Ernie Ball Volume Pedal

[MM90luvver]

I've just been donated an 'old' Ernie Ball Volume pedal, old 'cause it's not the same as any of the current ones, it's completely open ended at the front with A&B jack sockets either side. Has a pot on the side too which is supposed to adjust Min-Vol preset. What exactly does this mean ?, doesn't seem to do anything. Where in the effects chain is the best place to run this, beginning or end ?. I don't use the effects loop, just straight into the front of the amp.

Thanks

Kev

 

[NorM]

I love volume pedals. Let's start with the min vol preset. I don't have one of the older ones but on the newer ones there is a switch inside the body to change the shape of the swell from linear to logarithmic. I think the min vol preset tries to do just this. For the linear setting this means the volume increases more like a 1:1 ratio as the pedal travels forward. For a logarithmic setting the volume increases more rapidly and then tapers off at the end. Since I am a math freak I included a couple of plots to graphically represent these shapes.

The linear setting is good if you are using your volume pedal to set the overall volume of your rig during a gig or using the volume pedal as a voltage controller for another effect (a different topic entirely)

The logarithmic setting is great for doing volume swells. With the volume pedal all the way back, strike the string(s) then rock the pedal forward as if to mimic the attack of a violin. (The proper way to attack a violin is to raise the volume pedal above your head and then bring the volume pedal down briskly, striking the violin. Repeat if necessary. ) Of course you can do the same thing with the volume knob on your guitar but sometimes its just easier to do it with a pedal. Also try rolling the tone knob of your guitar at the same time you rock the pedal forward. Not only is that more expressive, it impresses other guitar players (oh, that's what the tone knob is for.) and chicks dig it to. (I wish)

This sound becomes more majestic if you follow the volume pedal with a delay and / or chorus effect. Generally the volume pedal works best at the front of the effects chain with a few exceptions. These would be noise gates used to alter attacks, compressors and distortion boxes that can change tone depending on how much signal that is sent through them. If your effects tend to be noisy then putting the volume pedal at the end of the chain can eliminate this. Kind of like a manual noise gate used to silence everything when you are not playing.

I refer to my volume pedals as Ernie Ball Volume Hammers. You can jump up and down on these things and they stay where you put them. Also, few things work better at driving nails. Finally, for about $40 Ernie will rebuild your volume pedal including replacing the main pot and string, a proper factory cleaning and adding a tuner output port should you desire. Ta-Da you now have a brand damn new pedal. Thanks for letting me share.

 

[NorM]

Here is the log plot

 

[MM90luvver]

Thanks for the explanation Norm, and there I was thinking that a Volume Pedal was about as simple as it could get.


I'm glad you mentioned that it's best at the front of the chain, as I've just completely rearranged my pedalboard with it first in line.

Cheers

Kev

 

[skabassist13]

dude norm, mine doesnt do that. i called a guy at customer service and he said that the two swell rates were vvery similar. but what you and the description say is that theyre two different swells. i cant remeber the guys name but he told me that it was ok. what do i do? i want the linear swell, but mine seems stuck in the logarithmic postition, no matter where the mini switch is. help. please.

 

[NorM]

Play with it set one way for a while and then try the other. Choose the lesser of the two evils. The swell rates are very similar like you said. The graphs are of mathematical functions and not from the output of an actual pedal. It could well turn out that EB Volume hammers are not the thing for you.

 

[skabassist13]

it might not be the thing for me, but im not gonna give it up. that thing is a friggin rock. it wont die. and its not that bad, takes a lil getting used to but its all good.

 

[Bassplyr]

Dang Norm,
This is the last place I was expecting to learn about linear and logarithmic patterns. Infact , I'm not even sure I learned about this stuff in school! Now I can justify my all my time spent on reading the forum pages.

 

[SGMan88]

Thanx for the lesson norm, class dismissed

 

[NorM]

I have to know that kind of stuff inside out. That's what being a rocket scientist is all about.

 

[Bassplyr]

Well, there you go then..it's proof that the smartest people use MM's!

 

[joe parker]

wonky volume pedal-suggestions?

hey all . . . i've been using the eb volume pedals for over ten years, and they do rock. as for the bulletproof part, well...that's why i'm here. i'm on my fourth pedal in about ten years. what ends up happening is i'm playing a gig and the string breaks (the one attached to the spring, that winds around the actual volume pot). since my company reimburses me, i just get a new pedal, since you can't find those replacement parts at music stores. i'm planning on eventually just getting the parts from eb and having a bunch lying around. now onto the question - it seems like before they go, it has a bit of 'spring' to the treadle, and doesn't like to 'sit' in the all-the-way-to-11 position. is there any way at this point to fix it before it snaps the string? sorry for the wordiness - any help is appreciated!

 

[ScoobySteve]

Thanks Norm for the awesome info!

But just like Joe posted, how have you dealt with the line? EB says its meant to break as it is a wearing part, but how have you dealt with it?

 

[Jimmyb]

Hello 2003!!