In the previous tip in this series, we discussed a reliable means of triggering loops from the Gibson Echoplex using a foot pedal. Here’s another foot-activated technique to give you a greater level of control over your live-looped performances. We’ll be using a volume pedal to control the feedback parameter of the Echoplex. The feedback level is the amount of signal that is fed from one pass through the loop (or delay) to the next. For most looping operations, feedback is set to 100%, which causes the loop to go on forever. While you’re overdubbing or multiplying, keep the feedback level at about 95% to prevent overloading the Echoplex with the combination of old and new signal.
To control feedback with your foot, just plug a volume pedal into the Echoplex’s Feedback jack. This jack lets you use a passive volume pedal (one with no power supply or battery) to control the Feedback parameter. Use a standard guitar cord to connect a volume control’s “Amplifier” output to this jack in order to use the pedal as a Feedback controller. The feedback jack has been calibrated to work well with most passive volume pedals. If your pedal has a significantly different resistance, it may not be able to span the full range of feedback levels. Because feedback occurs at the end of a loop, you won’t generally hear the effects of changing the feedback level immediately. If you keep the volume pedal in the up or zero position, the current loop will play out to its end before you hear the volume drop to zero. Setting the pedal to an intermediate level is a good way to create a smooth fadeout.