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Understanding Expression Pedals

Expression pedals are used to control variable parameters on electronic music equipment such as digital amplifiers, rack effects, stomp boxes, MIDI controllers, and keyboards. The pedals do not contribute to the sound themselves, but remotely control aspects of the device they are connected to. It might help to think of an expression pedal as a remote knob that can be controlled with your foot. Exactly what an expression pedal can control, will depend on the features of the device it is connected to.
 

Most digital amplifiers and multi-effects units support expression pedal control of basic functions such as volume, wah, and whammy which are traditionally controlled from this type of pedal. But often many more functions such as reverb trails, delay feedback, rotary speaker speed, mix, and so forth can also be controlled, giving the musician significant benefit in a live situation. It’s important to remember that expression pedals can only be used with devices that have a dedicated expression pedal input and/or have a MIDI control input.

Examples of digital amps and multi-effects units with expression pedal control include:

Line 6 Pod and M Series
Avid Eleven Rack
Fractal Audio Axe-Fx

Increasingly, stomp box manufacturers are also adding expression pedal control to many of their products. Examples include:

Strymon
Pigtronix
Eventide

How They Work

Expression Pedals comprise a pedal assembly that sits on the floor or can be mounted to a pedal board, with a rocker that can be moved up and down with the foot. Inside the pedal the rocker attaches to a potentiometer that moves proportionally to the pedal. The potentiometer is connected to an output jack or output cable that attaches to the expression pedal input of the device you are controlling. Unlike an in line volume pedal, there is no ‘input’ on an expression pedal as it does not connect to the instruments signal chain. There is just the single output that connects to the dedicated expression pedal input on the effect device. The device sends out a control voltage on one conductor of the cable which passes through the potentiometer and then is received back by the device on another conductor. As the pedal is moved up and down, the resistance within the potentiometer changes allowing more or less of the input control voltage to be returned. The amount of returned voltage is continually measured by the device allowing it to determine the position of the pedal and hence vary the effect. Expression pedals are typically passive devices that require no power of their own, with the control voltage being generated by the equipment they are connected to.

Expression pedals and CV pedals are not the same although they are often confused as they perform largely the same function but in a slightly different way. A passive expression pedal does not generate the control voltage itself; it receives it from the connected device, and returns it on a separate conductor along the connecting cable. A CV pedal generates the control voltage itself. A CV pedal requires a battery or external power supply. Some devices can use either, but if a device is not designed to be used with a CV pedal, then it could potentially be damaged by connecting one, so please read the manual before connecting a CV pedal to anything. CV pedals have their origins in analog synthesizers and are commonly, though certainly not exclusively, seen with synths and keyboard related devices. Built in expression pedals that are integrated into certain floor mounted effects units use different proprietary systems.

Compatibility

There is no recognized standard for expression pedal inputs. Effects and amp manufacturers use whatever variations are appropriate for their particular application. This can cause problems for the consumer needing to find an expression pedal that will work well with particular devices. The following describes the typical variations.

1. Potentiometer resistance.
Many devices require an expression pedal potentiometer resistance of somewhere between 5k Ohm and 50K Ohm. Some equipment is quite forgiving and will work well with anything in this range, others may require a very specific resistance to work properly. Still more equipment needs specific resistances outside this range including 100K, 250K, even 500K. Using a pedal with an incompatible resistance for the device can result in limited range, jumping or notch like response or in some cases, the pedal just won’t function at all.

2. Potentiometer taper.
The taper of a potentiometer describes how its electrical resistance changes proportional to its mechanical movement. In a linear potentiometer, the electrical resistance changes at the same rate throughout the mechanical range of the pot. In most cases, although not all, linear taper works best for expression pedals. In a logarithmic taper potentiometer, the resistance changes more slowly as you first move the pot, becoming increasingly faster as you get near the end. Log, or near log pots are commonly used in volume controls but don’t always work well for other effects. This is one of the reasons why trying to repurpose a volume pedal as an expression pedal often produces unsatisfactory results. Some wah pedals use pots approximating a reverse log taper. In most cases this will not work well for an expression pedal either, but there are at least two known cases where this is actually a requirement for an expression pedal.

