GC Mission engineering expression pedal works backward....

[jaminjimlp]

I was able to make it work in the adjustment of the particular effect I wanted to control but I had to make it opposite where by default it seems to want to be heel down 100% toe down zero%... The bad part about this is that every time I want to use it for something I will have to change that it seems like there must be a way to make it by default already know which direction I would like it to be by default.

[stevekc]

Seems to be a common anomaly with Helix and third party expression pedals all work 'backwards'

 

 

Boss Expression Pedal works backwards

http://line6.com/support/topic/16104-boss-expression-pedal-works-backwards/

[BigRalphN]

I think I'm going to try to just model the preamp and send the output of the Helix into the FX return on the amp. I think this will give me the majority of the sound I practice with during the week.

 

Now, I'm wondering if what I'm doing at home is appropriate. I have the Helix sending over L/R XLR out to my power amp which powers a left and right speaker. This is pretty old equipment so I can't say for sure if it is FRFR or not. I've tried using the pre-amp only blocks and it sounds pretty good...maybe better than the amp/cab. I really need to understand when to use preamp/amp+cab/amp-cab. Any good rules out there?

I have the Mission Engineering LP1 I ordered with the Helix. It works fantastic (got it from Sweetwater) but it has a Line 6 logo on it so it had better. Mission Engineering makes it them for a number of companies like Kemper and others. Some at wired reverse. I also have a cheap M Audio I used with my Nova System and it works fine. I think it all depends on what the pedal was made for. Mission engineering are about the best. I have seen the same issue with keyboard damper pedals. When we got the new Korg at church the Yamaha Damper works backwards. Luckily we could reverse the polarity in the keyboard setups.

 

Come to think of it the M Audio has switchable polarities so that's not a good example. Lol

[jaminjimlp]

I have the Mission Engineering LP1 I ordered with the Helix. It works fantastic (got it from Sweetwater) but it has a Line 6 logo on it so it had better. Mission Engineering makes it them for a number of companies like Kemper and others. Some at wired reverse. I also have a cheap M Audio I used with my Nova System and it works fine. I think it all depends on what the pedal was made for. Mission engineering are about the best. I have seen the same issue with keyboard damper pedals. When we got the new Korg at church the Yamaha Damper works backwards. Luckily we could reverse the polarity in the keyboard setups.

 

Come to think of it the M Audio has switchable polarities so that's not a good example. Lol

Yeah I could take it apart and rewire it my self but I will wait for the warranty to expire first, they had a used one from MI with the Line 6 logo but it would have cost almost the same amount with shipping and the new one was free shipping and it had the off limit control as well

[JC-Tonequest]

Any of you having any issues with the onboard Helix expression pedal not going to 100% toe position on certain presets? I have one preset where it works fine and a couple others where it will only go to 98%. This is on a pitch whammy block. The weird thing is I even copied the block from the preset that works.

[BigRalphN]

Yeah I could take it apart and rewire it my self but I will wait for the warranty to expire first, they had a used one from MI with the Line 6 logo but it would have cost almost the same amount with shipping and the new one was free shipping and it had the off limit control as well

Forgive me if this is dumb but I have never looked at expression pedal circuits. Could you just simply wire a patch cable backwards and solve it or is it more in the circuit?

[jaminjimlp]

Forgive me if this is dumb but I have never looked at expression pedal circuits. Could you just simply wire a patch cable backwards and solve it or is it more in the circuit?

 

Yes absolutely that's a brilliant idea I didn't think of doing that I thought of taking apart the pedal but yes you're absolutely right you just have to find the right combination of wiring because really the expression pedal is basically just a volume pot or a potentiometer.

 

Well I should start taking orders now anyone wants one I'll pick up a TRS cable cut it in half and add some female ends too it in the right combination of wiring

[theKennyG]

Seems to be a common anomaly with Helix and third party expression pedals all work 'backwards'

 

 

Boss Expression Pedal works backwards

http://line6.com/support/topic/16104-boss-expression-pedal-works-backwards/

 

I know this has already been answered but I'm having zero issues with using my Ernie Ball VP Jr. as an expression. 

[stevekc]

FWIW - here is the Roland EV-5 that works with a TRS cable to my XTLive, HD500X, Firehawk

 

10K Linear POT

 

[stevekc]

 

 

I know this has already been answered but I'm having zero issues with using my Ernie Ball VP Jr. as an expression. 

