Wah with Boss FV 500 expression pedal

  • I want a wah effect so I connect my Boss FV 500 H expression pedal.

    • I use a stereo TRS cable and put this in EXPR. socket of the pedal.
    • I use slot D and it’s switched on
    • My pedal is connected to pedal 1 at the back
    • Function is set to wah.
    • In System I choose pedal 1 and and calibrate – sweep is visible

    - I’ve checked all cables

    - Next I tried numerous wah effects but all-in vain. Not a single wah here. What am I doing wrong here?

  • Your wah pedal setup seems to be a never ending story ....


    Regarding such range pots of expression pedals we always recommend full range to enjoy best resolution. But I don't think this is causing your issue since it would contradict the earlier information, that "the sweep is visible". So the PROFILER seems to "see" the pedal.


    Check page Pedal Links. Is it really the Wah Pedal bar that is moving? Is it following the pedal sweeps from min to max?


    Here comes my best guess: You have set Pedal Mode to "Touch". Only then the Wah Wah effect type has 4 pages with parameters as you report. Otherwise it has just 3 pages. The implication is the effect follows your playing dynamics determined by the additional parameters Touch Attack, Touch Release, Touch Boost. In this case the expression pedal is useless. But that also means you have not loaded the effect preset Cry as you suggest or you have loaded it and then changed settings at least Pedal Mode. "Cry" comes with Pedal Mode = "On".


    This is a phantastic example why maintaining effect preset names beyond parameter changes - as some users request - is a complete rat hole. Thanks! You are reporting you are using "Cry", which is completely misleading. The reason why your "Cry" doesn't work is, that it is not Cry anymore.

  • I've just tried the Cry preset and hooked up my FV500. It works fine. However, I can make it do nothing by turning the knob on the side (Minimum Volume) to Max. This basically means that the pedal is always on full no matter where you set the tread. I suspect your pedal has been accidentally turned to this position.

    My pedal is set to 80% and I never have changed this value

  • My pedal is set to 80% and I never have changed this value

    OK. As Burkhard said , it is best to leave it 100% anyway. As he also spotted, my suggestion was wrong anyway because turning the knob to Maximum would mean that nothing showed up on the Calibration Sweep Bars.


    If the mode isn't set to Touch then another possibility is that the Pedal Range has been corrupted and set to 0. The only other possibility I can think of is that the Mix is set to 0%. Neither of these would be correct for the Cry preset so if this is the case something else has to have happened to change the values in the preset.

  • I'm sorry Burkhard but nothing comes near. Range is 100, Pedal Mode is on (Cry) but I have tried Frank Elze, Frampton , just Wah Wah and other wah's . Everyone of them sounds completely flat. I go along with your suggestion that I'm to blame for all but I can't get it done.

    Here's an example of how I have set a random wah (Frank Elze). Hopefully you can see every picture (enlarge) because there are 11 put together and taken from computer screen. Please let me know.

    if you like to have addional photos for more evidence, also please let me know.

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  • I've just tried the Cry preset and hooked up my FV500. It works fine. However, I can make it do nothing by turning the knob on the side (Minimum Volume) to Max. This basically means that the pedal is always on full no matter where you set the tread. I suspect your pedal has been accidentally turned to this position.

    For the upteenth time: you give the right solution. :) Such a tiny change of setting...I have changed my wah type to Frank Eltze's and set pedal volume range to 0. And here it is: perfect wah. Is this something I should have known from the start because I don't want to regurly receiving quotes as from Burkhard:
    " it's a never ending story..."

    I do my best to understand everything but there are still a lot of things that I can'put my finger on though I've had a lot of gigs with my profiler eversince 2014.

  • Let's not make this overly complicated. Setting up an expression pedal is easy. Now I have to look at pictures, which are blurry and partly irrelevant.


    Don't leave the range pot of your Boss at 80%. Set it to 100% as I recommended and as written in the manual. And make sure it's 100% and not 0%.


    I asked you the question if the Wah Pedal bar on page Pedal Links is moving across the whole range from min to max, while you are sweeping your BOSS pedal. Is this the case or not? If not, try to Calibrate once again. If it still doesn't work get another pedal and cable.


    Your Wah effect has three pages of parameters now. But earlier you reported 4 pages. See above. You must have set Pedal Mode to "Touch" at that time. That's the only explanation. Please confirm that.


