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need a volume pedal with NO tone suck; morley?

S

sonic assassin

Nov 8, 2008
3,455
34
cincinnati
#1
id really like to go dunlop.. but another pot means more treble loss, and i just wont tolerate that. do these optical volumes keep 100% of the tone?

i REALLY want a wah/volume.. but all the reviews ive read say that combining these functions makes them both suck. the morley wah's are either spring loaded or switched, which is a pain in the ass either way.

suggestions?
 
#2
I've been using an Ernie Ball 25k Ohm volume pedal for a year now and use active basses exclusively. They are designed for the impedance level and frequency response of active basses. They also make a 250k Ohm version for passive instruments. In my opinion, these are the best 'passive' volume pedals out there. Built like a tank, serviceable, and no batteries to worry about... and they sound GREAT!
 
#3
Digitech do the EX7 or sommet like that and the Hendrix one, they are the best Wah IMO, you must be able to use it as a volume pedal too.

For the wah, it's dead clean, No signal loss or anythin, With the vox and crybaby (amoung others...) you can get them slight crackles mid wah. I really do suggest Digitech one. Plus, they have a crybaby and vox setting... Try em out if you can!
 
#5
JazznFunk said:
I've been using an Ernie Ball 25k Ohm volume pedal for a year now and use active basses exclusively. They are designed for the impedance level and frequency response of active basses. They also make a 250k Ohm version for passive instruments. In my opinion, these are the best 'passive' volume pedals out there. Built like a tank, serviceable, and no batteries to worry about... and they sound GREAT!
Click to expand...

i read they wear out extremely fast, and they are going to suck tone.
 
#7
sonic assassin said:
i read they wear out extremely fast, and they are going to suck tone.
Click to expand...

Reading is one thing, using them is another. Your mileage may vary. Mine has been great, and has been very reliable. If you are using it every single night for 4 hours a night, stomping it like crazy, I can see how it might wear out quickly, as would any pedal put under the same abuse. The nice thing is that the kevlar band that controls the pot is easily replaced with parts from Ernie Ball, so that should be a non-issue should you find that you do have to repair it. My advice would be to try WHATEVER pedal you are looking at before you buy and A/B it to see if it indeed does 'suck the tone out' as you mentioned. Cheers...
 
#9
If you do go the Morley "optical" route, make sure to use a power adapter. The battery in mine died and the signal slowly faded out... during the second half of my graduating recital.

Haven't used that unit much since then. :p

You're concerned about extra volume pots in the signal chain. I'm not too crazy about adding mediocre active circuits either (which I think my Morely kind of was).

If I needed maximum sizzle + tone, I'd use an active bass or a quality outboard pre before a good passive volume pedal. Low-impedence signal through a good quality pot, should be minimal if any tone suck.
 
#10
Jefenator said:
If you do go the Morley "optical" route, make sure to use a power adapter. The battery in mine died and the signal slowly faded out... during the second half of my graduating recital.

Haven't used that unit much since then. :p

You're concerned about extra volume pots in the signal chain. I'm not too crazy about adding mediocre active circuits either (which I think my Morely kind of was).

If I needed maximum sizzle + tone, I'd use an active bass or a quality outboard pre before a good passive volume pedal. Low-impedence signal through a good quality pot, should be minimal if any tone suck.
Click to expand...

What he said is what I was trying to imply in my post(s). A good quality pot in the pedal that matches your impedance needs will not affect your tone enough for you to notice.
 
#14
I have had an Ernie Ball stereo volume/pan pedal on my board for the last 12 years. I have replaced the pot a couple of times and the teflon cord has been replaced as well - especially during my Chapman Stick/volume swell into delay days. But the pedal is transparent, doesn't suck tone all that much and has excellent travel. Plus you don't need a pesky power supply or battery.
 
#16
There was a nice thread about EB tone sucking few days ago. It claimed that this problem is connected with using tuner output. Instrument and tuner outputs are wired in parallel, so when using both, the total pedal's impedance is being split into two outputs. Just like amp with two cabs.
 
#17
jetofuj said:
There was a nice thread about EB tone sucking few days ago. It claimed that this problem is connected with using tuner output. Instrument and tuner outputs are wired in parallel, so when using both, the total pedal's impedance is being split into two outputs. Just like amp with two cabs.
Click to expand...

Solution? Run the tuner in a separate chain if you're that concerned about it. Use the 'tuner out' off the amp head perhaps. BUT... with that said, there should be no adverse load on the pedal just because of a tuner. That's insane. If you're that concerned, email Ernie Ball. Sterling and crew are pretty helpful, especially with that stuff. They wouldn't design something that would cause your tuner to have an adverse effect on tone.
 
#19
JazznFunk said:
Solution? Run the tuner in a separate chain if you're that concerned about it. Use the 'tuner out' off the amp head perhaps. BUT... with that said, there should be no adverse load on the pedal just because of a tuner. That's insane. If you're that concerned, email Ernie Ball. Sterling and crew are pretty helpful, especially with that stuff. They wouldn't design something that would cause your tuner to have an adverse effect on tone.
Click to expand...

It's not insane...it's a fact...If you use the tuner out on an EB Volume pedal...it will suck tone...I was surprised...but it does...I have experienced it...

And just for reference, this link explains why:

Invalid Link Removed
 
#20
fishtx said:
It's not insane...it's a fact...If you use the tuner out on an EB Volume pedal...it will suck tone...I was surprised...but it does...I have experienced it...

And just for reference, this link explains why:

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

If that's indeed true, then I stand corrected. Science doesn't lie. I do stand by my earlier suggestion regardless... don't rely on the tuner out on the volume pedal! Use an A/B box or use the tuner out on the head, then evaluate the volume pedal on how it functions without that possible variable. In my experience, the Ernie Ball pedal sounds transparent and lovely. No ill effects here.
 

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