Moog Music Forum

Hey there,

I bought an EP-3 to replace my EP-2 because the EP-2 was chunky and steppy/grainy sounding. After only a few weeks the EP3 is giving me the same results, especially as the pot nears the 'toe down' region. It's pretty bad to the point of being unusable. I can get cleanish sweeps in the first, maybe, third of the pedal's throw, but past that it really starts to introduce distortion/graininess. I'm using it to modulate cutoff on sub 37, but the graininess is audible when using it with other stuff as well (and using the trim pot on the ep-3 doesn't give the same crackliness, so I know it's the main pot on the ep-3).

Does anyone have any experience using contact cleaner or something like that to get those smooooth sweeps back?

do you have a plastic or metal sub37 filter cutoff pot?
does your sub37 filter cutoff pot crackle when you turn it manually?

it's a known issue that the plastic pots can go bad & moog will service under warranty, requires the right hand panel board to be swapped out and is user serviceable

double check your sub37 as there is only control voltage that goes thru the Expression Pedals, no audio

Gotta agree with the OP here, the EP-3s develop noisy pots rather quickly. I purhcased a demo pedal, and quickly noticed the issue (grainy sound on sweeps). Thought to myself, OK, bought a demo. It's cool. Deal with itl Bought a new one, and it arrived "dirt free", and remained so for about three months, when the noise issue emerged.

Have not tried cleaning it.

I have an ep-3. If I use it for the vca volume it crackles.