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Volume pedal recommendations?

smeet

smeet

Gold Supporting Member
Nov 27, 2006
9,230
13,486
65
Sammamish, WA
www.reverbnation.com
#1
I want a volume pedal that doesn't suck tone, and has a nice smooth fade.

So far, I'm considering these:
- Visual Sound Visual Volume
- Dunlop DVP-1
- Mission Vm-0

I want to use it to do swells, so a nice taper is important to me. Also, will the passive pedals reduce my treble (or bass) as the volume is brought down?
 
#5
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build like tank.
 
#7
So the DVP-1 seems to be the frontrunner so far...
I hear it has a nice sweep/taper. I also hear it's BIG.
It's passive, so I'm worried it will suck tone. Anybody have experience with this?

Has anybody compared the DVP-1 to the ModTone MT-VOL Xcelerator or the Mission Vm-0?
 
#8
Any passive volume pedal is going to suck tone, regardless of the tuner out being used or not.

They do this 2 ways. 1) resistance to ground peals the high freqs. off.

2) The volume pot never goes to full 10. It stops about about 8, because you can't get a full rotation in rock of a pedal. You can calibrate an EB, for example, go to 10 BUT the tuner out becomes pointless becuase it won't go to 0.

The Visual Volume has a high quality, EQ flat buffer. This ELIMINATES "tone sucking" in the volume pedal and EVERYTHING that comes after it. Secondly, the volume pot is a custom pot that shifts the sweep into the area where a treadal can roll it from full off to full on.

Some will say "I don't want to buffer". They're crazy BUT you can turn it off. There are two switches internally, one for each output. Move them to passive. The LEDS will still funtion but you will notice the tone will slightly darken. This is "resitance to ground"'s effect on your signal.

The VV10 also as upto 20 db of clean boost built in. Inside there are 2 pots, one for each channel, set it to the amount of boost you want and go. I don't use the boost feature.

Ever try to change the pot on an EB? It's hard and the pot is expensive. I have several friends that are EB endorsers that got tired of fixing them. They use the VV because you can change the pot in about 10 min. 5 screws (includeing 4 for the bottom), a bolt and 2 CAT5 cables.

Volume Swells. Google Bret Mason. He is the first call session guitar player in Nashville. He make s a living on swells. He uses the VV.

Ever heard of Steve Via? He uses the VV?

Ever watch Conan Obrien? Jimmy, he's band leader, uses the VV.

Lastly, Bob Weil, who invented the Visual Volume, did so because he HATED his Ernie Ball.

The LED's? Sound guys LOVE this because YOU know exactly where you're normal volume after you've boosted the volume for a solo or a swell.

So buy one of the others and regret it later or by the VV10 and never buy another.
 
#9
Got2SadowskyNYC, you seem so be quite an expert on the Visual Volume, and I see you're an endorser as well. I was wondering if you could tell me if the VV can be used as an expression pedal like the Ernie Balls can, using either one jack, or two with an insert cable depending on the pedal being controlled. I know it doesn't necessarily make sense as the primary use for it, but it's nice to know if it can be repurposed in a pinch.
 
#10
Yes, it can be used as an expression, BUT you must set it to passive using this internal switches.

Expression jacks send out a low voltage DC current. This current can damage the buffer. The passive mode bypasses this circuit as well as the boost function.

I know quite a lot about VS stuff. I bought the original Visual Volume in 1993 or so. Still have it. Other than a long time avid user, I did tech work from them when I wasn't out giggin' as well as built a lot of their store displays. I built the first 100 of their Pure Tone buffer from the custom shop.
 
#13
Chad.mundt said:
What about the Ernie Ball VP Jr. with the JHS Active mod? Any users want to comment?
Click to expand...

The mod will solve the high end "tone suck" issue with the pedal, but not the range of volume issue.



I've been interested in the VV10 for a while, but the biggest things holding me back have been wondering about the feel of the sweep, and the size/form factor. I like the looks of the older Visual Volume a lot more, but they're impossible to find now, and I've heard similar complaints about the sweep.
 
#14
The treadal on the VV10 is about the size of an EBJr. It has a wider foot print because the LEDs, but it's not that big really.

You spend a lot of money on truebypass pedals, really nice cables and the kill it with a volume pedal that sucks more tone. Why? An extra inch on your board is worth the huge benefit in tone preservation and features.

And don't forget the ease of the pot change. Ask ANYONE that's changed a pot and calibrated an EB. The pots expensive and it's overly difficult.

Buy it and if you don't like it return it. But I'd be very surprised if you did. The fact the Steve Via doesn't use his own signature volume pedal ought to tell you something.

Compared to the EB the taper on the front end is fast, BUT that's that's because the EB taper is weird. Notice the last bit of sweep towards the toe end there is almost no change at all. This is gone also.

Put your foot on the VV and do it. Don't over think it. Just play. It does feel a little different than an EB but after about 5 minutes you'll be fine. You'll find you have more control and the pedal is more responsive. Besides, there are MORE differences in feel between brands of basses but you don't hear this same complaint.
 
#15
I've narrowed my choices down to the VV10 and Dunlop DVP-1, which is supposed to be much nicer than the EB pedals.

Went to a Sam Ash today to try them out. Frustrating experience. The guy that would have helped me if I stuck around was "Rockin Dave, the original drummer from Ratt". OK.

Anyway, they actually had a VV10 and a DVP-1 (GC didn't). The VV10 looked a bit under the weather. The volume wouldn't go all the way down, and one light stayed on, unless I put most of my weight on the heel of the pedal. That didn't give me confidence in the durability of the pedal.

Another thing that doesn't give me confidence - several days ago I sent a query to Visual Sound, and no reply yet.

The DVP-1 was set up on a pedalboard so tight that you couldn't fit a straight plug into it. Since nobody would help me, I eventually left. the DVP-1 looks to be built like a tank, but I didn't get to hear it. It does have a really nice long sweep.

Maybe I have to internet order both and return one. I hate doing that, but I can't figure out how else to get in a good listening environment with fully functioning units of both.
 
#17
smeet said:
Anyway, they actually had a VV10 and a DVP-1 (GC didn't). The VV10 looked a bit under the weather. The volume wouldn't go all the way down, and one light stayed on, unless I put most of my weight on the heel of the pedal. That didn't give me confidence in the durability of the pedal.
Click to expand...

I don't think many of us put a lot of weight on the durability of a display model at a large music store. If you watched them pull the VV10 out of a box and had this issue, I would be concerned.

I use my VV10 a lot in theatre pit situations. The LEDs alone are worth the price of admission, and there is NO chance of them not being seen. It does take a second to get used to how the volume pedal reacts (had an EB prior, and they both feel different), but Got2SadowskyNYC covered any and all points I would've brought up.

smeet said:
Another thing that doesn't give me confidence - several days ago I sent a query to Visual Sound, and no reply yet.
Click to expand...

VS is not a large company, so in the cold and flu season - as well as holiday time and NAMM prep - I wouldn't be that surprised if it takes a little longer than normal.

I've always called and talked to Dana, who's been nothing shy of awesome to work/deal with. Everyone at VS is top-notch, and truly care about the products they're putting out as well as the musicians that use them. It's a great company that I'm honored to be a part of the endorsing artist family.
 

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