Pic of my diode switcher

[Rectangular]

hey, thats a nice little project, I should add that to my to-do list. Where'd you get those great knobs ? australian supplier, or somewhere online ? I've been looking for that style...

[luap77]

The knobs are from Jaycar electronics, catalogue number HK-7786. The reason I went for this knob is that you can see which position the indicator is pointing at from just about any angle due to the way it is designed.

www.jaycar.com.au


I'm currently building similar switching boxes for capacitors (with de-popping resistors) which can be useful for optimising a Fuze Face - given that some germanium transistors do sound beefier than others, even when correctly biased.

I really think that this approach is a good one for prototyping, because you can make component changes on the fly with the flick of a switch, and hence quickly enough to really establish any difference in sound. It's amazing how your ears can play tricks on you if you allow a minute between notes while you change caps and diodes around! This way I can just play a note and rotate the switch.

Just be careful to shield the external switching module correctly if you are switching components in the signal path. Ground loops can be a problem if you build them in!

Paul E