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What expression pedals do you guys use with the Helix?


Rocco_Crocco
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I use a Mission Engineering EP1-L6. There isn't much to not like about this pedal other than price, and if you plan on using it for volume control, just don't. The throw is too short for that. Great for everything else and built like a mini-tank.

 

Never had any other pedals, so can't compare.

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I use the Mission SP-1 L6 Helix pedal for my wah, and use an Ernie Ball Volume pedal for (wait for it) volume. I have gotten used to the Mission pedal for wah because of the switch, and because my wah adjustments allow me to keep the wah on and at "heel down" the wah is turned off.

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I use a Mission Engineering EP1-L6. if you plan on using it for volume control, just don't. The throw is too short for that. Great for everything else and built like a mini-tank.

 

 

I use the Mission SP-1 L6 Helix pedal for my wah, and use an Ernie Ball Volume pedal for (wait for it) volume. I have gotten used to the Mission pedal for wah because of the switch, and because my wah adjustments allow me to keep the wah on and at "heel down" the wah is turned off.

 

I just had an 'ah hah!' moment there sitting at work reading this thread! I was working on incorporating the Mission exp pedal with some Helix patches yesterday, and ready a different thread where Spikey detailed his wah settings to do the 'heel down wah off'. Some of my patches have exp 1 as the wah or volume by default, others it's exp 2; but anyway, I set up the Mission exp as the volume and the Helix exp as the wah. Used that setting and works great!

 

Now I just need to reverse the exp assignments so the Mission exp 2 is the wah, and the Helix exp 1 is volume.

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Just my opinion, but I think that some of these expression pedals are ridiculously expensive when you consider what they actually do – sweep a potentiometer back and forth!

 

Yeah, right!

 

For a really inexpensive and functional solution, may I suggest the simple M-Audio EX-P.

 

They have an integral 1/4" cable and also a built-in polarity switch, so they work with just about anything, keyboards, whatever - just plug in.

 

Mine works a treat as EXP 2, plus you can buy half a dozen of these for less than the price of one Mission unit.

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I'm certainly with you on the cost of most of these things being absurd, but 25% of the Amazon reviews on the EX-P give it one star for the mechanical linkage between the pedal and the ppot breaking pretty quickly. I suppose you could carry a spare or two.

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I use the mission exp pedal designed specifically for the Helix. Works well enough, although I think I may need to adjust the physical sweeping motion, maybe not.

 

I also have a moog exp pedal, but honestly I didn't like it cause it was a little too tall to use under my studio desk without having my knee be up against my Keyboard trey in my studio.  It also doesn't feel quite as smooth as the Mission EXP pedal designed for the Helix does.

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I'm certainly with you on the cost of most of these things being absurd, but 25% of the Amazon reviews on the EX-P give it one star for the mechanical linkage between the pedal and the ppot breaking pretty quickly. I suppose you could carry a spare or two.

 

Yep – and 50% were happy shoppers. You pay your money and take your chance.

 

As for spares – well, at these prices, you could get through 'em like a box of Kleenex!  :)

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I've used...

Mission Line 6 pedal and didn't like it (but that's just me, most people love it and it works great).

Old Korg EXP2 and it works pretty well, but it plastic-ey.

Zoom pedal with custom TRS to TS cables that I made (I. LOVE. THIS PEDAL.)

Ernie Ball VP Jr. (best EXP with Helix imho, don't remember which one it is...)

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Pete if you find out what pedal that vp Jr. Is I would like to know. How is the sweep? Looking to use as exp 2 volume and on board as wah.

Its the one that says 25K ohm on the input plate.

 

 

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EB6181?adpos=1o1&creative=55644138841&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KEQjw9b6-BRCq7YP34tvW_uUBEiQAkK3svfH-ybJrZXlbrLSNgViXM6R4GQCzxSD8J1djiPz8mxwaAoNc8P8HAQ

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I've got a Mission for the Helix, and two other Misssions for my hybrid H9/analog rig. I'm still getting used to the shorter Mission sweep after 3 months. I appreciate the smaller space of the mission pedals. My prior EB VP Jr.s started acting up, and I can't stand unpredictability, so I prefer the idea of adjusting my preference for the longer EB sweep for the purpotadely better Mission reliability.

 

Only time will tell though!

