About Relays

[Khas Evets]

The Voodoo Lab's switcher claims:

GCX loops use no active circuitry, only the finest gold contact relays sealed in pure nitrogen. This gives the best possible reliability and tone. And GCX loops will add true bypass to any pedal effect to greatly improve tone when the effect is not being used.

http://www.voodoolab.com/gcx.htm

Does anyone know which relays they're using? Does the gold contact, nitrogen sealed relay make a difference, or is this just one more audiofile myth?

I'm planning to start experimenting with a relay looper. I've seen the NEC EA series recommended around here. Any other brands worth checking out?

[R.G.]

"only the finest gold contact relays sealed in pure nitrogen" is code words for "we use reed relays". You gotta admit, "finest gold contacts, sealed in pure nitrogen" sounds fancier. Conjures up images of purity, great expense and effort, and space program kinda stuff, right?

Reed relays were developed by Bell Labs to switch low level audio signals - big surprise, yes? They do a good job on so-called dry circuits, where the voltage and currents are small, and the sealed atmosphere keeps the contacts from corroding.

I have found reed relays hard to work with and expensive. I guess the rest of the world does too, because the other relay companies haven't gone entirely to reeds for their switching yet.

I keep pushing the NEC EA2 series. They're cheap, small, and I have not yet been able to make one fail by normal circuit use. About the only thing that is wrong with the EA2  series is that Mouser does not carry them in 9V. They have non-latching, single coil latching, and double coil latching versions, all about the same price.  What's not to love?

[toneman]

Hey RG,
thought U were gonna say  "mojo"   
Later
Tone