Pedal Pushers! - Electronica Wizards needed!

RSVampire · #1 04-11-2002, 04:30 PM

Hello everybody, as you might or might not remember...I'm building a pedal. Well plans have changed and I'm going to make it a "pedal of weird sounds/boosts" So first is first. I want to have the volume lowered a bit so when I hit the switch it'll go back to normal sound (being louder of course). So it'll be the lower volume as my rythem signal, then when I turn the poteniomiter off it'll be louder and be my lead tone. Does anyone know if that'll "clean up" the sound like the volume pot on the guitar does? BTW does anyone know how that works, how/why it cleans up that is. Also, I want a bright switch to add a brighter tone to some lines or unacompanied solos. Does anyone remember what the Khz of the Legacy's bright switch and regular bright switches were? And does anyone have any ideas for more ideas?

Remember, this is a pedal, I don't wanna run anything to the FX Loop like the orignal design. Thanks.

-Your Pedal Pushin Friend, a la vampire.

Patrick Deno · #2 04-11-2002, 08:32 PM

Why not use a volume pedal that's adjustable like the (example) Boss FV-50? You can set it for however far down you want it to bottom out via a seperate volumn pot on the side. I use this all the time for exactly what you discribe - rhythm to lead volume.

Why does lowering the volume clean up your tone? Simple, at full volume you're overdriving the input signal - lower it and it cleans up due to being closer to your amp's normal input level. This is what 'overdrive/distortion' pedals and gain stages do, they amplify your input signal and send it through a 'gate' circuit (like a tube or a transistor) to get it to 'break up' or 'clip'. If you look at a distorted signal on an oscilloscope you'll see that the top and bottom are lopped off at a single line above and below because there's too much signal going through the entrance point - gate. Remember trying to put the square block of Playdo through the round hole when you were a kid? It sheared the edges off right? It's the same thing with your signal, it's too big to go through the gate so gets trimmed. This effect, called clipping, is what causes the distortion we all love. When you turn back on the volume it brings the signal down to a lower level and can fit easier through the gate, eventually letting the entire signal through. Less clipping = less distorted signal.

LJ

(Edited by Patrick Deno at 1:33 am on April 12, 2002)

RSVampire · #3 04-11-2002, 09:34 PM

That's the thing, I'm trying to get away from the "volume pedal" type setup. I want it full back rythem, full foward lead. How does the voume pedal work to lower/raise volume without raising/lowering the clip level of the signal? Because I'm trying to go for the volume pedal thing, but in a push on/off pedal with a knob setup.

Patrick Deno · #4 04-11-2002, 10:33 PM

Depends on what effects you're using and where they're placed. If it's a straight setup - guitar to amp - you're going to have problems lowering the volume without lowering the clippage. Then I'd just suggest either a boost pedal like the Mobels PRE-1 or taking your head to a pro and having him wire it for a boost/cut pedal after the gain stage. If your setup is like mine and have some effects in front of the amp then you put the volume pedal as the last in the chain. This then effects the volume of the already effected signal and not your guitar.

If it absolutely has to be a 'land mine' then make a box with a switch wired 'one in - two out'. The input we'll call 'a' and the two outputs we'll call *'b' and 'c'. Wire 'a' to the hot wire point of an an input jack. Wire 'b' to the hot wire point of an output jack. Wire 'c' to a resistor and then to the same hot wire point of the output jack you wired 'b' to. Wire ground directly from input to output.

You'll have to experiment with what resistance gets the results you want. Remember, the higher you go the more of your signal will be cut back. This will do the same as the pedal I was telling you about but instead of using a potentiometer it's using a switch.

Since a volume potentiometer is nothing more then an adjustable resistor you can go farther and put a pot in the place of the resistor so you can set it for whatever level suits your fancy like this:

hope this helps

LJ

(Edited by Patrick Deno at 3:57 am on April 12, 2002)

RSVampire · #5 04-11-2002, 10:48 PM

ah....so either way I'd still start getting a clean sound huh?

