Volume pedal passive vs active
Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn
- Kevin Quick
- Posts: 411
- Joined: 11 Jun 2008 2:35 pm
- Location: Sacramento, Calif
Volume pedal passive vs active
Ok thinking about goint to an active volume pedal. Any comments or suggestions?
Emmons Resound 65 D10, Zum hybrid, Quilter TT 12 Tone block 202
- Dave Mudgett
- Moderator
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- Joined: 16 Jul 2004 12:01 am
- Location: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
Lots of extensive discussions on the subject of volume pedals, active vs. passive, and so on, including some very recently:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=332257
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=332166
and some not quite so very recently:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=323284
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=307319
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=300407
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=282331
and many, many more going back years.
Passive pedals used by many pedal steel players are Sho Bud and Goodrich. Active pedals used by many pedal steel players are Hilton, Telonics, and the recent Goodrich active/passive pedal (discussed in the 2nd link). You can find fairly extensive reviews of all these active pedals if you search.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=332257
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=332166
and some not quite so very recently:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=323284
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=307319
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=300407
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=282331
and many, many more going back years.
Passive pedals used by many pedal steel players are Sho Bud and Goodrich. Active pedals used by many pedal steel players are Hilton, Telonics, and the recent Goodrich active/passive pedal (discussed in the 2nd link). You can find fairly extensive reviews of all these active pedals if you search.
- Tony Prior
- Posts: 14522
- Joined: 17 Oct 2001 12:01 am
- Location: Charlotte NC
- Contact:
One more thing to plug in, so on gigs it's a the 120 PASSIVE pedal for me.
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders
Pro Tools 8 and Pro Tools 12
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 8 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
Pro Tools 8 and Pro Tools 12
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 8 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website
- Bill Terry
- Posts: 2786
- Joined: 29 Apr 1999 12:01 am
- Location: Bastrop, TX
- Lee Baucum
- Posts: 10326
- Joined: 11 Apr 1999 12:01 am
- Location: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Re: Volume pedal passive vs active
Is there a particular reason why you are considering an active volume pedal?Kevin Quick wrote:Ok thinking about goint to an active volume pedal. Any comments or suggestions?
What are you currently using?
Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande
There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.
Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat
There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.
Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat
-
- Posts: 2136
- Joined: 11 Jul 2001 12:01 am
- Location: New Orleans, LA, USA
I use Telonics, before that Hilton,before that Goodrich with 9 volt battery.
At one point some time ago, I was chasing a vintage sound, and experimenting with different gear.
I was getting close. Had a single coil in an old bud, and a Fender tube twin. Sounded cool, but wasn’t quite the sound I was chasing. Something was missing
I was using a powered pedal. I replaced it with a with a passive pedal one day, and BAM! There was the sound. It was the passive pedal that really made a difference.
While I still love that sound, ( thinking 60s Brumley, Jimmy Day) I’ve moved on. It’s good to know that passive pedal was a critical link to the sound.
YMMV.
Im liking what I use now, all Telonics, but I will keep an open mind.
At one point some time ago, I was chasing a vintage sound, and experimenting with different gear.
I was getting close. Had a single coil in an old bud, and a Fender tube twin. Sounded cool, but wasn’t quite the sound I was chasing. Something was missing
I was using a powered pedal. I replaced it with a with a passive pedal one day, and BAM! There was the sound. It was the passive pedal that really made a difference.
While I still love that sound, ( thinking 60s Brumley, Jimmy Day) I’ve moved on. It’s good to know that passive pedal was a critical link to the sound.
YMMV.
Im liking what I use now, all Telonics, but I will keep an open mind.
-
- Posts: 3691
- Joined: 23 Feb 2002 1:01 am
- Location: Limestone, TN, USA
Volume pedal active or passive.
I got a Hilton pedal and preferred my Goodrich 120. Sold the Hilton. Couple years later after all the great things people were saying about the Hilton, I thought I
must have missed something the first time around, so i bought a 2nd. one. Same result, I preferred the pot pedal, so the Hilton became my backup pedal. Then I found a great deal locally on another 120, so I bought it as a backup and sold the 2nd Hilton.
All of this was before the Telonics pedal even existed. I have tried Telonics at shows and they are very nice. I like the variable taper feature. But, I have heard there is almost no difference in the sound between the Telonics and Hilton.
I am old school, I guess. All the great steel recordings and players tone I admire were all passive pedals. Who knows how they would have sounded if active pedals had been availble. Different, but better ? Depends on your ears I guess.
I've heard the statement "got tired of having to replace pots, so I got an active pedal" This has never been any big deal to me. Pots have always lasted several years with me before needing replacing.
It is not a big job to rep!ace one. 30 minutes job,tops.
Paul Franklin and JD Maness still use pot pedals. Does anybody know if John Hughey, Buddy Emmons, Lloyd Green, or other well known players stayed with pot
pedals?
must have missed something the first time around, so i bought a 2nd. one. Same result, I preferred the pot pedal, so the Hilton became my backup pedal. Then I found a great deal locally on another 120, so I bought it as a backup and sold the 2nd Hilton.
All of this was before the Telonics pedal even existed. I have tried Telonics at shows and they are very nice. I like the variable taper feature. But, I have heard there is almost no difference in the sound between the Telonics and Hilton.
I am old school, I guess. All the great steel recordings and players tone I admire were all passive pedals. Who knows how they would have sounded if active pedals had been availble. Different, but better ? Depends on your ears I guess.
I've heard the statement "got tired of having to replace pots, so I got an active pedal" This has never been any big deal to me. Pots have always lasted several years with me before needing replacing.
It is not a big job to rep!ace one. 30 minutes job,tops.
Paul Franklin and JD Maness still use pot pedals. Does anybody know if John Hughey, Buddy Emmons, Lloyd Green, or other well known players stayed with pot
pedals?