So I want to do an only-DIY pedal board ... volume pedals?

[midwayfair]

I'm stuck. I want to make a board that's all DIY-only designs (that is, no clones of production, vintage, or boutique stuff) of the type of effects I use ... and although I have at least a few things to choose from in regular effects, what I don't have is a volume pedal. I simply can't do without one, it's a major form of expression in my playing and I use it on almost every song.

I might have a line on a vintage sewing machine pedal if my dad's willing to give it up. Is there any other way to DIY a treadle? FWIW I have access to a lot of different tools, so I'm open to suggestions short of actually machining the metal (I don't think I can go that far). Maybe there's something else cool that can be done?

[haveyouseenhim]

are you heavy footed with your effects?   i have a solution for the volume if you dont monkey stomp your pedals

[midwayfair]

are you heavy footed with your effects?   i have a solution for the volume if you dont monkey stomp your pedals

I do not monkey stomp anything and would love to hear it!

[haveyouseenhim]

Done like a true artist     sorry it took so long. i took a lil nappy poo

[RandomGlitch]

Would a unit with two monentaries on it one for up, one for down, time-dependent volume control be possible?

Edit:
Don't know if it's been done before as a stomp switch, but I found this:
http://circuitdiagramwiring.com/digital-volume-control-by-ds1669/

It's a digital rheostat.  From a quick scan of the datasheet, it looks like, as supplied, there are 64 discrete levels and holding the switch for 1 second then it goes to repeats at 100ms.

If that's not fast enough then additional circuitry can be added to "pulse" (minimum of 1ms) to make more rapid changes. I guess a 555 would do it here.

So I guess some trimmers or pots could be added for speed and initial delay (if any).  I think it would be cool to implement this for a compact volume pedal.

Not for "artistic" swells but for "static" volume control I think.  This might just be my "holiday" project!!

[haveyouseenhim]

That's a good concept, but how would you control, on the fly, the speed in which the volume goes up and down?

[RandomGlitch]

Well I wouldn't think you'd need to. I'd just set it so that volume changes were contr
olable.

[David]

Done like a true artist     sorry it took so long. i took a lil nappy poo

I'd say the nap paid off.  This is actually a very slick idea.  If your unit had the right weight and balance, you could come up with something that had a pedalboard-friendly form factor (read:  smaller than an Ernie Ball)!
Not to mention it looks like it would be pretty easy to implement.

Have you built one?  Do you mind if I take a shot at it?

[midwayfair]

The roller's a neat concept for light duty stuff, but I think even without monkey stomping it wouldn't hold up to repeated full rotations with a foot. There's no stopper on the pot at either end, so the only way to know you've reached the end of the rotation is by feeling that the pot has stopped moving. That's a lot rougher than a pot is meant to stand. There's also the consideration that moving one's entire foot forward and backward horizontally is a LOT harder to do than the heel--toe motion of a regular treadle, especially standing and while doing other things.

[haveyouseenhim]

@david   Go ahead and give it a shot. I haven't built one just as a volume, but I have put one on the side of a wah rocker to act as a hands-free volume control.

@jon   If you use one of those huge radioshack pots it will work. That's what I used and it hasn't failed yet.

[deadastronaut]

theres always the good old led/ldr method..

i was thinking of a 1590b with a slit cut in the top, and having a ''sprung guillotine'' type plate that could be pushed down...

this would work, however the options would be to either

:  push down for volume increase- which means when idle volume would be off..

: push down for volume decrease- which means volume would be on when idle....but reversed action compared to normal...

could be applied for wah/expression too though..


just thinking aloud..

[David]

@david   Go ahead and give it a shot. I haven't built one just as a volume, but I have put one on the side of a wah rocker to act as a hands-free volume control.

@jon   If you use one of those huge radioshack pots it will work. That's what I used and it hasn't failed yet.

I was actually thinking about using a Hot Potz.  I mean, it IS designed for a wah pedal.

You could use this to control BOTH a wah and a volume control by driving an op-amp buffer with it.  See the GEO article on the OTA volume control.  The buffer output would then drive two optocouplers.  One would serve as resistance to ground for a wah.  The other would be part of a voltage divider hanging off the output of a buffer.

[David]

@david   Go ahead and give it a shot. I haven't built one just as a volume, but I have put one on the side of a wah rocker to act as a hands-free volume control.

@jon   If you use one of those huge radioshack pots it will work. That's what I used and it hasn't failed yet.

HYSH -

You got anything further on this?  If not, you want to do some kind of long distance collaboration?  I have a few ideas that might bring this puppy out of never-never-land.

[haveyouseenhim]

HYSH -

You got anything further on this?  If not, you want to do some kind of long distance collaboration?  I have a few ideas that might bring this puppy out of never-never-land.

Yea, sure. what did you have in mind?  *spoiler alert*  My shootout entry is going to have the volume roller on the side of the rocker to control volume out.

[wavley]

Done like a true artist    sorry it took so long. i took a lil nappy poo

You mean, like the Boomerang loop volume controller?  It's one of the things I love most about my Boomerang and why I won't give it up.



I was disappointed that the Boomerang III had gotten rid of the roller, and apparently I wasn't the only one...



But Boomerang wasn't the first to attempt this...

[haveyouseenhim]

^ Oh   wow

[wavley]

^ Oh   wow

It actually works REALLY great, I'm surprised more folks don't do it.