Patrick Deno · #6 04-11-2002, 11:00 PM

If you go straight from guitar to amp yeah pretty much. I put up a second diagram so you can wire in a pot so maybe you can dial in whatever you want. Problem is that it will more likely clean up rather then adjusting your volume.

You might just be better off taking it to your local shop and having a tech wire a boost/cut switch.

LJ

Two hands31 · #7 04-11-2002, 11:04 PM

I still like the play-doh reference. *:biggrin:

RSVampire · #8 04-12-2002, 01:03 AM

hmmm...what crappiolia....I'll have to do my amplifier switch that goes into the fx loop after all huh? Let's see....so does anyone have any ideas on more little ditties I should put in this pedal? And does anyone know the Khz boost of the Legacy bright and a normal bright? I want 1 since you can't turn a bright switch on or off at will.

RSVampire · #9 04-13-2002, 06:58 AM

so how does a volume pedal work? do you put it in the fx loop or something?

Patrick Deno · #10 04-13-2002, 09:10 AM

If you're not asking me then just ignore this post - I don't mean to monopolize this thread.

It's not that a volume pedal is any different. Basically it's a volume pot attached mechanically to the 'teeter-totter' of the pedal. That's it, that's what it does. What I mentioned earlier works for me because all my effects are on the floor in front of a clean rack amp. Here's the chain:

Jem7DBK/Sabre 450 ---> Morley Bad Horsie Wah ---> Digitech XP100 Whammy/Wah ---> Rockman Aucoustic Guitar Pedal ---> Digitech RP10 *Effects Board/Preamp ---> Boss FV-50L Stereo Volume Pedal ---> Rack (EQ -> Amp)

The Volume pedal is behind the effects and so only adjusts the output volume of that and not the guitar itself. Here's a link to my equipment page if that'll help:

Equipment

LJ

(Edited by Patrick Deno at 2:13 pm on April 13, 2002)

RSVampire · #11 04-14-2002, 05:16 AM

ahhh....I get it...I'll have to find a way to get the volume thingy to go after the head and before the cab...meh...I'll figure it out...thanks for the info man! lots of help you were!

Patrick Deno · #12 04-14-2002, 08:42 AM

Quote:

rsvampire on 10:16 am on April 14, 2002
ahhh....I get it...I'll have to find a way to get the volume thingy to go after the head and before the cab...meh...I'll figure it out...

Be VERY careful vamp, you'll more then likely blow the head doing that. *Just take my advice and take it to a local pro and at least get an estimate on the mods you have in mind. Wiring a cut/boost switch behind the gain stage shouldn't be more then a 15 minute job and can be built from spare parts. And they might know how to do your bright switch too. Better that then fooling with it at home, violating your warrantee, and blowing it up.

Quote:

thanks for the info man! lots of help you were!

Hey, we Californian Randy Rhoads fans gotta stick together! I live in Germany but am Cali born and raised baby!

LJ

RSVampire · #13 04-14-2002, 03:16 PM

lol...I think your the only one to thinks my avitar is of Rhoads! everyone else seems to think it's Jimmy Page. oh well..both great guitarists so I wouldn't complain when they tell me it's Page I just smile and laugh.

Patrick Deno · #14 04-14-2002, 06:16 PM

Nope, I run one of the last Randy Rhoads web sites in the western hemisphere (Japan has lots still though) and I recognise that pic. Have a look sometime.

Inspirations - The Randy Rhoads Legacy

LJ

RSVampire · #15 04-14-2002, 07:20 PM

sweet site man. I have lots of Rhoads stuff you can have for your site. Such has the whole a fter hours show....the concert where Ozzy lifts up Randy for that "lifetime" shot. Lessons, a Bass lesson, a seminar, some pictures. Some warm up exercises Rhoads does. so if you have MSN or Yahoo Messenger or AIM my screen name is RSVampire on all 3 of those.