Best Volume/Wah Pedal?

[UnityGain]

Hey, I think I'm going to go for a volume pedal for my mandolin to use to control my lead vs rythum volume and am looking for a good volume pedal. I've also been messing around with a wah pedal with my e-mando and its fun but I'm not all that good at controlling it. It seems to make the most sense to get a combination volume/wah pedal. Anyone have and suggestions? or would it make sense to just get a a volume pedal and a wah pedal instead of a combo pedal. I'd say the volume pedal useage is more important to me. And I'm wondering if getting a deadicated wah pedal with more controls like Q, depth and stuff would sound better with an e-mando (8 string). But I'd rather not spend more than I have to.

Thanks!

[Nate]

If you're just switching between lead / rhythm volumes, why not just use a clean boost pedal? A volume pedal is more for volume swells and tremolo effects, which don't seem all that useful for your purposes.

To the wah, why not go with an auto-wah instead of a rocker? You can find ones with a lot of controls that will allow you to replicate the sound of a well-controlled rocker wah without as much effort.

[Mike Bunting]

I use a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster. A simple stomp box where you set your rhythm level with the boost off and then set the gain on the box which kicks in when you step on the switch. It's not variable like a volume pedal nor has it effects, but it is very clean and quiet.

[UnityGain]

Oh sorry, I forgot to mention that I DO want to be able to do volume swells and have continously variable volume ala volume knob on an electric instrument. Thanks for the suggestions though.

[mandroid]

There are some with adjustable limit stops , so Low is preset , not zero, likewise Max, others may know specifics.

[steve V. johnson]

I haven't used it as a wah pedal in a long time, but I have a Morley volume/wah, and it's served me well.

When I was shopping for a volume/wah pedal I found that a lot of them have a particular sound,
often the midrange sweep is set to refer to a sound that's... um ... vintage. I found the Morley
to be wider in range, sweeping farther into both the treble and bass. Also, the one I have has
a control that allows me to set the sweep width of the pedal for each, the wah and the volume.

That's a little more complicated to use, but I preferred the option. I'm sorry I don't have the model number for you, the thing is in a storage cabinet with some other gear (I'm an acoustic guy these days...). I've had the thing for many years, so the models are certain to have changed by now... But if I were in the market, I'd start there and do further research from there.

The Morley has a true hardware bypass, too, which I liked.

I'm sure there's a lot more research to be done, but that's what I can offer you...

stv

[Ed Goist]

I'm bumping this thread to see if anyone has any recent recommendations for a volume/wah pedal that works well with e-mando.

[1-2-many]

I tried out a Dunlop DPV1, but have yet to purchase one. I am currently using a Boss EQ as a boost, but the DPV1 is very smooth and seems to be a beter design w/o strings or gears. I have read many reviews that rate the Ernie Ball pedals poorly because of this design. Here is the ad copy:
The Dunlop DVP1 volume guitar effects pedal features a patent pending Steel Band Drive that creates a low-friction environment with no strings or ratchet gears attached. This allows you to achieve thick, luscious volume swells in one smooth motion without the fear of breaking. With fully adjustable tension and high-quality low-noise electronic components, the sound is as clean and transparent as the feel is smooth. Housed in a lightweight but durable aluminum chassis, the volume pedal features a rocker pedal that is slightly curved for ergonomics, with an aggressive non-slip tread that keeps your foot firmly in place.

[Bauzl]

Hi,

most (if not all) volume pedals require line level or electric instrument level. As I have a clip on micro (DPA 4099V) on my mando, I use a preamp with an insert jack on stage, a JoeMeek ThreeQ. Using the insert avoids an additional DI box after the volume pedal. I guess this can be achieved for PUs as well.

I use a Morley opical volume pedal with a small pot for minimum gain. I set this minimum gain for comping and can precisely control solo volume with the pedal. An additional switch on the Morley disables the minimum volume and allows muting or controlling the volume from silence to full gain.

So my setup is:

clip on microphone ---- ThreeQ / insert-out ---- Volume pedal ---- insert-in / ThreeQ / balanced line out --- desk


cheers
bauzl

[goconnorr304]

Hi,

So my setup is:
clip on microphone ---- ThreeQ / insert-out ---- Volume pedal ---- insert-in / ThreeQ / balanced line out --- desk
bauzl

Is there a volume-boost-for-soloing solution that is less costly (i.e. not requiring pre-amp)? I mic my mando with Shertler Dyn-M that goes right into the mixing board and PA. Volume is fine without a pre-amp, and the EQ is taken care of on the Mackie board, but I could really use a foot switch to provide different volume for soloing versus chopping/strumming. I guess the gizmo I am picturing (this is a non-engineer writing) would be analagous to the Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster (~ $80) that Mike Bunting's post mentions but designed for the low-impedence XLR output of the Shertler Dyn-M. Does anyone sell such a device (or could I build one), or do the laws of physics make it impossible? Is it necessary to lay out the additional $300 for the Joe Meeks Three Q pre-amp for the set-up that Bauzl describes? What would happen if I plugged my Shertler contact mic low-impedence XLR output into a $12 lo-hi impedence transformer and then plugged this into a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster and from this into a high-impedence 1/4" input in the Mackie board --> PA? Would this lose volume or sound quality?

Thanks for any suggestions and/or "basics of electrical engineering" lesson to explain what I am undoubtedly missing in all this.

George

[mandroid]

Putting the volume pedal in an effects loop, post a Mic preamp, but ahead of the power amp stages

I find is possible with the Roland AC60, another acoustic guitar digital effects can also go in that loop
I have one with some more complicated, interesting reverb & delay offerings, if I want to haul it around
and bring the extra cables , It has an Expression pedal jack, a TRS plug puts the pedal itself in an insert loop.

Pondered on making up a patch cable that allows a pedal like Morley to be used as an expression pedal
the in and out plugs, to another stereo plug for the insert/expression jack.

[journeybear]

I have a Morley Optical Volume/Wah that I am very happy with. (I don't see a model number; it just says "Power Wah Volume.") I hardly ever use the volume function, as i find it is much quieter than the wah function. I set the gain knob ("Boost") pretty high, about 7 or 8, in order to saturate the signal a bit. It sounds more muscular that way. I find the volume really drops off when the pedal goes toward the bass end, so I tend to stay in the upper register. I am less interested in the wah-wah sound than I was when I started out, as my style has evolved toward incorporating the ambient possibilities of the device. Sometimes I use slow pedal sweeps to produce a kind of wash or smear, making riffs less distinct. Sometimes I rock the pedal slightly but quickly, producing an effect similar to a chorus or the fast setting on a phase shifter. My favorite is to pick a string just before the beat with the pedal all the way to the bass, then bring it to the treble on the beat while the string is still vibrating. It acts like a volume pedal that way, and sounds a lot like a pedal steel, especially harmonics on a pedal steel. It's a very dreamy, faraway sound, perfect for slow evocative songs, like "Melissa." I have gotten so many different sounds with this that I have simplified my rig to just preamp (EQ/gain pedal, volume at 10 (saturation) because it doesn't go to 11), reverb unit (sustain and ambience), and Morley. It's simple but flexible, and allows me a wide range of expression. I prefer playing with effects that allow me to do as much as I can with musicianship, rather than gimmickry. I'm a little old school that way.

[Verne Andru]

Another vote for Morley. I have the combo - volume/wah/distortion - that works well. It's an optical device, so no pots to get dirty or wear out. Volume does what it should. I tested a bunch of wah's and found the Morley to have the best range for everything from mando to guitar to bass. The distortion is okay as a distortion but I find it works better as a boost by keeping the gain down.