3. Wiring.
Most potentiometers have three connectors; Clockwise, Counter-clockwise, and Wiper. Amazingly, there are multiple different ways these can be wired, all achieving largely the same result, which means yet more variations for expression pedals. The most common expression pedal wiring is to connect the pot to a 1/4″ stereo (TRS) instrument jack as follows:

CW —— Sleeve
Wiper — Tip
CCW —– Ring

An alternative is with the tip and the ring reversed as follows:

CW —— Sleeve
Wiper — Ring
CCW —– Tip

Yet a third way is as follows:

CW —— Sleeve
Wiper — Tip
CCW —– Tip

In this last one, the wiper and CCW are bonded together and connected to the tip and the ring is unused. This requires the use of a mono (TS) cable such as a regular guitar cable, in place of the stereo (TRS) cable used in the other two. These three are the most common that we see in expression pedals, but we keep finding more. Sometimes a dual gang potentiometer is wired in parallel to create a single pot with half the resistance. For example you may see a dual 20K Ohm potentiometer bridged into a single 10K. In this case the pedal will function the same as if it were a native 10K Ohm single pot.

The most unusual configuration we have seen appears to be the original Univibe speed control pedal which looks like it used a dual gang 100K Ohm log pot with the wipers bridged together and connected to the ground. It would be interesting to find out what the story is behind how that came about. There are some Univibe clones on the market that require a similar type of wiring.

An expression pedal with wiring polarity that matches the equipment specifications is required. Using a pedal with incompatible wiring can result in limited range, jumping or notch like response, or the pedal just won’t function at all, so make sure you check the requirements of your equipment. It’s often listed in the User Manual.

Mechanics

As previously mentioned, most expression pedals are passive devices and employ a mechanical means of converting the linear movement of the rocker to the rotational forces required to turn the potentiometer. Commonly these utilize a rack and gear mechanism or a system that uses a kevlar string or metal band. Most off the shelf potentiometers are designed for panel mounting and to be turned by hand, and this creates a couple of problems for expression pedals. Firstly the physical characteristics are not normally designed for foot operation. The forces involved in a foot pedal are often way beyond the mechanical specifications of a panel mount pot, causing them to break. Secondly, most of the shelf potentiometers with stops will rotate between 270 and 320 degrees. If this is not specifically matched to the movement of the rocker, the pot may not move through it’s full rotation, or may hit the stops. This can cause problems with dead spots and limited range or damage to the pedal. For best performance, it’s important to have a potentiometer that is purpose designed for foot pedal duty and with a rotation angle that matches the movement of the rocker mechanism. Most commercial expression pedals will have this, but if you are attempting to make your own, you will need to keep this in mind.

Calibration

Some of the more sophisticated effects and controllers, in particular MIDI devices, incorporate a calibration utility that can mitigate some of the issues with pot rotation. In these devices, there is normally a software option that allows the user to match the device to a specific expression pedal. In most cases this involves moving the pedal between it’s maximum and minimum settings and the device measuring the result. It then sets it’s internal parameters so that it recognizes where the maximum and minimum settings are of that particular pedal. This can often resolve problems of limited range. When using a device with this capability, it’s important to calibrate all expression pedals in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. If the pedal is ever replaced, even with the same model, calibration should be run again.

