Contents
- 1 Top 10 Best Volume Pedals Reviews
- 1.1 1. Jim Dunlop DVP4 Volume (X) Mini Pedal for Electric Guitars
- 1.2 2. Ernie Ball 500k Stereo Volume/Pan Pedal
- 1.3 3. Dunlop DVP3 Volume (X) Pedal
- 1.4 4. Donner 2 in 1 Vowel Mini Active Wah Volume Effect Guitar Pedal
- 1.5 5. Sonicake Vexpress Passive Volume Expression Guitar Effects Pedal
- 1.6 6. Hotone Vow Press Combo Wah/Volume Guitar Effects Pedal
- 1.7 7. Goodrich 120 Volume Pedal
- 1.8 8. MOOER Free Step Guitar Wah and Volume Pedal
- 1.9 9. MeloAudio EXP-001 Volume Expression Wah Bass Guitar Effects Pedal
- 1.10 10. M-Audio EX-P | Universal Expression Pedal
- 2 Why Use A Volume Pedal?
- 3 What to Look For When Buying A Volume Pedal?
- 4 Frequently Asked Questions
- 5 Final Words
In this modern era, Guitar effect pedals have changed a lot with modern music and guitar. Most of the guitarists start to use volume pedal when they become aware of subtle changes to the signal chain.
Interested in using volume pedal but you have little knowledge about it? Don't be worried. You are in the right place.
In the following part, we have written about volume pedals and will provide you with a list of best volume pedals. So, be with us.
Our Top Picks
Top 10 Best Volume Pedals Reviews
Let's first know about the best volume pedals available in the market. It will assist you in choosing your volume pedals according to your preferences.
1. Jim Dunlop DVP4 Volume (X) Mini Pedal for Electric Guitars
Playing guitar has become one common habit of today's generation. Some people play guitar just because they like it and some people do it as a profession.
Whatever the situation is for playing guitar when one person learns the basic knowledge and starts to upgrade his or her understanding of playing guitar, they come to know the importance of pedal in guitar.
Jim Dunlop DVP4 Volume (X) Mini Pedal is one of the best volume pedals in the market. It is used in electric guitars mainly. This one doesn't come in the signal. You will get extra things with it.
Let's see what is included with it.
- 2 pack Blucoil 10-FT straight instrument cables
- 2 pack Blucoil right-angled pedal patch cables
- 4-Pack of Blucoil Thin Celluloid Guitar Picks
The 10-foot straight instrument cables will interconnect your electric musical instruments to an amplifier's unbalanced input. Also, it has ¼" straight connectors and PVC shields for guitars and amps.
The Blucoil right-angled pedal patch cables will interconnect your effects pedals as well as will ensure efficient and transparent signal transfer.
Special Features
Pros
Cons
All the features of this product is really amazing and the right choice for any musician indeed. It should be your next choice to buy a volume pedal.
2. Ernie Ball 500k Stereo Volume/Pan Pedal
The design of Ernie Ball pedal has been done by guitar players and artisans of Ernie Company, and they did it as teamwork.
As it is designed by guitar players who know exactly what is essential for pedal and artisans used their experience to design this. So, now we guess you know how useful it can be?
The pedal body is made with aluminium extrusion, which increases its strength, uniformity and makes the surface smoother. The clear anodized grain finish ensures its lasting beauty.
Special Features
Pros
Cons
We think for the price it is worthy with all its features. Above all the disadvantages, it is a great one to buy.
3. Dunlop DVP3 Volume (X) Pedal
Smooth volume swelling is one of the most demanding attributes of a volume pedal. Dunlop DVP3 Volume (X) pedal can create smooth volume swells as well as it can control your effect pedal parameters with the DVP3 Volume (X) pedal.
No pedalboard is complete without volume pedal, and this Dunlop DVP3 Volume (X) Pedal is one perfect choice as a volume pedal.
With this product, you will get an available tuner opportunity. For silent tuning onstage this one is just perfect. You will get lots of attractive features in this as well as some advantages are associated with the product.
Special features
Pros
Cons
All the features of this product is fantastic and the right choice for any musician indeed. It should be your next choice to buy a volume pedal. Add it to your cart now.
4. Donner 2 in 1 Vowel Mini Active Wah Volume Effect Guitar Pedal
Now you don't have to take tension about going to play with a heavy pedal that has only volume mode. Now you can plug and start your play. This Donner 2 in 1 vowel mini active Wah Volume effect guitar pedal will allow you to do such.
The new volume or wah 2 in 1 pedal from Donner Company is full of attractive features which makes it convenient for guitarists. It is also an analogue circuit design pedal.
This Donner 2 in 1 vowel mini active wah is durable, sturdy and lightweight which is to carry and also easy to use. Let's know about its unique features now.
