a Line 6?

NicJimBass · #19 08-22-2009, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thombo

i am confused on the use of the use of the EB to control the Line 6- are you using it in the same fashion that one would use the expression pedal to control the DL4 or FM4?

if so, how are you hooking it up? mono cable from the Line 6 expression pedal jack to output jack of the EB? stereo-Y from the Line 6 to the in and out of the Line 6?

side question, do you folks still call 1/4" by the same name across the pond or is it a .635 cm jack or something like that?

I used it with an M13 for a while too, although I used it to switch between 2 settings on each of the presets, essentially doubling the amount of pedals I had on each scene. That ended up being too complicated, so I simply started using it as a volume pedal after the M13.

IIRC, I used a normal non-stereo cable plugged to either the input or output jack (can't rememebr which one) and the other end into the expression pedal jack on the M13. I thought I needed a stereo (TRS) cable, but I believe you only need a normal mono cable.

NicJimBass · #20 08-22-2009, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thombo

i was researching the line 6 EX1 and can't help but to think that it is too expensive. does anyone know of any cheaper alternatives that are compatible with the green line 6 DL4?
will any expression pedal work?

To answer your original question, I believe it takes a 25kOhm expression pedal, similar to the VPJr. IIRC, with the DL4, it'll allow you to switch between 2 settings on each of the 3 presets on the pedal. You can morph between them with the pedal as well. I'd think it'd be the same as with the M13- mono cable to one jack or the other on the VPJr., the other to the expression pedal jack on the DL4. The VPJr. isn't cheaper than the Line 6 expression pedal though, but it's buuilt much better and will last a lot longer.