Volume Pedal for low volume overdrive?

[Woody Sound]

I have to do a Trans-Siberian Orchestra tune with an orchestra. Need heavy overdrive/dist, but be able to maintain it when turning down. If I get a volume pedal in my effects loop (Quilter MP 200-12) will that do the trick?

[jorgemg1984]

Yes! Are you using a pedal or the Quilter's OD?

[Woody Sound]

The Quilter's OD. And quite a bit But when I back off the guitar's vol, the sound of course cleans up. I need to maintain that smooth searing distorion even in the quite passages.

[jorgemg1984]

Great, sound like a nice gig. I believe that approach would work perfectly, but maybe contact Quilter just to be sure?

[Woody Sound]

Great, sound like a nice gig. I believe that approach would work perfectly, but maybe contact Quilter just to be sure?

I'll just have to try it - the concert is Sunday. They just called me this past weekend, yikes! Gotta practice my assss off. Will have to head out to GC tonight and pay full retail for a pedal

[petermelton]

I'll just have to try it - the concert is Sunday. They just called me this past weekend, yikes! Gotta practice my assss off. Will have to head out to GC tonight and pay full retail for a pedal

That should definitely work for you! I'll save you the trouble of calling since you would likely talk to me anyways. All of the dirt is in the preamp. The effects loop is placed after all of the tone shaping and just before the power amp. Cheers.

[jorgemg1984]

I'll just have to try it - the concert is Sunday. They just called me this past weekend, yikes! Gotta practice my assss off. Will have to head out to GC tonight and pay full retail for a pedal

Good luck

[KirkP]

There are two types of volume pedal: high impedance for passive guitar pickups and low impedance for active buffered signals. The latter is preferable for an effects loop. The high impedance model might work fine, but would have an uneven taper.

[Woody Sound]

There are two types of volume pedal: high impedance for passive guitar pickups and low impedance for active buffered signals. The latter is preferable for an effects loop. The high impedance model might work fine, but would have an uneven taper.

Thanks KP, that's valuable info. The one they sold me is the Ernie Ball 6180 for passive (the former). I see now they also make the 6181 for active. This one will get me through the performance, but I'll probably return it the next day.

[Frank67]

I think a quality volume pedal like the Lehle would do the job. Personally, I'd rather go with an overdrive pedal though. There are hundreds of them out there. There must be something for everyone.

[KirkP]

Thanks KP, that's valuable info. The one they sold me is the Ernie Ball 6180 for passive (the former). I see now they also make the 6181 for active. This one will get me through the performance, but I'll probably return it the next day.

Please let me know if I was correct about it doing the job, but having a strange taper. I was guessing, so I'll like to check. It might be fine if you just want to adjust your level occasionally rather than doing a bunch of swells.

[icr]

Guitar-> distortion pedal-> time based effects -> Volume pedal -> amp (clean)
or
Guitar->distortion pedal -> volume pedal -> time based effects -> amp



This will control the volume of your guitar sound without affecting the character of the distortion. The second one might be better for Steve Hackett-like volume swells where to time-based effects are not affected by the volume pedal.

Another way is to us a multi-effects unit and 'expression pedal.' Program the pedal with the software to alter the output of the device to the amp.

[Woody Sound]

Please let me know if I was correct about it doing the job, but having a strange taper. I was guessing, so I'll like to check. It might be fine if you just want to adjust your level occasionally rather than doing a bunch of swells.

So, here's the scoop. Everything went well, great concert. But I did notice that most of the change when swelling was at the top end, or where the foot is more forward. Not ridiculous, but noticeable. But when I was unpacking my gear at home tonight, I noticed in the instructions "(Optional) Adjust the taper switch located underneath the foot plate, on the back of the jack board. When switched to the up position, there will be a slight boost in the front of the sweep, creating a more gradual swell."

Will try that out tomorrow when I set up my things again at home.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I have to do a Trans-Siberian Orchestra tune with an orchestra. Need heavy overdrive/dist, but be able to maintain it when turning down. If I get a volume pedal in my effects loop (Quilter MP 200-12) will that do the trick?

Is your loop pre- or post-power stage? Are you relying on preamp distortion or power-tube distortion?

[Woody Sound]

Is your loop pre- or post-power stage? Are you relying on preamp distortion or power-tube distortion?

See #6 above.

[Thumpalumpacus]

See #6 above.

In that case, in the effects loop will do the trick.

[KirkP]

I noticed in the instructions "(Optional) Adjust the taper switch located underneath the foot plate, on the back of the jack board. When switched to the up position, there will be a slight boost in the front of the sweep, creating a more gradual swell."

I'll bet that switches in a resister to alter the slope a bit. I have a high-impedance volume pedal I sometimes use in the same way. Maybe I should mod it with a similar switch.

[Woody Sound]

I'll bet that switches in a resister to alter the slope a bit. I have a high-impedance volume pedal I sometimes use in the same way. Maybe I should mod it with a similar switch.

Yeah, might make sense to keep this pedal if it works well both in front of the preamp and after it. I wonder if their low imp model has a similar switch to adjust for a passive placement.

Volume Pedals | Ernie Ball

[Woody Sound]

Just an overdue follow-up here. It seems that the pedal (250k for passive) ships with the switch in the down position. I flipped it up, and the sweep is much more even in the efx loop.