Cascading 4 effects

[alpeperker]

I'm making a fuzz consisting of four bazz fusses. I want to be able to switch from a single unit to two, three and four cascading units with a rotary switch. Anyone knows how (and with which kind of rotary switch) to do so? Would something like this work? http://www.banzaimusic.com/Rotary-Switch-BR-3x4-Pins.html

[artifus]

3 x 4 ? i'm not sure i understand banzai's description and dislike the lack of link to datasheet.

google : 4 pole 12 position rotary switch.

you'll need some resistors/pots for passive mixing.

[alpeperker]

Exactly, i dont get the configuration of that one. But i think it's something like this: http://www.doctronics.co.uk/images/gt_38.gif bottom left. But i can't figure out if its possible to make the connections i need.

4 pole 12 position, will then be the one bottom right?

I'll send the final output to a pot controling the volume.

[armdnrdy]

I wonder if it wouldn't be a better idea to switch in additional clipping stages than cascading four complete fuzz effects.

Here's a page that displays the different stages of a Big Muff. Maybe you can get some ideas. 

http://www.kitrae.net/music/big_muff_guts.html

[artifus]

a standard 4 pole 12 position rotary can be configured in a myriad of ways. decide what you want to actually do before trying to work out how to *maybe* do what you *sorta* think you *oughta* maybe. do it. just do it. call it a try. what happened? did anybody die?* is there anything to be learned here? maybe?
breadboard is good.

@armdnrdy: i was unclear as to the op's series/para intentions too...

* please do try to avoid any actions that may lead to possible of death or harm to  yourself or others. all my postings are made with the assumption that the recipient has a modicum of common sense and a vague sense of humour. (if not a logically reasonable thought process and mind to call their own. *  

[alpeperker]

@armdnrdy: The fuzz i intend to build is fairly easy (1 transistor)http://home-wrecker.com/bazz3.png, so its a bit like switching in clippingstages i guess. I want to place them in series and switch them in one by one. I just have to figure out how.

@artifus: I do have breadboarded it, i'm just not getting how to patch it together the way i intend to.

[GGBB]

Exactly, i dont get the configuration of that one. But i think it's something like this: http://www.doctronics.co.uk/images/gt_38.gif bottom left. But i can't figure out if its possible to make the connections i need.

4 pole 12 position, will then be the one bottom right?

I'll send the final output to a pot controling the volume.

Depends on how fancy you want the switching to be.  The simplest way to do it is to break the connection between the 1st and 2nd stage, leaving 2, 3, and 4 connected and 4 connected to output.  Use 1 pole of the switch to move the output of the first stage from the output (1 stage), input of 4th stage (2 stages), input of 3rd stage (3 stages), and input of 2nd stage (4 stages).  This of course leaves stages 2, 3, and 4 dangling from the output which could have an impact (tone suck?).  You could use another pole to ground the input of the 2nd stage when not using it (1,2, and 3 stage modes), but that might also cause problems - I don't know.  If you want real "true bypass" switching of the stages, I think you'd need a 4x4 switch which I don't believe exists.

[Tubebass]

That would be a lot easier to do using an individual DPDT switch per fuzz circuit, either a toggle or a stomp.

[slacker]

I'd just wire them all up in series, then use a rotary switch to tap off which ever output you want, maybe feeding the output through a buffer then a volume pot to avoid any possible problems caused by having the unused stages still connected.

For this you can use 4 positions of a 1 Pole 12 Way, 2 Pole 6 Way or 3 Pole 4 Way rotary switch, so A and positions 1 to 4 in the doctronics link. The switch in the Banzai link says it's a 3 Pole 4 position so it should do the job, it says it has pins though, I'd get one with solder lugs instead much easier to work with unless you're PCB mounting it.

[GGBB]

Now that it has loitered in my brain for a while, there is a way to do it "true bypass" with the 3x4 switch.  Using the linked diagram as a guide, make the following connections:

A - output of stage 1
B - output (to output cap and volume)
C - input of stage 2
#1 - #5
#2 - input of stage 2 and C
#3 - input of stage 3 and #4
#4 - input of stage 3 and #3
#5 - #1
#6 - output of stage 2 and #8
#7 - output of stage 4 and #12
#8 - output of stage 2 and #6
#9-11 - not connected
#12 - output of stage 4 and #7

input is always connected to input of stage 1 (stage 1 is always in use)
stages 3 and 4 are always connected together in series

The only problem with this is that the stages are not connected at all when not in use so I suppose there might be some switch popping going on, which I suppose could be alleviated with pull down resistors.

[alpeperker]

Yes! Thats the way to do it! Could get my head around the configuration. I'll try that when i get my hands on a switch. Thanks to all for chiming in!