Order of effects switching...

[bifurcation]

This is probably a super noob question, but I'm knocking my head against this:

I've built an overdrive circuit and a fuzz circuit, and I was thinking about how the Boss/JHS Angry Driver can put one circuit in front of the other or vice versa. Even thinking about a DPDT switch, I'm not getting my head around how it would work.

[Kevin Mitchell]

Let's brake it down like this...

You have your master input (cable from your instrument)
And your master output (cable to amp)
Input for pedal one
Input for pedal two
Output for pedal one
Output for pedal two

Okay my head hurts.

[bifurcation]

Thanks for the clearer summary. 

You have your master input (cable from your instrument)
And your master output (cable to amp)
Input for pedal one
Input for pedal two
Output for pedal one
Output for pedal two

Okay my head hurts.

Right?

[patrick398]

You'd need a 3PDT switch, 4PDT if you want an LED to indicate the order. I used this diagram recently, worked well. I used a 3pdt toggle but footswitch would also work obvs.
Something about switch wiring/configuration really confuses me too. It's too damned logical, my brain just doesn't work that way.



If you want indicator LEDs  on your 'effect 1' and 'effect 2' switches you need to short bottom and middle lugs on the left column (and connect to ground) and your LED goes top left....i think. I can't remember. I'll have a look.

EDIT: Yep led cathode to top left. Anode to power (through R)

[nocentelli]

Beavis' diagram shows the order LEDs (but not the bypass switches for each circuit).

[bifurcation]

Thanks Patrick and Leo!

[Mark Hammer]

The advantage of using a 3PDT toggle is that it is smaller, so you can have enough room for the two stompswitches you require.  As well, the bat handle can indicate which comes first, by virtue of where the handle is "leaning".

Note that the set of contacts being made are always on the opposite side of where the handle is.  Think of the handle like a snowshovel, and the angle as similar to how you would hold the shovel if you were pushing snow in a given direction.  IN view of how much wire will be shoved into a fairly small space, I will recommend getting yourself some 3/64 heat shrink tubing, to slip over the contacts, after you've soldered a wire to each.

[stallik]

^ also, you might try mounting the switch at 90 degrees so that the bat points to the controls for the first effect in the chain.

[Mark Hammer]

Yes, I should have mentioned that.  It seems obvious if you've done it before, but perhaps less so if it's your first time out. Thanks. 

[EBK]

What sort of fuzz circuit did you build?  Fuzz experts (I'm underqualified) may insist that the fuzz should always go first in your chain.

[bifurcation]

What sort of fuzz circuit did you build?  Fuzz experts (I'm underqualified) may insist that the fuzz should always go first in your chain.

It's a Fuzz Factory clone (with a "fat fuzz" switch added and I'm hoping to add a switch to go between silicon and germanium diodes.)

Yeah, I've definitely heard the "fuzz first" thoughts, but I've seen folks do driver first too. Joshua from JHS does a demo with his Haunting Mids before and after various distortions, so I thought it'd be interesting to build a pedal with options.

I built a Haunting Mids clone, but I think I'm going to try out a EQD Chrysalis clone as the driver (I saw some demos of different fuzzes and the Chrysalis and thought there were some cool-sounding combinations.)

I play doom metal and noise rock, so I'm generally leaning toward the weird/noisy side of the spectrum.