Digital Volume control retrofit for pot pedals

Anthony Sims · From: Cleveland, TN, USA

I had a wild thought & wondered if you guys know if it has been done.

Does anyone make a volume "pot" that is digital that could be powered by a 9V battery or something.

I like my goodrich, but Im tired of the tone suck from a pot.

Thanks for your help!!

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Nope, sorry.

Anthony Sims · From: Cleveland, TN, USA

OK.. are there any decent options for a good volume pedal without having to spend as much as a Hilton or powered Goodrich?

Im using a Goodrich 120 right now.. but I really hate the tone suck

Any ideas?

Benton Allen · From: Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA

I guess I'm an ignorant hillbilly down here in Alabama, but I just don't get this "Tone Suck" thing.
I have used the Hilton pedal, and it is a nice pedal. If anything the Hilton seems a bit "sterile" as volume is increased. This is probably because there are absolutely no tonal changes taking place. I have an Emmons pot pedal, a Goodrich 120 pot pedal, an original Fender volume/tone pot pedal, and 2 Sho-Bud pot pedals. All of these pedal sound great! I have used these pedals or pedals like them for over 30 years without any problems. Ok, once every few years I have to change out a scratchy pot. Now all of a sudden we start getting all this "Tone Suck" talk. I've compared these pedals side by side with the Hilton, and there is not much, if any difference in the performance of the two types. I just don't get it.
Ok, my rant is over.
Cheers!
Benton

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

Anthony, I have built an experimental pedal with a digital pot shortly after I graduated from the electronics university 2 years ago. With a digital pot, you must have a clock, and you must have a way to control it. I controled the one I built with a micro-control interface. I built one with 100 steps and another one with 256 steps. There is one great advantage to using a micro-controller, and digital pot, you can program what you want the pot to do on your computer. By program, I mean set your own taper, off point and even signal strength. All these micro-controllers have what is called a compiler, which is like a flow chart on your computer. The one I used was in Basic Language. My infra red system is analog control of the volume, and in most ways it is better than digital control. I am always working on new electronics and I may come out with a battery powered unit next year. The sound will be the same, but the control will be different than digital and different than infra red. It is a new way of doing it, and I will probably apply for another patent. If it wasn't for Thomas Edison we would all be watching T.V. in the dark.

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

There are several suggestions to deal with tone suck this recent thread: http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=138439

If you have a reasonably recent Peavey pedal steel amp like a Nashville 112, 1000, or 400, or even back to a Session 500, then the 3-cord hookup ought to help. It's described there, and links given to Peavey's explanation.

Another option is to use a buffer pedal, as mentioned there. Any basic preamp that will cleanly handle the pickup's input and has an input impedance of 1 MegOhm or higher should work. No need to reinvent the wheel here.

Anthony Sims · From: Cleveland, TN, USA

I should say. I dont play steel.

I play modern country. I place my volume pedal at the end of my effects chain between the effects & the amp.

The "tone" changes as the volume pedal is increased,, getting brighter & brighter as the volume goes up. I dont like that.

I tried out a Hilton & the tone stayed the same no matter what position the pedal was in.

I LIKE THAT.

Maybe its different for steelers?...but this was my experience

Benton Allen · From: Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA

Jerry Erickson · From: Atlanta,IL 61723

On guitars, some companies use a capacitor/resistor across the input and output of the volume control, a treble bleed circuit. When you turn down the volume of the guitar, the tone stays the same. On single coil guitars a .001uf cap/100K resistor is used and humbuckers usually use a 560 pf cap with a 300K resistor. Some people like to just use the cap with no resistor. Maybe you could try this on your volume pedal. Here are a couple of links. One talks about the treble bleed circuit, the other is a review that talks about adding the circuit to a volume pedal.

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/potm.htm

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Effects/product/Ernie+Ball/6166+Volume+Pedal/10/1

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