Best Volume pedal?

  • Some please help me pick out the best service among those mentioned on the site.

    https://latestmusicalinstrument.com/best-volume-pedals/

    There is no 'best'. Certainly not in that group. Missing at least two excellent choices.

    I'd skip the EB MVP. Overkill. The Valeton isn't bad, but it's cheap and can be found under different brand names.

    I didn't like the feel or throw of the Mission Engineering pedals. I like the feel of the Ernie Ball VPjr, but replaced it with a Dunlop DVP3 when I got the Kemper. It'll work as both an expression and volume pedal. The Boss is solid, but volume-only.


    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • The Boss is solid, but volume-only.

    the Boss is actually Volume and Expression from two different pots just like the Dunlop. I would use the 500H for guitar as the L model is intended for keyboards etc and isn’t the right impedance for guitar pickups.


    I have the 500L and a Mission. I would only ever use the Mission for wah. The Boss is great for everything. The only down side is its massive.

  • I use the DVP1 for Volume or Wah as an expression pedal.



    If you use a Ring/Tip Stereo Cable you can use any volume pedal as an expression pedal as well. Helps minimize the number of pedals needed.


    "More Guitar in the Monitors" :thumbup:

  • There is no 'best' here. In my experience, swells are more a function of learning to 'play' the pedal sweep to achieve the effect you want.

    Tons of people use the DVP3 (me included). Tons of people use the FV550. I believe Pete Thorn runs one and he's a pro's pro.

    As for H or L, one is high impedance. The other low. As an expression pedal it doesn't matter. For guitar with passive pickups, I'd go with the H in case you end up using it as a volume pedal.

    “Without music, life would be a mistake.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

  • If you use a Ring/Tip Stereo Cable you can use any volume pedal as an expression pedal as well. Helps minimize the number of pedals needed.


    Although it is technically possible to use the TS to TRS cable with a volume pedal it isn’t really worth doing so as the performance is atrocious.


    Volume pedals have a Log pot while Expression are Linear. The sweep of a Log pot condenses almost all of the effect into around half the pedals travel.


    It is definitely worth buying a proper expression pedal as accepting the extra pedals.

  • On the Boss pedals the large dead zones on heel and toe really annoyes me.
    How is your Boss pedal?


    Dunlop has no dead tones.

    My Boss had same large dead zones... so I sold it and switch to Dunlop DVP3 which is almost perfect for volume. I use it with Type2 curve on KPA.

  • I love the taper of the Boss 500h and use it for volume pre Kemper input.

    I use it after a comp pedal and before dirt pedals.


    I could never get the sweep to feel right as an expression pedal for volume and still wish the Kemper had better adjustments for pedal tapers.

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  • Hi guys. I just bought a Kemper stage and a very simple question if anyone can help... when plugging a boss volume pedal in the pedal input so I don't lose distortion when bringing the volume pedal towards the heel position, do I use 2 leads ie one from input 1 into the volume pedal and then another lead back into the Kemper pedal 2? I know it's probably a real basic question. Many thanks.

  • Volume pedals don’t work in the pedal inputs. The pedal inputs need an expression pedal as there is no audio passes through pedal inputs.


    If you want to use a volume pedal you need to use it between the guitar and inout of the Kemper or in the Kemper FX loop (send to VP in then VP in to FX return) the FX loop will need to be active for this to work. An expression pedal is a better solution as there is no audio degradation.


    In the situation you describe you would need the volume control to be after the Stack section so if using a VP it would need to go in a loop.

  • I've tried some Pedals. like the Yamaha FC-7 and M-Gear Expression, both have the Problem, that I just can use half of the way and the

    rest is dead Zone. When I switch the Kemper between Mode 1 and Mode 2, ist just makes, that the dead zone ist first or after.


    Which pedal is really able to use the full range with the Kemper?

  • This is an issue with the Kemper that needs to be resolved. There are so many expression pedals and they ALL repond differently. If they’d just add a few parameters to control the curve like every keyboard controller has, then EVERY pedal would be able to be setup to respond perfectly.


    I don’t think this is an excessive request.

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  • I found the Moog EP-3 to be excellent. A good (plastic) build and possibly the cheapest available. Polarity switch and fine-tune of the level control.

    They were around £40 new are usually less than £30 used ...

  • I found the Moog EP-3 to be excellent. A good (plastic) build and possibly the cheapest available. Polarity switch and fine-tune of the level control.

    They were around £40 new are usually less than £30 used ...

    +1. I have 2, one for volume, one for Pitch and they are faultless...

  • I found the Moog EP-3 to be excellent. A good (plastic) build and possibly the cheapest available. Polarity switch and fine-tune of the level control.

    They were around £40 new are usually less than £30 used ...

    How it respond to "dead" zones? How much interspace it need to start on "0" level and how much it remains from "127" to max orizontal position?

  • This is an issue with the Kemper that needs to be resolved. There are so many expression pedals and they ALL repond differently. If they’d just add a few parameters to control the curve like every keyboard controller has, then EVERY pedal would be able to be setup to respond perfectly.


    I don’t think this is an excessive request.


    Expression pedals all have a linear taper. And except for dead zones, they all react the same.

    Can you tell about differences of specific pedals?


    The only pedal with excessive dead zones known to me is the Boss.

    There is no cure for dead zones, as they cannot be detected by the connected device. No curve for that!


    We have improved the curve for the volume pedal function a year ago.

    Please check again.

  • I think when I did my tests after the update, I was using Boss pedals. But I've never noticed a dead zone, just the sweep isn't quite right. I have a few other exp pedals I can try. At that point I just gave up and use the Boss FV500H post comp pedal and pre Kemper.


    I should note that if you're using an exp pedal for simple quick swells or like an on/off while recording, it doesn't really matter what you use or how it's set. I'm using it with a lap steel and riding the volume for swells and to control sustain...increasing while it rings out.


    I'll do some tests and see how each exp pedal I have reacts. I'll also try to record the midi output from them so I can see what I'm hearing. I haven't been able to get an exp to feel right yet and they sure don't feel like they are all reacting the same to me.

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  • I saw that some pedal, depending on the function, works better with Type2 others with Type1 curves, typically for Volume is better Type2 (not linear), while for Wha/Morph better Type1 (more linear), but it's not true 100% of the time... this was my personal notes on my use about my tested pedals, maybe can be useful to someone


    DUNLOP DVP3 (X) Volume Type 2
    MISSION EP1-KP Wha/Pitch Type 1
    ROLAND EV 5 Volume/Wha Type 2/1
    M-AUDIO EXP Morph /
    Wha/Pitch
    Type 2
    BOSS FV 500H Volume Type 2
    ZOOM FP02M Morph/Wha Type 2