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Dealing with volume killing effects

mambo4

mambo4

Jun 9, 2006
9,603
1
15,060
Dallas
www.sweetsecretsband.com
#1
Checked the FAQ and coudn't find the answer.

Some pedals just plain kill my volume, and have no independent level adjust.
Even pedals with multi options that do have level adjust typically need to be left on one setting, as changes lead to volume problems.

Is there a common pratctice among pedal jockeys for dealing with this,
when you have a variety of pedals and would like to experiment without losing volume?
 
#3
You're looking at 2 options really. Blending the effect with a clean blend (boss LS2, for example) or boosting after the pedal (ohnoho Blowing Up!, for example).

If you're losing low end, a blend would be the better idea, if it's just overall volume, the boost.
 
#5
I have a VT bass deluxe, EBS dphaser, Big muff Pi, and a bass MuRF.
Most of my pedals have no blend
The Big Muff has a level adjust So I can compensate
The MuRF has a blend which should help

The EBS Dphaser is the biggest volume killer, no level adjust. I have been running it off of the VT bass effects loop and setting any effects loop channels to have a compensating boost.

Perhaps it's worth mentioning that I want to bring effects in and out on the fly, mid song, so the volume drop can be a real issue.

I'm fairly new to a big pedal board, so I wonder how people usually deal with such things.

@grygrx: So you would simply avoid any effect without a level or blend knob?
 
#8
mambo4 said:
@grygrx: So you would simply avoid any effect without a level or blend knob?
Click to expand...

No. I don't avoid them, but if I find them to be problematic in a setup, I move along... there are plenty of fish in the ocean. That said some effects aren't easy replace with others (bass murf for example), so I understand the plight.

Dphaser manual

OUTPUT LEVEL
With this trimmer you can fine tune the output level by +/- 6 dB. Factory setting is for 0 dB gain at 10 o’clock position.
 
#10
I agree with grygrx and tend to just move along. I recently went thru a bunch of hoops to try to keep a Boss AW3 pedal with some cool functions and sounds on the main board by adding a Boss LS2 which actually compounded the problem so both have been bumped to the synth board which has a mixer.
 
#11
grygrx said:
I ditch them and find better ones.
Click to expand...

+1

It kills me when I see new threads pop up of someone asking what pedal will act as a crutch for another pedal. As if the pedal in question is really worth another $80 and prime real estate on your pedalboard, along with extra noise and opportunity for failure.

In my experience the two biggest detractors for pedals are if they either RAISE or LOWER the volume too drastically/uncontrollably or if they drop out all your bass frequencies. If they do either of these things I find another pedal that doesn't.
 
#12
Question: Is the OP referring to loss of independent volume control at the pedal level, or loss of volume control at the bass level?

Many (most?) pedals can be attenuated for consistent volume to compensate for wet/dry signal changes. All of this sometimes comes at the cost of significant loss of volume control at the bass (particularly active basses).
 
#14
mambo4 said:
Checked the FAQ and coudn't find the answer.

Some pedals just plain kill my volume, and have no independent level adjust.
Even pedals with multi options that do have level adjust typically need to be left on one setting, as changes lead to volume problems.

Is there a common pratctice among pedal jockeys for dealing with this,
when you have a variety of pedals and would like to experiment without losing volume?
Click to expand...

I have a fairly simple solution I used for this when I was using more pedals, some with clear volume drop.
The EHX LPB-1. Its a tiny $32 line booster, worked great whenever I needed a volume boost. I put it at the beginning of my signal chain and would also use it to cut through in the mix if everyone else got too loud.
 
#15
1) I agree about just getting rid of any pedal that causes problems that would require another pedal to fix. OK, so I break that rule personally with the DOD FX25, but that's the only exception I make, and I freely admit it's illogical and maybe even dumb.

2) "Getting lost in the mix" is not always anything to do with volume changes!!! It very often has to do with EQ (scooping mids for example, or overlapping with the guitars too much), or loss of articulation (smooth fuzz for example), or lost dynamics (overcompression). Or sometimes it IS about volume changes, but not in the way you might think--for example if you set your fuzz pedal for unity gain when at home or rehearsal, it may not be loud enough (considering the frequencies emphasized, and the low dynamics) when you are actually onstage.

3) It may not have anything to do with having a level or blend knob.
 
#16
I have been wrestling with a similar issue lately with my beloved Digitech MultiPlay. It seems that having it my signal chain lowers my level, even bypassed. The addition of a true bypass loop has made the drop apparent. When I activate the loop that contains the Multiplay, my signal drops.

The bypassed vs on level is fine.

Is there a modification that can upgrade the buffer to remedy the signal drop.? I don't want to add another pedal. No other pedal does what the Multiplay can do- if you know otherwise, do tell.
 

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