Cheap Expression Pedal

[Winston Psmith]

One of my EV-5's died a while back, and I really didn't want to spend $70+ on a replacement, or go looking for a good used one at a better price.

 

I'd been looking at some cheap - really cheap - alternatives, and saw this among them - Pro Line Expression Pedal.

 

Generally, I try to avoid cheap generic switches, power supplies, etc., but sometimes, "close enough for Rock'n'Roll" applies to gear choices, too. I'd seen some decent reviews online, enough to be confident it was worth trying, and several of the reviewers mentioned using it in place of a Roland EV-5. FWIW, a lot of pedal makers use the EV-5 as an in-house test model for Expression control. For $27, I figured I'd go ahead and risk it.

 

So far, so good; it works with my old Boss GT-3, which is a useful test, because I can watch the parameter change in the GT-3's display, while listening to it. I got a nice smooth transition from 0 to 100, with it acting as a Volume Pedal.

 

I'll run a series of A/B tests later today with a bunch of other toys that I usually control with my EV-5's, see how it compares. If it works well with all of them, we have a cheap EV-5 alternative.

 

Fair warning: While the Pro-Line is supposed to be "Compatible with any keyboard or controller equipped with an expression, volume or assignable pedal input" (quoted from the box), I'm not entirely sure about that claim. The Line 6 EX-1 has a TS (mono) plug, not the TRS (stereo) plug seen on most Expression Pedals, so I'm not sure the Pro-Line is compatible with Line 6 FX. Another possible pitfall is that some users have run into issues using the Moog EP-3 with non-Moog gear, and also using non-Moog Expression Pedals with Moog gear, even though the EP-3 appears to have a standard TRS cable? In that case, it may be that CV specs of the EP-3 are slightly different from the specs on the EV-5; something for me to look into.

 

Until later . . .

[Dannyalcatraz]

Congrats on the new toy!

 

 

Tangential question here: while I have a goodly number of stompboxes that could use one, I have never owned an expression pedal. What should I look for? (Features, brands, etc.)

[Mighty Motif Max]

...Another possible pitfall is that some users have run into issues using the Moog EP-3 with non-Moog gear, and also using non-Moog Expression Pedals with Moog gear, even though the EP-3 appears to have a standard TRS cable? In that case, it may be that CV specs of the EP-3 are slightly different from the specs on the EV-5; something for me to look into.

 

Until later . . .

 

I use an EP-3 with Roland and Kurzweil gear (and Yamaha with the polarity switch flipped) with no issues, but I should try hooking it up to my M13 one of these days when I'm back home.

[Winston Psmith]

@Dannyalcatraz - A lot of boutique pedal makers keep a few Roland EV-5's and M-Audio EX-P's around, to use with their EXP-ready pedals. The folks at Malekko give good marks to both.

 

The EV-5 is pretty much an industry standard, but at right around $72, it gets expensive quickly, if you need more than one or two. However, I've used EV-5's with gear from Boss, Roland, Digitech, Vox, Pigtronix, and they've all worked, with no issues. They fit very nicely under my Size 12's, and I've never had one break, although they eventually wear out. I have 4 of them in active use, even now - the Pro Line PXP1 is to replace a 5th one - and give them a strong recommendation based on my many years of personal experience; I just didn't want to cough up $72 plus tax this time around.

 

FWIW, the M Audio EX-P is only $29, but I never see them at my FLMS, nor at my nearest GC?

 

In terms of features, there aren't many. Most of them, including the EV-5, are plastic, and almost all of them have an attached, or included, TRS (stereo) cable, although the Line 6 EX-1 has a short TS (mono) cable.

 

You want a comfortable "throw," in terms of the Up & Down movement of the pedal itself; a longer pedal will probably feel better than a shorter pedal in that regard. A Minimum Range knob on the side is a nice feature when working with compact pedals, so you're not always going from 0 to 100; most Digital devices, like an M13, should allow you to set the Minimum and Maximum Range within the Patch Parameters.

 

Some, like the Pro Line PXP1 ($24), the M-Audio EX-P ($29), and the Moog EP-3 ($49), have a Polarity Switch, to make them compatible with different devices; the EV-5 does not. FWIW, the Pro Line came set to position "1," which worked with my Boss gear, and which I expect will be compatible with any pedal or device that accepts the EV-5.

 

Boss, Dunlop and Ernie Ball all make Volume Pedals that double as Expression Pedals. If you don't already have a Volume Pedal, it's a very useful tool, independent of its use as an Expression Pedal. However, the double-function Volume+Expression Pedals are even more expensive than a simple dedicated Volume or Expression Pedal, around $120-125 apiece. You could have a small stack of cheap Expression Pedals for that money.

 

You may see some discussion online, or even within your device's manual, regarding Linear vs. Logarithmic pedal response: by and large, you can expect that most Expression Pedals have Logarithmic Response.

 

A few of them run on battery power, which I prefer to avoid; it's too easy to forget that you left your Expression Pedal plugged in overnight, and burn up batteries. Anyone who remembers the bad old days, before pedals had AC adapters, will understand. I don't have any Expression Pedals, nor Volume Pedals, that run on batteries.

 

Of course, if the Manual for your specific device, or if the company website recommends a particular Expression Pedal, take their word for it.

 

Not-quite-final-word on the subject: Treat your Expression Pedal gently. It's a Voltage Controller, not an Accelerator Pedal. IME, they're not as sturdy as an all-metal Crybaby or Vox Wah-Wah, and while I've never broken one, I'm sure it can be done.

 

@Mighty Motif Max - Thank you, that's good to know. I find the design of the EP-3 a little strange, with that raised, angled body, but at $49, it's a more affordable alternative to the EV-5.