Calibration utilities sometimes cause confusion when using MIDI. This confusion is normally due the how the calibration is displayed on the device relative to MIDI values. In MIDI, continuous controller (CC) movement is described using a range 0-127 where 0 is normally minimum or off, and 127 maximum. For example if using a volume CC, 0 would be no volume, 63 would be about half volume, and 127 would be maximum volume. The calibration utility measures the characteristics of a particular pedal and then internally maps them to the correct MIDI values, so that when a pedal is pushed all the way down for example, a MIDI CC value of 127 is sent. The confusion arises because when calibrating, the device is often displaying to the user it’s own measurement scale, and not the MIDI values it is mapping to. For example, if a device displays 0-99 when calibrating a pedal, this does not mean that it will only go to 99 on the MIDI scale. The device is displaying it’s own reference numbers and NOT MIDI VALUES. Internally, the device maps 99 to 127. There is no standard. Different manufacturers use different scales such as 0-10, 0-99, 0-1024. Some manufacturers actually use the MIDI scale 0-127 which reduces the confusion. Either way, when using MIDI, internally all these will all be mapped to the correct MIDI range. Also, users should not be overly concerned about reaching the maximum and minimum calibration values. The purpose of calibration is to map the values of an individual pedal. For example, on a device with a scale 0-99, a pedal may calibrate at 3 and 96. Again, this simply means that on this pedal, 3 will be mapped to MIDI 0, and 96 to MIDI 127. If when calibrating a pedal, the numbers are significantly out of line, such as 59-69, or the numbers don’t change at all, it most likely means something is wrong in the setup such as the pedal is incompatible or is using the wrong cable. Users wishing to validate MIDI CC values can usually connect a computer running MIDI monitoring software such as MIDI-OX to the MIDI channel and monitor the MIDI traffic.

When using a MIDI configuration, remember that you should use an expression pedal that is compatible with the MIDI device you are connecting it to and not necessarily the MIDI controlled equipment at then end of the chain. For example, if you are using a MIDI floor controller from vendor A, and that is in turn connected to a digital amp from vendor B, and an effects unit from vendor C, the expression pedal would normally be connected to the MIDI controller and you should use a vendor A compatible pedal. The amp and effects unit will be receiving digital MIDI data, not analog expression pedal voltages. Choose an expression pedal that’s compatible with the device that you are plugging it’s cable into. Check out Missions extensive range of expression pedals if you would like to add one to your rig.

80 thoughts on “Understanding Expression Pedals”

  1. I have a EP-11s, connected to a Ground Control Pro. If I may suggest. Clearly inform your customers that the configuration position of the “rocker” is “4”… and, that the configuration position of the SWITCH, under the rocker toe, is “43”. I was thinking that “4” was the configuration of the heel position, and “43” was the toe position.

    Also, the tiny switch under the rocker must be in the forward position. (This was mentioned in the instructions.)

    1. Thanks for the comment. In this article I tried to cover expression pedals in general, and your question is around a very specific combination of products. I’ll take a look and see where the Ep-11 config you mention is documented and see if it can be made clearer.

  2. EDIT FROM LAST VERSION (took out reference to other manufacturer and a pricing comment! 🙂

    Expression pedal questions:

    I am a bit confused about how to set up expression pedals with my new pedalboard. I have an RJM mastermind PBC controller which I will be hooking up to the first expression pedal which will look after the midi compatible pedals (Strymon timeline and an H9). I think I have that part OK.

    The question is do I need another “separate” expression pedal for those non-midi capable pedals on the board that have exp pedal “in”. I have three additional effects pedals (Red Panda “particle delay”, Montreal Assembly “count to five”, and MWFX “Judder”) all with exp in that I would like to also control and right now am thinking I might need to find an expression pedal with either three separate outs to control each of those or use a second device like the mission expressionater (3 outputs) that acts as the connector to allows the single output expression pedal to hook up to all 3. Do I have that right? Any advice?

    Here’s the specifics on the Exp. In for the pedals I am looking to control.

    MWFX Judder: exp input – Nom 25k ohm
    Red Panda Labs Particle Delay: 10k-50k ohm linear pot will work (Mission ep1)
    Montreal Assembly Count to Five: Most expression pedals work but it needs to be TRS setup with tip being the wiper. 10k/100k/1M pots all work.

