Ernie Ball MVP Most Valuable Pedal

Product Information

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. We factored in build quality, additional features and connectivity options to ensure the list caters to all types of guitarists. My Review: When I think of Boss pedals, the first quality that springs to mind is durability. Their comprehensive range of stompbox effects is, in my experience, amongst the most solidly built on the market. I’d go as far as to say that attribute is one of the most important qualities when discussing volume pedals. My Review: Although Fender is best known for their extensive range of high-end instruments and amplifiers, I think one of the best-kept secrets in the industry is that they also produce a selection of respectable pedals. The EXP-1 is their flagship volume and expression pedal, so I was particularly eager to test it out. It depends on how you want to integrate it with your other effects. Many players prefer to use them at the beginning for the most apparent control of volume.

My Review: Moog is a legendary manufacturer of synthesizers and electronic music devices, so it was no surprise for me to discover that they also produce a unique, innovative volume pedal. One of the things that instantly sold me on the EP-3 is its durability – it’s built like a tank and afforded me with the option of either controlling my whole dynamic output or dedicating the pedal to a specific parameter on another effect. The Ernie Ball MVP is buffered, which makes it very versatile but also means you'll need to power it. Dedicated tuner output, min volume control, and a gain knob are amongst the stand-out features. The string assembly is a weak point, but nevertheless this is a versatile and affordable volume pedal. If instead of wanting to hear my delay repetitions and reverb trails when I have the pedal in the heel-down position, I want to have a master volume that I can control with my foot, then I will place the pedal at the very end of my signal chain. Doing this gives me total freedom and control over what is coming out of my amp, including noise from any other pedals in my signal chain.Active volume pedals are seen as the better option, particularly for musicians who require a g When making the selections for this list, a few things were considered. Not just any boring old volume pedal will do. The Lehle Mono Volume Pedal is one of the most premium options you can currently find. If you’re a professional player who uses a volume pedal extensively at the studio and on the stage, you should try one of these out. The entire design and the way it controls your volume are quite different from the other pedals in the market. The 500k Stereo Volume/Pan Pedal has a 500k ohm resistance suitable for the audio path of passive or active instruments. Attached to the footplate is a switch that provides the user two operating modes (volume or pan). Use the A input / A output for the left channel and the B input / B output for the right channel for stereo signals.

In the past, I’ve found that creating swells using a volume pedal is a great way to generate ambient textures within a song. Ernie Ball VP Jr is great for this purpose. It has a solidly built pivot shaft that is made from stainless steel and precisely secured using nylon bushings. This solid mechanism is joined by stainless steel springs for ultimate durability. If you don’t care about being able to set a minimum volume setting and are looking for a lighter and more compact volume pedal without spending an arm and a leg, you should strongly consider the Ernie Ball VP Jr. If you find you’re being affected by the “tone loss” issues, it’s quite easy and inexpensive to get the appropriate mod to fix the problem. With pro users such as Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, Steve Morse, and Kevin Shields, you’ll be in good company by having the VP Jr. on your pedalboard. One of the scenarios that I believe the VP Jr is most useful, is when creating textural swells to add ambient sounds to your output. The pedal has evolved from the popular VP series, and Ernie Ball has managed to condense all of the best features of previous models into a smaller housing for added convenience.So, which should you get? If you’re certain of your pedal placement and have room for a large volume pedal, we say go with the Boss. Likewise go with the Boss if you want to use your volume pedal as an expression pedal. Otherwise if you want the versatility and are able to provide power for an extra pedal, opt for the Ernie Ball MVP. Guitar volume pedals have always been a bit of an outlier in the effects world. They’re not fancy or flashy. 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.

The biggest downside of this pedal is its price, but if you consider that you are getting two in the same enclosure, it is actually a fair deal. The “H” in FV-30H stands for “high-impedance” since this model is meant to be used with electric guitars or basses, while the FV-30L features low impedance meant to be used with keyboards and other instruments.

Other Volume Pedals You Should Check Out as Alternatives to the Ernie Ball VP Jr

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 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.

In this Ernie Ball VP Jr Volume Pedal Review, I will guide you through all the main features of this pedal, as well as look into a few alternatives that could adapt to your needs better than the Ernie Ball. Bear in mind that this review focuses on the 250K version. There is a 25k version that is more suitable to be used with line-level signals such as the ones found on keyboards. The 250K version is meant to be used with instrument-level signals, such as the ones from guitars. 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. With an onboard polarity switch, what sold me on the EX-P is that it can work with any MIDI controller, instrument, or separate effects pedal, regardless of voltage differences. I found it simple to assign the pedal to any parameter on a MIDI controller, and use it to adjust the modulation, panning, filter sweep, or of course, the volume level. Who is this best suited for: If you require the maximum control over the volume of your instrument, then I’d highly recommend the Lehle Mono Volume Pedal. It has been designed using sophisticated inner mechanisms that combine to create a perfect blend of smooth operation, precise control, and noise elimination.

If you choose to use a direct input rather than an amplifier, your tone is likely to be cleaner, and consequently easier to mix. The quality of the interface, mixer, or preamp that you send your output into will also impact the overall tone that is captured. One advantage of this method is that if you decide that you would rather use an amplifier after recording directly into an interface, you can simply re-amp the signal. The first and "most valuable" is the MVP Pedal that features a minimum volume control that allows for the heel position to be set at zero up to 50% for any rhythm level. Gain control allows for the toe position to be set at 100% up to a boosted 20+ decibels of gain for powerful lead levels. This guitar pedal works with both active and passive audio signals. It can be powered by a 9V battery or 100mA minimum power supply (not included.) 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. One of the main things to be aware of when looking for a volume pedal is that there are two distinctive types: passive and active. These categories refer to the electronic circuitry of the volume pedal, which subsequently has a significant impact on their performance and whether they are suitable for your requirements. Who is this best suited for: Thanks to its durable built and miniature sizing, the Boss FV30H is the perfect choice for guitarists who have a small setup of pedals. As you’d expect with a Boss pedal, it boasts exemplary robustness and the ability to withstand heavy usage.