TVP-1 Tremolo
Dunlop TVP-1 Tremolo/Volume pedal. This is a pedal that has fallen off the radar of most pedal enthusiasts and at first glance, it's not hard to understand why...
This is a difficult pedal to master. Just as the wah-wah, so too do the Rotovibe, and the Variphase and other treadled pedals require their own learning curve. The Rotovibe is probably the closest function-wise, to the TVP-1, in that as the treadle is rolled from heel to toe, the modulation effect becomes faster and faster...
This is in stark contrast to the Wah-wah where the sweeping of the treadle sweeps the effect. Like the Rotovibe, when the TVP-1 is in tremolo mode, a little can go a long way.
However, there's also a couple of very useful applications of this pedal, and that's acting as sweepable volume control (instead of using the volume potentiometer on whatever instrument the pedal is plugged into)
The fact that we're unfamiliar with any music performed with this pedal in any kind of heavy music suggests two things:
- There's a challenging learning curve on using the variable tremolo speed in this pedal in a musically sophisticated and tasteful manner. The further implication is that this pedal opens up some previously uncharted musical territory.
- It's likely, that like the Rotovibe, not only can a little go a long way, but by extension, it's easy to overdo this pedal.
That said, we're eager to see what kind of contribution the TVP-1 can make.
Since TVP-1s are only available used now, prices on TVP-1s tend to vary from around $135 up to $180 or so. They aren't wildly priced "booteek vintage" pedals because it seems they never were high on anyone's attention list. That said, if you're interested in getting one, be on the lookout, some TVP-1s are very beat-up. Others are almost pristine and prices on auction sites and forums doesn't seem to correspond to the particular conditions of the pedal.
- Thermionic Studios has one(1) TVP-1 pedal available for rental.
Controls
- Knob 1 (left-side knob) - "Intensity": Adjusts how much of the tremolo effect is applied to the output, with fully clockwise being the greatest level of effect for into the tremolo effect, and fully clockwise being no more than a mild volume "throb".
- Knob 2 (right-side "upper" knob) - "Toe Down Volume": Adjusts the maximum volume (output) level with fully counter-clockwise being +0 db ("unity gain") and fully clockwise being +6 db (boost).
- Knob 3 (right-side "lower" knob) - "Heel Down Volume": Adjusts the low, or minimum, volume level of the pedal, with fully counter-clockwise being zero output (as expected from a standard volume pedal), all the way up to fully clockwise resolving to +0 db ("unity gain").
- Switch 1 (left red toggle) - "Modulation": This switch toggles between:
- (switch-out) "Smooth" a softer sine-wave modulated tremolo, and
- (switch-in) "Hard", a harder square-wave tremolo.
- Switch 2 (right red toggle) - "Mode Selector": This switch toggles between:
- (switch-out) Volume Control: Controls volume level with the sweep of the treadle. Toe-down is maximum volume (as set by "Toe Down" knob)
- (switch-in) Tremolo Function: The TVP-1 becomes a tremolo effect pedal. Toe-down is fastest "throb" speed
- Footswitch 1 - "On/Off": This footswitch toggles the pedal between engaged/active ("On"), and bypassed ("Off"). As in most treadled pedals, this switch is toggled by firm pressure when the sweep is in the full toe-down position.
Bypass: Buffered
The TVP-1 has a buffered bypass.
General Information
The easiest way to think of this pedal is that the left side of the pedal controls the the Tremolo effect, and the right side controls the Volume effect.
Gooched!
What doesn't make any sense whatsoever is that when the left side of the pedal, the Tremolo half, is engaged, the right-side light is turned on(!), and when the right side, or Volume Swell effect is engaged, the left light is on!
We'll have to get inside these electronics to see how to change this so that the lighting is at least consistent when using the pedal.
So here's a "quick-start" guide on using the pedal:
Pedal Left Side: Tremolo
The tremolo effect is clearly the "splashier" effect in this pedal. As mentioned above, few, if any, have mastered the use of a variable tremolo throb for the purposes of new and interesting music.
- Quick Start Tremolo
- Make sure the Mode Selector button on the right side is pressed in toward the left side of the pedal (a simple mnemonic device) so that the left side (tremolo) effect is selected.
- Engage the pedal by clicking the On/Off button with a firm toe-down press.
- With the tremolo engaged, rocking your foot back and forth will change the speed of the tremolo effect.
- Sweeping the treadle to the heel-down position slows the tremolo throb; sweeping the treadle to the toe-down position speeds the tremolo up.
- The left knob increases and decreases the intensity of the tremolo.
- The left switch alternates between a hard full-volume/off-volume full-volume/off-volume style tremolo, and a smoother, "sloped" alternating "volume sweep" tremolo.
Pedal Right Side: Volume
The right side of the pedal is actually a bit more novel and it's clear that some thought went into creating this secondary effect for the TVP-1. This side can serve a few different functions. The main thread holding it all together is that the upper right knob sets the maximum volume for the toe-down treadle position, and the lower right knob sets the minimum volume for the heel-down treadle position.
- "Standard" Volume Pedal
Use this effect to get the volume swells of a Hawaiian or Pedal-Steel guitar, or the swell-effect that's otherwise done with an instrument potentiometer (for example, Van Halen's "Cathedral").
- Set both right-side knobs to full counter-clockwise.
- Boost
Use this effect when you need to boost a your signal to get more "oomph" through your amp or need to cut through.
- Set both right-side knobs full clockwise.
- "Huge Sweep" Volume Pedal
Can't really say that we're familiar enough to know when to employ this - but this is the setting for maximum flexibility with the volume swell function of the TVP-1
- Set upper right-side knob full clockwise, and lower right-side knob full counter-clockwise.
Pedal Manual
We have searched in vain for a paper or electronic copy of the original owner's manual. None being found, we believe this wiki entry is most likely the best available authority on using the pedal.
Phase Inversion: Yes/No
| Schematic ID | Electronic Part | Action | Phase State |
|---|---|---|---|
| X | X | X | X |
Schematic
We are unaware of any available schematic. We shall continue to try looking for such, but as this pedal was discontinued in the 1990s and never had a large following anyway, we suspect none may be available.
(UPDATE!) So again, we went looking for a schematic. You know it's bad when you search "TVP-1 Tremolo" and "Schematic" and this very page is the #1 Google search result! No, this isn't #1 on all the other search engines, but there still seem to be no schematics to be found!
Artists
We are currently unaware of any artists actively using the pedal now, or who have in the past.
- Additional Sources