    Many Thanks,
    Glenn

    1. Yes, you have this correct. You can connect an expression pedal to the RJM Mastermind and it will convert the expression pedal movement to MIDI CC messages that can be sent to any or all of the MIDI pedals depending on how you program the Mastermind. Mission has an expression pedal designed to work with the Mastermind controllers here: http://missionengineering.com/?product=sp1-rjm-2

      For the non MIDI devices you would need another pedal. You can use Expressionator to connect a single pedal to three devices. A Mission EP-1, EP-25K or similar TRS tip to wiper expression pedal will work on the input. The outputs from Expressionator are 20K Ohm TRS tip to wiper. Although I have never tested the specific pedals that you mention, it would appear from the info that Expressionator looks to be compatible with them. There’s not really any other way to do this, other than having three separate expression pedals, or using one and just plugging it into each device as and when you need it.

      If you just want to connect two effects rather than three, you can use the Mission EP-25K or Pigtronix Dual pedals that have two outputs. They control both outputs simultaneously though, there is no way to switch the pedal between one and the other. If you really want to connect one expression pedal to three devices and be able to fully control how they operate, then you either have to use MIDI when the pedals support it, or Expressionator if they don’t.

  3. Dear Mission Team,

    I use an Expressionator with a Roland EV5 expression in order to control 2 Iron Ether effects (low pass, Bit Reducer) and a Diamond memory lane 2. Whilst for the first two i have no problem whatsoever, with the Diamond i am facing difficulties. Even when i plug directly the EV5 to the memory lane (on the delay time or feedback), the exp pedal starts to overheat and then the resistance is destroyed. I have already repaired the expression resistor twice. Also the range of the exp pedal do not match with the range of the potntiometer of the pedal. I contacted Diamond and they suggested to use another Exp. I am willing to buy a new Mission but I am not sure which. Can you please indicate which will be appropriate for my case?
    Have you tried your pedals with Diamond Memory lane 2?

    Thank you in advance for your help and support

    Regards

    George

    1. Hi, Passive expression pedals are generally low voltage, low current interfaces. I would be concerned if enough current is passing to a passive expression pedal that it is actually heating up and becoming damaged. Do you mean it is actually getting physically hot to touch? This suggests to me that there is something wrong. Did you describe the heating symptoms to Diamond? What did they say?

      1. Hi,
        Diamond said that it looks like a reverse polarity issue.
        When i plug the expression it starts to heat and it smells like sth is burned, also when the pedal is on the heel position is acting strange (like tremolo sound). In the manual they suggest”mono plug insert cable used with a standard volume pedal (minimum 100k)” but the 100k are for a volume pedal what would be the right value for an expression?

        Thanks a lot for the help

        1. We have not tested the Diamond Memory Lane 2, and I believe this product is now discontinued, so I cannot guarantee an expression pedal that will work with it. The only TRS expression pedal we have greater than 100K is the EP1-TC which is 250K Linear. This pedal is primarily designed for use with the TC Electronic G-System, and we have no way of testing it ourselves as we do not have a Diamon Memory Lane 2 in our collection. If Diamond are recommending you use a volume pedal, then you may be better off following their direction.

  4. Hi, a week ago I received a Keeley Monterrey, great pedal, inmediatly fall in love with it. I was playing with it for a couple of days without any problem. Tho days ago I purchased a Roland EV5 an plugged it into the EXP port on the Monterrey. The pedal let me take control of the RATE parameter with my fott, everything OK. BUT…when I unplugged the EV5, the RATE knob stop working. Rotating the knob makes nothing at all, it now stays at a fixed rate (the same in the three modes). Now the only way to take control of the rate is connecting the exp pedal.
    What could it be? Does the EV5 ruined something inside the Keeley? Is there a way to re-calibrate or fixing this rate knob problem?

    1. Hi. It’s very unlikely that connecting the expression pedal has damaged the Keeley. I would check with Keeley technical support and see if it’s necessary to reset the Monterrey settings after an expression pedal has been connected.

      1. Hi, I emailed Keeley and they say that they recommend the M-audio EXP because the Monterrey has a passive exp pedal…but I don’t get it. As far as I know, EV5 and MaudioEXP are similar passive pedals. My EV5 works ok in my Line 6 MM4 and Source Audio Nemesis delay.

