Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Mission Engineering EP-1 Expression Pedal [In-Depth] Review (2022)

 

Mission Engineering EP-1 Expression Pedal [In-Depth] Review (2022)


Mission Engineering EP-1 Expression Pedal (2022) Review

 
I must never be so impudent as to think that I can speak for the masses, but it is certainly my own frustrated findings that getting ahold of a good quality, sturdy expression pedal is no easy undertaking. How about it, dear Reader, are you more than a little disenchanted with the seemingly endless parade of over-priced, cheaply-made, plastik-y, fly-weight expression pedals that lay in wait on Amazon's web pages or on your local retailer's shelves?

You know the kind I'm talking about, right?; with their short, wired-in (read: non-field-replaceable) cables and flimsy plastic construction. Oh sure, most of them will indeed provide you with the means to execute volume swooshes, wah sweeps, and sundry other expression assignments - that is until the plastic bits snap off, or they slip from underfoot, or the no-name potentiometer crackles and dies, or the thin cable breaks.

It just so happens that our friends at Mission Engineering offer quite a few guaranteed, hand-crafted remedies for the aforementioned expression pedal quandary - one in particular is the EP-1 Expression Pedal.
As with all of Mission Engineering's arsenal of gadgetry and stompable FX weaponry, the EP-1 is built to last; and it does so with style! I guestimate that over 98 percent of the pedal is fabricated from solid metal. The couple of non-metallic parts are made of strong, commercial-grade plastic that bears absolutely no similarity to the kind found in a $50 device. Oh, since we've discreetly stepped into the topic of lucre, let's note that Mission's products are not cheap. They aren't cheaply made. They aren't cheaply shipped. They don't house cheap electronic componentry. As such, the EP-1 certainly does not fall into impulse purchase or thoughtless GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) territory - it retails for $149 US Dollars.

When compared to the price tag affixed to an M-Audio EXP, or a Roland EV-5, you might gasp in a brief moment of sticker shock; however, even a few minutes of usage will assure you that a Mission Engineering pedal is definitely worth the extra coinage. It’s also worth highlighting that Mission’s Made in USA build quality is top-notch, to boot