Volume pedal as gain control

  • I have been using an expression pedal as a volume pedal and I am aware that this can be inserted in several locations throughout the signal path. I’d like to use this to clean or dirty up the signal similar to rolling back the volume pot on the guitar. However, my clean volume drops too low to get the desired tone loud enough. I have decided to set up the expression as a volume control at the output(master volume) and I placed an Ernie ball volume pedal between the guitar and Kemper input. My issue now is that when I drop the Ernie ball volume back to clear up the tone, I am getting a choked signal. There is no crispness and the tone is just without energy and dull. I backed off the input noise gate and it comes back to life but I get too much hum. Any thoughts or recommendations to get this setup working better or should I try a different approach.......maybe controlling the gain with the expression pedal?

  • Yes. Get the same lack of energy and choked results that disappear when the gate is turned down.


    I play guitar, some keys, and I am the lead vocalist so my hands are pretty tied up. I’m trying to keep my hands free other than playing. Need to Use my feet so my sound guy isn’t chasing me all night. But, I’m open to try any ideas anyone might have that can be foot controlled.

    My original plan was to use two expression pedals.... one in front of the amp as gain control and one at the output as overall volume control. However when u assign the volume pedal location the Kemper recognizes volume pedals as a group rather than by its input number. So if the pedals are on inputs 1 and 4, the Kemper asks for location of pedal by type( volume) and assigns them both to input, output, or whatever u select. It won’t let me break them apart and assign them to separate locations.

  • It is normal that the gate choke your tone at low volume because it's its job to do so. But here is what I would try:


    1) Put a gate in stomp A

    2) Put a clean booster in stomp B

    3) Use your expression pedal as a Morph pedal which will back off the threshold of the gate in the same time as the volume of the booster.


    This way less gain will also equal to less gate!


    I didn't try it but it should be logical to work great! :)

  • Thanks for the recommendation. Sounds like it should work for my circumstances. I’ll give it a try over the next day or so and post again when I see how it works.
    On a side note, please keep Nashville, TN in your thoughts. There are a lot of Kemper users and great musicians that make their living in the bars and restaurants downtown which is about 30 minutes from my home. Covid shutdowns have been awful and caused many of these folks to seek employment elsewhere and even in other professions. Just when we see the light at the end of the tunnel we have a catastrophic event that may prove to be the end of several of the downtown businesses. Locally we are hearing that structural damage, caused by the bomb explosion, to many of the buildings that were built in the 1850’s will most likely result in the buildings being condemned and the businesses either closing or moving to other locations outside of this historic area. Thank God for no fatalities but please keep the Nashville musicians on your hearts as things move forward. Thanks!!!