Momentary Up/Down Octaver ?

steveyraff · March 03, 2015, 04:12:40 PM

Hey guys,

Had someone ask me recently if I could build them a non-latching up/down octaver pedal. It's a cool idea, but I've never built anything like this before. Just wondering if you guys think its possible and what circuits to look into? I see a few layouts for octave pedals on the Tagboardeffects forum, but I've no idea if any of them are better than others, or will be something I could use for this build?

Help and direction highly appreciated.

Cheers.

Mark Hammer · March 03, 2015, 04:42:19 PM

So you mean something that could effectively "yodel"? That is, alternate between up and down? Or by non-latching, do you mean something that only provides the upper or lower octave as long as you hold a momentary switch down?

blackieNYC · March 03, 2015, 05:06:28 PM

U-boat is supposed to be pretty clean for a analog octave. most are a fuzz on their own, you'd be introducing a whole new sound. A momentary looper send/return pedal would let him insert anything momentarily. You want to add a momentary ON switch in parallel with the conventional stomp?

thelonious · March 03, 2015, 05:46:35 PM

I'd make sure his expectations are in line with what can be done analog---just to make sure he's not expecting it to be a DIY Whammy.

steveyraff · March 03, 2015, 06:08:52 PM

Well, from what I gathered, he wants a momentary footswitch, that for as long as pressed down on will engage either and octave up OR and octave down effect. Presumably there would be like a toggle switch to select if pressing down will momentarily make it octave up or down.

I am pretty sure that is how he explained it to me as an idea.

Quackzed · March 03, 2015, 08:21:03 PM

i'd make that toggle a stomp.

so he can alternate up or down on the fly...

cloudscapes · March 03, 2015, 10:29:12 PM

Quote from: Quackzed on March 03, 2015, 08:21:03 PM
i'd make that toggle a stomp. so he can alternate up or down on the fly...

and have an extra toggle that patches a variable square wave where the octave toggle is

tremolo-ing octave up/down

GLORIOUS

steveyraff · March 04, 2015, 06:44:13 AM

Quote from: Quackzed on March 03, 2015, 08:21:03 PM
i'd make that toggle a stomp. so he can alternate up or down on the fly...

Yea, but can it be done in the first place?

I guess I'd like to know if there is a good specific vero layout out there I can follow for an up/down octaver ?

Any I have found so far seem to be based around a fuzz effect - this wouldn't really work as you'd also be momentarily turning on fuzz with octave. Also, most layouts I've found so far are just for an up octave - I can't find any that can go up and down?

anchovie · March 04, 2015, 07:03:49 AM

Quote from: blackieNYC on March 03, 2015, 05:06:28 PM
A momentary looper send/return pedal would let him insert anything momentarily.

Do this. I'm guessing he wants a straight digital pitch shift with no drastic changes to tone or added fuzz. Make him an FX loop pedal with both momentary and latching footswitches (for versatility) and then he can put a Whammy/POG/Mooer Pure Octave/Behringer Ultra Shifter/etc in there depending on his budget.

DougH · March 04, 2015, 07:10:08 AM

Quote from: anchovie on March 04, 2015, 07:03:49 AM
Quote from: blackieNYC on March 03, 2015, 05:06:28 PM
A momentary looper send/return pedal would let him insert anything momentarily.

Do this. I'm guessing he wants a straight digital pitch shift with no drastic changes to tone or added fuzz. Make him an FX loop pedal with both momentary and latching footswitches (for versatility) and then he can put a Whammy/POG/Mooer Pure Octave/Behringer Ultra Shifter/etc in there depending on his budget.

This.

If he wants clean octaves, then stick a pitch-shifter in a loop you can control momentarily and be done with it.

Scruffie · March 04, 2015, 07:23:53 AM

The EHX pitch fork does exactly this.

thelonious · March 04, 2015, 07:43:59 AM

Quote from: Scruffie on March 04, 2015, 07:23:53 AM
The EHX pitch fork does exactly this.

That's what I was thinking about, too. And it does it for $130.

It's definitely possible to make an analog octave/up down that will do what he wants and mix in clean signal, but the octave up won't sound clean. It's also possible to make a digital octave up/down using the FV-1 DSP, but by the time you do all that... a pitch fork is super cheap.

steveyraff · March 04, 2015, 08:07:55 AM

Cheers for that guys - I will pass all that info on. Yea, maybe if I just make a little loop pedal with momentary switching to combine with a cheap octave pedal, it would be a better solution!

Thanks!

thelonious · March 04, 2015, 11:44:50 AM

I think the Pitch Fork has a momentary mode built in. For most others, you would likely need to build a momentary circuit.

electrosonic · March 04, 2015, 12:05:04 PM

The pitchfork has a momentary mode and an expression pedal option.

I don't like to discourage any DIY projects, but for the price the pitchfork seems the way to go. Being digital it pitch shifts chords as well as single notes.

Andrew.

blackieNYC · March 04, 2015, 07:45:32 PM

Pitchfork is very cool. If that's too steep, the behringer ultra Harmonist is fifty bucks. It has a whammy momentary feature. Mine has lasted 9 months thus far, very happy. It has an expression pedal option as well. It's plastic, but so is my car. That said, I really really want a pitchfork. Really. (Birthday in July.)

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Momentary Up/Down Octaver ?