Voltage Sag on Foot switch for Fuzz?

[ooperz]

I'm going to build my first fuzz as soon as I get the parts and one idea I had for it was throwing a pot to control the voltage(not unlike the stability control on a fuzz factory) on a 3pdt foot switch effectively giving it 2 distinct sounds. I think this would be really cool, but I'm not sure if this will cause a volume drop when the voltage drops down as I engage the foot switch. Thoughts?

By the way this is my first post, so I hope this is the right area to post this sorta thing.

[italianguy63]

Welcome aboard!

Yeah... This is how you do it:

http://www.beavisaudio.com/Projects/DBS/

I've done a bunch of these.  I also add a .1uF or .01uF mylar cap across the potentiometer.  It will help settle down the "crackle OK" noise you get when you turn the knob.  The effect will change the tone of the fuzz.  Depending how your fuzz is biased, it will either make it sound a little bit more fuzzy/farty or sawtoothy/buzzy.... I hope that helps.  LOL.

MC

[petemoore]

 yea, that probably beats looking for [waiting /recharging] for batteries that want to hold @ around the 7 or 6 volts, my distorters sweet spot.

[ooperz]

Awesome. Thanks!

[digi2t]

Check out the Parallel Universe II as well. It has a Starve footswitch, which is set by a 2.2K resistor. I replaced the resistor with a pot on my build.

[Mark Hammer]

Let's get even crazier.

The "starve" on the parallel universe is simply 2k2 placed between the supply and the circuit, to limit current.  As shown, it uses a SPDT switch to select between 2k2 and straight wire.

If the 2k2 were in place between V+ and the circuit, then reverting to "non-starve" would simply involve a SPST to bridge/shunt that resistor.  Hmmm, SPT, eh?  Don't they make momentary footswitches like that?  Why yes, young master Mark, they most certainly do.  The beauty of the momentary is that the effect is engaged only for as long as your foot is depressing the switch, take your foot off, and you switch back, without having to aim and step a second time.

In this instance, it would allow for smoothly changing between two fuzz tones, as many times as you want in a riff.  The only caveat is that, in the scenario described, the "default" is starve mode.  If you wanted to simply leave it in non-starve mode, you'd need an extra toggle, or perhaps a latching stompswitch, to bridge that 2k2 resistor.

I'm a big fan of momentary switching as a performance feature.  It has its ups and downs, though. 

[samhay]

Or use a momentary push to break switch (i.e. a spDt)

[Mark Hammer]

The trouble with momentaries that have more than one pair of contacts, I find, is that they have a click.  At least the ones I've seen/used.  Not unless somebody makes a soft-touch version.  having disassembled an X-wing momentary, the only internal difference between them and conventional stompswitches is that the rocker contacts have a different bend to them, that prohibits latching and forces the mechanism back to the original position.  But to get to the temporary switching action, you have to use it just like a latching stompswitch and press it down until you get the click.  It certainly works like any momentary ought to, but one has to be juuuussst a little more deliberate with it, and that reduction in fluidity may turn some folks off (dear lord, STOP it with the bad puns, Hammer!  )