Can you enable a drive and keep it ON with an expression pedal?

sick pickle

sick pickle

Inspired
Following Leon's tutorials, I have my ext. pedal set to med Spd and 95% off value. However I want to also enable a Tube screamer/Drive block when I move the pedal, have it stay ON the entire time im sweeping and then shut off in tandem with the Wah. when it turns off automatically. Is this possible? I can get the drive to engage, but it turns off and on as I sweep. I assume the secret is in the engage/bypass dials?
 
Use the 'Auto-Engage' just like you are using for the Wah. If you don't need any Drive parameter to change but still want have it Auto-Engage just like the Wah, Attach the same expression Pedal to any Drive parameter not used, Min and Max to the same value that you want it to stay on. Then turn on 'Auto-Engage', set it to Med Speed and 95% off value. It should turn on and off at the same time as your Wah.
 
Moke said:
Use the 'Auto-Engage' just like you are using for the Wah. If you don't need any Drive parameter to change but still want have it Auto-Engage just like the Wah, Attach the same expression Pedal to any Drive parameter not used, Min and Max to the same value that you want it to stay on. Then turn on 'Auto-Engage', set it to Med Speed and 95% off value. It should turn on and off at the same time as your Wah.
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I just tried it - same settings as wah. and the drive turns off and on with the sweep - so this is not working :(
 
Don't assign the pedal to the bypass parameter of the drive block. That will override the auto engage behavior. Use a different parameter in the drive block and set the MIN and MAX values the same like Moke said. Then auto engage will work just like it does for the Wah block.
 
Rex said:
Reread @Moke's post. Not the same settings. ;)


Wasn't that your stated goal?
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No. I don’t want the. Drive to turn off and on with each up and down of the wah. Just have it on when I move the pedal and then turn off when I am done Wah”ing.
 
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peepeepoopoo said:
No. I don’t want the. Drive to turn off and on with each up and down of the wah. Just have it on when I move the pedal and then turn off when I am doing Wah”ing.
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Help me understand. When you’re doing the wah-ing, aren’t you moving the pedal?
 
peepeepoopoo said:
No. I don’t want the. Drive to turn off and on with each up and down of the wah. Just have it on when I move the pedal and then turn off when I am doing Wah”ing.
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Based on @Moke comment, I attached a preset (for convenience) where I assigned an expression pedal related modifier (in my case external 1) to the "Mix"-parameter. Take a look there, I think this may help :)

(Maybe you'll need to change the auto-engage parameters to match your wah-block, this was just a test-shot)
 

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  • driver auto engage.syx
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Rex said:
Help me understand. When you’re doing the wah-ing, aren’t you moving the pedal?
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Yes, moving the pedal in a traditional wah sense. However, the drive block will turn off because of the engage/bypass params get validated in the pedal sweep, so it stays on but at the top or bottom of the pedal sweep, it will turn off.
 
That's why you also need auto-engage on a random parameter of your drive - this results in the same behavior as the wah :)
 
moerker said:
That's why you also need auto-engage on a random parameter of your drive - this results in the same behavior as the wah :)
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I tried it this morning. I just tried with the drive parameter, but that didn't work because the drive then moved up and down with the wah, which is what I don't want. I am missing something obvious here!
 
peepeepoopoo said:
I tried it this morning. I just tried with the drive parameter, but that didn't work because the drive then moved up and down with the wah, which is what I don't want. I am missing something obvious here!
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Here is what you are missing: any Drive parameter not used, Min and Max to the same value that you want it to stay on
 
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I'd go against what others have said here. If you want the drive to be engaged whenever the pedal is not in the heel position, assign a modifier to the BYPASS switch in the Drive block and set the controls as follows:

(You can fine-tune the START position by adjusting START or MID, but I don't know of any way it can be steeper than what's shown here.)

1663942930999.png
 
Admin M@ said:
I'd go against what others have said here. If you want the drive to be engaged whenever the pedal is not in the heel position, assign a modifier to the BYPASS switch in the Drive block and set the controls as follows:

(You can fine-tune the START position by adjusting START or MID, but I don't know of any way it can be steeper than what's shown here.)

View attachment 108851
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Thanks I will give it a try. I am on the FM9. Basically, I have my Wah set to auto engage whenever I move the expression pedal. I want the drive to also engage at the same time, stay on as I Wah my way through a solo, and turn OFF with the wah when it comes to a stop!
 
My technique is NOT based on "coming to a stop". As you can see by the shape of the graph above, it is based on the POSITION of the pedal. In the Heel, the drive will be BYPASSED. In any other pedal position, the drive will be ENGAGED.

Oh, another thing: if you want a little bit of "grace time" before it turns off, turn up the DAMPING:RELEASE time as desired.
 
I'd recommend the auto-engage approach described above by Moke. That will ensure both blocks always engage and bypass at the exact same time.

Try a modifier on the drive's "balance" parameter, with min/max both at 0 (center). That will leave the actual "drive" parameter free to be adjusted normally.
 
Bakerman said:
I'd recommend the auto-engage approach described above by Moke. That will ensure both blocks always engage and bypass at the exact same time.

Try a modifier on the drive's "balance" parameter, with min/max both at 0 (center). That will leave the actual "drive" parameter free to be adjusted normally.
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Admin M@ said:
Oh, another thing: if you want a little bit of "grace time" before it turns off, turn up the DAMPING:RELEASE time as desired.
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I'd recommend you combine these two ideas. That way, they both engage at the same time, but let's say you want to go heel down on the Wah for a few notes (or toe down, however you have it set). Turning up the Damping Release Adjusting the Auto-Engage setting (slow/medium/fast) will keep the Drive turned On during that moment so it doesn't cut out.
 
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jefferski said:
I'd recommend you combine these two ideas. That way, they both engage at the same time, but let's say you want to go heel down on the Wah for a few notes (or toe down, however you have it set). Turning up the Damping Release will keep the Drive turned On during that moment so it doesn't cut out.
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Auto-Engage has settings for that. I prefer 'Med-Pos' if using the stock 'heal off' option. I also prefer having the Off Value set to 95% (toe off) so that I can play around, or park it in the lower ranges without it turning off. I very seldom park it at the high ranges. And it closer resembles the toe switch activation of a traditional Wah.
 
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