TB or Not TB for E&MM String Dampner

[Boogdish]

I've had the E&MM String Dampner on my breadboard since last October and I feel like i finally have it pretty much tweaked out and modified to where I like it.  I'm now trying to figure out if I want to build it with a latching true bypass or a momentary non true bypass.

I'm working from this project file:
http://hammer.ampage.org/files/StringDamper.PDF
The bypass system described in this article is the momentary non true bypass.  It's a little switch in the top right that puts V+ directly into the envelope follower type circuit instead of your guitar signal driving it (that's the quick explanation, there's a better one in the article)

I've got some pros and cons worked out and I just wanted to get y'alls opinions.

Latching True Bypass-
Pros
-easier to tweak the knobs without having to keep the button pressed down
-no loss of signal fidelity when not using the effect (which when playing live would probably be the whole time)
Cons
-switch popping
-very small change in tone from when effect is on or off

Momentary non-True Bypass-
Pros
-more natural transition from effect to non-effect
-more expressive and easier to use (it becomes more of an automated volume pedal than a normal switched effect) especially for single notes
Cons
-a small amount of noise and distortion.
-difficult to adjust knobs and get the sound you want

I've also considered doing both, I imagine the effect wouldn't be used in every song in a set, so you could use true bypass for most of the night and then on the songs or sections of songs where you would be using the effect you'd switch it on and deal with the noise.  You'd still have to deal with the difficulty of adjusting the knobs, and you'd still get some switch popping, but I suppose you could time out your pops with parts of the song where it wouldn't be as noticeable.

Thanks for reading.  Writing things out like this really helps me figure out what I'm doing, so even if no one responds to this, I think this post has helped me.  Also, working on this circuit has taught me a lot about OTAs and envelope generators, it's a lot of fun.

[Processaurus]

both! or just the momentary.  fun factor always over good tone.

[Mark Hammer]

I vote for both as well.  You should be able to stick the board, a 3PDT stompswitch and a momentary switch in the same 1590BB (or similar) box.  Certainly, that's how I'd do it.  And I think the reasons for doing so are nicely outlined in your thoughtful and comprehensive pro and con list.  (Nicely done, there!) 

[Boogdish]

thanks guys.

When I went back to the breadboard I realized that I realized that I had forgotten another point.  I've modified the circuit to have an effects loop between the envelope detector and the VCA at the end.  I wouldn't be able to use this with true bypass, and if I did a combination of TB and momentary, whatever I had in this loop would only be used in the songs with the string dampner in use.  I've really like the sound that I've gotten on the breadboard of a heavy distortion being slowly faded in, I'd hate to not be able to get that in the final build.

[Processaurus]

how about buffer the input to your pedal, split the output of the buffer two ways: one to the envelope detector, one to the effects loop send.  Then treat the effects loop return as the input to your true bypass scheme.  The audio path of the e&mm gets true bypassed, but the envelope section is always on.

or, not worry about the true bypass at all, if you don't notice a negative effect on your sound when it's always on.  Then you're always only one button press away from what you want, rather than two. 

[Boogdish]

good idea, Ben.  Hopefully I'll have time to try that this week.

[elshiftos]

I think I bought that issue of E&MM when it originally came out - yow!

[Boogdish]

did the sounds scare off all the dinosaurs that were still roaming the earth back then?     just kidding.  I'm 22, I think this circuit is older than I am.

[dr]

Boogdish-do you happen to have a decent layout for the foil pcb? I can't make heads or tails out of the one on the Ampage site...........dr

[Boogdish]

Mine is still on the breadboard and I'm planning on building mine on veroboard.  I like building on vero more than PCB for one off builds because it's more flexible in case you realize you need to change something after you've got it built up.