DIY cartridge pedals

[mark2]

I floated this in the diy subreddit and enough people seemed interested so I think I'm going to be putting together some base "console" pedal kits (and parted-out enclosures, pcbs, etc) and a bunch of cartridge pedal kits.

More details here and of course i'm happy to answer any questions.

The short version is you have
* a base pedal with a variety of pots and knobs (currently 2k, 10k, 50k, 1M, two 100k; plus on-on and on-off-on DPDT),  a volume and optional blend control, and power filtering. It also has some free connector pins so you can hack at it and add custom functionality (e.g. tapflo, havoc switch, more controls)
* and swappable cartridges do the audio processing

I wanted to post it over here too for 3 reasons:

• Would love to hear any feedback or ideas to make it better, more hackable, more fun, etc
• if you're interested in getting some of the parts or kits, you can sign up at that link after clicking "yes" or "maybe" to get notified
• If you're interested in helping design some cartridges (i.e. adapt circuits for the platform and layout the PCBs), once I get a couple kinks ironed out and get the files updated, I can share all the details. I'm open to other ideas but was thinking a cut of each sale is a simple arrangement.

Hope it turns out to be as fun for others as it's been for me so far, and looking forward to any feedback you have.

[Mark Hammer]

Didn't Devi Ever do a Kickstarter for exactly that a few years ago?

[mark2]

Very similar, but I don't think they were focused on DIY'ers. Or even if they were it never saw the light of day so I still think there's an opportunity for this to thrive.

[soggybag]

This doesn't seem useful to me.

Better would be one box with 3 to 5 stomp switches and three pots for for each. A cartridge for each effect. Effectively a multi effects box with cartridges for each effect. No menu diving, just pop the cartridges out and swap or arrange them.

[soggybag]

I'll add, this design has worried I'm going to kick the cartridge out or step on it and break it. I feel the same about those pedals that have a tube poking out the top!

[marcelomd]

Just some comments:
I'm not into swapping pedals. I've thought about this modular approach. In the end I'd rather rehouse my kit into some kind of flyrig instead. Pete Cornish style.

I suspect this modular thing is not very useful in the end. You're only saving a few cables, and what do you do when the effect you want is not available as a compatible cartridge?

That said, if you want to try, I prefer the way Biyang did it, with the controls in the cartridges:

[mark2]

Better would be one box with 3 to 5 stomp switches and three pots for for each. A cartridge for each effect. Effectively a multi effects box with cartridges for each effect. No menu diving, just pop the cartridges out and swap or arrange them.

Yeah that would be really useful, but pretty huge. The work I've done for this one would be totally compatible with that concept though, so there's no reason I (or anyone) couldn't make a "Deluxe" version of this with exactly that.

Thanks for the feedback.

I suspect this modular thing is not very useful in the end. You're only saving a few cables, and what do you do when the effect you want is not available as a compatible cartridge?

Yeah, that's fair, and to be honest it's less about practicality for your rig, and more about fun and inexpensive experimentation.

That said, if you want to try, I prefer the way Biyang did it, with the controls in the cartridges:

To make it a useful tool I'd agree... but sticking with the goal of a fun and cheap novelty, that would be cost prohibitive (both for R&D and the final kits).

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! All great points.

[Mark Hammer]

Line 6 experimented with the modular approach with their Tone Core aeries that also had cartridges with the controls included.  The cartridges/modules could be inserted into any of their docks.  They even came out with a module development system and blank modules so you could develop your own.  We had hoped there would be a spate of other L6 and 3rd party effect modules to supplement what the series included, but to no avail.

Modular systems always hold promise and then die a horrible death.

[Digital Larry]

Yeah, I got one of those ToneCore pedals and the "Dev Kit".  Their support and documentation ecosystem was non existent.  "Here's a stock 2-band EQ to get you started" and everything else was "an exercise for the reader".  Buh-bye.

