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Anyone one use a volume pedal


GM10
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Arguably I'm just a beginner so what do I know, but I actually have both the Ernie-Ball Jr and a less-known pedal called "EWS Subtle Volume". It's basically a big knob that you can operate by foot which has a taper that gives you finer control over the higher volume range. I actually haven't got round to installing the EWS on my pedalboard yet, so only did a few short tests with it, but it looks like if you want to do volume-swells (which I never do) you want the EB Jr and if you want to make small changes to volume near that top of the range, the EB is a bit too fiddly. I think once i have time the EWS is going to get a permanent place at the back of my chain.

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Volume pedals don't really affect the volume of the bass in the same way that the volume knob on the bass does.

You can use the volume control on the bass as an extension of the tone controls, you can get a slightly choked tone from your bass which may or may not work for you and it has a knock on effect to the tone controls as well (more obvious on passive instruments I'd say).

I used to use the Fender volume pedal in conjunction with delays and reverbs to create some awesome swell effects but that's all I used it for. For muting between songs I just used the control on the bass.

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I've pretty much always used one - mainly for swells but for a while I used it as a volume attenuator setting the minimum volume slightly lower than the full volume. This meant that I could play with it rocked back most of the time and then rock it forwards to full for louder passages like a volume boost.
My cheap and cheerful old plastic Bespeco pedal broke at my last gig after about 18 years service though so I'll be trying out my new Morley Volume Plus tonight.
It has a footswitch to turn the minimum level control on and off so it can be used for full swells or as an attenuator which should make it a pretty versatile bit of kit.

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[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1444407318' post='2883065']
I use a volume pedal on the B3, its much easier to use when playing than the volume on the bass
[/quote]

Ditto. Makes for some nice fades on quiet passages of songs where you may want to lose the percussive attack phase of plucking a note and just roll it in smoothly.

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1444463299' post='2883374']I used to use the Fender volume pedal in conjunction with delays and reverbs to create some awesome swell effects but that's all I used it for. For muting between songs I just used the control on the bass.[/quote]

A separate volume pedal is also handy to eliminate cable plugging noises if you're switching basses between songs. Saves a trip to the mute button on my amp.

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[quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1444483143' post='2883586']
A separate volume pedal is also handy to eliminate cable plugging noises if you're switching basses between songs. Saves a trip to the mute button on my amp.
[/quote]

I use one of the neutric switching jacks, that way you just don't have to think about it, it is automatically muted.

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[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1444490416' post='2883653']I use one of the neutric switching jacks, that way you just don't have to think about it, it is automatically muted.[/quote]

I'd not heard of those before.

Neat, but Neutrik say they don't work with active instruments, which would rule them out for most of my basses.

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[quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1444495127' post='2883697']
I'd not heard of those before.

Neat, but Neutrik say they don't work with active instruments, which would rule them out for most of my basses.
[/quote]

So are most of mine, and they work fine. They don't use the normal switching on the jack that active uses (ie, shorting the middle and the shaft), they use a physical switch in the body. I see their page says it doesn't work with some, but never had an issue. All my ibanez, and the sterling sub are active, as are a couple of my guitars, all work fine.

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I don't see much practical use for them other than volume swells. A tuner should give you a mute for changing basses. If you want different volume levels for different passages of songs, I would prefer to know that I've got it right every time, rather than hoping that I've got the volume pedal in the right position. I've used pedals like the LS-2 for this in the past

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I tried a volume pedal a few years ago but it was overkill for my needs. Now I have 2 boosts on my big board. One is a clean boost for a simple increase in volume. The other pedal is a fet boost which really kicks in the treble as well as volume, and works well driving dirt pedals into nastier sonic territory. I prefer having the boosts because I don't need gentle swells, I like to quickly go from normal volume to fixed, pre determined increases at the press of the foot switch.

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I need to get one soon for volume swells along with my delay and reverb, can't get the control i want using the volume on the bass and trying to play at the same time! going to go with the EB Jr, seems the 'TU-2' of volume pedals (I see it on pro's boards more than any alternative)

Edited by GazWills
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i think you need one when using a Jazz bass with a volume for each pickup, otherwise you can't turn up or down without changing your sound

I remember back in the day (showing my age now) there was a volume pedal which attached to the volume control on any amp.
A mechanical device obviously, never used one myself, but still a great idea I think!!

Edited by Shonks
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[quote name='Shonks' timestamp='1444759917' post='2885733']
i think you need one when using a Jazz bass with a volume for each pickup, otherwise you can't turn up or down without changing your sound
[/quote]

Very good point about Jazz bass volume. I use Ernie Ball VP Jrs in my set up, it makes a lot of sense as both a Jazz player and being in a line-up with a lot of voices (guitar, sax, trumpet, keys, drums) and having fade-ins and -outs. Volume swells are a nice-to-have as well.

I've heard of a couple of others which would be of interest to me if I upgrade in future: the Dunlop Volume X can double as an expression pedal as well (I've persuaded a VP Jr to act as an expression pedal but it's ugly cable-wise), and the Visual Sound Visual Volume pedal comes with an array of LEDs to show how loud you are - handy if you need to play at 11 for a certain song for example, http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifiers-effects/visual-sound-visual-volume-pedal

Edited by toneknob
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