what do professionals do about bypass popping?

[kvb]

going through a build trying to figure out where the click is coming from. It's a big build too. so it takes a while to get things in and out of the enclosure. I'm not having much fun.
Hm. mostly checking grounds for zero on the meter.
getting .5 mv at the output cap - but all caps leak so, normal?
intermittent bypass click/pop affected by vol/gain.
nothing like a bad cap "k-POW"
it could even be the switch
I'm pretty much ready to live with it, but that feels like quitting or leaving a problem unsolved.

compared to others

seems like all of my DIY stuff pops a bit
especially something high gain like a booster
some commercially built stuff switches quietly
and some does not - little clicks

So I'm thinking, no little click in a signal chain at a big huge event with big huge speakers it going to be acceptable. And it seems that no matter what, some effects are just going to pop or click every once in a while.

So what do people do? If they are jumping to a solo, they can stomp the switch right when they start playing and disguise the click. But what if the FX clicks when it is bypassed?  Is everything else so noisy that no one notices these sounds? Hit the bypass on a drumbeat?

[bumblebee]

4.7Meg pulldown resistors from input to ground is the simplest solution IMO.

[DWBH]

Could one say that the pop is, many times, not caused by lack of pulldown resistors/DC at inputs/outputs, but by the switching of the LED on/off - LED pop?

[kvb]

no, no

the top part is just me mumbling about how no matter what I do it is possible that there will be a click here or there

I'm not asking for a solution to the problem.
I'm just wondering what people do on stage 'in spite of' the problem.

I'm pretty sure that people like 'the Edge' (U2) have all of there stuff hooked up to logic controlled relays, etc. I saw a shot of his set up on 60 Minutes some time ago. That's a solution he can afford.

But what about guys with no dough?

Another question might be: What would you do with an effect that was awesome but had this tendency to click noticably when the amp is set at high volume?

What about a separate bypass box? I'm wondering if a set of relays - one  for the input, a separate one for the output.  Then there could be set a tiny delay between when the input is connected and when the output is connected.  Do people do this?

[runmikeyrun]

I had a microphonic switch once, and also a microphonic NOS transistor.  The board the tranny was soldered to was connected mechanically to the enclosure, which picked up the vibration of the switch clicking over.  It took a while to figure that one out- now whenever i have a switch pop i try activating the switch disconnected from the enclosure to rule out a microphonic component.

[kvb]

LED pop?

Yeah, I'll go double check that. I did already put a cap there, maybe not the right way.

rule out a microphonic component.

That's why I was just kicking the thing pretty hard.

[km-r]

i wouldn't worry much about the LED causing pops... not if your LED consumes a lot of current. in any way it WILL pop but it will not be audible.

maybe +1 to microphonics... these 3pdt's really do CLICK loudly...

[Mark Hammer]

This is one of the reasons why MANY manufacturers like using FETs for switching.  The thing about a physical contact is that it is either made...or not.  In contrast, a FET's resistance can be decreased or increased over time.  If that time is on the order of a couple of milliseconds, then you don't hear a pop, and you don't hear anything missing.

[Thomeeque]

On the other hand, silent pop makes no harm - in live situation nobody cares and there's no problem to remove pops from recorded material

[earthtonesaudio]

On the other hand, silent pop makes no harm - in live situation nobody cares and there's no problem to remove pops from recorded material

I've removed pops from recorded audio, and I wouldn't exactly say it's "no problem."

[DWBH]

What irritates me most is when you're using a delay and then stomp on another pedal. It goes like pop, pop, pop, pop.....

[carrejans]

maybe +1 to microphonics... these 3pdt's really do CLICK loudly...

I recently found some 3pdt's that don't click as hard as the blue ones.
These are green and a little bit smaller compared to the blue ones; I found them in China.
I haven't tested them in a pedal though.

[Andi]

I've never really had a problem - I put a decent sized decoupling cap with a bleed resistor at (each) input and output.

[igor12]

"no little click in a signal chain at a big huge event with big huge speakers it going to be acceptable"

Don't worry about.  Listen to Pete Towsend at "live at Leeds" or watch him at woodstock.  His switches are popping all over the place and Woodstock was a pretty huge event.  Listen to the end of "Eruption" when eddie kicks on his univox exho.  I always add the bleeder resistors and this helps but some click will always be there.  You never notice it when jamming.

[drewl]

Yeah there's definitely "pops" out there on plenty of records, I love when you hear someone switch pickups...or bass drum pedal squeak, that's great!