*wanted* tutorial for True Bypassing a EHX Micro Synth.

[vigorandkandor]

their is someone who wants me to true bypass an Electro Harmonix Guitar Micro Synth for them. I know i could take sometime and figure it out, but since it is not my pedal i do ot want to risk anythigin on it. does anyone have a tutorial (if pictures are involved that would kick serious ass) of how to bypass the Micro Synth. I am looking for specific wire colors if that is possible. thansk for all you help.

if all else fails i will just build him a TB Loop.

[Unbeliever]

Bloody hell, it couldn't be that hard to figure out - 10 minutes, tops! If you don't want to do this, maybe you should tell the guy you can't do it? if you can build a TB pedal, you *surely* have the skills to suss out the wiring....

[vigorandkandor]

thanks dick.

[Unbeliever]

Hmmmm ... when someone says 'I could take some time and figure it out but....' it reads like 'I can't be bothered figuring it out, so someone please make it easy for me and just tell me the answer'. If this attitude makes me a 'dick' (lovely  ), then so be it. BTW, in the time you've spent posting you *could* have worked it out yourself, and then benefitted from the experience. Just saying. 

[chunks717]

okay okay, Unbeliver makes a valid point..........
relax.............
http://tonepad.com/getFileInfo.asp?id=76
go to this link, and find where it says download. click to download.
read it.
find where guitar plugs into pedal....this is IN.
find where guitar comes out of pedal....this is OUT.

then follow the diagrams.....If they dont make sence, read some more.
If you still don't get it, you could try an ounce of humility.......
no one here is getting paid to solve your friends problem,
but some one will surely help you.  just be patient, and put
in some effort......................it will work out.

[nelson]

thanks dick.

Lmao

Keep it civil guys.

Find the input and output. Its really that simple. (The wires connected to the input + output jacks)

Then just true bypass as normal.

I dont think the microsynth uses any fet or CMOS switching.

Although I could be wrong.


If it uses CMOS or Fet switching, the best thing to do is find a way to keep the circuit "always on".

By either feeding the CD4053 the necessary voltage on the necessary pin constantly. Or removing the main switching fet(s) and replacing it with a jumper.



Normally old EH effects are  hard wired to the input and switch the output to just after the input buffer or the output of the effect with a carling SPDT.

[Unbeliever]

With the schematics I have, the pedal input is hard-wired to an op-amp buffer, and the pedal output is switched between the output of this buffer and the 'real' output of the circuit (after the VCA). If VandK could take a pic of the bottom and top of the PCB we could figure it out easy.

BTW, I prefer "Mr" Dick ....

[Unbeliever]

Normally old EH effects are  hard wired to the input and switch the output to just after the input buffer or the output of the effect with a carling SPDT.

Err, yes, what he said.

[vigorandkandor]

With the schematics I have, the pedal input is hard-wired to an op-amp buffer, and the pedal output is switched between the output of this buffer and the 'real' output of the circuit (after the VCA). If VandK could take a pic of the bottom and top of the PCB we could figure it out easy.

see if you would have just said that to begin with then alot of this could have been avoided. the person who wants me to do this does not know me at all. i did not feel comfortable trying to figure out how to bypass a pedal i have never worked on, from somebody from another state. I did not know exactly how the circuit was switched in and out, and/or if there is a buffer involed. i wanted to make sure i knew what to do before i had someone spend money on shipping me a pedal they spent good, hard money on. sorry for lashing out, but your first post was AWESOMELY UNUSEFUL to me. not everyone here has the confidence to jump into something without an easy way out.

[Unbeliever]

If you are not comfortable trying to figure out how to bypass a pedal you have never worked on, then IMHO you should not be working on it at all ... sorry, but I think that sort of 'work' is really very simple, and you need to work up your skills a bit more first. The *only* way anybody improves their ability is by doing and - yes - sometimes making mistakes. Messing up a true-bypass mod won't result in any damage to the pedal, and there's nothing to fear by trying ... worst case, it doesn't work, you suss out your mistake and try again. Making mistakes - and fixing them - is *essential* to learning.