[Digital Larry]

Didn't Devi Ever do a Kickstarter for exactly that a few years ago?

Hoo boy, assuming you know the eventual outcome of that... 

[EBK]

R.G. has something on his site about this sort of concept.  I think he called his FX bus.  I'll dig a bit.

Edit: here.
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/FXbus/fxbus.htm

[ElectricDruid]

Line 6 experimented with the modular approach with their Tone Core aeries that also had cartridges with the controls included.  The cartridges/modules could be inserted into any of their docks.  They even came out with a module development system and blank modules so you could develop your own.  We had hoped there would be a spate of other L6 and 3rd party effect modules to supplement what the series included, but to no avail.

Modular systems always hold promise and then die a horrible death.

I think the trouble is that we don't *want* one pedal that can be ten pedals. We actually want *ten pedals* that we can stick together in any order we like!

One modular dock that I can plug loads of modules into is only any good while I'm happy with one effect at a time. And honestly, where's the fun it that?!? So I'm going to need lots of docks and lots of modules, and at that point, any benefit of the modular system is lost and it'd be easier/cheaper to just have a pile of conventional effects. Until someone solves that ultimate problem, I don't see this going away.

It's a shame though, because as a programmer, I thought the ToneCore series looked good and would have liked to play with it. Ah well...

[EBK]

I think the trouble is that we don't *want* one pedal that can be ten pedals. We actually want *ten pedals* that we can stick together in any order we like!

Very true.  There is something satisfying about seeing multiple pedals that all look different on one pedal board.  It is a display, not just function.  It shows off the personality of the guitarist visually.

[toneman]

I used to have a Sequenitial Circuits ProFX module.  Mainly got it for the delay. Sold it to a guy in Japan.

https://www.synthxl.com/sequential-circuits-pro-fx-serie-500/

I think I still have the factory service manual somewhere..it had ALL the modules,...

afn

[bean]

I'm in for designing a cartridge. Seems like it would be a lot of fun!

[digi2t]

I think the trouble is that we don't *want* one pedal that can be ten pedals. We actually want *ten pedals* that we can stick together in any order we like!

This.

Which is why I use this...

[mark2]

I'm in for designing a cartridge. Seems like it would be a lot of fun!

Awesome, I'm sure a lot of people would love that. I'll hit you up as soon as I have more digestible docs and a finalized board outline. On that note, is a gerber file for the board outline and edge connectors suitable? Or I can share an easyeda project if that's easier.

[diffeq]

There's this:
https://www.eltamusic.com/console
But it feels like just a ROM pcb that you plug for internal DSP engine.

[Mark Hammer]

Gazing at the inventory on commercial websites, and the pics of pedalboards on forum sites, it's clear that players are motivated by:
1) how "Instagram-able" their board is, and how many 'exotic' and hard-to-find pedals they have, be they rare vintage pieces or things from some obscure small manufacturer; there's a competitive aspect;
2) the ability to achieve very unique and distinctive sounds, in addition to 'boilerplate' tones;
3) the ability to have a LOT of different options available to them in the smallest space.

All of that mitigates against modular systems because achieving that would require standardization across an unachievable number of manufacturers (not to mention eras), in order to provide everyone's products in standardized form, as well as provide instant access to the complete range of effect types on a single board.

Hence the ascendance of digital multi-fx, like Fractal, while discrete pedals sit twiddling their thumbs in the wings.

I have a personal modular system, and have been slowly migrating things that used to be built in pedals to it.  But it's a personal system, with no aspirations to sell, so I can use and do it however the heck I want.  There's a certain kind of freedom in NOT having to cooperate with others.

[mark2]

There's this:
https://www.eltamusic.com/console
But it feels like just a ROM pcb that you plug for internal DSP engine.

Yeah, almost certainly SMD eeproms on the cartridges, and an FV-1 inside. Same as the Cooperfx one.

Definitely not a fun setup for DIY'ers, compared to building full circuits with through-hole components.