The Steel Guitar Forum

Has anyone tried this yet?

www.ehx.com/products/volume-pedal

There was another thread on it, B0b, just a bit ago. If you double-foot, it looks like it'll shut off on ya.
It looks a solution in search of a problem.

The Pan Pedal version also acts as a stereo volume pedal. www.ehx.com/products/pan-pedal/instructions

I know that having jacks on the left side is a nuisance, but these "no moving parts" pedals are fascinating.

If I take my foot off my volume pedal, it stays in that position until I put my foot back on it.

These pedals look like they will default to full on if you remove your foot.

Input on the right side, two outs on the left. Output and direct out, probaly for a tuner...

For 87 bucks, somebody might just have to buy one... it doesn't look like it would be at all hard to weigh down the front to set the default position to "on." The shag carpeting in the den may be a problem. If it works off some kind of pendulum, kicking it might result in some serious sound effects?

I'm interested in the sound quality. People like Goodrich and Hilton have put a lot of effort into getting excellent sound through their pedals. The problems with this design for pedal steel are obvious, but it might work well for some people if it sounds good.

It's also available as a wah pedal - that could be interesting.

If the WHOLE pedal rocks to change the volume, I'd think that it would constantly flex the input and output cords causing them to fail prematurely.


Greg

Been curious about this one too, but not for steel guitar. Everything EH product I've ever encountered has been great quality. This one is fascinating, but haven't tried one yet.

Just back from GC where I was going to take the hit and get one (the ONLY reason I will do bizniz with them is the opportunity to try & return). They had none in store and weren't certain there was such a thing. Did I want fries with that?
But I am one visit closer to figuring out that tricky section of Stairway.

I share the skepticism of the pedal's capability of holding position with the foot off. That would be a deal breaker, I think.
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I've used pedals that don't hold their position. It's not a deal breaker for anyone who keeps their foot on the pedal all of the time. Plus the price is well below what you'd pay for a Hilton or Goodrich.

Volume Pedal With No Moving Parts

If no moving parts, how does it
work, is it 'pressure sensative'?

Purely psychological, Russ. Just one person in the audience who doesn't believe and the whole effect fails.

Seriously, it works by accelerometer. Senses inertial variation. Or such is my understanding.
There is a company that makes a wah wah that is activated by a ring you wear on your finger that senses movement. Of questionable practicality for steel playing but a fascinating idea.
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apparently these EHX pedals are pretty tough too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIU8-SREedA

I received one a pedal from this series for xmas. It's the "pan" pedal instead of the "volume" pedal. The pan pedal does everything the volume pedal does and a lot more at the same price. It can pan one instrument between two amps, mix between two instruments into one amp, and be used as a mono or stereo volume pedal. The only the thing the volume pedal does that the pan pedal doesn't is allow the bypass volume to be set. The pan pedal bypass is full volume.

I gave it a work out yesterday and I think it's great. It doesn't seem to change the tone, or at least it wasn't dramatic enough for me to notice. It feel comfortable under the foot when sitting. I didn't like it so much on thick carpet, despite recalibrating it for that surface. It tended to walk away from me after a lot of use. It worked much better on my hardwood floors. On a hard surface, the rubber grip on the bottom will keep it in one place without a problem. I was able to push against it hard enough to move my chair back. The pedal didn't budge.

It's also smaller than most volume pedals. It's a great travel pedal and as the video posted above demonstrates, it's build very solid.

I've been working with accelerometers lately for my other job. I designed the hardware for a multi-channel vibration sensing product that puts its data up on the could for easy remote access.
Just when it occurred to me an accelerometer would make a good contact pickup I read someone had put one on the market. Now this.
Can someone tell me how you calibrate the pedal?
I'm surprised it needs it frankly. Accelerometers can sense the orientation of gravity.

Jim Pitman wrote: Can someone tell me how you calibrate the pedal?
I'm surprised it needs it frankly. Accelerometers can sense the orientation of gravity.

There's a little calibration button on the side. You lay the pedal flat (toe down position) and press the button. The logo starts to blink red. While blinking, you pull it back to heel-down position and press the button again. From what I can tell, you could use it to shorten or lengthen the sweep if you needed to. Maybe if your playing surface isn't level or if it's convex/concave. Maybe the extra 1/4" push in both toe and heel position you can get in a heavily padded room means you can adjust the range to be longer?

I imagine the input jacks on the left side wouldn't be a problem for guitars with only 3 or 4 pedals.

I just picked up one of the EHX volume pedals. So far I am very impressed. No problem with the output jack getting in the way with my D10's. Very very clean and elegant concept and design. The feel of the pedal is different then other pedals. You just rock it freely with your foot. No resistance. It is sensitive and accurate. It will take some getting used to. The calibration and bypass features are simple and practical.

I'll bring out to some gigs and see how it goes.

I have 2 volume pedals. one was made by a small company here when the Sho-Bud shop opened in London...sadly no longer there. The other is an old ZB volume pedal...that has one input and two outputs. They both work on a ratchett system, so I can adjust the pedal so that when it is in the off position it still gives me a little volume, it's how I like it. I just didn't like the idea of a piece of string on the pot. The pots have been in there for years with no problem...if I occasionally get some pot noise, a little spray of switch cleaner cures it for a few more years. no way am I going to pay hundreds for a volume pedal.

Micky "scars" Byrne U.K.

So does it change position if you take your foot off?

Brian,
There is nothing to hold the pedal in place so it falls back to its flat position when you take your foot off. You can set the bypass to whatever level you want though. Its not the same as a regular volume pedal in that way. Pretty weird feeling.

Maybe I am getting old and having trouble understanding but if I normally like my pedal to stay in the midway position when I remove my foot which is where I have normal volume level set then I am not going to want this pedal, right? Because this sounds like it goes back to toe down position which is where I only go to if I need extra volume.

Micky, these sell for under $90!


Greg

...and there's no pot.