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I just got the Ernie Ball VP Jr and set it up as my wah using Spikey's method of heel down/wah off. It works spectacularly. Thanks for the tip, Spikey!

 

Are you doing the TRS to double TS hook up for it? Was curious about how it's done with the Helix.

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  • 3 months later...

Hello all,

I just crossed over from AxefxII. Love my Helix so far!

 

Can someone tell me exactly how they setup their Ernie Ball Vp jr as a wah please? From what I've read we DONT use TRS cables with the Helix....? Also, I've mounted a switch in my EB vpjr to turn the wah on and off, so I guess what I'd like is to have the switch be the on/off in exp3 and have the wah go to exp2. Does this sound about right?

 

I would just use the Mounted expression pedal but I'm left footed. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Thx!

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Hello all,

I just crossed over from AxefxII. Love my Helix so far!

 

Can someone tell me exactly how they setup their Ernie Ball Vp jr as a wah please? From what I've read we DONT use TRS cables with the Helix....? Also, I've mounted a switch in my EB vpjr to turn the wah on and off, so I guess what I'd like is to have the switch be the on/off in exp3 and have the wah go to exp2. Does this sound about right?

 

I would just use the Mounted expression pedal but I'm left footed. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Thx!

 

 

If you can put the VP back to factory specs without the switch, you can use the new feature where all the way at 0 is off and the way auto-activates.

 

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Yes, same sort of question here too. Is somebody using a zoom fp02 pedal with the Helix? Can't find info if this one works with the Helix? I just do'n want to invest too much in an extra pedal i'll use mostly to control delay, and some other fx params. The zoom looks nice and are quite cheap?!

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Yes, same sort of question here too. Is somebody using a zoom fp02 pedal with the Helix? Can't find info if this one works with the Helix? I just do'n want to invest too much in an extra pedal i'll use mostly to control delay, and some other fx params. The zoom looks nice and are quite cheap?!

 

 

I have two of the metal ones if you mean this one. http://www.zzounds.com/item--ZOMFP02M?siid=122303

 

It's TRS. There are two ways it works. One, simply use a TS plug and change the polarity in globals, but then it doesn't work "full travel" but takes you to full about half way up (for the record, I like this). The other way is to create a custom TS to TRS cable where the "R" on the pedal end connects to the "S" on the Helix end. That works perfectly.

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I have two of the metal ones if you mean this one. http://www.zzounds.com/item--ZOMFP02M?siid=122303

 

It's TRS. There are two ways it works. One, simply use a TS plug and change the polarity in globals, but then it doesn't work "full travel" but takes you to full about half way up (for the record, I like this). The other way is to create a custom TS to TRS cable where the "R" on the pedal end connects to the "S" on the Helix end. That works perfectly.

 

 

That's exactly the pedal i'm interested in! Thank you Peter for your response. I will order it next week, I do think just a TS will do fine for me too ;-) 

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Has anyone tried the Roland EV5? I have one of their vol pedals with the same design and it has been very reliable for years, so I'd be pretty confident about it not breaking down.

 

I wonder if there is a simple mod I could do on the Roland vol pedal to make it an exp pedal?

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If you can put the VP back to factory specs without the switch, you can use the new feature where all the way at 0 is off and the way auto-activates.

 

I guess I wasn't clear.

I want a switch to activate my wah on/off, and use the Ernie Ball VpJr as the wah. So far I've been able to utilize my Vp as the wah, I just haven't been able to use the switch I installed in the pedal to turn the wah block on and off.

 

I have the EB pedal plugged into Exp2, works fine for wah. Overall a playable and usable wah. No where near as intricate as the AxefxII but it'll do. Now, I need my switch plugged into Exp3 to turn the wah on and off. I got it to recognize the switch and it does turn it on for a split second, then back off again.

 

Any ideas?

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I guess I wasn't clear.

I want a switch to activate my wah on/off, and use the Ernie Ball VpJr as the wah. So far I've been able to utilize my Vp as the wah, I just haven't been able to use the switch I installed in the pedal to turn the wah block on and off.

 

I have the EB pedal plugged into Exp2, works fine for wah. Overall a playable and usable wah. No where near as intricate as the AxefxII but it'll do. Now, I need my switch plugged into Exp3 to turn the wah on and off. I got it to recognize the switch and it does turn it on for a split second, then back off again.

 

Any ideas?

 

 

How does the switch connect to Helix though? How does Helix know it's there?

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