    1. We are advised by catalinbread that a ring to wiper expression pedal of 10 – 25K is required. The Mission EP25-PRO Aero will work, or a Mission EP-1 with a polarity reversal adapter, should also work

  5. I have an EP-25 pro and a new pedal that wants a Reverse Log 100K S taper pot. Could I replace one of the pots on the EP-25 to work with this pedal? Where would I find a reverse log taper pot that would work for a pedal application like this?

    1. The EP25 uses a dual 25K linear pot, so that it can operate two devices simultaneously. If you are looking to keep one output the same 25K linear, and the other at something different, then finding an off the shelf dual pot with these two specs, suitable for use in a pedal is unlikely. Reverse log taper, and S taper are usually two different things. Is the requirement for reverse log taper OR S taper, or some custom mix of the two?

  6. I have a Line 6 Helix. I have an EP-1 pedal that I am able to use with the Helix by disconnecting the GREEN WIRE. I also have an SP1-R that I would like to use as an expression pedal and also use the switch on the SP1-R to turn my wah on and off.

    My question is, if I disconnect the green wire to the potentiometer will it work with my Helix? Also, do I have to disconnect any other leads to get the switch in the SP1-R to turn my wah for the Helix.

    1. We do not recommend making modifications to products as this invalidates the warranty, and may damage the expression pedal or the device it is connected to if connections are made incorrectly. The Mission EP1-L6 and SP1-L6 products are recommended for use with the Line 6 Helix.

  7. Very useful as I finalize SoulPedal(R). I’m putting the 2nd channel of a digital potentiometer out to a stereo jack (maybe a mini due to size), with 10K ohms, and use the first wiring diag you listed (as most common). I figure the hackers will re-configure anyway, but they can’t put more than 3.3V (which is fine for my Boss pedal exp jack). 5V on my input could fry my Pot.

    You also actually helped me realize that the taper is gradual to fast (not the other way around). I’ve got an inverse log output, so a correction factor is critical in my code. (I thought it was a bit touchy.)

    Did you notice that Source Audio (maybe others) made a universal controller with many pot values and jumper settings. I’m saving all those features for future versions (if this ever gets off the ground). The fact that it’s on the market tells me that people don’t really know what their equipment requires and just get the pedal that covers everything. Interesting…

  8. Hi there Missions! 🙂

    I wonder could Pigtronics Dual expression pedal be used with the Fractal AX8 or I need strictly Mission pedal that is dedicated to Fractal devices…?

    Thx in advance!

  9. The pigtronix dual expression pedal works with my mothership 2; however, I’ve yet to get it to control the rate on my Boss ph-3 phaser. Will it control the ph-3? I’d love to control both pedals with one expression pedal. How do I get it to work with the ph-3? Thanks for your reply

    1. Maybe, but BOSS pedals generally work better with a 10K expression pedal such as the Mission EP-1. The Pigtronix Dual is 25K.

  10. Will pigtronix dual expression pedal control a Boss ph-3 phaser? I’ve got it working with the pigtronix mothership 2, but can’t get it to control the phaser! Please Help!

  11. Interesting info’, but I wonder if you have come across this situation. I have a Line 6 Pod HD Pro connected to a Line 6 FBV Shortboard MkII. Decided to add the Line 6 EX-1 pedal, but when it arrived, not only was it a piece of plastic junk (IMHO), it was also faulty. So it was returned.

    I subsequently ended up with a Boss FV500H, which has expression pedal capability as well as being usable as just a volume pedal. As a standard volume pedal it is fine. But when connected to the Line 6 FBV expression pedal input it operates completely back to front (e.g. if controlling volume via the FBV volume is loudest when in the fully open heel position and silent when pushed down to the toe position).

    It is supposed to be compatible with the Line 6 gear, but no matter which combination of cables/adaptors/wiring I use (I have also switched wiring around in the cables I have in various configurations), it always ends up running the expression functions back to front (or not at all).

    Even tried the trick of using an insert cable from the FV500H’s volume input/output sockets and then partially inserting the TRS end into the FBV. Still ended up with sound back to front.