 

Just know the  Ernie Ball VP Jr. uses a log taper Pot. so the usable control range will be crowded to one end of the treadle sweep

 

I have the same pedal and swapping the internal 25k Audio taper with a 10K Linear taper 

 

Honeywell/Clariostat 380C110K 10k ohm linear pot. High quality heavy duty construction.

 

http://www.onlinecomponents.com/honeywell-380c110k.html?p=44002872

[theKennyG]

Just know the  Ernie Ball VP Jr. uses a log taper Pot. so the usable control range will be crowded to one end of the treadle sweep

 

I have the same pedal and swapping the internal 25k Audio taper with a 10K Linear taper 

 

Honeywell/Clariostat 380C110K 10k ohm linear pot. High quality heavy duty construction.

 

http://www.onlinecomponents.com/honeywell-380c110k.html?p=44002872

 

 

The vol block on the Helix has an option for linear vs. logarithmic curve. I have mine set to the latter. I didn't notice any "crowding" last night when I was playing with it. I'll have to check again though.

[stevekc]

 

 

The vol block on the Helix has an option for linear vs. logarithmic curve. I have mine set to the latter. I didn't notice any "crowding" last night when I was playing with it. I'll have to check again though.

Good to know

 

I prefer to mod mine to 10K Linear pots to comply with typical Roland EV-5 specifications, since I'm often swapping my expression pedals between several different makes / models DSP processor types in my studio, and EV-5 is the most common type that works with all my gear..

[jaminjimlp]

FWIW - here is the Roland EV-5 that works with a TRS cable to my XTLive, HD500X, Firehawk

 

10K Linear POT

 

thanks for this I had not had a chance to look this up and I can see simply swap the tip and ring and it will do the trick...

 

 as for linear vs. logarithmic curve I found that the fist one (default ) it just comes on at a certain point but the second one is smooth from silence to full on

[jaminjimlp]

From:

http://missionengineering.com/

 Wiring.
Most potentiometers have three connectors; Clockwise, Counter-clockwise, and Wiper. Amazingly, there are multiple different ways these can be wired, all achieving largely the same result, which means yet more variations for expression pedals. The most common expression pedal wiring is to connect the pot to a 1/4″ stereo (TRS) instrument jack as follows:

CW —— Sleeve
Wiper — Tip
CCW —– Ring

An alternative is with the tip and the ring reversed as follows:

CW —— Sleeve
Wiper — Ring
CCW —– Tip

Yet a third way is as follows:

CW —— Sleeve
Wiper — Tip
CCW —– Tip

 

In this last one, the wiper and CCW are bonded together and connected to the tip and the ring is unused. This requires the use of a mono (TS) cable such as a regular guitar cable, in place of the stereo (TRS) cable used in the other two. These three are the most common that we see in expression pedals, but we keep finding more. Sometimes a dual gang potentiometer is wired in parallel to create a single pot with half the resistance. For example you may see a dual 20K Ohm potentiometer bridged into a single 10K. In this case the pedal will function the same as if it were a native 10K Ohm single pot.

.....................................

 

OK so now we know we can do this:

 

The third way is the Line 6 way. (after some google searches I found this out)

 

This also alleviated the backwards operation problem and the 0 - 100 - 0 problem...

 

which means after the conversion you don't need to use TRS cables anymore you can use TS cables. Also now with either the 12k ohm pot in the one and the 10k ohm pot in the other I get full 0% to 100% on the Helix control.

here is what I did to make mine compatible so there would be no need for re configuring. the Potenteiometer on this 1 is 10k

Here is before

here is after... so just moving 1 wire (the green/ring) and put it together with the (red/Tip) and the (black/sleeve) stays the same.

also I jumped out the back on the side pot that is for changing the "throw" of it to disable it and not doing it made it have issues when you adjusted it it would not go back to full throw. (If that makes any scents to you)

My other one

here is after... so just moving 1 wire (the green/ring) and put it together with the (red/Tip) and the (black/sleeve) stays the same.

 

this model had a duel 24k pot and I soldered each connection 1,2 and 3 to 1,2 and 3 (you see it better in the picture above) making it a single 12k pot

 

This can be done with a soldering iron with no extra solder. just heat up the green wire pull it off and put it on with the red and heat it up to connect it.