Effect Pedal Design Project!!!!

[erupshaun]

Greetings  
I am undertaking a project course where we must design/build something that answers a certain question, or a certain problem in an industry field. my industry field of choice: guitar effect pedals! So far we are thinking of designing our own overdrive, or creating a new approach to externalized control in a delay pedal.

So my question is:
What are some problems that need to be addressed in the guitar effect pedal industry? Possibly some ideas for external control that hasn't been done yet. Innovation seems to be the key here.
another note: we have a bout 4 months to build/design this xD

[Brymus]

How about a design that uses the whammy / tremelo bar to control some type of effect that is normally foot controlled ?
For instance a wah pedal.
Perhaps with optical sensors transmiting wirelessly through what would normally be used to send the guitar signal to the amp?
Now that would be cool and new to the industry.

[Taylor]

How about a design that uses the whammy / tremelo bar to control some type of effect that is normally foot controlled ?
For instance a wah pedal.

Done 50 years ago I'm afraid...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWC1uzg-Yr0

[Brymus]

How about a design that uses the whammy / tremelo bar to control some type of effect that is normally foot controlled ?
For instance a wah pedal.

Done 50 years ago I'm afraid...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWC1uzg-Yr0

Thats pretty close to what Im talking about except for the - optical sensors - and it controlling an external device wirelessly.
Still I thought for sure this idea was original.

[jkokura]

where we must design/build something that answers a certain question, or a certain problem in an industry field. my industry field of choice: guitar effect pedals! So far we are thinking of designing our own overdrive, or creating a new approach to externalized control in a delay pedal.

To be honest, EVERY pedal company out there worth their salt is doing exactly what you're wanting to do every day! They're always trying to come up with something new, something that answers a problem.

I'm not sure that you'll be able to come up with a pedal that will be truly answering any of us guitarist's problems.

HOWEVER, it would be realistic to come up with some kind of innovative cabling solution. Most of us run multiple cables from our pedal boards to our amps and back again, but if you were to come up with a cost effective snake system that will allow my cabling to work better that would be helpful. There are SOME solutions out there, but I don't like any of them.

Jacob

[mth5044]

It would be cool if you could come up with like... an extended version of a trs cable and a jack to go with it. Maybe something like a tip, ring1, ring2, ring3, sleeve cable. That way you can run multiple things along one 'cord'

[boogietube]

Mmmm. Cables..Well how about some sort of bluetooth usb type device that transmits the signal to the next pedal? The electronics could be super small. The trick I guess would be to get one to transmit only to the next pedal in line or effects loop etc...Now that I'm thinking about this, you could use these things to create effects loops, series, parallel, interesting...You could have 1/4" jack on one end and a usb port on the other end and have a piece of software to write the signal routing directly into each one...

[jkokura]

I had another idea! I hate how large the neutrik/switchcraft jacks are - and I don't necessarily like the non soldered end of Lava/George L's. What about developing a soldered jack with the low profile/footprint of those small unsoldered jacks?

Jacob

[Boogdish]

I think you should put on your red energy dome and try and start thinking like DEVO.

External control IS the problem with modern guitar effects circuitry.  People want freedom from choice, not freedom of choice.  Make a pedal that will control itself and sound good and people will buy it. 

[Venusblue]

Mmmm. Cables..Well how about some sort of bluetooth usb type device that transmits the signal to the next pedal? The electronics could be super small. The trick I guess would be to get one to transmit only to the next pedal in line or effects loop etc...Now that I'm thinking about this, you could use these things to create effects loops, series, parallel, interesting...You could have 1/4" jack on one end and a usb port on the other end and have a piece of software to write the signal routing directly into each one...

The reason most people don't like wireless systems is because it can compress your signal, and just kill it. Most people just use one from their guitar to their pedal board and that's already doing some damage. I imagine people will be afraid to spend money on something that might damage their signal that much.

Most people are wanting to go for something as classic, organic and natural as possible. That's why tube amps cost so much compared to solid state, or why a '59 Les Paul is so valued. I think the cable issue is a good one to address. I think the best idea is to think of what would help YOU as a guitarist. What do you not like, and why? What would help you in everyday life, and what is the potential?

Ask as many guitarists as you can, and always remember to ask each one about the suggestions of the last. When one guitarist might say that he wants something digital, another hundred guitarists are starting to form the lynching team.

Just keep asking around. I like the cable idea. Cables are expensive and not very easy to work with, but vital for a good tone. Fuzz pedals are also kind of an underground market. They're not too common, but people are always willing to pay top dollar for a good one.  Overdrives are kinda strange things. People want an overdrive pedal that doesnt sound like an overdrive pedal. They want one that sounds like a normal guitar amp turned up. I don't really get why you wouldn't just turn up your guitar amp instead, but they're strange things.