Good luck with the mod.

[nelson]

. Messing up a true-bypass mod won't result in any damage to the pedal, and there's nothing to fear by trying ... worst case, it doesn't work, you suss out your mistake and try again.
Good luck with the mod.

This isnt strictly true. I attempted a true bypass mod on the EHX polychorus which uses CMOS switching. I blew the CD4053. 

In the end I realised the 3PDT was stressing the circuit board and had to reverse the mod as there wasnt enough room for a 3PDT where the mounting hole was. I use a true bypass loop (with a mosfet booster in the loop to deal with the volume drop) for that one now.

True bypassing pedals often gives you more problems than it is worth.

[Unbeliever]

This isnt strictly true. I attempted a true bypass mod on the EHX polychorus which uses CMOS switching. I blew the CD4053. 

They're like - 50c - right? And the experience is invaluable! Sorry, I just see a number of people wanting a 'shortcut' to doing something, without gaining the understanding. Maybe I'm a 'dick', but I don't see this as a good thing. You are right, though - I shouldn't have been so carefree with my 'go for it advice' (although, it is what I do myself, rather than sit around too much and worry about it).

Now, doing a production run of 100 pedals and discovering a minor assembly oversight that causes lots of 'thumping' in the audio ... that's another level of 'experience', yes, I would gladly avoid....

[nelson]

This isnt strictly true. I attempted a true bypass mod on the EHX polychorus which uses CMOS switching. I blew the CD4053. 

They're like - 50c - right? And the experience is invaluable! Sorry, I just see a number of people wanting a 'shortcut' to doing something, without gaining the understanding. Maybe I'm a 'dick', but I don't see this as a good thing. You are right, though - I shouldn't have been so carefree with my 'go for it advice' (although, it is what I do myself, rather than sit around too much and worry about it).

Now, doing a production run of 100 pedals and discovering a minor assembly oversight that causes lots of 'thumping' in the audio ... that's another level of 'experience', yes, I would gladly avoid....

I like R.G's thoughts on that, "Mother nature at the end of the assembly line" or something similar.

Adequate prototyping would have avoided it though.

Gun ho!..........

[psiico]

Not that it's any of my business but I'm with Unbeliever on this, if you are that uncomforatble doing it you shouldn't be advertising your services.  I assume you are advertising your services if you are having it shipped from out of state by a person who doesn't know you.  I'm new at this hobby too and I wouldn't dream of working on someone else's equipment, even for something as "simple" as a bypass mod.  I'm sure I could probably do it, but that's not the point.  I am an amatuer, that's the point.  If I were a professional I'd be willing to charge money for services.

Just my unwanted and worthless .02 cents.

[nelson]

Not that it's any of my business but I'm with Unbeliever on this, if you are that uncomforatble doing it you shouldn't be advertising your services.  I assume you are advertising your services if you are having it shipped from out of state by a person who doesn't know you.  I'm new at this hobby too and I wouldn't dream of working on someone else's equipment, even for something as "simple" as a bypass mod.  I'm sure I could probably do it, but that's not the point.  I am an amatuer, that's the point.  If I were a professional I'd be willing to charge money for services.

Just my unwanted and worthless .02 cents.

I was going to comment on this but I didnt think it was worth criticising V+G incase I be branded male genitalia.

[vigorandkandor]

i never advertised my services. he just asked me if i could. i have built many pedals myself. done many mods on my own pedals aswell. i am very confident, i just wanted a fool proof example of how it should be done so that i can make sure i am doing it right. i wouldnt care if it was my own pedal. oh and i am doing it for free minus  shipping and 3pdt switch. i guess it wasnt a good idea to ask for help around here.

thanx to the people who actually had helpful advice.

[psiico]

That's cool man, nothing wrong with asking for help, that's how you learn.  I'm sorry if I offended you, I got the impression you were an even bigger newb then me when you asked about specific wire colors.  I gotta be honest though, advertising or not I still wouldn't touch someone else's gear, but that's just me.  Murphy's Law likes to apply itself to me far too often.

[StephenGiles]