Hey, I am new to this site so forgive me if this is in the wrong place. Can anyone recommend/ suggest a decent Volume pedal that won't suck a lot of my tone? I mostly play Drone/Doom Drone and am looking for a decent pedal for good quality swells. Thankyou
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Volume Pedals
- Thread starter MrSusanHorse
- Start date
Like the.....Ernie Ball volume pedal JR?
I've read that it rapes tone and that little string thing tends to snap
I've read that it rapes tone and that little string thing tends to snap
MrSusanHorse said:
Tone suck only occurs when using the tuner out ont the VP Jr. If you have a buffered pedal (such as any Boss pedal) before the VP Jr, you shouldn't experience any tone suck. There are also inexpensive mods that can be done to the pedal to get around this issue. As for the string, most all volume pedals use this method of operation. If you don't abuse it, there shouldn't be any problems.
So if you need to have a have a buffered pedal before the Ernie ball or you will lose tone? Thanks heaps dude!
That is a downside to any passive volume pedal. A volume pedal is just a mechanism that rotates a pot similar to the volume pot in your bass, a pot adds resistance and affects the impedance of your signal even when turned all the way up (and moreso when turned down). An active preamp or buffered pedal before the volume pedal will minimize the negative tonal effects. As mentioned also, using a tuner in the tuner out will also affect the impedance of the thru signal depending on the interaction of your particular tuner pedal. The effects of using a volume pedal may or may not bother you whether you have a buffer before it or not- plenty of folks use them without a buffer and seem to be happy.
Also- Not all volume pedals use the string mechanism used by the Ernie Balls, but the upside of the string method is that it is probably the easiest and cheapest to repair yourself.
+1 on putting a buffer before the volume pedal. Remember, if you have an active bass, the buffer is right there on the instrument, so you're good.
The key is to use a low impedance pedal; after the buffer, this will have the best sweep. A high impedance pedal after a buffer will almost "switch" on and off.
Avoid the tuner out.
The key is to use a low impedance pedal; after the buffer, this will have the best sweep. A high impedance pedal after a buffer will almost "switch" on and off.
Avoid the tuner out.
- Sep 9, 2007
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- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
Visual Volume Pedal by Visual Sound. It hasn't affected my tone at all, and I've run it both in passive and active settings with the tuner out being used. It's a "swiss army knife" of volume pedals.
After I posted my question I did a search of Volume Pedal threads and a post of yours discussing the VV intrigued me so I researched it and pulled the trigger on one a couple of hours ago. Looking forward to trying it.
The visual sound is a great volume pedal.. Or the new Dunlop one that just came out
Dvp1 volume pedal.. I use this one personally.. Not one problem... Great swells..
Dvp1 volume pedal.. I use this one personally.. Not one problem... Great swells..
MrSusanHorse said:
I have an EB Jr. and I love it! I haven't experienced any "tone suck." Even using the tuner out. However, the cable did come off track on one I had, and they are nearly impossible to reinstall (especially if you're in a hurry). NBD, just played the gig without it, and returned it to GC (thank goodness I got the protection plan). GC will try to make you send it out, but if you cause enough ruckus, they'll exchange it in store (especially if they want anymore of your business lol)! For the record i run either a 70's Fender or Sadowsky UV70 into my pedal board, and then into a Demeter HBP-1/DBX comp/Crown XLS rack through a Markbass 410HF... So I'd know pretty quick if the volume pedal was "raping" anything haha! My Fender is passive and my Sadowsky is active, I run the volume 1st in my chain (no buffered pedal in front). I've never had any problems with either bass.
Replacing/fixing the cable in an Ernie Ball- I've done it a couple of times for lazy guitarists in the past with some difficulty (it isn't something you want to try to do right before or during a gig), but good luck fixing most other mechanical designs that easily. One benefit of the Morley design I guess is the easily replaced light bulb (although if your problem in a Morley ISN'T the light bulb, then you are out of luck).
As far as the tone "raping" as many guitarists put it- a passive volume pedal is essentially like putting an added passive volume control in your bass- how much it affects your tone depends on the tone you are going for and your particular setup. The reason the tuner pedal out can be an issue is because if the tuner is on, its circuitry will load down the thru signal (more or less depending on the tuner). The issue is that many probably think that putting the tuner through a volume pedal takes it out of the signal path, but in reality it is still loading the signal just like running it in line- turn the tuner pedal off when not in use and it shouldn't be an issue. All of this stuff will likely be far more noticeable for guitar players, because the mass of their "tone" is in the highs and high-mids most affected by impedance changes and loading. If you spend alot of time sculpting a brighter tone on your bass this kind of change can also be very noticeable.
As far as the tone "raping" as many guitarists put it- a passive volume pedal is essentially like putting an added passive volume control in your bass- how much it affects your tone depends on the tone you are going for and your particular setup. The reason the tuner pedal out can be an issue is because if the tuner is on, its circuitry will load down the thru signal (more or less depending on the tuner). The issue is that many probably think that putting the tuner through a volume pedal takes it out of the signal path, but in reality it is still loading the signal just like running it in line- turn the tuner pedal off when not in use and it shouldn't be an issue. All of this stuff will likely be far more noticeable for guitar players, because the mass of their "tone" is in the highs and high-mids most affected by impedance changes and loading. If you spend alot of time sculpting a brighter tone on your bass this kind of change can also be very noticeable.
sunbeast has it, including Invalid Link Removed.
EBs are pretty bulletproof, and if you do it right (like in the ernie ball video he linked), the string is not all that hard to replace.
keep that passive pedal after a buffer, and there will be no loss.
i'm a turbo tuner fanatic, but this is one case where the ol' boss TU-2 or 3 tuner can shine: it's buffered, so in front of the pedal it solves that issue; also, it has an option for the sound to go through while tuning, something no true bypass tuner can do.
put it in front of the volume pedal, set it to pass signal while tuning, then leave it on. now you can stomp the volume pedal back for silent tuning, or even leave it up for quick checks of notes while you're playing, all with no loss from the volume pedal.
EBs are pretty bulletproof, and if you do it right (like in the ernie ball video he linked), the string is not all that hard to replace.
keep that passive pedal after a buffer, and there will be no loss.
i'm a turbo tuner fanatic, but this is one case where the ol' boss TU-2 or 3 tuner can shine: it's buffered, so in front of the pedal it solves that issue; also, it has an option for the sound to go through while tuning, something no true bypass tuner can do.
put it in front of the volume pedal, set it to pass signal while tuning, then leave it on. now you can stomp the volume pedal back for silent tuning, or even leave it up for quick checks of notes while you're playing, all with no loss from the volume pedal.
I've got the Boss FV-500H, which I really like. It's got a very smooth and linear action. I don't know quite how the mechanism works, but it's nice. Also, it's a hell of a lot cheaper than the Ernie Ball. I'm not really sure why these never really get a mention.
I use the volume setting on a GP-8(Roland) and an EV-5.
It just turns down the "patch" and doesn't effect the basses input.
It just turns down the "patch" and doesn't effect the basses input.
