Volume Pedal?

[guitarn00b]

I wanted to make my own volume pedal, but I haven't been able to find a schemtic or instructions or anything...can I get some help?

[Pedal love]

It basically works through a high value pot maybe 470k or higher like this:

 input     ----------////////////-------gnd
                                ^
                                 l

                                 l
                             output

pl

[guitarn00b]

sorry, i didn't really understand that diagram...can you elaborate? - thanks

[Pedal love]

Sorry I did it wrong.

A volume pedal is nothing more than a potentiometer with mechanical connections to a treadle or top flap of a two piece pedal. The picture below depicts a potentiometer that is normally in a volume pedal.






INPUT(A)
l
l
l
l
/
/
/<-----------OUTPUT(B)
/
/
l
l
l
GND(C)

When the pedal is pressed down, the middle(B)of the potentiometer gets closer to the side connected to the input(A) When the pedal is let up it gets closer to the ground side(C) This causes a shift in the resistance, in reference to the output, which makes a corrosponding change in the amount of volume through(B) If a high enough pot resistance is used 470k-1meg. the signal can be almost indetectable, when the flap is up and almost at full volume when it is completely down.

How it reacts is very important, in so far as the taper of the pot. A linear taper pot will give approx. the same amount of signal that the flap is dropped, while logarithmic pots/rev.log pots will vary in volume change, in  reference to the position of the flap. pl

[petemoore]

A lin pot, set at 5 [10 being max 0 being zero] will show equal resistance from the wiper [middle thing that the potshaft turns] and either outside lug...because the 'taper of the resistance wafer [which is connected at either end to an outside potlug] is even...the metal used in the construction of the 'thing..wafer it's called [a 'c' shaped resistive material the wiper touches at different points on it as you turn the dial] anyway the thickness of the wafer and the resistance is even across the whole range of where the wiper could touch it.
 A log pot has higher resistance at one end of the travel. Easiest way to demonstrate this is with a log pot and DMM [log is analog]. Set at 5, this type of pot's wiper will have uneven resistance balance between the outside lugs. 60/40 or something like that depending...used as a gain pot on a FF for example the range will all be there, all settings that could be had on a linear pot of the same value would be attainable...but much of the 'change in circuit sound [and also resistance balance of the pot] will happen during a small amount of the potshaft travel range...say between 8 and 10 the pot is very sensative, below that a comparitively small change.
 I felt like typeing..read GEO about secret life of pots...