Build a Kill Switch via stompbox

[Biscazziere]

Hi all, I was wondering if it was possible to build  a stompbox version of the kill switch tecnique used by Van Halen, Morello and Buckethead.
I think that a momentary switch will not work because the foot pression will break it.

So I think to build an "automatic" kill switch, with a sort of "rate" pot to tune the speed of the effect, but I don't knwo where to start.

It is possible to build it modding an existing pedal (as a tremolo for instance) ?

Or can you advise me some building hint or ideas which I can develope (some chip name I have to use maybe etc..) ?

Thansk!

[birt]

a momentary footswitch would work actually. i think it would be quite easy to mod one of those cheap boss style footswitches.

or a momentary stompswitch like the normal footswitches we all use in diy effects. preferably one that doesn't click when you hit it

[Biscazziere]

Don't you think that a continuos and fast tapping with the foot over it would break it? I will try that. But what about a rate control to make it automatic instead of tapping it fast with the foot?

[raulgrell]

Some tremolos can get a very choppy sound, but keep in mind, you'll have to set a rate of "chopping" and keep it there...

[Biscazziere]

Some tremolos can get a very choppy sound, but keep in mind, you'll have to set a rate of "chopping" and keep it there...

In the sense that I have to set the chopping rate at its maximum? So I can't regolate the chopping rate, but can I regulate the speed rate?

[raulgrell]

In the sense that you'd have the depth at it's maximum (You'll probably have to mod the LFO so that it makes a more square wave than a sine wave), but you'll be able to selects it's speed... You will lose the advantage of being able to do what you want, limiting you to regular chop sounds...

[jonathan perez]

if you want an automatic killswitch, a tremolo is your best bet.

if you want to do fast/pattern toggle gating, then youll have to just have it on your guitar.

[widdly]

I've built a kill switch pedal for the bass player in my band.  I used a momentary footswitch that I got from an industrial automation place.  It's heavy duty( rated to 240V at 15amp) and will hold up to loads of abuse.  You can find those sorts of things on ebay too.

[s.r.v.]

http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=25
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=26
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=672
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=27
he says some are rugged enough to be stomped 
can someone tell me how to wire this into a pedal? i tried before and falied i'd like to use a 3pdt, latching with 2 led's if it makes a difference. thanks!

[Harry]

Make a square lfo tremolo with a pulse width modulator control. That would be closest to how the actual kill switch technique works.

[soulsonic]

The Noise Gate from Anderton's Electronic Projects for Musicians can be triggered by a drum machine to get this effect with whatever rhythm you'd like.

[d95err]

http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=25
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=26
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=672
http://www.smallbearelec.com/Detail.bok?no=27
he says some are rugged enough to be stomped 
can someone tell me how to wire this into a pedal? i tried before and falied i'd like to use a 3pdt, latching with 2 led's if it makes a difference. thanks!

What exactly is it you want to do with the switch? There is plenty of info around about how to wire a 3PDT footswitch for true bypass and similar constructions.

If you just want a killswitch, use one pole to connect the signal to ground. If you've got more than one pole on the switch, you can use it to switch LEDs. If you've got a 3PDT switch, just leave one pole empty.

[Biscazziere]

Thanks for all the replies, now I will try some of the suggestions!

[Mark Hammer]

If you can operate a killswitch using your foot with even half the timing accuracy and expressiveness that a hand-operated switch can achieve, then you have some pretty darn fine foot-control my friend.  Feet are fine for wahs, and some foot-bass work, but the sorts of switching speeds that people normally use killswitches for demands the sorts of speeds that only hands cand do.

Take a look at the article on David Torn in Guitar Player earlier this year.  He has an interesting guitar made for him by Koll with a pair of switches on the upper bout that he can play like drums with two fingers.  I don't think they are visible in this picture, but perhaps they are in the soundclip included on the website:
http://www.kollguitars.com/pages/player.php