    Making me wonder if the FBV Shortboard itself is perhaps faulty.

    Anyway, be interested to know what you guys think of all this.

    Cheers.

    1. Line 6 devices have a different expression pedal interface and often do not work with TRS expression pedals such as the FV500. The Mission EP1-L6 is specifically designed for use with Line 6 devices and will work with the FBV.

  12. Magnatone recommends the ME EP1 to use for their modulation remote speed control input. However, I happen to own a MOOG EP-2; do you know if the EP1 is similar in functionality to the Moog EP-2?

  13. lebihanj,
    THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing your expert knowledge on this subject!
    I just purchased a Mission EP1-L6 for my classic Line 6 DL4
    Gary

  14. What’s the actual component difference between the EP-11 and EP-1? I have an EP-11 that I would like to try and use with my Axe FX 3. I know several people use the EP-1. Is there any differences in components?

    1. The EP-11 has an internal polarity reversal switch. The EP-1 does not. We haven’t tested it but I suspect the EP-11 should work with an Axe-Fx III. You would need to make sure the polarity toggle is in the correct position.

  15. Hi. My EP 1-L6 is around 9 Months old. When I remove my foot from the pedal it does not rest in place at the toe or the heel. When I pushed it all the way to the heel it bounces back slightly and the same at the toe. Does anyone have a solution for this? Thanks

    1. Check inside the pedal to make sure that the rack is engaged properly with the toothed wheel and that the white tension clamp is holding the rack in place. If you purchased the pedal new from Mission or an authorized dealer, it has a 12 month warranty. You can return it to us for service if you would like. Details at https://missionengineering.com/returns

  16. Hi. I’m trying to control a Deja Vibe mini with the expressionator. Fulltone says it requires tip to pot wiper configuration. Can I use the expressionator with the Deja Vibe? Thanks!

  17. I’m looking for a latching pedal that I can use going into the expressionator and out to a Boss MS3, DD500, and Eventide H9. I think the SP1 will work?

    1. The expression pedal output from an SP1 is compatible but Expressionator does not have a switch input. Are you going to separately connect the switch output the the MS3 or something else?

      1. One of the outputs from the expressionator would be going into the CTL1 in order to use an expression pedal. Would the button on the SP1 not work in order to toggle the fx1 on/off due to it going through the expressionator?

        1. I should probably state that I don’t really need the second output of the SP1 as I wouldn’t utilize it so, the SP1-h9 might be a good fit.

  18. I recently purchased a used Behringer FCB1010 MIDI Foot Controller… Everything seemed to work fine… however, I noticed that I wasn’t getting any response from expression pedal A. I tried numerous recalibration steps before I decided to look inside the box to see if I could understand how it works. The expression pedals seem to work with a plastic gradient strip passing through a light and receiver. A slightly different sort of tech for controlling movement of the pedal. In my case, the plastic gradient strip was crumpled up underneath the pedal and unrepairable (I tried to pull it through and it snapped in half).
    Anyhow, after extensive searching… I can’t find any way to repair this part. Is this a common part? What is its technical name? Do you know who supplies these type of parts?

    1. The FCB uses an optical expression pedal. It probably uses an LDR (light dependent resistor) with a resistance that changes according to how much light it receives. Unfortunately, the implementation in optical pedals is usually specific to the manufacturer and the strip is likely a custom part designed for this product.

    1. The Roland DS-61 has an input for an Expression pedal. We recommend the Mission EP-1 for this. The EP-1 is a direct replacement for the Roland EV-5 pedal.

  19. Would really love to build a small optical expression controller with a small light dependent resistor inside a TRS jack. Where would you suggest wiring the two leads to the T/R/S?

    1. Typically optical expression pedals are only used when integrated into a device since they need power and the components can be designed to work together. It’s rare to use an optical solution for an external expression pedal. A pot works best because it doesn’t need its own power source and can easily be wired to work as a voltage divider. An LDR is just a resistor. You’d need to add an opamp stage to allow it to work as a voltage divider with a TRS connection.