 

I have an EP-3 that I use with my Mini-MF Ring Mod and my Big Briar (Moog) 12-Stage Phaser, but I haven't tried it with other gear. I can't recall which other brands of gear that users were reporting issues with, although I do recall that some of them felt the supplied TRS cable was part of the problem. I'll try it with some of my other gear, see how that goes.

 

As to the M13, I'm not sure if using the EP-3's TRS cable would make much of a difference or not, but I have noticed that my Line 6 EX-1 has a short TS cable. I've used the EX-1 with both my DL4 Delay Modeler and a Line 6 M5, and gotten very good results.

[Dannyalcatraz]

Thanks for the info!

 

Re: price.

 

I have so many pedals that can use expression pedals that even if I bought CHEAP ones, I"d rack up a hefty bill. Now, I realize I don"t really need to do that- I"d only 'need' as many EPs as I had pedals on a board that could use one. Nonetheless, I"d aim for quality over quantity, even though it could add up quickly. I"m not hard on my stuff, and I"d rather opt for something dependable.

[Winston Psmith]

Thanks for the info!

 

Re: price.

 

I have so many pedals that can use expression pedals that even if I bought CHEAP ones, I"d rack up a hefty bill. Now, I realize I don"t really need to do that- I"d only 'need' as many EPs as I had pedals on a board that could use one. Nonetheless, I"d aim for quality over quantity, even though it could add up quickly. I"m not hard on my stuff, and I"d rather opt for something dependable.

 

I'm generally good to my toys, and that one EV-5 has probably been with me for somewhere around 20+ years, since I got my Lexicon Vortex, so that's high marks for dependability. At least one of my other EV-5's is that old, or nearly so, as I got it to go with my GR-1. OTOH, I don't think they cost $72, 20+ years ago? Maybe adjusted for inflation, or some such excuse.

 

I'm at the point where I need to economize on peripherals like switches and control pedals, so while I don't want to sacrifice quality, I'm willing to take a chance on something affordable. If it works out, that's great, I can always get more, if not, I'll be very glad I didn't dive in and buy three or four of them right away.

 

Two things to bear in mind, in terms of pedalboard space: First up, the footprint of the average Expression Pedal is longer and wider than your average compact pedal, so even one or two can use up a lot of pedalboard real estate, very quickly.

 

Next up, in that regard, the EV-5 has a nice, space-saving Right-Angle plug, while the M-Audio, Pro Line, and Moog do not. That makes a BIG difference, if you're assembling a pedalboard. While my double-wide Digital Delays (Vox, Line 6 & Pigtronix) have their EXP In jacks on top of the box, my Malekko pedals have their EXP In jacks on the right-hand side. A straight plug going into a side jack on a compact pedal uses up as much space as another compact pedal.

[Winston Psmith]

Quick follow-up - I've tried it with several different pedals and devices where I would usually use an EV-5, and it functioned just like an EV-5, in every instance. I'll probably pick up another one soon.

[Dannyalcatraz]

So would you consider it a reasonable substitute 'for the price', or a straight-up reasonable substitute?

[Winston Psmith]

So would you consider it a reasonable substitute 'for the price', or a straight-up reasonable substitute?

 

Fair question, I'll try to answer fairly.

 

When I hear "for the price" as a qualifier, it generally means, "but . . ."; in this case, I'm not sure that's fair, nor true.

 

Side by side, they're both mostly plastic, both have attached 6-foot TRS cables, and both have side-mounted Minimum knobs. The EV-5 has a Right Angle plug, the PXP1 has a Straight plug. The PXP1 has a Polarity Switch (Position 1 is the EV-5 setting), the EV-5 does not: IMHO, the Polarity Switch gives the PXP1 a slight advantage here, but I don't have any gear that uses the reverse setting, so I can neither test it, nor give it a fair review on that score.

 

The EV-5 has a slightly stiffer response than the PXP1; it's more noticeable when you try them by hand, rather than underfoot. The "throw" on both pedals is close enough not to matter. No real winner nor loser here. If I had a bad case of "lead-foot," I might opt for one one of the more expensive combo Volume/Expression Pedals, with a metal chassis, rather than any plastic Exp. Pedal.

 

The EV-5 is slightly wider, the PXP1 slightly longer, but in either case the difference is 3/8 of an inch. Your call . . .

 

The EV-5 is available just about anywhere, whether online, at GC, maybe even your FLMS; the PXP1 seems to only be available at GC/Musician's Friend, Walmart(?) and Amazon, of course.

 

Price rounded up to the next dollar: The EV-5 is $72, the PXP1 is $24.

 

So far, I'd say it's a straight-up reasonable substitute for an EV-5, plus it has the added feature of a Polarity Switch. I hesitate to give it a blanket 5-Star recommendation, because YEMV, as always.

 

Having said that, the PXP1 does everything I've asked of it, for 1/3 the price of a new EV-5. If you've been wanting to experiment with an Exp. Pedal as a Controller, and your device works with an EV-5, it might be worth your while to get a PXP1, to start with, and save the other $48 for something else fun, or go nuts and get 3 PXP1's for all your toys.

 

I've tested it with devices that gave me graphic confirmation that the pedal not only worked, but worked within the parameters I'd set up within different patches, in different devices, from different makers. No glitches, no hiccups, no need to adjust nor compensate for the new pedal, just plug and play. I can't really ask more of it, right out of the box.

 

I don't have anything that runs on a reversed polarity, although I recall from working in Music retail that Yamaha Damper Pedals, and Volume/Exp. Pedals for their Keyboards often had a reversed polarity from other, generic Controller pedals.

 

The only open question is longevity & durability, which only time and use will answer. For now, I'm satisfied enough that I would probably get another one soon.