LFO blinkers!

rockgardenlove · May 22, 2006, 12:57:24 AM

So many trems/whatever have LEDs to blink out the LFO rate...

Are you expected to match these up with the music or something!? How the hell do you manage that!?

Paul Perry (Frostwave) · May 22, 2006, 06:33:31 AM

It's like those waltzing horses in circuses...... the trick there is that the orchestra follows the horse! (TRUE, which explains the rather irregular swing). It was a real doh! when that was pointed out to me.
So here, I guess you could use the LED as a metronome.

slacker · May 22, 2006, 08:53:43 AM

I use flashing rate LEDs on effects with LFOs purely because it looks cool

rockgardenlove · May 22, 2006, 10:26:40 AM

My EA trems rate blinker goes way to fast to sync up to though. And when the depth knob is down, the led has less and less of a contrast between up and down.

Peter Snowberg · May 22, 2006, 12:32:29 PM

One way to get a more solid response from the LED is to drive it with a Schmitt trigger inverter like the 74HC14. You can never have enough blinking lights.

goodrevdoc · May 22, 2006, 12:35:41 PM

Also useful for quasi syncing two or more modulation effects in your chain, not thast its an esay task, but when done properly (read: with lots of luck) the results can sound quite cool.
-justin

The Tone God · May 22, 2006, 02:26:11 PM

I use the speed indicator for the effect indicator. Why have two LEDs ? As for why have a speed indicator in the first place when it is tough to match the tempo, it is better then nothing. Atleast you can set the speed without having to play to hear the tempo.

Andrew

gez · May 22, 2006, 02:52:53 PM

Divide by 2 and 3 options would be the most useful indicator for a tremolo...

TELEFUNKON · May 22, 2006, 04:35:06 PM

which leads us back to the "tap-tempo"-discussions... :

start a ramp (saw) at 1st stomp,
sample & hold the momentary DC of the ramp at 2nd stomp,
use this momentary voltage for "comparison" in a modified SchmittTrigger/integrator LFO...

Processaurus · May 23, 2006, 06:07:48 AM

Quote from: gez on May 22, 2006, 02:52:53 PM
Divide by 2 and 3 options would be the most useful indicator for a tremolo...

thats good, a bi-color LED for every other beat would be cool too. I've never been able to tap my foot looking at a blinky light thats going even medium speed. There was this discussion a while ago about making a visual metronome for LFOs with VU meter chips:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=36430.0

Tap tempo with a subdivide program would be ideal, though, for playing with a band (or horses)...

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LFO blinkers!