It has two functions. In wah mode, the original crybaby response has been used. On the other hand, in volume mode, it has a special active circuit that makes sure to keep every detail of your sound.
Special Features
Pros
Cons
However, this product can satisfy every strict demand of every guitarist. We hope that with this volume pedal you will enjoy your colourful and fun music life.
5. Sonicake Vexpress Passive Volume Expression Guitar Effects Pedal
This small and practical volume pedal is quite famous among guitarists. It has an exact analogue circuit design which combines two functions in one unit (a passive volume and an expression pedal).
If you think a full-size expression pedal is quite heavy for you and also it takes too much space on the pedalboard then this one is perfect for you as it is lightweight as well as small in size. You won't feel heaviness to carry it, and it won't take much of your pedal board's space.
You can use it to attenuate your overall volume but not for boosting and also for controlling parameters in some pedals you can use it
Special Features
Pros
Cons
It can be used as an expression pedal and can be connected with the output jack to the device with a stereo ¼" cable. Buy this without any delay.
6. Hotone Vow Press Combo Wah/Volume Guitar Effects Pedal
A group of people who are avid about music has designed the Hotone vow press combo wah/volume guitar effects pedal. They tried to make this product as one which the music world had always wanted.
This product is a 3 in 1 pedal (Wah, Volume, and Volume/Wah) in a smart, compact size. Wah mode is for all the cry babies, whereas volume mode keeps the tone pristine with an active volume design and with the volume range controls, it also fine-tunes the bottom end. Volume/Wah mode merges volume control vintage wah tone, and with just a straightforward press, they can be changed.
Special Features
Pros
Cons
With this product, you can set the minimum volume level, and for this reason, it works well as rhythm or solo volume type setup. In such a small footprint having a volume and a wah, the function is scarce.
We believe that you will have a great music experience with this product. It will help you to improve your tone, and this company's product is always innovative like this one.
7. Goodrich 120 Volume Pedal
The Goodrich 120 volume pedal is one of the most famous pedals among the professionals. Because of its simplicity and dependability, it became so famous.
For driving two channels or two amps, the Goodrich 120 volume pedal has two outputs. You can use any one output for driving the amp. It is long-lasting as it is made of heavy aluminium and it has a long-lasting potentiometer which gives you more than 1,000 hours of guaranteed service.
Special Features
Pros
Cons
Nevertheless, if we compare its functionality with its price and others' negativity, then the functionality will win because it has great functions and features.
8. MOOER Free Step Guitar Wah and Volume Pedal
Mooer's free step guitar pedal is truly a fantastic one. The free step has three different modes, and those can be changed instantly by using the switch which is placed on the side of the pedal.
If you want the Wah effect, only you can operate it with two different methods. And those can be changed by switch or sensor control system.
In the case of the volume pedal, mooer's free step will behave like any ordinary volume pedal where heel down is minimum volume and toe-down is maximum volume. Between 0%-50% minimum volume can be changed for adjusting use the MIN VOL dial on the side of the pedal.
If you turn on the Wah and Volume mode, the free step will behave like a volume pedal by default. The sensor or switch control is inactive in this mode so that for activation or deactivation the wah mode uses the 2nd method described above the wah mode.
Special Features
Pros
Cons
So, you should purchase this one if it matches your criteria.
9. MeloAudio EXP-001 Volume Expression Wah Bass Guitar Effects Pedal
The MeloAudion EXO-001 volume pedal is one of the great pedals with super cool features. With this one, you can have the most exceptional comfort as its pedal movement is ultra-smooth.
Controlling this pedal is also super easy and efficient. It is available in a small size. So, it can be carried anywhere and can be placed on the effecting mounting plate easily.
It is also light weighted (only 0.37kg). This product is solidly made with lightweight aluminium chassis and aggressive non-slip tread, which makes it sturdy and durable.
Special Features
Pros
Cons
We hope that you will have a great experience with this one.
10. M-Audio EX-P | Universal Expression Pedal
The M-Audio EX-P Universal expression pedal is one great pedal. With this product, you can express yourself fully. Expand or unlock the full creative scope of your controller or keyboard with M-audio's universals EX-P expression pedal.
You will be able to control anything with this pedal. You can manipulate any MIDI-assignable control or parameter in real-time. It can include volume, modulation, panning, filter sweeping and many more.
Special Features
Pros
Cons
But the company is now looking carefully at this matter. They are focusing more on their manufacturing process so that no single products can be defective.
Why Use A Volume Pedal?
The principal purpose of a volume pedal is to attenuate the whole signal chain and allow you to do swells and similar effects.
A volume signal chain will allow you to attenuate the signal anywhere in the whole signal chain. You can put it after the distortion and also you can put a volume pedal behind a delay.