    You had been mentioning the preset "Cry". That is one of our permanent presets, which come with the OS and are always on board. Please use that as a reference and don't switch to third party stuff before your expression pedal works as should. Using third party stuff is just adding other uncertainties - plus I could not read any values on your pictures.


    Genereally, when you try to analyze an issue, don't change the conditions all the time.

  • For the upteenth time: you give the right solution. :) Such a tiny change of setting...I have changed my wah type to Frank Eltze's and set pedal volume range to 0. And here it is: perfect wah.

    When you say you set "Pedal Volume Range" to 0 are you referring to the physical knob on the FV500 or the Pedal Range parameter on Page 1 of the Wah effect, It is important to be really specific.


    Also, as Burkhard said, you have changed two things in this scenario. When trouble shooting you really need to be systematic and change one thing at a time in a logical order that lets you eliminate something from the chain completely before moving on.


    If you are referring to the FV500 knob, then this isn't really Kemper's fault. They don't have any control over how Boss or any other company design their pedals which is probably one of the reasons that the recommend leaving everything full. I think the confusion might simply come from the fact that different companies use different ways of explaining the same thing and both can be right.


    Burkhard pointed out that the Kemper manual recommends leaving the Volume Range at its maximum. This is a totally valid and logical way to explain a situation which allows the full sweep of the pedal to be used. He is looking at it positively - "how much of the sweep do you want to use?" Answer: all of it. Action required: set range to100%.


    On the other hand Boss look at the same issue from the opposite direction (you could say negatively). They don't label the knob as Volume Range but rather Minimum Volume. In their view of the world this translates as "how much of the range do you want to use?" Answer: all of it. Action required - Limit range BY 0% which is the same as make heel position 0 volume. However, if the answer was "I don't want to use any of the range" the action required would be to limit the range BY 100%.


    Both are right but as a user you need to interpret them correctly.

  • If you intend to limit the range, then set the parameters in the wah effect of the PROFILER accordingly. Same applies, if you use the pedal to control volume, don't limit the range at the pedal, use Volume Pedal Range in Rig Settings instead.


    If you limit the pot range at the pedal, the next calibration at the PROFILER will adapt. So you will return to a complete pedal range from min to max, but with suboptimal resolution. That's why it should never be done this way.


    But this is a side discussion. So far it appears theplayer doesn't get his pedal working at all. And I think, this is at least the third thread related to this case. It is a matter of seconds to figure out, if pedal/cable are working at all, or the settings in the wah effect are screwed. I don't think the PEDAL socket is broken, as we see a bar. I also saw on those pictures that beside PEDAL 1 socket , PEDAL 2 socket is also configured as Wah Pedal. Currently nothing is plugged into socket PEDAL 2. But perhaps that has changed as well and two pedal were competing for control!?

  • If you limit the pot range at the pedal, the next calibration at the PROFILER will adapt. So you will return to a complete pedal range from min to max, but with suboptimal resolution. That's why it should never be done this way.

    I hadn't thought about the recalibration issue. It's is very obvious now that you have pointed it out though. That's why you guys design this stuff and not people like me 8)

  • I guess I have to close this topic because I sense some irritation. Maybe because my repeating topics about this issue and/or my lack of comprehension.

    But I know that I have my wah now: with my pedal volume to zero en not 100! One way or the other. It's sad it has to end it this way... I will not post another question about this issue. Still I thank everyone of you for your help.

  • I guess I have to close this topic because I sense some irritation. Maybe because my repeating topics about this issue and/or my lack of comprehension.

    But I know that I have my wah now: with my pedal volume to zero en not 100! One way or the other. It's sad it has to end it this way... I will not post another question about this issue. Still I thank everyone of you for your help.

    Just know everyone does want to help but sometimes it is not clear what the issue is.


    I think the frustration is trying to get a clear view of the actual problem and so if you take a systematic approach through each step, it will get you an answer quicker. We all know the FV500 works well with the Kemper. We knew that the pedal was unlikely to be faulty as the Kemper was seeing signal and hence therefore a set up issue.


    I would suggest 2 things in future to help you and us:

    1) Try to do a bit more research in each area first so you are familiar with the terms - sometimes there is confusion based upon terms. There are instructions with the FV500 and Kemper and both in this area. Wah set up is virtually plug and play and the FV only has 1 dial which needs to be at one extreme or the other ( to get it working).

    2) Start simple - just getting a wah sound using a simple wah on and off - don't use touch or bypass initial to get it working.


    Anyway, glad its solved.