Another approach to switching

[Mark Hammer]

So, a while back I embarked on a little adventure.  First, I made a little Youtube about using a remote momentary to switch Boss pedals by paralleling an external switch with the internal one.  Then I picked up a Marshall footswitch unit, popped a few holes in it, painted it, and installed a half-dozen momentary switches and wired them up to mini-jacks for connecting to pedals.  You'll note the ones closer to the back are installed to be a little higher so that I can step on them without hitting the ones in front.  I can also hit several at once if I want.  And the nice thing is that I only have to run an unshielded 2-conductor cable from the pedal, rather than a pair of bulky patch cords.  So far so good.

But today I got to thinking about it again, and despite the arrival of a package of 3PDT switches in the mail, thought to myself "Why even have a stompswitch?  Why not simply have a mini-jack for connecting to the sextet switch unit, and a small electronic FET or CMOS switch inside?  It would provide more flexibility in the layout and even number of controls without having to plan around where to put a stompswitch so you don't accidentally step on the knobs or toggle switches.  The requisite minijack still takes some room, as does the board for the e-switch, but you'd have a lot more latitude in where to put them.

Something to ponder.  I dare ya.

[R.G.]

I think it's a great idea, Mark.

The only problem I can see is that you have to go modify all the pedals you want to use with it. We talked about similar things at one time at the day job. The thing that killed it is that the vast majority of pedals in the world don't have the feature, and it can't be added without tinkering inside them. Of course to a DIYer, it makes a great deal of sense.

The bypassing is already in the pedal, and increasingly, it's electronic. Makes good sense to use it.

[patrick398]

Sounds intriguing but i can't quite get it straight in my head. Any chance of a schem or wiring diagram? 

[Mark Hammer]

I think it's a great idea, Mark.

The only problem I can see is that you have to go modify all the pedals you want to use with it. We talked about similar things at one time at the day job. The thing that killed it is that the vast majority of pedals in the world don't have the feature, and it can't be added without tinkering inside them. Of course to a DIYer, it makes a great deal of sense.

The bypassing is already in the pedal, and increasingly, it's electronic. Makes good sense to use it.

Thanks.  Although I tried to plant the idea of the jack for an adjunct remote switch into different pedal-makers' heads when I was at Summer NAMM, they were a little resistant, primarily because it was an I-don't-want-to-be-the-first-one-out-on-the-dance-floor thing.  I'm sorry I missed my chance to chat with the head of Boss when I was there, because if only one "big name" started doing it, I'm sure the rest would hop on board. 

I certainly won't deny the convenience of having a stompswitch in the pedal itself, since it doesn't require any adjunct technology to make it work.  But for those of us tinkerers who like to add more analog features than can comfortably fit into a 1590B or even BB, and who like to stuff more pedals onto a board than can be easily and reliably reached, being able to "liberate" enclosure and panel space, and allocate it to more functions, without having to be concerned with creating a "safe foot perimeter", it's an appealing idea.

The One Control company makes an assortment of switching and "utility" devices ( http://www.one-control.com/switchers.html ) that I was impressed with when I saw their booth/display.  I should probably give them a nudge.  Maybe if manufacturers knew there was something already out there to do the remote switching, perhaps they might consider at least providing the extension minijack.

[amptramp]

I did have a switching design in this topic:

https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=120006.msg1122270#msg1122270

that might be what you want.  It offers soft switching via CD4007 devices or an equivalent using the CD4066 where switching is held off until the voltages on the audio waveforms match.

[Mark Hammer]

As per usual, I'm great at predicting the past, as if it were somehow the future.  It seems that last year the AMT company - a Russian builder - started including mini-TRS jacks in some of their pedals that enable external control over switching, in addition to on-board stompswitches.  Let's hope the strategy is contagious.

https://amtelectronics.com/new/amt-chorus-ch-2/
https://amtelectronics.com/new/manuals/AMT_X-LEAD_X-CLEAN_AMT-Bricks_(ENG).pdf