Behringer FCV100 V2

The Behringer FCV100 V2 is what the maker calls an "Ultra-Flexible Dual-Mode Foot Pedal for Volume and Modulation Control"¹. In practice that means one pedal that does two jobs: rock it with your foot to get louder or quieter as a volume pedal, or switch it into CV mode and use it to send control signals to effects units, keyboards and MIDI controllers. Behringer describes it as a pedal that "works equally well as a volume or modulation pedal"¹. RockBoard's PedalPedia sums it up in the maker's words: "Get louder, get quieter, or get modulated with the outstanding FCV100"².

Two modes: Norm and CV

The FCV100 V2 has two operating modes, and the choice decides what the pedal does¹⁴.

• Norm mode: the pedal controls the volume of two individual instruments¹.
• CV mode: the pedal sends control voltage, the kind of signal that sweeps a parameter on a compatible device, such as a filter, a delay time or a rotary speed⁴.

The two modes overlap in a useful way. Behringer notes that "When Output 2 is in use while in CV mode, Input/Output 1 can still be used for controlling the volume of another instrument"¹. So a player running a CV-controlled effect can still keep a volume pedal function for a second instrument at the same time.

Inputs, outputs and the polarity switch

The pedal accommodates two mono instruments or one stereo instrument through its dual 1/4-inch input jacks¹, and it carries two 1/4-inch outputs³. That makes it usable as a stereo volume pedal or as a two-instrument volume switcher, depending on how you patch it.

For CV use, a built-in polarity switch lets you match the FCV100 to various effects units, keyboards and MIDI controllers¹. Different devices expect the control signal to run in different directions, and the switch flips the pedal's output so the sweep moves the right way with each one.

The only dedicated volume control besides the treadle is the Min Vol knob. Behringer explains that "By turning the Min Vol control, you can determine the minimum volume you wish to achieve"⁴, which sets how far down the pedal takes your signal at the heel-down position.

Power

The FCV100 V2 can be powered with a 12 V DC power adapter or a 9V battery, though Behringer notes the battery is not included¹. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the current draw at 7mA², a low figure that keeps it easy to fit into a shared power supply alongside other pedals.

Where it sits on a board

As a volume pedal, the FCV100 V2 belongs to the family covered on the Volume Pedals page, and as a control-voltage sender it sits in the wider world of Expression Pedals. Behringer also makes the Behringer FC600 in this line of foot controllers. Because it is a control pedal rather than a tone-shaping box, it pairs with anything from Delay Pedals to Chorus Pedals without adding its own character to the chain¹⁴².

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