Building a Hazarai Helper (my first project!)

[EBennetts]

I'm an avid user on talkbass.com, and when I posted my idea, I got recommended to ask you guys here! Here's the original post:

I will begin by sharing three facts about me with you (trust me, I have a point):

1) I LOVE my EHX Stereo Memory Man w/ Hazarai!
2) I'm working on finally constructing a pedalboard.
3) I have patellofemoral pain syndrome, which is a knee problem, making it very difficult to crouch down, especially during a gig.

The idea started coming together in my head: put my SMMH up higher (on top of my 4x10 or maybe eventually a keyboard stand), but put the buttons down on a board, so that I can have the footswitches at my feet, but I can change the settings of my Hazarai without crouching down.

My journey started by contacting Jack from this website. He's a really nice, responsive, helpful guy, go check out his stuff[/shameless plug] His big gain to fame (or at least what made me find him) is that he does a mod to the Seymour Duncan Shape Shifters (used to have one, LOVED it too) where he puts a jack in place of the tap tempo footswitch, ideal for people that sync their tap tempos across large boards. I opened up my Hazarai and told him about it, and he confirmed it'd be a very simple mod to add a tap tempo jack to my beloved SMMH. This way, I can tap in or play with some enjoyable sound-on-sound while having my Memory Man within reach.

Next, I also thought it'd be quite handy to move the bypass switch to the ground, so that I have quick foot access to turning this EHX on and off. I've researched quite a few bypass loopers (ones from loooper.com being the most promising. I'll be emailing them for a price inquiry on building my idea that I'm getting to). Tonight I had the brilliant idea to combine the two, a bypass looper and a tap tempo switch into a single stompbox, which'll be dubbed my "Hazarai Helper." I also figured it'd be a nice little starter project for getting into custom pedal work.

I'm gonna need three cables running back and forth, I know, but cord ties are handy

Here's where you can come in. I'm gonna lay out my ideas thus far, and my supplements, and if you have any ideas/encouragements/corrections, please don't hesitate! I've got this wonderful resource at my disposal, and I'm gotta get some good use out of it!

Here's the Hazarai's tap switch, which I chuckled at when I first saw it.


Something like this for the TT.

I found these diagrams, which I'm hoping will be accurate (please tell me if not!)



Smallbear is a good place to buy parts, I've read.

Phew! What a post. I truly appreciate and commend your reading-through of this!

-Eric


Edit: I just had an absurd idea. I keep my Hazarai dead last in my chain (for looping purposes). I'm gonna be a lazy bum and ask if someone could point me into how I could go about wiring a DI output into this. Because THAT would be epic, imo.

You can view the whole thread here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=609569

[EBennetts]

Jack also suggested I go ahead and wire a jack in series, leaving the footswitch intact, drilling a hole for the new jack.

[Ben N]

In series? Assuming the tap tempo switch closes a connection momentarily when you tap it, you would want the jack to be in parallel with the switch, so either one will provide input to the circuit. Otherwise you would need both switches to be closed in order to set the tempo. Of course, if the Hazarai uses some sort of custom momentary that breaks when you press it, then series would be the way to go.
Assuming the Hazarai uses some sort of solid state bypass which is controlled by another momentary switch, I would suggest wiring up a jack just like the one for the tap tempo to control the existing bypass with a remote switch, rather than doing the looper. True bypass is kind of limiting for delays (which is why they rarely ever use it). In fact, if you do that you could rig up a single stereo jack  & cord to connect your Hazarai Helper, and save your cable ties for computer cabling. As an added benefit, you would shorten your signal path that way (at least when the Hazarai is on).

[ZiggyZipgun]

They actually make things like this for other applications, specifically for those with mild or serious handicaps, or who are just lazy:


Now - and I can tell you've put a good bit of thought into this, so I'm sure it'd be worth the extra effort - I would look into how to add a jack that connects your two footswitches with a single stereo cable, whichever size jack you can fit into the SMMH, but wired in a way that actually leaves the other controls functional.  This way, if you were to replace the onboard footswitches with big push-buttons like those shown on GimpGear, you could tap the tempo with your finger if happen to be right by it and between songs.  Also, I'm sure there are swivel-mount mic stand adaptors that you could mount on the bottom of your SMMH, like so:

[Taylor]

Gimpgear? That's a pretty unfortunate name. I'm far from the PC police, but it seems like that would alienate the company's clientele rather quickly...

[Processaurus]

That can't be real...  I like the idea of the pedal up on a single pole mic stand, I've seen bands do that with samplers and it looks nice on stage.  You could get a straight bushing too that could screw to the bottom lid of the pedal.  Also you could put the jack for the tap tempo extension on the bottom lid. 

You want to wire the switches in parallel (assuming it is the regular "normally open" (NO) type momentary switch).  You can beep the switch with a multi-meter to see if it is normally open or normally closed.  Just solder two new wires right onto where the old white ones are hanging out.  You'll want to beep the existing white wires to the chassis to see if one of them is ground.  If so, good, that one gets wired to the sleeve on the new jack.

If none of them are ground, then one of them is probably power, which is trickier, because that can't get shorted to the chassis or it'll bugger the pedal, so if that's the case, that one must be the tip connection, and the cord can't ever touch anything metal in your rig, or it will short out the memory man's power supply.  It would be a very good idea in this scenario to put a resistor in series with the connection from jack to the tap tempo switch, to limit the current that will flow if it is inadvertently shorted, maybe a 470 ohm resistor.

Does the bypass switch look the same as the momentary tap tempo switch, or does it have 9 contacts on the bottom (which would make it a regular, latching 3pdt switch)?

[ZiggyZipgun]

That can't be real... 

Sadly, it is.  http://www.broadenedhorizons.com/

[EBennetts]

Does the bypass switch look the same as the momentary tap tempo switch, or does it have 9 contacts on the bottom (which would make it a regular, latching 3pdt switch)?

9 contacts.

[Processaurus]

OK, so they're using the regular true bypass you see in most pedals, so there isn't any logic switching that can be hijacked.  Your idear of making a true bypass footswitch will be a fine way to go.  That second, smaller diagram you posted is good (didn't have the time to look through the 1st one).

[Ben N]

I persist in the belief that anywhere you can keep your signal out of extra lengths of wire, yoiu are better off. So I submit for your consideration, courtesy of RG Keen:
http://geofex.com/FX_images/relays2.gif
http://geofex.com/Article_Folders/rmtswtch/rmtsw.htm
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/cd4053/cd4053.htm
http://www.thetonegod.com/tech/switches/switches.html

All of the above offer you ways to keep the bypass with the effect while switching from the floor.