Expression Pedals - to switch or not to switch??

nater

nater

Experienced
I've only used traditional wah pedals with the switch under the pedal. I'm very used to this. I'm in the market for a new expression pedal. How many of you have been using the auto-engage type pedals (ala Mission EP1 with spring load)? How difficult was it to get used to this type of auto-engage? I like the fact that is only uses one pedal input (vs. the switch kind which would use 2). But, I'm concerned that it might be tricky to get used to. Any thoughts, experiences, concerns with this approach? I will mostly use it for wah, and sometimes for a pitch whammy thing... who knows what else... I will use a different pedal for a straight volume control.
 
Controller state setting

I am in the process of doing this myself, having used the Morley Big Horsie wah for a while. Since going to the Axe Fx, I didn't like the tap-dance of "step on a switch, go to wah pedal, step on switch to turn off" I was doing with my Ultra. I have since found out it never had to be like that. Another case of "should have read the manual better" for me. I am reading more and more as time goes by...

Perhaps some of our folks can provide a better step by step on it, as I am still in the process of setting mine up. But the manual explains that you can set your pedal range of travel to operate as, essentially, an on-off sensor like in the Morley. So, lets say I set my controller so all the way off (heel down) is "off" in the Axe Fx. Then I can make the controller setting so 10 or 15% of travel changes the state to on. You can also set how long it has to be in the "on" range for this to take effect (in miliseconds). Set this way, with the pedal heel down, it is off. As soon as you step on it and rock it forward, it's on. Back to heel down, off again. I normally stay in the wah "sweet spot," so losing the bottom 10% of pedal travel is moot.

Someone chime in if I am missing the boat, but this is how I read the manual to explain it. I will be putting it to the test within the week. If all goes as expected, I will be back to a "step on, step off" (more or less) switching for my wah, which I think it what Nater is going for. This will solve a real pain in the butt issue for me.
 
Engage should be instant once you cross the "on" threshold. (On the standard/Ultra it's 15% beyond the off value.) You can use the full pedal range while an effect is on, just can't stay in the off zone too long if you want the effect to remain on. Autoengage setting (slow/med/fast) determines how long it will take to disengage once the pedal is in the off zone.
 
I just use the auto engage function so for the way for instance nothing happens until i touch it. The only issue I have with this method is that I use a Mission pedal for that and as it became kind of "loose" (i.e. it can me moved with a very light touch, even by it's own weight) and i did not find a way to tighten it up, sometimes the way will auto engage
 
Rick said:
I am in the process of doing this myself, having used the Morley Big Horsie wah for a while.
Click to expand...

I had used a Bad Horsie for a long time before the Axe and once the spring-loaded option for the EP1 was available, I hopped on that bandwagon right away. Instantly replaced the SP1 I was using...never looked back.
 
i use a spring to keep mine up in the heel down position (off) with medium autoengage speed, and i can do basically all my wah stuff i need, just have to take a slight bit of caution to not stay heel down for too long....
i NEVER used my old dunlop wahs due to having to step on it to engage....now i have a wah in every preset i make since it's so easy to just engage at will. I just turned my wah into expression pedal, added a spring for better autoengage (mainly to insure it stayed off), and have a great wah expression pedal now.
 
pdelanghe said:
I just use the auto engage function so for the way for instance nothing happens until i touch it. The only issue I have with this method is that I use a Mission pedal for that and as it became kind of "loose" (i.e. it can me moved with a very light touch, even by it's own weight) and i did not find a way to tighten it up, sometimes the way will auto engage
Click to expand...

You can buy a spring and add it yourself, might void any warranty that mission has, i don't know. But not too hard a process and only costs a few dollars. Probably took me 10 minutes to add the spring to my basic crybaby enclosure i'd converted to an expression pedal.
 
Thanks for the replies... I was referring to a switch based pedal like the SP-1, which has a built in switch just like a standard wah (not using a separate switch on the MFC per say). I just want to make sure there weren't any unseen issues that people have experienced with auto-engage. The pedal getting loose is a good point, and if you hold it down in the heel position too long, it could go off, but I assume once you start moving it again, it kicks back in. And, I think the tension spring Mission is offering now seems to be a good way to keep the pedal tight.
 
My problem with the auto-engage has been a thump at onset because you are beginning at the bottom of the sweep. With the toe on switch, you are obviously beginning the wah at the top end of the range.

I wish there was a way to do auto-engage and have it turn on at the half way point and continue to work without it turning itself off midsweep.

I recently purchased the SP-1 upgrade, just have not had the opportunity to set it up yet.
 
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