Volume pedal for Solo boost

[Dan D Mahnn]

I just had a thought right now and was wondering if anyone else has tried this.

Ive been using an MXR or Boss EQ pedal in my FX Loop to boost for solos for years now. Ive always had a few problems though. For one I dont always want some solo's to come out as loud as others. I also dont like the instant jump in volume. Sometimes Im the only guitar player and a jump in volume can be very noticable unless I time it perfectly on the first note of the solo which is hard when your really into playing and performing.

I was just thinking the Boss volume pedals with the minimum volume knob may be a cool solution. My first thought is I may be able to stick one in my FX loop and set the minimum volume to be a few Db's lower then the max volume. Then when it comes time for the solo I can glide the pedal up the few Db's to the max volume. That way the volume transition is smooth and I can have better control of how much louder I want the guitar to be in any givin song.

Has anyone tried this? If so what were your results? I know the Boss Volume pedals are notorious for being unreliable but they cost less then half of what I make for a gig so Im not worried about replacing one every so often as long as it works.

[ScottB]

I've been using a Morlley Little Alligator volume pedal for over a year as a solo boost. I keep the minimum volume set a 3 o'clock.

It works fine at gigs where we use a pro soundman, and he also kicks in the solo boost on his board.

This past weekend, we played a freebie outdoor show and the host band set up their 10,000 watt p.a. It was pretty much get a good level during a 1 song soundcheck and you're on your own for the rest of your set. The overall rhythm mix was great, but the volume pedal and even my DS-1 which I use for putting a little more hair on my solos wasn't enough to boost the solo to the point where it could be heard clearly above the mix.

I think I might choose your method of boosting my solos with a EQ pedal.

Can anyone recommend a nice EQ stomp box that doesn't add a ton of noise to the signal? I've got an old DOD FX-40 EQ, but it's noisy as hell, even when by-passed.

[Keeley]

Howdy!
The little blue MXR EQ box is a great, quite pedal. One problem however is that it is not switchable. Why, do I suggest it? It is very good. It is very musical sounding. It's hard to find and eq that even with extreme settings it doesn't sound horrible. They have been made true-bypass before as well...just food for thought.
Another thought is to use a volume pedal, but sliding around to a volume can be more distracting than just clicking a pedal on.
A simple compression pedal might be the trick. There you have a boost in your volume, but at the same time the limiting affect of them keeps you in balance.
Lastly, I have seen a three way toggle installed on a guitar so that it presets the volume control in a sense for three different outputs (all softer than where the control is currently set). A Center Off type 3-way toggle (DPDT) would be easy to use. You can perform and not be anywhere near your pedal that way.
Just some thoughts!

[Dan D Mahnn]

Thanks for the replies guys. Anything before the amp kind of defeats the purpose. Id rather have something in the Loop so I can get a solid controled level jump. Especially since Im running a decent amount of gain at times. I guess Ill have to try it to really see if it beats an EQ.

I guess setting it up youd have to think in reverse. Instead of setting your amp level to your normal stage volume Id start by setting it to the solo volume and then use the volume pedal to back off and find were the best normal volume will be. Once theres enouph room to have a loud enouph normal volume and a loud as hell solo Im in bizness.

[gkelm]

I had one of those Boss pedal (FV-100 I think?)...worked great for me. THe only problem was that the pedal was "loose"...wouldn't stay in mid-sweep like an EB.
Greg

[Gearjunky]

Try to find a TC Electronic Line Booster/Distortion if you can.
Expensive, but worth every penny.
That's all I ever use.

[Dan D Mahnn]

Thanks for the replies.

gkelm - I do realize that problem in the Boss pedals where the rocker loosens and allows the pedal to fall down when you push it toe-up. I can overlook that. As Ive said if it works well for me Ill buy one every 6 months if I have to. Im also looking into the Boss FV50 instead of the FV300. As far as I can tell from HC reviews thiers no problem with the rocker. With the FV300 every other review complained about it.

Gearjunky - The thing is I have tons of pedals I use (from line boosters to overdrives) to saturate or boost the gain. Thats different from what Im talking about. Those are pedals that go before the amps input. On a drive channel they effect the volume very little and mostly just effect the gain level. What Im looking for is a decent system to have a smooth control over how much of the entire signal is to be boosted (made much louder). It would have to be something in the FX loop. I have pedals that Ive been using to instantly boost up the volume in that way. What I was thinking about with this setup is a way to control the smoothness of the volume increase and more control over how much it increases.

I guess Ill just have to give it a try.

[Dan D Mahnn]

Keeley - I thought about that. How it could be distracting finding the right spot with the volume pedal but 2 things crossed my mind why that doesnt have to be the case.

1- unlike a normal box pedal with a switch, I can keep my foot planted firmly on the volume pedal a few seconds before its time to go. Its not a rush to click in the volume jump. I can forget for a second and its not a big deal becouse I can glide it up and its not like I started my solo low then BAMMMM!!! its loud as hell. Since the min volume knob will be set I can rest my foot in the toe-up position untill its time.

2- The other thing is with the minimum volume knob set very high, the entire sweep of the pedal is only going to effect a small area of volume. In that way its much easier to be precise with the pedal since the entire sweep is short and detailed. Know what I mean?

Of coarse I may be wrong on both. I still think I need to try it and see if its doable for me.

If anyone else still has experience with this type of setup, please chime in.