Using a volume pedal will provide you with flexibility in your music, and you can control the volume quickly and more accurately. Generally, the performance of a volume pedal depends on the model of a volume pedal. In reality, the basic volume pedal will also give you the baseline performance.
The importance of using a volume pedal is dependent on person to person. There are some guitarists, and for them, the volume pedal is crucial in their signal chain. On the other hand, some people don't want to use new gears, and they are confused about using it.
So, our suggestion is to use a volume pedal somewhere. It can be your friend's one, or you can try a model at the store, but you should experience a volume model before making any decisions.
What to Look For When Buying A Volume Pedal?
Often potential customers of volume pedal become confused about what they should look for when buying volume pedal. It is because guitarists often decide on buying volume pedal without any details knowledge about it.
So, in the following part for assisting our reader in choosing a perfect product, we are providing a buying guide.
Analogue VS Digital
Until the 1980's all the effects were created based on analogue circuitry. That means they operated directly by modifying a real sound signal. From the 1980s, the digital revolution also affected the world of music. Digital signal processing in pleasing effect has started at that time.
Digital effects convert the instrument's output to a digital bitstream then that is modified by digital circuitry before transforming back to an analogue signal for output.
Digital effects nowadays are so popular. But it is also true that digital effects can sometimes cause losing original sound, and occasionally digital effects sound more processed. For this reason, many musicians avoid digital effects.
However, digital effects can provide versatility and precision. With digital effects, a wide range of parameters can also be controlled.
Pots Or Electro-Optical?
A volume pedal that uses a potentiometer for controlling your guitar's volume is more likely to wear out. When pots get worn out, they start to get scratchy and begin to make some annoying noise.
In contrast, the Electro-Optical doesn't wear out because it doesn't have any moving parts. Rather than an analogue connector the optical circuit of electro-optical uses optical technology for reading the position you have put in the pedal.
Only one brand Morley manufactures an electro-optical circuit, and this one is its biggest disadvantage. Morley is a great brand, and we are recommending it, but the problem is at the time of shopping you won't get much opportunity to shop around.
Stereo Or Mono
This one depends on you. If you want to have the option of plugging up to 2 instruments into your pedal, then you should choose stereo (2 inputs/outputs). If you play with different effects, then the stereo setting is useful for you. Also, by stereo setting, you will get the opportunity to output your signal to more than one amplifier.
Now one question can pop up in your head, and that is despite such benefits why everyone doesn't choose stereo version? There are some reasons. The first one is the price. Most of the stereo versions will cost you more than a mono version.
The second reason is if you want to have an electro-optical circuit, then you can't use the stereo version because Morley only supports the mono version.
So, if you want to spend more money and you are okay to use the pedal with pots then you can go for a stereo version.
Minimum or No Minimum Volume
It depends on you. If you want to make your guitar entirely but not entirely off then choose a pedal with a minimum volume. In a minimum volume pedal you can set as low you want your clutch to set the volume to.
On the other hand, if you choose no minimum, then the low setting on the pedal will always be 0% volume.
Powered or Non-Powered
This decision is depended on whether or not you have an ample supply of 9V batteries. If you choose a guitar volume pedal that requires power, then you must need 9V batteries or 9V power adapter for the plugin.
Remember, most pedal brands have their adapter. So, it is not like that one size will fit in everywhere. For power more pedals together you can also use extensions. You can also have a non-powered pedal that doesn't require a direct power supply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1- What is a volume pedal?
A volume pedal is a pedal that used to vary the volume of a guitar signal and to create wild dynamics.
Q2- Do I need a volume pedal for my guitar?
If you want to have full control over your output then a volume pedal is for your guitar. So, practically the decision of having a volume pedal depends on the user.
Q3- What is the difference between volume pedal and expression pedal?
No physical differences between these two are there, and most of the volume pedals can be used as an expression pedal. A volume pedal has an in or out jacks, and an expression pedal has a single TRS jack.
Q4- What is passive volume control?
A passive volume control is a passive device without any active electronics. So, it does not require any power supply.
Q5- Where do you put the volume pedal for swells?
After the overdrive or distortion section but before the reverb and delay within the signal chains, the volume pedal for swells should be placed.
Q6- What volume pedals should a guitarist have?
We can't give this answer explicitly. For knowing the solution you can read our writing where we have discussed best volume pedals and after reading that you will be able to determine which one should you have.
Final Words
So, in our writing, we tried to enlighten you about the best volume pedals. Along with the list, we also provided a useful buying guide for purchasing a volume pedal.
Sometimes customers become confused about purchasing any products. It is often because they don't know the importance of the product, and they don't have any experience with that product. We have discussed why to use a volume pedal, but our suggestion is before making any decision to try to recognize your need for a volume pedal and try to use somewhere.
We have made the list of the best volume pedals based on thorough market research. So, you can rely on our list—best wishes for your volume pedal purchase as well as for music.
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