About This Item: This is the Mission Engineering 2 Channel Switching Expression Pedal (SP2).
The SP2 features two foot-switchable channels. The SP2 does not have a switch output like the SP1, instead it has two pedal outputs. Operate the switch by pushing down on the front of the pedal with your foot, to select between the two outputs. An LED indicates which channel is selected: blue for Channel One, or red for Channel Two. This feature allows a single expression pedal to be used with 2 devices. This is great if you have 2 amps, 2 signal chains, or 2 effects that each need an expression pedal.
The expression function is driven with a high quality sealed potentiometer. The SP2 expression pedal is a full-range sweep expression pedal built to last with all metal construction.
Mission Engineering has created another great switchable expression pedal that meets the needs of most applications.
The SP2 Mission Engineering Switchable Expression Pedal works with a wide variety of MIDI controllers, processors, and stomp boxes.
The first thing you will notice about your new Mission Expression pedal is that it is built like a tank. Once plugged in you will agree that this pedal performs flawlessly, just the way you expect. The smooth travel arc gives you controllable response from 0 to 100% output. Expression pedals don't get any better than this.
For modern control with a vintage vibe .... Get on a Mission.
Amazing SP2 Demo by Dave Weiner (Steve Vai touring guitarist & host of RiffOfTheWeek)
Potentiometer:
Switch
External Power
Dimensions
 
* We recommend you take time to read through the Mission Engineering Compatibility Matrix to ensure your equipment has been tested by Mission Engineering. The Compatibility Matrix can also be downloaded as a PDF file by clicking here.
When considered from the electronics perspective, expression pedals are fairly simple devices. One might imagine they would be fairly universal, but this turns out not to be the case. In fact, Mission Engineering was founded to make expression pedals that work with a variety of pedals.
Why is this so complicated?
The heart of an expression pedal is an electronic component called a potentiometer, or 'pot' for short. A pot is like water faucet, but for electrical flow. Open the pot up and more current flows, close it down and less flows. You open and close flow with your foot moving the expression pedal. This all has to do with changes in electrical resistance and voltages, but the key for now is that you control the flow based on how far you press the pedal forward (down) or back (up).
How does this control the pedal?
Once you connect your expression pedal to the expression-pedal input on an effects pedal, the effects pedal talks to the expression pedal using voltage (called the control voltage, usually about 5V, but that is not important to understand how it works).
The control voltage passes through the expression pedal pot and back to the effects pedal, which can tell when the voltage is changed, that is if the flow of current is increasing, decreasing, or remains the same. The effects pedal uses the change in flow (think about your faucet again) to change how it operates. If the effects pedal is a wah pedal, for example, then the wah effect will change accordingly. Make sense?
Again, so why is this all so complicated?
In theory this is pretty straight forward, but in practice there are many, many pots to choose from and each pedal, amp, MIDI, or other electronics manufacturer choose the best control voltage for their specific product. There is no agreed upon standard, as there is for filing library books or producing flashlight batteries. This is the source of most problems.
If you are interested in all the variables involved, I suggest you read more, for example on the Mission Engineering web-site. For simplicity, some of these variables are maximum resistance (measured in Ohms)the wiring to the pot itself, and the taper of the pot (the measurement of how far the pot is open or closed based on how the expression pedal is pressed forward or back).
Mission Engineering Solves These Problems!
As you can see, there are many reasons why you need to choose the right expression pedal. One that will give you the best performance with your equipment. This is the reason Mission Engineering got into the expression pedal business, and why you can have confidence that when you pick a compatible Mission Engineering expression pedal, you have a reliable pedal.