Druid’s DigiDelay with mic controls

[Matthew Sanford]

This has been on the brain for a long time, and I think this pedal has the options built in for it!

I want to make a mic grip with momentary switches and FSRs for finger tip vocal effects control similar to the mic grip effect level thingy (which I've yet to solder a prototype for...thinking smd is how I should do it...). Anyway, which parts would a singer want to control? I figure the bypass w/splash on demand, and tap tempo (2 fingers, 2 momentaries), but that leaves 2 finger options... but many other options. FSR voltage divider for amount of repeats makes sense, so the pinky could use the same for the high shelf to give each like option, or low shelf...or leave it off and let that little one just focus on not dropping the mic...

I know if I sing I have a guitar in my hands, and singers can use footswitches too, but it's harder to stare into the eyes of the crowd using shoegaze techniques, right?

So, what would you do? The amazingness is at https://electricdruid.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DIGIDELAYDatasheet.pdf , it will be a bit before mine arrives (time to practice soldering!), so I want to play with the options first...had thought maybe add switches to change what each controls, but that might get too complicated...maybe a glove attached so rock star points get a special sound, another for the middle finger eh? (I guess that's to say I'm looking for insanity too!)

[FiveseveN]

Anyway, which parts would a singer want to control?

Design usually starts with the use case, otherwise you're solving issues that nobody has.
Aren't you building this for yourself? What do you need to control?

So, what would you do?

For a general expression controller I'd make it MIDI so parameter assignment and calibration can be done at any time.

[ElectricDruid]

The DigiDelay is definitely a handy choice for something like this since all the pots on the pedal are really just voltage dividers providing a 0-3.3V CV to the processor's ADC inputs. As such, you can tweak the pot values pretty heavily without messing anything up (like by replacing it with an FSR). Or you could get a CV in the appropriate range from somewhere else - expression pedals, for example.
You *could* go as far as building a MIDI controller, and then adding MIDI-to-CV to the DigiDelay, but while it would allow you to use your mic controls with other stuff that accepts MIDI too, it seems a bit like overkill. Perhaps if I'd added MIDI input to the DigiDelay chip's code it'd be worth it, since that would save a lot of messing about (I'll add that to the list for the Rev.2 version!).

[Matthew Sanford]

MIDI, eh? It's a bit beyond me yet, but I need to get there...and likely it's been done that way.

This is just one of those things in my head I'm trying to get out of there. I figure control at the fingertips would be nice.

Tom, I had been thinking for the CV to all have stereo jacks do expression pedals could be used, then an FSR voltage divider (22k seems to work) as the alternative control, but that's a lot of cords to the mic...maybe an in between box to plug them to and send them together through a 9 pin connector/cable. MIDI in the chip would be good, give me something to riddle through. Can you make this chip loop? Or I guess that would be different code...

When I get it, and time for it, I'll try momentary switches for bypass and tap, and an FSR for the amount of repeats, maybe one for the high shelf - that'd be like wah, adjusting the frequency? I guess...we'll see...kinda want to be able to stick pots in too, keep it versatile, could always solder them to stereo plugs I guess.

[ElectricDruid]

Yeah, no looping in this version either. Other people have mentioned that as a "would be nice if" so that's on the list for Rev.2 as well. "Infinite hold" is probably going to be closer to what it gets, because as soon as you mention "looping" people start thinking about modern pedals that do specifically that and have a ton of other features too (like overdubs and whatever else) and the interface starts to get more complex. I was thinking "1980's studio rack delay" when I was designing this thing, and that's still where the feature set will be aimed, if I ever do get round to doing a Rev.2. I'd certainly like to, but you know how it is...life gets in the way.

My advice would be to build it up and get it running with pots on wires or something, just so you can hear it and play with it, and then you'll start to know what options you think would be useful to have more sophisticated expression control over. If you solder pots in the board straight away you'll struggle to get them out (plated through holes!), so don't do that first up.