LED Displays in Stomb Boxes?

[Burton]

I was browsing Mouser yesterday and I came across some LED displays, which were suprisingly cheap (just a couple bucks) and there were ALL different kinds.  I started thinking about how cool it would be to throw one in a stomp box (however impractical it may be).  I've never actually seen any LED displays in custom stomp boxes, just some digital commercial boxes.  It may be because there's no real use for them, but I'm sure somebody can find something to do with them.  Has anybody used LED displays in their stomp boxes (amps, or anything else) or know anybody that has?  That'd be cool to see.

[Mark F]

Upon first thought, the current consumption of a LED display may be somewhat prohibitive in a battery powered stompbox. 

[Burton]

Upon first thought, the current consumption of a LED display may be somewhat prohibitive in a battery powered stompbox. 

hmm I didn't think about that, but you could always run a DC power supply right? (Or whatever kind of power supplies are used.. I'm kinda new to electronics  )

[KMS]

Check out my Tremulus Lune (tremelo).  Right click on my Aviator pic, go to Properties, copy the URL into your address bar and press Enter.

The blue LED is extremely bright an very low power consumption. It tells me if the unit is engaged or bypassed.  For slight tremolo action this is very useful because it can be hard to notice if the unit is working.  The other led (which appears to be off but actually is on) is blinking LED that blinks at the same rate and intensity as the tremolo unit.  So I set the speed, depth, growth, decay, while the unit is not engaged for the audience to hear, and then turn it on all set up.  (OK that LED doesnt work quite that well but you get the idea).

[Paul Marossy]

I think the original post is referring to an LED display like you would see on a digital effects unit - with letters and numbers...

[KMS]

I think the original post is referring to an LED display like you would see on a digital effects unit - with letters and numbers...

Yeh, maybe that was his question.  VU or Peak indicator would be about it.

[Burton]

yeah, I can't think of many practical uses, considering I'm pretty new to effects pedals and electronics in general.  I was thinking there could be some kinda meter that tells the level of gain or volume something(displays level according to the pot) .. maybe it could be one of those bar meters with a bunch of little LED bars combined to make one big bar (when completely lit.. when the gain is halfway up, itd be half lit, etc).  Then again, thats not very efficient or practical because it be more trouble and cost than it's worth, because one could easily look at the knob to see the level of the gain.. but it may be useful on stage.. Who knows?  Has anybody seen this?  I know there are a few recording interfaces that have something similar to this, with tiny LEDs around the pot to see the level in the dark, but little effects pedals are nothing compared to the technology and electronics in those things.

<edit> Actually, I just looked on mouser, and there are "10 element bar graphs" (as they are called) which display different colors at each level.  Come to think of it, that'd be entirely useful, In my opinion.  Just glance down to see a color/level... I dunno.  The best part is they are only about $1.30!  It might be difficult to make them function properly, but who knows.
if anybody is interested, heres the link (look at "J"):
http://www.mouser.com/catalog/624/18.pdf

[Xlrator]

I was thinking of this a couple years back and did this. http://www.geocities.com/munkydiy/led.html

I haven't used it yet, I want to use some of those smaller 2 digit 14 segment alpha/numerics. Those would look so much better than "on" "64"!! I have some BIG sign displays that I have always wanted to use.

[Burton]

Wow Xlrator! Nice!  There's not much too it, but its cool to see that somebody has experimented with LED displays.  Just wondering, how did you get the LED to display "on" and "64"? How do you change between the two, and how could you change it to different numbers/letters?  Is the circuit nothing more than resistors, LED display, 9v, and a 3pdt? thats all i can see in the pic (and I haven't quite learned schems yet  )

[Hal]

each segment is an LED.

I've played around with them, trying to get PICs to do stuff with them.  Kinda tedious and annoying

edit: a couple bucks seems expensive.  These can be had surpluss for ~$.25 or so.

[Burton]

each segment is an LED.

I've played around with them, trying to get PICs to do stuff with them.  Kinda tedious and annoying

edit: a couple bucks seems expensive.  These can be had surpluss for ~$.25 or so.

Yeah, I was looking at them and I noticed that each LED was individual.. seems kinda difficult to make it actually do something, but im sure its possible.. where can you get them for $.25?

[Hal]

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G4031&variation=&aitem=2&mitem=4

http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=345&type=store  $.45 in ones...


i never bought any...pulled a bunch.  they are in so much stuff.

[Burton]

wow, cool.  I'll have to add those sites to my favorites. Thanks!

[KMS]

I'm glad this thread was started as I have been considering the "Display" readout with numbers for my Big Stompbox.  I have two of them laying around and a schematic showing the hook up for each number (they are all the same).

There are a lot ways this can be done, one I thought of was to use and LCD display from one of my many old OHM meters. The LED has the advantage of being bright so you can see it in the dark as opposed to the LCD.

This would be especially useful at the end of a chain connected to a volume pedal.  Then when we turn on our favorite FX, we could quickly see if the gain was changed by the fx and then make the correct live adjustment with the volume pedal to bring your level back to what it was before you engaged the FX. 

Eyes and ears are better than just ears alone.  I have heard that the "MOST" circuitry for VU indicators is not all that accurate, so the circuit would need to have a averaging function that still allows some peaks to come through....I think.

[Xlrator]

To have an alpha display on an AB switch would be neat, too.

Electronic Goldmine has lots of stuff for cheap. http://www.goldmine-elec.com has a display assortment with all kinds of different stuff for $5.00.

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=G9877&variation=&aitem=2&mitem=2