  20. I first started making music with MIDI in Pakistan in the very early 1980s while a student if Electronics Engineering. Managed to make an album in 2003 but life, work, and other stuff kept me unable to use all the toys I had bought. Today I just wanted to understand if a foot pedal for a Yamaha synth could function as an Expression Pedal and found your post above. Just had to write this long note that even as a long time electrical engineer AND electronic music (“nTrance To Tunnel Of Love”) creator/lover I loved the great way you covered the topic. Most definitely educational AND interesting posts here. Bookmarking and will explore more. Keep up the good work. (PS Any posts on how to wire stuff the right way to make up for an utter lack of talent? LOL).

    IMRAN™

  21. I’m a composer for movie.
    I work both in a studio and at home sometimes.
    In the studio I have my full setup (monitoring, synths, USB controller..) and a M audio USB keyboard with mod wheel.
    But at home I have a small setup with a akai key 25, and it has no mod wheel.. So I use MIDI expression pedal EX3 – https://beatbars.com/en/midi-expression-pedal.html, to modulate symphonic vst plug-in easier.
    I prefer the USB for more versatility and I’m happy with it!
    In the future, maybe I will use it to control several effects in a live show.
    And finally it allow me to modulate effects and keep my hands free to perform my music.

  22. I’m so glad to have found this helpful site. I’m using a Boss EV30 EXP w/ a Boss DM-2W delay. When the MIN knob on the EV30 is fully CCW, I get a longer delay than the DM-2W was made to produce. The downfall is it comes wrought with a slight high pitched ringing in the repeats. On some occasions this can be fun as part of the quirks of an BBD analog delay, but, am I hurting the DM-2W by pushing its controls beyond its limits? Your help is greatly appreciated!

    1. Brother I’m using the exact same setup, just got the EV-30 yesterday. I get the exact same aliasing/clock noise whine when I use the expression pedal to get the rate at it’s longest.

      I’ve read a lot about how the DM-2W being an Analog Delay will produce clock noise & aliasing (that high pitched whine at the end of notes) before I even bought the pedal. I’m okay with some noise. It just seems that using the Expression Pedal causes it to increase exponentially.

      I adjusted the maximum range on my EV-30 so it wouldn’t cause any of that noise by using the longest range it’s capable of. But I’d like for it to just go away to be honest.

      This isn’t a bit of an increase, its night and day between the aliasing normally and then with the expression pedal.

      1. The trick is with the EV30 “heel down” … and the DM2W in Custom Mode on max delay (fully CCW), using a metronome, set the repeats to exactly 75 bpms … which equals the maximum 800ms of the DM2W. The aliasing will then go away. The MIN knob will be set at approx 8:45. Pushing the pedal beyond 800ms with the EV30 will cause a lot more noise. Setting it like I described, it will sound just as good with the expression pedal.

    1. No power is required for the expression pedal function. You should make sure that you are using the correct cable and follow the instructions in the user manual for you keyboard for setting up an expression pedal. You can email Mission Support at info@missionengineering.com if you need further assistance.

  23. Hello, I want to ask maybe someone knows the answer. Which Expression Pedal is suitable for Rocktron Replifex and t.c. electronics G Major 2? Then what value potentiometer is ideal for the expression pedal used in the two effects units I mentioned above, thank you.

  24. I have a Boss EV 500H Volume pedal and just bought a Boss dd-8 digital delay. The volume pedal can be used as an expression pedal with the dd-8. Can the Volume pedal be used as both an expression pedal and a volume pedal at the same time or am I going to need to buy a separate pedal to use as an expression pedal. I was hoping that as I switched on the dd-8 that I could use the volume pedal as an expression pedal while the dd-8 was engaged and back to a volume when the dd-8 was disengaged. Kind of new to pedals so still trying to understand things.

  25. I would be interested to learn baout what to do to extend a pedal with an EXP or CV input, what circiut / mechanism READS the EXP output and controls a pedal parameter / replaces a turnable pot/knob?

