DIY Pete Cornish Stomp Box MIDI Controller; Anyone interested in helping me out?

[ulysses]

im going to need a little help from my freinds for a new project..

i envisage something like this (just the foot controller and external box for stompers)



so momentary switches > midi signal sender > midi cable > midi signal reciever > relays that turn off and on based on midi signal

this would be awesome as you could have a really tight effect stomper on stage and your effects back stage with a single midi cable running off stage

anyone done something like this before? i doubt its beyond our enthusiasm

cheers
ulysses

[CGDARK]

That's what I do, I build Custom Audio Switchers, Midi Controllers and Signal Selectors, custom orders only (at least for now).  If you need help or are interested in something PM me.

CG

[ulysses]

ive decided that midi is prob not the best way for this DIY project.

im thinking it will be 8 spst relays - 8 dpdt switches (8 leds) - one big (10 wire) cable going from stomp box to relay switcher - stomp box will send power to relays to switch them off and on..

i was also thinking about a 555 timer to switch the audio.. anyone used a 555 as an audio signal switcher before?

should not be to hard..

8x 5v(relay voltage) =40v  means i will have to put in a transformer to the stomper to send power to the relay box - i've never done that before but it should not be to hard.

the relays may give a slight pop on engagement, but it shouldn't be to noticable - besides, this is DIY!

cheers
ulysses

[Dean Hazelwanter]

Here's another option.
http://generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=26

[ulysses]

hey dean - that looks cool. i will look it over thoroughly

i think its a bit more complex that had wanted but i should be able to trim it down pretty easily

cheers
ulysses

[Chuck]

Here's another option.
http://generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=26

Looks like part of R.G. Keens design with someone elses name on it.
The transistor/capacitor relay slow down is Keens.

The dip switches, insert cable requirement and clumseyness is sort of lame.

Its relatively easy to put MIDI control on anything.  A swicher is the most easiest.  Check out www.ucapps.de.
You use a Core Module and a DOUT module to switch buffered relays.  You can write code to make them switch anyway you want.

If you can't write code, then check out the switcher work on Keen's site.  At least his full circuit debounces the foot switches with a schmitt trigger.

Sure you can hack together 8 buttons with 8 relays and some jacks -- but its going to crackly and pop like a bitch.  Just do it right.

[ulysses]

hmmm.. i think both sound like good ideas.

i dont like buffers, but i dont want it to sound "crackly and pop like a bitch" either..

i have no midi experience - learning curve prob wouldnt be very steep but i am very time poor atm..

are there any other switching methods available or signal relays that dont "pop like a bitch"? is it possible to switch an audio signal through a 555 without buffereing the signal?

cheers
ulysses

[CGDARK]

The transistor/capacitor relay slow down is Keens.

I don't know if R.G designed it , but this is almost a standard in relay-based switching systems.

CG

[Dean Hazelwanter]

Hi Chuck,

Looks like part of R.G. Keens design with someone elses name on it.
The transistor/capacitor relay slow down is Keens.

The dip switches, insert cable requirement and clumseyness is sort of lame.

Yup, the name on it is mine because I 'designed' it. As the name implies, the design is simple enough that anyone with any electronics knowledge could do the same. At the other end of the scale is this one - http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=56264.0 . I 'designed' it too. 

[Dean Hazelwanter]

Some elaboration is required.

Notice the emphasis on the word 'design'. Everyone who designs, 'borrows' ideas whether from app notes, text books, their teachers, the interweb, or their peers. Did I get the capacitor/transistor trick from RG? Probably, since he's generously provided such a vast wealth of information, with (what I can only assume is) the intent of teaching others. I learned that trick, as well as a number of other things from reading (and re-reading, and re-re-reading) his website (among others) which gave me the tools to 'design' the PIC controlled unit. You will notice that in the thread I mentioned, I did thank RG and a few others for generously sharing their wisdom.

Of course 'lameness' is in the eye of the beholder, but I designed it the way I did for very specific reasons.

[widdly]

You could make a very small foot controller with only two momentary footswitchs (up and down) and a 7-segment LED display (preset number) in a floor box.  Everything else could go in the rack. 

The two footswitchs feed the up/down inputs of a Binary Coded Decimal counter (4510).

The LED display connects to a BCD-to-7-segment display controller( 4511) which is fed BCD from the 4510.

The connection from the floor controller to the rack would only need to be five wires; 3 for the BCD and 2 for power.  You could probably use some cheap cat-5 cable. 

Then on the main board you add a BCD-to-decimal chip (4028) and feed the decimal outputs to the dip switches in the original design.

whacha reckon?