Bluetooth-Connected app controlled pedal mod

[jishnudg]

Okay, so I've been talking to a friend of mine (who, incidentally, is a coder in Google - isn't that as good as they get? ) and he said this is definitely possible, and quite easy,at that.

So if we take any garden variety 3 knob stompbox, and replace all its pots with LED/LDR setups. The LEDs are wired to an arduino, that has some sort of piggybacking bluetooth connection board (need to ask around for details on this) that allows the arduino to interface with an android or iPhone app, that can be used to either 1) control the pots in real time or 2) save presets or 3) set up time-period based control changes - -like the distortion or volume varying over a  specified range, over a specified time period.

The app development can be taken care of, so I was wondering what  I would need to do with the other tthree components (arduino programming, bluetooth, LED/LDR values, subsequent range).

Also, this is very much in the pipeline, so would love inputs on how this concept can be expanded, other features added on etc

What do you guys think? How doable is this?

[upspoon12]

i can definitely see this going in to use in live music. If there was a way to set up the app to do presets on your whole pedal board all at the same time i think this would be killer.

For example: Set is about to start, guitar tech or musician hits preset 1, all 8 pedals on the board are set to that songs spec. the ones that aren't used are put into bypass and the musician doesn't have to worry about the pedals not setting.
Song 2: the same

etc etc.

I know 3 session guitar players whom do artist development that would LOVE this.

Also if there was a way to retrofit current pedals with a bluetooth receiver some how i think this idea would become even more succesful.

Having said that, there are a lot of what i like to call 'purists' out there that wouldn't dream of not letting the pedals controls not go through potentiometers for fear that it might not sound the same.

*shrug*

[karbomusic]

TC Electronics does something sorta similar (except it goes through the pickups modem style) for presets with TonePrint where you beam it to your pedal from your phone.

http://www.tcelectronic.com/toneprint-app/

I have several Arduino boards laying around (nano/micro). One of these days I'm going to put one in a pedal.