Treble boosters aren't too common anymore, but I don't know why. They're simple designs that do a lot of cool things, there could be a potential market in these.

What i've always noticed, is that people try to imitate and expand on the tones that they grew up listening to. Countless people want to sound like Guns and Roses right now. It used to be AC/DC and Boston, and before that Les Paul and Chet Atkins. Things change, but the tone people go after are the ones they grew up listening to. Think about whats different from the music you grew up listening to and what you listen to now. Try to combine them into something you would want yourself, and you think other people want enough to pay money for.

[WhenBoredomPeaks]

please find a better way to one of the biggest probems, (at least in my eyes) the voltage controlled resistor, than digi pots and microcontrollers or led's and opto stuff.

[Processaurus]

Connecting audio and power on a group of pedals is kind of messy.  There is room for improvement there.  You could never sell it, because the unfortunate standards of 1/4" phono jacks and 2.1mm barrel plug power are entrenched, but an alternative would make a good thesis. 

The MIDI standard is interesting, because even though it has plenty of drawbacks (slow, no bus power, limited resolution), it still is amazing that there was a universal and intelligent standard established for different manufacturers' gear to interact with each other.  Also interesting is the 19" rack standard.  If only there were some organized standard for pedals, but look at most pedalboards, it is anarchy.

[markeebee]

Here's one I've been thinking about, but will probably give up on.....

A velocity sensitive switch.  Not totally variable, but calibrated into two or three or four zones.  Tap it softly, it switches one effect or parameter.  A bit harder, it switches a different effect/parameter.  And so on.

I was thinking about Hall sensors.

[head_spaz]

How about an oscillator / comparitor device that uses a nulling H bridge to drive a servo motor for use as an auto-tuner for strings?
Or... design a better, tracking, frequency divider for a cleaner octave down synthesis?
Or... a high current amplifier that can drive a salvaged harddrive head assembly, driving it's voice coil actuator to vibrate in sync with the notes, acting as a mechanical resonator for sustaining notes?
Or design and perfect a hex-pickup with an individual preamp dedicated to each string.

[Taylor]

Here's one I've been thinking about, but will probably give up on.....

A velocity sensitive switch.  Not totally variable, but calibrated into two or three or four zones.  Tap it softly, it switches one effect or parameter.  A bit harder, it switches a different effect/parameter.  And so on.

I was thinking about Hall sensors.

I think this might be tough to use and you'd end up switching the wrong things a lot, but it did make me think of something. How about velocity sensitive knobs? Some digital stuff has this - spinning a knob quickly gives you a large change in parameter, but turning slowly gives extreme precision. This lets you have the best of both worlds: extremely fine control when you want it, but without having to spin the knob 10 times when you want to make a big change. Not too hard to implement in a digital system, would be useful for filters and ring modulators.

[markeebee]

I think this might be tough to use and you'd end up switching the wrong things a lot.....

Oh Taylor, you've obviously never seen me dance.

[erupshaun]

I think this might be tough to use and you'd end up switching the wrong things a lot, but it did make me think of something. How about velocity sensitive knobs? Some digital stuff has this - spinning a knob quickly gives you a large change in parameter, but turning slowly gives extreme precision. This lets you have the best of both worlds: extremely fine control when you want it, but without having to spin the knob 10 times when you want to make a big change. Not too hard to implement in a digital system, would be useful for filters and ring modulators.

That is a real interesting concept.
Could any of this be done wirelesly? i have little experience working with wireless systems. would it be a tedious task to trigger a variable resistance through some wireless system?

[Taylor]

I don't know, adding wireless would be a whole extra level of complexity. I don't know anything about wireless stuff, so to me it would certainly be tedious.  I also don't really get the need of wireless control in this case.

[erupshaun]

I don't know, adding wireless would be a whole extra level of complexity. I don't know anything about wireless stuff, so to me it would certainly be tedious.  I also don't really get the need of wireless control in this case.

well say you had extra potentiomiters on a guitar, controlling the variables of a delay pedal. you could change things such as the delay time and feedback rate without trying to bend down and change things on the pedal itself.

How about a design that uses the whammy / tremelo bar to control some type of effect that is normally foot controlled ?
For instance a wah pedal.

Done 50 years ago I'm afraid...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWC1uzg-Yr0

Thats pretty close to what Im talking about except for the - optical sensors - and it controlling an external device wirelessly.
Still I thought for sure this idea was original.

i need to do some research on optical sensors. they might be just what i need.

[alparent]

How about an effect that doesn't need a battery! 
Something like the LED flashlights or the radios that you crank to charge.

Just crank you effect before the gig and your good for the night