    1. The TGR-1 is an expression pedal intended to work with Gig Rig controllers. If you are using a Gig Rig MIDI controller to control a digital multi-effect device with wah capability then this should work. The TGR-1 is not a wah pedal and will not provide a wah effect itself.

  26. Great article! What would you recommend as an expression pedal for the GigRig G3? I know that there is a TGR-1 expression pedal, but it seems like it is only available from UK/Europe and I cannot seem to find it on your website.

    Do you know if there are compatibility issues with the G3 if I choose to go with a different expression pedal from your line, such as the SP25-L PRO Aero for instance? Thank you!

    1. Hi ! I have the same issue/question. I purchased th EP25 – PRO Aero and doesn’t seem to work with the G3 (on the EXPR1 Input with TRS connection).
      I programmed it 000 heel and 100 toe as a use for post gain.
      Is it the wrong pedal for the new G3?

      THANK YOU !

  27. Thanks for your article!

    Does anyone here know how to grease the tensioner on a Mission Eng EP1-L6? The tension nut, which adjusts the force required to depress our pedal, squeaks loudly when we move the pedal. I don’t want to back the screw out entirely in case it’s very difficult to put back in. But perhaps that is how you get into the hinge to grease it?

    (I’ve already oiled or greased the other hinges, and the potentiometer was silent when turned by hand.)

    Thanks!

  28. Hi James. I just came across this article, and since I sent an email via the ME website and didn’t get an answer, and since you’re active here, I’ll put it here too.

    I just bought an EP-25-Pro Aero and I’d be interested in buying the Aero switch kit for it. Maybe it’s available and I missed it, but do you have a tutorial of some kind available for installing it, either in your files or somewhere online? And if not, how is it done?

  29. i have a FRACTAL AUDIO FX8… is there any problem if i use SP1- L6?

    is there any issue on wire? polarity?

    How about the EP 1-25k?

    THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY

  30. Do you have any suggestions on which expression pedal would work best with the Empress Echosystem? The one I’m currently using to control the mix seems to jump from no delay to quite a bit. I can’t seem to get a low mix sound. Something with a different pot resistance? Currently using one that I think has a 50k pot.

    1. Good day

      I have two questions:

      1. I have questions regarding polarity. The one I’m about to purchase has a RTS polarity. Will it work with the EQD Afterneath v3?

      2. Can an expression/volume pedal with a resistance of 10k be modified with a 50k ohms potentiometer?

      Thank you.

    1. Outputs 1 and 2 are both TRS expression. They both work at the same time. Output 3 is not used in this model. 3 is the output for the switch for models that include it.

  31. Hi,

    I recently bought Fender Thread Light Vol/Exp without getting into topic of expression pedals and now I’m confused. As I understand, my Warwick BC20 amp and B1 four zoom multi effect aren’t compatible with this Fender expression pedal, so can I do something about it? Buy midi interface? If so, which one and how to connect it? Or would it be easier and better to just get B1x four zoom, which have integrated expression pedal? But again, will it work with my gear? I aslo don’t have TRS cable, but I don’t wanna get one, since I have no idea if it will change anything
    I kindly ask for extensive answer, as there are many things for me to understand
    Regards,
    Nick

  32. Hi! I have a SP1-LG and a EP1-R. Neither have jacks installed for OUT 1 & OUT2. Instead, they both have a single INPUT jack. Is the INPUT on these intended to be used to connect the pedal to the expression jack of the device to be controlled? I’m not finding any information on this.

    Also, the EP1-R has a toggle switch under the rocking pedal (not on the side). Is this a polarity switch?

    Thanks very much!

    1. There is no input on an expression pedal. It’s possible these pedals have been modified and the output jack moved to the other side of the pedal. The functionality will be the same. The toggle switch on the EP1-R is for the polarity.

  33. I understand the TGR-1 is made a specifically for the Gig Rig G3, but does it function without a G3? Would it work as an expression pedal on its own with Walrus Audio or Strymon pedals? Also, I notice it has 3 outputs, would you be able to control 3 separate pedals? thanks!

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