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Splitting a volume pedal?

behndy

behndy

Inactive
Nov 1, 2008
8,860
117
California
#1
hey there all.

so, i run an Ernie Ball VP Jr on my board. and right now there are three pedals i would want to use the VP Jr with as an expression pedal. most everything on my board is running through a bypass looper (MusicOmLabs EFX II), so if i have the VP Jr modding an effect on three pedals, it's easy to select just the one i want to hear as in the chain.

'was wondering if there is a way to split the cable's output from the VP Jr into three or more pedals?

two of the three DO take midi, but the other doesn't, and i'd rather keep the midi simple.... just patch changes.

would it work to just use a series of 1/4 y-chords? if not, is there a pedal/box setup for this application?

thanks much!

-0behn desu0-
 
#2
also, what's everybody's favorite site for premade cables?

i built all the cables on my board with Canares wire, but ilfor just a few specialty cables seems easier just to buy them.

thanks!

-0behn desu0-
 
#4
No. Each pedal is sending its own voltage signal that is being attenuated by the pot in the EB. If each are sending their own voltage signal, then they can't very well be attenuated at the same time unless they are all looking for the exact same voltage. You might be able to work one at a time with some sort of an ABC type box.
 
#5
A volume pedal won't work as an expression pedal stock. You need to have it modified. (At least with most gear, like Moogerfoogers, etc. that use the expression pedal as a voltage divider and use a stereo cable to connect). Or you can use an insert cable that splits the stereo exp. jack to 2 mono jacks, and plug them into the in and out.

There is some gear (usually old rack equipment) that uses a variable resistance to ground as an expression controller, and in this case you can use a standard volume pedal.

So, have you already verified that your EB VP JR works as an expression pedal for the stuff you want to control?

If so, I'm still a little unsure what you want to accomplish. Do you want to switch the expression pedal between 3 devices, or control all 3 devices simultaneously?
 
#6
T. Livingston - yep... the pedal works fine as an expression pedal for the Line6 M9, the Eventide Pitch Factor.... i have a Hexe Bit Crusher on the way that i really hope it'll work with.

and i CAN set up a MIDI through path for the M9 and the Pitch Factor, but i'm sure the Hexe does not read MIDI.

i did want to be able to use the exp pedal into all three without switching.

cheapbassloving - it seems like you are saying the pedal is sending voltage to the EB Jr. that sounds weird to me.... i thought it was a one-way street where the volume or expression pedal is sending changing values to the pedal it's plugged into? of course, i know very little about how vol/exp pedals interact with noise pedals, hence the thread post.

so, i envision a setup where it would be ok that all three pedals's values were changed ag the same time, because through the bypass looper only the desired pedal would be in the audio signal chain. does that make sense?

i really don't have any room on my board for another exp pedal, so i was hoping for a work-around that would let me use 1 pedal for 3 but avoid an A/B or /C box so i could still do single footswitch clicking patch changes.

sorry if i'm rambley. grocery shopping with the wife at Berkely Bowl and if i get asked about which piece of fruit is better i think i'm going to lose my mind.

thanks for the help!

-0behn desu0-
 
#7
Well, all gear uses the expression pedal differently. But you can not just passively hook them all up, or you could damage them all.

Some gear does send a voltage to the expression pedal, then the expression pedal divides the voltage and sends the lower voltage to the device. This is how Moog stuff, my stuff, and probably the HEXE though I'm not sure, works.

Other devices like your M9 and Pitch Factor use the expression pedal as a variable resistor, which is why it's ok that you're only accessing 2 lugs of the expression pot. However, hooking these together passively would connect the M9 and Pitch Factor together internally where they each expect a varying resistance. This will not work and worst case, you'll fry them.

What you need instead is a box that uses the expression pedal to control the voltage to a bunch of vactrols, each of which then connects to an expression jack. This electronically isolates all the jacks from each other, while using the expression pedal to control them all simultaneously. A box like this could have as many expression outs as you would want, and you could easily scale each expression jack differently.
 
#8
thanks Conical Taylor. that explains it very well.

by chance would you know a company that makes something like that? or what a good search term for teh googlz would be?

also, VERY glad i asked before i just started hooking up things willy (or at least semi-willy) nilly. i like my gear, and like getting new gear, but can't really afford to replace the expensive stuff. you rokk.

again, thanks much!

-0behn desu0-
 
#10
Well, if these were CV inputs as you were talking about, it wouldn't be a problem (there may be a voltage mismatch exactly as you said, but nothing will be hurt). But when connecting 2 different circuits with variable resistors, the 2 circuits become connected in a totally bizarre way, pulling tons of current through the pots, and the pots can't handle it and catch fire. I know because I've done it and it didn't smell good. ;)
 

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