Building a footswitch for my amp: please help!

[geo909]

Hello everybody,
I really need some help here.I need to build
a footswitch for my amp (Engl Screamer 50) because
the original one is too expensive for me (and -anyway-
I don't think it worths the money even if they made it really
good looking...).
It's not actually a stompbox,sorry for posting here,but
I don't think it's completely unrelated to what this forum concerns...

Here's  the facts:
My amp has four channels.
Gain Hi/Low and Clean/Lead.
I say "four" channels because it works with combinations:

Gain Low + Clean = Clean channel
Gain Hi  + Clean = Overdrive channel
Gain Low + Lead  = Crunchy channel
Gain Hi  + Lead  = Distortion channel

It also has two functions:
Reverb on/off and Volume hi/low (the last one switches between two preset volume
levels -adjusted by the user- and it's a really cool feature.But enough
of advertising my amp!)

The amp has two female stereo jacks on the back.

The first one is about the channels.
Signal on/off to the one ring means Gain Low/Hi and
SIgnal on/off to the other means Clean/Lead.
(Sorry for the lack of correct terminology here,you
understand what I want to say,don't you?)

So for this one, I need a board with four latching
switches,leading to a stereo jack working like this:
1st switch: No signal at all (Clean channel)
2nd switch: Signal only to the first ring (Overdrive Channel)
3d  switch: Signal only to the second ring (Crunchy Channel)
4th switch: Signal to both rings (Distortion Channel)
(Of course pressing one means "cancelling" the others).

The second female jack is for the other functions.
Signal on/off to the one ring means Reverb on/off and
Signal on/off to the other ring means Volume low/Hi

For this one I don't need to combine anything.I need a
board with two latching switches,one for each function,
working independently and -unlike the "Channel" board-
pressing one should not cancel the other.. 

So,any idea? It doesn't seem to be very complicated,does it?
Could someone PLEASE make a schematic,a layout
or something?! I can't do it my self because I don't have a clue
about all that stuff,but I am able to follow a diagram.Anyway,it's
all about the money (I have calculated it will cost me 1/3 or 1/2
of the price of the original footswitch -including the box) and I REALLY need this
footswitch.

Also,forgive my nerve-racking extensiveness of the thread but
being a newbie I don't really know how to express things
in a simpler way!
         Thanks for your time

P.S.When I say "ring",I mean ..ahem.. the ..rings that are on a
male jack,I don't know how they are called.

[geo909]

Well,I've just realised that there's a REQUEST SCHEMATICS topic somewhere else
on the page so I guess I didn't post my message to the right place...
Sorry for that..
Well,please help anyway!!

[Seljer]

Quickest/easiest solution:
build 2 of these

you should be able 2 use any other double footswitch from other amps without trouble

you'll have to press 2 switches for the channel switching though


if you want to have 4 seperate switches for each of the channels you'll have to use that 9pin "custom footswitch port" on the back which I'm still trying to figure out at the moment

[geo909]

Thanks a lot..
If the other option with the 4 switches (for the channel board) is difficult to make,
I'll try the way you say for the channels.

Yes,I know the option of buying two of these footswitches for other
amps,but working with that,also seems to be a good starting
point for the absolute beginner (that's me).
(It's cheeper,too -don't care for the time I have to spend!)

if you want to have 4 seperate switches for each of the channels you'll have to use that 9pin "custom footswitch port" on the back which I'm still trying to figure out at the moment

Well,is that obligatory?! If you make the 4-switch board as I said and
connect it to the female jack of the amp (for the channels) why shouldn't that
work?! Anyway,I don't want to build an exact replica of the engl z5 custom footswitch,
I just need to have the same options in my feet (even with two boards,ore one board with two
cables running out!!)

[Seljer]

the 9 pin serial connector also provides a DC voltage (the same 24V that the switching relays run off, as far as I can see from the schematic) to power to the basic switching logic you'd need for 4 switches


also, looking at the schematics, I'm not sure whether or not you'd need to put a resistor in series with those LEDs, even with the regular footswitch I drew there. Test it out first (you mentioned connecting together the sections on a stereo cable on footswitch jacks -> try connecting them with LEDs to see if they still light up and the amp still switches channels/reverb/etc...)

[slacker]

Well,is that obligatory?! If you make the 4-switch board as I said and
connect it to the female jack of the amp (for the channels) why shouldn't that
work?!

You could use the female jack sockets on the amp to do your idea of having one switch per channel. The problem is making one switch cancel the others. This is hard to do and you need to use relays or some form of electronic switching to do it, you can't do it just using switches. Things get complicated and relatively expensive once you start looking into this.

by the way welcome to the board

[geo909]

by the way welcome to the board

Thanks!It's a really interesting one!

...The problem is making one switch cancel the others. This is hard to do and you need to use relays or some form of electronic switching to do it, you can't do it just using switches.

Really?! Is that so hard?
So,it seems that I should make two dual foot-switches.
That's fine too,it'll do the work (it will just  take second more!).

Also,hmmm,
now I'm feel embarassed:
I'm searching but can't find what that symbol means:

- shit,I don't know how to post pictures either..I'm pathetic!-

Well,I mean the arrow after the ring.
Please,seljer (or anyone else),since you've already wasted some time,can you
make a layout for the absolute beginner?(you know,where
every cable goes,and the switch with the pins...).
This will be my very first "project" (seems to be simpler than the "beginner's project" booster!)..

[geo909]

...and you need to use relays or some form of electronic switching to do it, you can't do it just using switches. Things get complicated and relatively expensive once you start looking into this.

So that's why the custom footswitch is so expensive!
Maybe I was a bit hurry to judge them...

[slacker]

Could be.
There's actually a schematic for the custom footswitch here http://www.houseofenglamps.com/ENGL_SchematicDiagrams/Accessories/Z5-schematics.pdf

As you can see, even if you don't know what it all is, there's a lot of stuff in it. Someone here could probably make you one but I doubt it would work out much cheaper.

[Seljer]

Could be.
There's actually a schematic for the custom footswitch here http://www.houseofenglamps.com/ENGL_SchematicDiagrams/Accessories/Z5-schematics.pdf

As you can see, even if you don't know what it all is, there's a lot of stuff in it. Someone here could probably make you one but I doubt it would work out much cheaper.

woah, thats more than I was expecting

I was just thinking a couple of latching relays and some diodes

[geo909]

Hmmm...
Yes.A lot of stuff.
Enough to make me erase the pdf with the schematic and go to cry on my pillow,
for I'll never make my ideal footswitch.

So,I'll try to make the dual one
(If you could just make me that extensive layout!!).
I'll also start the beginner's project which is "step by step"
to get started.

[geo909]

Ok,that thing I didn't know was the leds,I found that out.
But a layout would still be very usefull!