Volume pedals are invaluable tools for playing live, but they also offer numerous benefits in the recording process. Other effects pedals indeed have a more transformative impact on your tone, but volume pedals provide you with maximum control over your dynamics when recording. This makes it easier for you to be intentional with the volume of your instrument without having to rely on mixing.

The biggest downside of this pedal for me is its size, and it is one of the main reasons why I have gone with smaller solutions whenever I was putting a pedalboard together. Some users have also complained about a couple of small mounting screws breaking after some time, which could be very inconvenient. Who is this best suited for: Like all Boss pedals, the FV-500H is built to stand the test of time. Its heavy-duty aluminum dies cast chassis, combined with a non-slip rubber pedal, make it a great choice for guitarists who are likely to use their volume pedal very often.The MVP Pedal lets you customise the range of the volume swell, most pedals go from 0 to 100% but the MVP allows you to adjust the bottom range to be 0 to 50% and at the top you can add 20db of Gain so instead of 0 to 100 you could now go 50 to 120% Here's what Ernie Ball say about the MVP Volume Pedal Who is this best suited for: Guitarists who are looking for the best possible way to control the volume of their instrument should strongly consider the MVP by Ernie Ball. It’s a highly versatile pedal that works with all types of electronics.

Build quality: This is important for any piece of gear you buy, but particularly something you’ll use as often as a volume pedal. What mechanism is responsible for adjusting the pedal? Do reviewers say it is prone to breaking? Is it easy to fix? In terms of the pedal’s housing, look for one with metal construction from a brand known for building durable gear. The budget volume pedal recommendation we make in this guide is the only one on our list that is housed in plastic, not metal. Whether or not this is ok for you depends on how hard you are on your gear, how heavy your foot is, how frequently you gig, etc.The BOSS FV-30H Compact Volume pedal aims to improve on the BOSS FV-500’s excessively large enclosure, and it does this successfully. While I wouldn’t call it a “mini pedal” like the previously shown DOD and Dunlop models, it has a decent size that won’t overcrowd a pedalboard. It also feels very sturdy, as is usual with BOSS pedals in general. In any case, it comes with a 5-year warranty. From past experience, I’ve found that a common issue with volume pedals is the high-end frequency loss that can occur, but I was pleased to discover that Ernie Ball has ensured that this is not the case with the MVP. It is compatible with both passive and active electronics, which is an added bonus. My Review: I’ve long been an admirer of how Sonicake’s range of affordable effects pedals has earned them the trust of guitarists, bassists, and keyboardists across all genres and styles. My findings showed me that the VolWah is an exceptional volume pedal, and I was particularly impressed by its compactly-sized and ability to withstand the rigors of being a touring musician. We particularly like the viewpoint of the following user, who expressed frustration at spending money on Boss and Ernie Ball pedals, only to have them eventually malfunction: The EXP-1 works best when it is paired with the Mustang II, IV, and V amplifiers, or on the Mustang Floor multi-effects unit. If you own one of these devices, in my opinion, there’s no better volume pedal on the market for controlling them.

No. But they have a range of uses. And there are a number of interesting ways you can integrate them into your rig. Where do you put the volume pedal for swells? Who is this best suited for: If you want to combine a volume pedal with an expression of controlling external effects, the Line 5 EX1 is a worthy choice. Thanks to its durable construction, it is also well suited to touring musicians. Volume pedals often get grouped together with expression pedals. Simply put, an expression pedal is a variable pedal manipulated with the foot that changes some aspect of a guitar’s sound. This includes wah and volume pedals in addition to auxiliary pedals used in conjunction with an effects unit like a delay, vibrato, or a multi-effects unit like the Zoom G5n. Just keep in mind that when someone says “expression pedal” they will generally mean the latter type that is used with a pedal or multi-effects unit, as both volume and wah pedals are generally referred to as a volume pedal or a wah pedal for clarity’s sake. I was also really impressed with the volume mode, which comes with a Q control to tailor the settings of your levels, and the LED indicators clearly signify which mode I had selected. If you are already familiar with Ernie Ball volume pedals, then you will feel at home using this one, and if you’re not, it doesn’t take long to get used to it either. To engage the tuner, you have to bring your volume to 0 (heel-down position). When you are increasing or decreasing your volume, there is also a graphic readout that shows you how loud you are instantly. Double tapping the touch screen gives you access to alternative configurations such as an “always on” mode for the tuner.Thankfully, using a pedal with dual outputs provides the perfect solution. When the bassist turns on their effects, it plays through a second amplifier while their original, clean low-end still drives their overall tone, and there is no loss of power caused by the process. Passive vs. Active Volume Pedals Alternatively, positioning the volume pedal in the middle of your signal chain will allow you to keep your output more consistent. A popular method is to place the volume pedal just after your distortion, overdrive or fuzz, and before any reverbs or delays. This ensures that the amount of drive is kept consistent, and when you use the volume pedal to raise your dynamics, you can control how much is fed into your reverbs and delays. My Review: Upon analysis, I found the affordable, easy to use, and versatile EX-P by M-Audio to be a great volume and expression pedal. I was instantly drawn to the standout quality of the pedal, which is its compatibility with MIDI. I already knew that M-Audio is renowned for its brilliant line of MIDI controllers, and was pleased to find that they have used this expertise to design a compatible pedal. It comes with a 3-year warranty, but its solid steel construction and gear drive should ensure that it endures everything you throw at it for a very long time. It comes with non-slip rubber pads, but you can remove them if you prefer to velcro it to your board. Next, you have compressors, limiters, and EQ pedals, which are subsequently followed by gain-based effects such as distortion, overdrive, or fuzz. After you’ve added your dirt, then comes modulation-based pedals. These include octave or pitch-shifter pedals, phasers, chorus, flangers, and tremolo, and so on. After modulation, you finish off the signal chain with delays and reverbs, and then send the signal out into the amplifier.