Looking for projects with tons of knobs

[Taylor]

So, I'm a knob fiend. I don't like to set it and forget it. I want as many knobs as possible. I've pretty much built everything I know of that I'm interested in, but I want something new to build.

What are some projects that have a ton of knobs? Say, 5 or more.

Already know about and/or built

Lovetone
4MS
Tim Escobedo's TMK
Omnidrive
RG's Phase 180+
sequencer-controlled pedals

What else do ye recommend?

[JKowalski]

WOoo!!! I'm not the only one! 

I'm working on a five-knob, two switch distortion of my own design at the moment, I might release the schematic... We'll see?

You should make some kind of LFO modulated effect, with a complex oscillator. Those always have the potential to overflow with controls - frequency, shape, depth, LFO modulated LFO's, etc... So many possibilities!

Couple the super-LFO with a delay a la the echo fields or.. magnus modulus? and you have a ton of possibilities.

Sadly, I personally haven't seen that many pedals that had 5 or more knobs where they all were even slightly useful. Often, people tend to stick on extraneous pots that don't really have much of an effect in the long run (ex, the fine/coarse in the tremulus lune) Also, most of them are noisemakers, not practically useful but cool nonetheless.

Do you have any criteria at all?

[jacobyjd]

Guitar synth. An epic one.

[John Lyons]

Echo Base (modulated delay)
Magnus Modulus (modulated delay, tremolo, boost etc)
Tim Escobedo's "TMK" (too many Knobs, which is a distortion/fuzz)

[Taylor]

Echo Base (modulated delay)
Magnus Modulus (modulated delay, tremolo, boost etc)
Tim Escobedo's "TMK" (too many Knobs, which is a distortion/fuzz)

I've built 2 Echo Bases with PCBs I bought from you. Magnus Modulus - not too interested in the tremolo since I have the 2 Echo Bases with effects loops and 3 tremolos. (BTW, check your email...)

Guitar synth. An epic one.

Already working on it. http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=74782.0 I don't want to be too immodest, but I think it will be pretty epic when done - 21 tracking oscillators with pitch shifting, filters, LFOs, effects, you name it. That's why I'm looking for many-knobbed projects - to go into the guitar synth. Except I play bass.

WOoo!!! I'm not the only one! 

I'm working on a five-knob, two switch distortion of my own design at the moment, I might release the schematic... We'll see?

You should make some kind of LFO modulated effect, with a complex oscillator. Those always have the potential to overflow with controls - frequency, shape, depth, LFO modulated LFO's, etc... So many possibilities!

Couple the super-LFO with a delay a la the echo fields or.. magnus modulus? and you have a ton of possibilities.

Sadly, I personally haven't seen that many pedals that had 5 or more knobs where they all were even slightly useful. Often, people tend to stick on extraneous pots that don't really have much of an effect in the long run (ex, the fine/coarse in the tremulus lune) Also, most of them are noisemakers, not practically useful but cool nonetheless.

I've pretty much implemented all that LFO, sequencer controlling stuff already. I do think I need more fancy LFOs like the Trem Lune, though.

Do you have any criteria at all?

Hmm. I guess not. I like weird stuff, and I've already done all the suggestions so far.

[soggybag]

There's the Triwave Picogenerator. Not really a stompbox. But there are mods to add a guitar input and ring mod. These mods of course add more knobs! The basic triwave starts with about 13 knobs. There are many mods and most add knobs!

[Taylor]

Yep, seen the 4MS stuff. Had a Fuzz Jade, Noise Swash, and Panneur. Triwave's just too noisy for me. Perhaps I've reached the end?

[JKowalski]

You can never reach the end!

Try designing something totally new - something not many people really do. We need more unique and interesting effects out there!

[Taylor]

Well, I've actually designed several pretty unusual things. More on that in the months to come. 

[sean k]

I really quite like the uglyface with the envelope modes and that babies got 6 or seven knobs.

multiple oscillators like the pico generator fed into a tmk which also has lfo and you'd be getting up to twenty knobs 

I like, now, to put the cheaper trim pots on a separate board, and glue small bits of the shafts I cut off the regular pots to the top of them, for all the parameters one doesn't twiddle too often then just keep a few full sized knobs for the stuff that can be played without losing signal... which happens fairly often to me. Spending 40 bucks on pots and knobs just seems ridiculous now when I'm spending 10 bucks on all the other stuff. Using trimmers brings that down significantly.

[DSV]

8 knobs 
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=74219.0
but it may become 14 soon ...

[Auke Haarsma]

Lonely Star:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=76873.0

7 knobs, 2 toggle switches, 2 footswitches.

[Taylor]

I really quite like the uglyface with the envelope modes and that babies got 6 or seven knobs.

multiple oscillators like the pico generator fed into a tmk which also has lfo and you'd be getting up to twenty knobs 

I like, now, to put the cheaper trim pots on a separate board, and glue small bits of the shafts I cut off the regular pots to the top of them, for all the parameters one doesn't twiddle too often then just keep a few full sized knobs for the stuff that can be played without losing signal... which happens fairly often to me. Spending 40 bucks on pots and knobs just seems ridiculous now when I'm spending 10 bucks on all the other stuff. Using trimmers brings that down significantly.

Unless I need special pin lengths or angles, I buy pots from Futurlec. Their pots are 55 cents each, so that 40 bucks would buy you about 70 pots if you buy from them. They're nice, Alpha pots like everybody else sells, just way cheaper.

[Ripthorn]

It wouldn't go into a guitar synth, but amps are fun and man can you pack those things.  My amp that I am just finishing has 13 knobs, 7 switches that aren't power, stdby, etc. and all kinds of other wacky stuff.  If you want tons of knobs, do a bass version of the Mesa Mark V.

[cathexis]

The Yerasov 9000 Volts - 7 knob dist/od pedal:

http://www.yerasov.ru/PDF/9000%20V.pdf

Haven't tried this one myself, but it looks like fun. Parametric mids...

[sean k]

Hey Taylor, I'm on the other side of the world, and at the bottom, so my access to parts, within days is fairly limited. That said I'd love to do a big buy of pots at some stage and will remember futurlec. My Mum goes to Canada nearly every year so any buying sprees I have need to be in with her being on that continent.

[Taylor]

I believe Futurlec is based closer to you. They have warehouses in Asia and Australia if I remember correctly. Might end up even cheaper for you than for me.

Edit: Yep, they have 2 places in Aus.

http://futurlec.com/AboutUs.shtml

So you'd get your stuff faster and maybe cheaper.

[Joe Hart]

An op-amp clipper distortion with options for diodes to ground (lots of different configurations), diodes in the feedback loop (lots of different configurations again), maybe a three band EQ or parametric EQ before and after the circuit?  That could easily top 20 knobs and/or switches (3 pre EQ, 3 post EQ, gain, volume, switches for 5+ diodes to ground, 5+ diodes in feedback loop, asymmetrical clipping for each, and more!!). And it seems that most of them would actually be useful. At least I've used EQs before and after and find it very useful, and I've done different diodes with a rotary switch and can get a lot of different and useful tones. Just a thought...
-Joe Hart

[Strategy]

The Music From Outer Space Sub Commander looks badass- knobby for sure- I wasn't sure what to make of it, but the sound samples are awesome and the specs check out. I just built the standalone synthy-noise-box project they do, the Weird Sound Generator, home-etched-board version.

http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/GUITARSYNTHAUG2007/GUITARSYNTHAUG2007.html

- strategy

[Paul Marossy]

Build something like this: http://hem.bredband.net/bersyn//thisis.htm