Frustrated by a lack of volume controls that go to full zero

I don’t use my Mod Duo X for guitar, but for electronic music - vocals, synths and other stuff that I want to add a variety of effects to. Often quiet ambient music.

I like to have switches to send inputs to an effect, and I hate on/off switch plug-ins because they cut the signal too abruptly causing pops and clicks. So I usually set up a midi pedal or external switch to go to a CV block, which has a slew rate limiter. This way when the switch is on the volume takes a second to go up to full, and when off, it ramps down - just like using a fader on a mixer. For performing I use do use buttons and triggers - I don’t have time to manually fade volumes to and from effects with the Mod knobs.

Anyway - all of that is just a preamble to say that none of the volume plug-ins or even the mixer ever go to full zero. There is always effects bleed in my pedalboards. It’s not loud, but it’s enough that when I’m doing something quieter - the ambience is affected by effects!

Is there any volume knob on any plug-in I can use to achieve an on/off type signal switcher? Most of them list a minimum volume, and it’s never low enough. Possibly the various gain stages in my pedalboards are enhancing this limitation?

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maybe try the switch plugins from @zwabo?

https://forum.mod.audio/t/smoothing-mode-for-audio-switches/11277/2?u=plutek

Oh thank god I thought it was just me and that I was doing something wrong. I even tried a volume control into a volume control and/or a gain control and I couldn’t get the file player to go to full zero even with its own volume down. What is UP with that?!

Less effective if you’re trying to use an expression pedal as a volume controller.

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For expression pedal use maybe you can try this one in the Beta store:

Xfade1to2st

lv2 plugin utility , crossfade L R input to 2 L R outputs

Two parameters.

MIX:

  • mix the input to the two outputs

RANGE :

  • at 0 , when mix is in the middle position, the output gain is 0.5 x the input gain for each output.
  • at 1, when mix is in the middle position, the output gain is 1x the input gain for each output. You can choose in between according to your needs.

A slight smoothing is implemented in order to avoid scale effects.

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I will give this plug-in a try. I didn’t realize one like this would be beta, so I only saw the one which did the opposite - 2 sources one destination. Although that might work just like a fader as well.

For now I used the mono mixer and set the control to both control the channel fader and the master output. This seems to work, because whatever amount of volume cut there is - doing it twice works. Possibly any of the other volume plug-ins that do -50 db or whatever, could be stacked to deliver -100.

But ultimately there should be a simple plug-in which allows you to scale a volume from absolute zero, to +12 or something.

As for the comments on switches, I don’t use them as they are too abrupt and add pops to quiet music. So I use a CV slew rate limiter to allow my on/off to happen smoothly.

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yes, of course! …i was only referring to the concern about the on/off switch plugins causing pops and clicks…

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oh cool @zwabo!
thanks… didn’t know about this one!