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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: ranchak on November 09, 2006, 03:00:43 PM

Title: Circuit selector?
Post by: ranchak on November 09, 2006, 03:00:43 PM
I want to have a number of effect housed in one box. What I would like to do is be able to switch between two effects with one 3pdt switch. I guess like an A/B box but with one common input and output. I was looking at the Splitter Blender, could I just wire in the effect where the effects loops are? Are the phase switches necessary? Is there possibly a better layout to use than this? I don't understand what the "circuit input", "circuit output", "jack input" and "jack output" are.
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: GibsonGM on November 09, 2006, 03:32:49 PM
I think you could try this, Ranchak...of course, you won't have true bypass (I don't know any other way using a 3PDT to achieve that).  You could have a DPDT go before the switch shown to bypass the whole deal, and use the one in the drawing for your FX select.  I allowed for an LED to show you which effect is on (don't forget to add limiting resistors, LOL). 
Alternatively, you could do that with a millennium bypass and take the FX circuit outputs back to the 3rd pole instead, letting you also switch the output.   I don't think having the common output will be a big deal, tho (depends on what components go last, I guess...try hooking the together with one FX on and the other off, and try the ckt).   Here's a start, anyway!

(http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/generalguitar/2FX.jpg)
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: PenPen on November 09, 2006, 03:36:00 PM
 ??? ???

Using the above, just take out the Ground wires on the middle set of lugs, and run the outputs there instead. Attach all grounds together. I don't see why you'd need to unswitch the grounds in the circuits.

Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: ranchak on November 09, 2006, 04:08:24 PM
O.K. PenPen I think I got it. Remove the grounds from the switch, the effect output will go here. Well I thought I had it figured out until now... where is my common output... the center terminal (#5) of the switch? I guess if I put a switch before my A/B switch I could have true bypass?
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: MikeH on November 09, 2006, 04:17:48 PM
As it is now, you wouldn't be able to turn the effect on or off.  You'd have to use 2 3pdt switches for that.  Check out this:

http://aronnelson.com/gallery/The-Mod-Zone-%21/WIRING_2_FX_IN_1_BOX
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: ranchak on November 09, 2006, 04:23:08 PM
MikeH, I would use the first switch as a bypass. This would eliminate both effects. The second switch would toggle between effect A and B.
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: GibsonGM on November 09, 2006, 04:30:31 PM
PenPen was right...grounds should all be wired together, and try the image below...it's how I've done it with an MXR Dist+.   I prefer to have a separate bypass switch so I can pre-set one effect with the "selector" shown below, and then kick the whole deal on or off with a bypass:

(http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/generalguitar/2fxswitch.jpg)

Whatever works!  ;)
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: GibsonGM on November 09, 2006, 04:31:57 PM
PS - I'm one who needs the LEDs (red for lead, yellow for rhythm, etc)...that's why I like it that way!  :icon_wink:
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: PenPen on November 09, 2006, 05:18:42 PM
Quote from: GibsonGM on November 09, 2006, 04:30:31 PM
PenPen was right...grounds should all be wired together, and try the image below...it's how I've done it with an MXR Dist+.   I prefer to have a separate bypass switch so I can pre-set one effect with the "selector" shown below, and then kick the whole deal on or off with a bypass:

(http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l9/generalguitar/2fxswitch.jpg)

Whatever works!  ;)

This right here will do it. I thought it may have just been a mistake, but this right here is exactly how you'd do it.
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: MikeH on November 09, 2006, 05:46:03 PM
Quote from: ranchak on November 09, 2006, 04:23:08 PM
MikeH, I would use the first switch as a bypass. This would eliminate both effects. The second switch would toggle between effect A and B.

Oh right, I didn't take a good look at that diagram... my bad :-[.  You'd just want to wire up one 3pdt per usual, and instead of the "Effect in" going to the cicuit, it would go to the switch as shown above.  Then the wire labeled "output jack tip" would go back to the first 3pdt where the effect output would usually return.

Here's a pic.  This way you can use the same LEDs for toggling as indicators.  The other side of the LEDs goes to 9V+

(http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/6255/toggletw4.jpg)
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: GibsonGM on November 09, 2006, 09:23:39 PM
Cool! So the only change would be to run the LEDs to V+ rather than ground...I like it.  Nice drawing, one for my projects archive for next time I want to do this  ;)
Title: Re: Circuit selector?
Post by: d95err on November 10, 2006, 03:57:58 AM
Quote from: ranchak on November 09, 2006, 03:00:43 PM
I want to have a number of effect housed in one box. What I would like to do is be able to switch between two effects with one 3pdt switch. I guess like an A/B box but with one common input and output. I was looking at the Splitter Blender, could I just wire in the effect where the effects loops are? Are the phase switches necessary? Is there possibly a better layout to use than this? I don't understand what the "circuit input", "circuit output", "jack input" and "jack output" are.

A switch between two effects with one 3PDT switch is almost exactly the same circuit as a true bypass of one effect.

This is true bypass:


         - EFFECT -
IN - SWa            SWb - OUT
         -(bypass)-



Now to change between effect1/effect2 instead of just effect/bypass:


         - EFFECT1 -
IN - SWa             SWb - OUT
         - EFFECT2 -



Use the third pole to select between two LEDs.