That Pedal Show – Where do you put your volume pedal?

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In this episode, Daniel and Mick explore the humble volume pedal and where you can put it in your pedal signal chain. Dan also explains the difference between active and passive volume pedals.

There are three basic positions for your volume pedal...

• At the very end of your signal chain for an overall master volume, meaning that delay and reverb trails are also muted when you turn it down

• In between your drive effects and modulation/delay/reverb, to act as a master volume for the full drive sounds, but maintain the trails/decay of your ’verbs and delays

• Before your drive pedals so that the volume pedal varies the amount of gain (and volume) created by the drive pedal

Dan and Mick explain and demonstrate each of the three approaches to help you decide what will work best for you. The volume pedal is an active type by Morley, but that doesn't really matter – use whatever you like.

Dan is playing his Gibson Custom Shop R8 Les Paul. Mick is playing his Fender American Vintage ’62 Stratocaster. The amps are a Marshall JTM45 (modded and reboxed) and a Lazy J J 20. Both amps are on all the time, and we do our best to offend all singers!

Switching is handled effortlessly as always by TheGigRig G2, enabling you to position the volume pedal pretty much wherever you like in the signal chain, without having to physically move it. Neat, huh?

[lockalmomentorock]

Love the Way you keep going through the years

[justinjuk]

Thanks! I placed mine first in the chain and realized that the compressor after the volume pedal reduced the ability to swell. The pedal was either all or nothing. Will put it just before the amp input, and let all the modulation stuff happen in the loop afterwards. Great demo, fellows!

[gnawbabygnaw]

Very helpful, young fellas. All the best trying to make a show about pedals. And stuffs. 😊🤙🤙

[alexmason]

Easily my favourite tones I've heard from you guys so far. The combination of those two amps is incredible. Cheers!

[majorwheelock]

This is great! I like the volume pedal at the end so I can run the guitar at 10 (wide open tone) and lower the volume of sound when I am in smaller rooms.

[TheRayfield]

Good video. I'm watching it several years later. But I essentially use my knobs on my les paul to adjust all my input into everything at the start of the sound path. So I think I'd like to use a volume pedal at the end to adjust straight volume. That way I could get a heavy sound, with less volume when I want it. Or have a clean sound with pumped up volume for a solo when I want it. Now I just need to figure out which one I should get...

[mikeroadblock]

"Problem solved." You guys are so awesome and informative. Please keep up all the good work! Thank you for doing these!!!

[Mighell]

Can't wait for the dual amps video!!! Your videos are amazing, they give so much inspiration and knowledge. You're great!!!

[AMHbrothers]

Dope and informative video! I put my vp in the middle, to get those nice swells.

[TheMichaelseymour]

love how kid like they get over guitar and sound guys are great ambassadors for the sheer joy of gtr

[jean-alainleborgne]

9 years later ! 😅 A very convincing demonstration, which I discovered after many setbacks with other models. But nowadays, this active model is very hard to find in mini format.
In the end, placing the Morley in its rig between the saturation and spatialization pedals seems the best option. But it's better to have an active model, isn't it?

[davidhunter]

Great video Daniel, will leave my volume pedal in the middle where it already I can afford a G2 that is, but by then it will probably be a G4!! :-)

[dostacos]

So basically what you're saying is we should run 3 volume pedals on our boards? Alright, I'll do it!

[drguitar]

Very useful info and love how much fun you guys have making these videos. Thanks!

[rexyrock]

Hey Guys, Thanks for all the great info! I have a mini Blackstar fly that I rigged up, and the tone is the best I ever heard in my life! From any rig. I put a little tube Pre-Amp on it 12au7 I think. Vintage Mullard tube...since I lost volume ( from the pre, or the OD pedal, or both together? not even sure). I added a mini Mosky Vol pedal to the mini "Trouble" Overdrive pedal I chained in...I'm just learning how to manipulate amp tones...I think I got really lucky here! lol. It's now pretty loud, and too loud to play it with ought  bugging people near me. I got a tiny "passive" attenuator for this rig. If I heard you correctly...I should chain the Att. box after my Overdrive & Vol Pedal effects?  As I'm thinking do I now have 2-volume devices kind of? The Blackstar Fly has no EFX loop in/out per se. I guess I could go in to the 1/8" "line in/mp3" too? maybe? Just put a 1'4" adapter blah blah, but that gets to be too much rigging if I can just chain it after the EFX pedals. Could you PLEASE tell me the best way to rig up this little attenuator for what I have going on here? I'm actually going to mic this rig when I record, and even play out! The tone is that amazing...I play heavy stuff. Thanks a million! Rock!

[davidr]

Old school That Pedal Show. Almost makes me sad how fast the time has gone by.

[IbervilleMusic]

I put mine after my drive section and before my delays/reverb and trem. I use it as a master volume for my gain section.

[lucagregori]

thank you guys! I have only one doubt: if I have a passive pickups I should buy a high resistance pedal and I can put everywhere?

[darylm.stephens]

Great vid thank you for sharing this knowledge!

[marcelosilveira.guitar]

Btw Angry Charlie is a BEAST.
Back to the topic... it's probably a stupid question but if I have my volume pedal after signal chain but I also have delay, reverb, etc in LOOP, would I get that reverb and delay trails?