I have a Mission expression pedal with two separate outputs: a TRS output for the expression function and a TS output for the built-in footswitch.
I want to use the expression pedal with the Quad Cortex to control volume and Wah (or Pitch), and use the built-in footswitch to alternate between the two functions. In other words, pressing the footswitch would turn the Volume block off and the Wah/Pitch block on, and pressing it again would switch back to Volume.
My question is specifically about the footswitch connection. Since the Mission pedal has a dedicated TS output for the switch, can I connect that output to the Quad Cortex using a standard TS cable?
The Quad Cortex manual specifies a TRS cable for the expression/footswitch connection, so I’m wondering whether a TS cable will work correctly for this switching function, or if it could cause any issues or potentially damage the Quad Cortex or the pedal.
I use Hotone’s expression pedal with a foot (toe) switch, and it works well with a TS cable. When you configure it, just make sure to set ‘Switch on’ to ‘Switch’ and ‘Latch Emulation’ enabled.
To add the “why” behind the answer above, since it explains when TS is safe and when it isn’t.
The manual says TRS because the expression jack has to cover two cases: an expression pedal, which needs three conductors (reference, wiper, ground), and a switch, which only needs two. A TS cable into a switch jack simply leaves the ring floating. That’s a passive contact closure either way, so there’s no voltage being shorted anywhere that could hurt the pedal or the unit. It’s not like plugging a TS into a balanced line output.
The thing to watch is not damage but how the QC reads the closure. A footswitch is either momentary or latching, and the QC has to be told which. If you set it up expecting a latching switch but the pedal’s toe switch is momentary (or vice versa), you get the classic symptom of the state inverting or only holding while your foot is down — which is exactly what the latch emulation setting is there to fix.
So: try the TS cable, and if the switching feels backwards or won’t hold, that’s a configuration thing rather than a cable thing. Also worth checking whether your Mission’s toe switch is normally-open or normally-closed, since a NC switch will read as permanently pressed until you flip the polarity in the setup.
One practical note for your use case: rather than binding the switch to bypass two blocks separately, it’s often cleaner to put Volume and Wah in the same footswitch assignment so one press does both toggles atomically. Otherwise a mis-timed press can leave you with both on or both off.