The Noatronic Onboard Expression gives you MIDI, expression and footswitch control from your guitar’s tone knob

We first got acquainted with Noatronic’s Onboard Expression system at NAMM, but it’s now available. Designed to free you from having to stand over your pedalboard, this offers MIDI, Expression and Switch control from a dedicated guitar tone knob.

There are two elements in play here: a controller and receiver. The controller is a replacement tone potentiometer for your guitar that has a centre detent and push-push switch.

This is connected via a stereo TRS cable to the receiver, which reads the controller position and push-push switch status. This receiver is true bypass and can connect to your pedals, amps and amp modellers via the following outputs:

MIDI Out: Expression CC, Bypass CC, Preset PC and Snapshot/Scene CC
Expression out: Simulates an expression pedal when turning the controller
Switch out: Simulates a footswitch when pressing the controller

It seems a pretty elegant system, giving you plenty of tone-changing options from just a single controller.

You can find out more and order the Noatronic Onboard Expression from the Noatronic website. It’s available now priced at $249/€249.

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.