Variable boost pedal / "active" volume pedal

el-guapo

Hi all,

I am constantly frustrated about solo boost: it seems I would need an arsenal of boost pedals set for different levels (and possibly some in the loop) to get what I want across all sounds. For example, I will often find that I just want the tiiiiniest boost on a clean or light OD sound, but need a huge amount of boost on a more overdriven/distorted sound. Also, depending on what the rest of my band is playing, the boost I use happily with one sound in one song is just not enough/too much in another song.

Volume pedal, I hear you cry. Control it with your vol knob on your guitar, you say. But I HATE the idea and reality of dropping my volume/input gain and the tone sucking that goes with it.

What I want is a boost pedal circuit built into a variable/treadle pedal like a volume pedal. So heel down would be unity gain, and then I could add as much boost as I need on the fly, always dropping back to a full-gain input sound.

Are there any problems with this concept? Are there any products around that already do it? Otherwise I'm just thinking I need to (get someone to ?) drop the guts of a boost pedal into a volume pedal, wire up the boost pot to the treadle pot, cut out the on/off switch (the boost circuit would be on permanently) and make provision for power.

Thoughts/comments/suggestions/insults?

Simon.

AlanRatcliffe

No need to boost if your amp still has more gain - turning up the volume on the amp and bringing it down when you don't need it are just as effective as boosting when you need a volume kick. "Tone suck" will only happen with a high impedance volume pedal at the beginning of the chain. A low impedance volume doesn't lose any treble.

A treble bleed mod to your guitar's volume (or to a Hi-Z volume pedal) will help with the treble loss. Then it's just a case of learning how to use your amp/drives/volumes together so they work. Chances are good that if a particular pedal makes you disappear in the mix, that the tonal balance is wrong - try playing with the tone controls. Too much drive can also help mask your guitar sound, so experiment with a bit less.

el-guapo

Thanks Alan: I was rather hoping it would be you who replied!

So am I correct in saying that a Hi-Z volume pedal can effectively be used as a master volume? In the loop?

Norman86

radom idea.. get a boost pedal made with an expression pedal input!

AlanRatcliffe

el guapo wrote: So am I correct in saying that a Hi-Z volume pedal can effectively be used as a master volume? In the loop?

Low-Z. You only use a high Z if it's first in the chain, directly after the guitar.

el-guapo

Right. Whoops :-[