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Pros:
- Affordable
- Knows what to do
- Easy to operate
- Quite small
Cons:
- Volume swells are not really smooth
- Does not have 100% pristine sound
Since expression pedals aren’t that versatile themselves, many of us choose to splurge for the units that have certain combinations. Traditional expression pedals can be distant treats that we look at from far away but never actually risk purchasing. For that reason, we give ourselves more freedom when they are combined with other effects. That way we can justify our purchase and live happily ever after. No matter how tight your budget is – an expression pedal can help you out in so many different scenarios that it truly deserves a chance. Plus, there are some affordable options out there that won’t affect your financial stability and still provide you with the possibility to see if such a stompbox works for you. Sounds nice, ha? This is especially true if we are talking about the hybrids that are basically 2-in-1 deals and make everything even cheaper for us. And who would produce an affordable pedal that also combines volume and expression pedal if not Valeton? They have always been renowned with the attitude that is tailored to making your life easier and reducing your expenses (yeah, sure). If you want to consider this pedal as one of the possible purchases, then read this article carefully so that you have an idea how everything works here. Let’s begin our journey into the world of hybrid pedals!
Features
Even though expression pedals are really hard to equip with bells and whistles, Valeton found a way to diversify this effect with simple addition. EP-2 offers volume and expression functionalities in a single body, making it easier to take full control over your sound. This means that you can transform your guitar volume knob into a pedal on one hand, and do the same thing with any control on the other. Sounds brilliant, doesn’t it? It is important to mention that EP-2 is a passive device that doesn’t require any external power in order to operate. It relies on potentiometers that will wear out after a while, but I don’t see that happening any time soon. This way you can forget about those adapters, just plug this one in and start jamming. More importantly, this bad boy can automatically detect the output source and switch to either volume or expression correspondingly. When utilizing the former, you should connect both inputs and outputs, but with the latter you must keep input-free and output connections. That is what will guarantee automatic detection and cause the pedal to respond accordingly. This fella doesn’t care what instrument you play or what kind of units you have in your rig. It is compatible with a number of devices so you can stay assured that it can easily find friends in your setup. EP-2 has orange enclosure that is made out of hard plastic. Though it probably won’t withstand the abuse of gigging musicians, it will last you for a really long time in your bedroom. Speaking of the practice, this baby will probably work better with rehearsals, rather than the actual gigs. So we can just say that it is a wonderful tool that will save you a lot of money and won’t require fiddling around too much.
Controls
If you have played with an expression pedal before, you will probably already know that they are not the most control-laden units out there. Since EP-2 follows traditional patterns, it doesn’t have any additional switches that would give you full charge of your sound. Rather, it has a taper that lets you roll various parameters up and down with your foot. In that sense, it enhances the control effects pedals give you and makes their utilization even more flexible and convenient. EP-2 doesn’t have the smoothest taper in the world, but it still transitions gradually between different settings. It will enable you to tame any beast out there and control it with precision and accuracy.
Valeton EP2 Sound
Valeton EP-2 has defined tonal characteristics. It won’t color your tone when it passes through this unit, even though its sound isn’t 100% clean. You won’t notice any volume drop or tonal suction either, which is amazing, especially if you are picky with your performance. Since its taper isn’t as smooth as some might desire, it can be a bit difficult to create seamless volume swells. But it is nothing too crazy to worry about. Since it is compatible with a number of units, you can easily place it in front of anything you want and still get awesome results. EP-2 is a wonderful practice tool as it will deliver the results at a really affordable price. Plus, it combines two different effects and saves you a lot of space on your pedalboard.
Conclusion
Valeton EP-2 might not be the smoothest volume/expression pedal out there, but it is still wonderful enough to work as a useful practice tool. Not everybody is willing to splurge on something they don’t utilize that much. Plus, its features and capabilities are enough for rehearsals and will eventually refine your craftsmanship as well. With the help of this pedal, you can take a full charge of the desired effect and subordinate it to your needs. Everything turns into a child’s play with this one so why not go out there and purchase something that will thing so much easier? Good luck!
Click here to view more from 5 Best Expression Pedals.
