Building Pedalboard for MFC-101...Should I get EV-1 Vol/Expression Pedals?

JRodriguez78

JRodriguez78

Member
I'm new to the forum, so apologies if there have been a bunch of posts on this already (I couldn't find any). I'm building a pedalboard to go with my MFC-101, and I'm trying to find the best volume/expression pedal for me. For those of you that have an Ev-1 or have used an EV-1, what is your take? Does the EV-1 meet your needs? How is the EV-1 better than a Mission Engineering or BOSS pedals that I see many Axe FX users using? I'm looking to get 2 pedals, one for volume and one for wah/whammy.

Thoughts on the EV-1?
 
I use two EV-1 pedals and one Mission EP1 controller. The EV-1 pedals are amazing, smooth, and beautifully engineered. They're ideal for fine control over volume and modulation. The Mission pedal is dedicated to wah / whammy and other "quick-movement" control. It has the same action as a standard wah, and really performs nicely for that. If you're thinking of going with two controllers as you described, I'd recommend the EV-1 for volume and a Mission for the other.

By the way, before I bought the EV-1 pedals, I used three Mission controllers. I've always felt the Missions weren't ideal for volume or other fine control. When I retooled my pedalboard, I kept one because it *is* ideal for wah.
 
I'm very happy with my Mission pedals. Replacement parts are easy/quick to get and install.
I bought a used one and felt the pot inside could stand to be replaced. A web order and three days later it arrived.
I do wish they were a bit lighter, but I suspect I will give up durability and longevity. They are built like tanks.
I often play small gigs and audience members often have "accidents" and step all over my stuff.
Also, check out the sizes, I think the EV-1 is a bit larger. This may be great for those that fill big shoes.
 
JRodriguez78 said:
I'm looking to get 2 pedals, one for volume and one for wah/whammy.
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I have heard that the EV-1's a very nice mostly from Mark Day [who might be biased] ;) . But think of it this way, they're designed precisely for the MFC interaction so I would imagine they're perfect.

I had to buy mine prior to the EV-1's that came out and found the Jim Dunlop DVP3's to be a great fit for me. I have 2 of them and they work flawlessly, would love to get the EV-1's someday.
 
The EV-1 controller is quite a bit larger than the Mission controller. Here's a shot of my pedalboard, showing the size difference between the pedals.

board.jpg
 
Sleestak said:
I use two EV-1 pedals and one Mission EP1 controller. The EV-1 pedals are amazing, smooth, and beautifully engineered. They're ideal for fine control over volume and modulation. The Mission pedal is dedicated to wah / whammy and other "quick-movement" control. It has the same action as a standard wah, and really performs nicely for that. If you're thinking of going with two controllers as you described, I'd recommend the EV-1 for volume and a Mission for the other.

By the way, before I bought the EV-1 pedals, I used three Mission controllers. I've always felt the Missions weren't ideal for volume or other fine control. When I retooled my pedalboard, I kept one because it *is* ideal for wah.
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Just curious…why do you use two EV-1 pedals? How do you use each of the EV-1s if the Mission pedal is for wah/whammy?
 
Nice! Who did your pedalboard? That's another thing I'm working on…getting a custom pedalboard made, but first I have to figure out exactly how much room I will need.
 
JRodriguez78 said:
Just curious…why do you use two EV-1 pedals? How do you use each of the EV-1s if the Mission pedal is for wah/whammy?
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The leftmost EV-1 is a dedicated volume pedal. The one on the right is for blending / modulation control, such as delay level, reverb level, drive, crossfading between dual amps, etc. I use the Mission for wah, whammy, and leslie speed.
 
JRodriguez78 said:
Nice! Who did your pedalboard? That's another thing I'm working on…getting a custom pedalboard made, but first I have to figure out exactly how much room I will need.
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I built it myself. I've done so much on-the-road maintenance (re-lining, re-riveting, replacing hardware) on cases over the years that I've toured, that feel comfortable building my own cases when I need something that isn't standard. It's usually faster / cheaper for me to have a case manufacturer build flight cases, but for my pedalboard I wanted it to be exactly the size I needed and no more. My board is 31" wide, which was what I needed for the MFC-101 and the three expression pedals I use. The flight case is built to pretty standard ATA spec.

You can find plenty of options on eBay for pedalboard / flight case combos; I'd recommend getting one that is 3/8" rather than 1/4" plywood. It'll hold up better and for a case of this size won't be unmanageably heavy.
 
Sleestak said:
I built it myself. I've done so much on-the-road maintenance (re-lining, re-riveting, replacing hardware) on cases over the years that I've toured, that feel comfortable building my own cases when I need something that isn't standard. It's usually faster / cheaper for me to have a case manufacturer build flight cases, but for my pedalboard I wanted it to be exactly the size I needed and no more. My board is 31" wide, which was what I needed for the MFC-101 and the three expression pedals I use. The flight case is built to pretty standard ATA spec.

You can find plenty of options on eBay for pedalboard / flight case combos; I'd recommend getting one that is 3/8" rather than 1/4" plywood. It'll hold up better and for a case of this size won't be unmanageably heavy.
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Thanks, Sleestak! I like your set-up, but I might want something just a little wider for a couple of other smaller pedals. I might try to go the DIY route like you did. Let me know if you have any other lessons learned that I should consider before diving into that.
 
Jakobscortum said:
Sleestak I can see you have TAP and TUNE on the same IA. How do you do that?
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Sorry for not replying sooner! This is actually standard behavior for the TAP assignment as an IA. If you hold down the button for a few seconds, it'll switch to tuner mode.
 
Nice board. I am trying to build me one as well. But I am researching now. How do YOU keep all those items from sliding around and also the try is it connected to case and what is under tray?

board.jpg
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I could never understand the point in these bulky, heavy and expensive expression pedals. It's just a potentiometer in a box.

So I personally use Roland EV-5 pedals - they are smaller, very lightweight and cheap. And they last for years. Why wouldn't they? And you could buy a dozen for backup for the price of one of these "high end" things.

Now, I don't want to discourage you from buying the EV-1s. After all, lots of people obviously care for expensive expression pedals, so there must be something in them. I couldn't tell a difference. So maybe you won't either? Just try EV-5s out, maybe you'll be happy with them, too.

Just saying.
 
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