What kind of switch could I use for this?

Started by vanessa, February 01, 2006, 01:08:06 PM

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vanessa

I'm building a fuzz face of sorts that I'm going to tack on a tone control to. I want to switch between two tonestacks and also bypass them.


                          o----tone 1----|
                                               |
-------------o        o----bypass----|----------
                                               |
                          o----tone 2----|           


I was thinking a SP3T (on-on-on) toggle would do the trick but those things are sorta expensive...

:icon_rolleyes:

Is there a better/cheaper way? I'm lost when it comes to wiring up switches.

:icon_sad:

D Wagner

Vanessa,

You could always use a rotary switch.  They are inexpensive, and you could always add more options in the future.  (Some have stops that limit the number of poles you switch. Or, just get a 4p3t rotary.)  Besides, they look cool with pointer knobs.

Derek

H.Manback

#2
Aren't there any of those sort of slide toggle switches that have 3 positions? Or are they on-off-on?



Like that.

vanessa

I think I found it in a search of the archives. Sorry to post a new topic, I found this one doing a search for 4p3t rotary.



Quote from: Peter Snowberg on November 08, 2003, 01:52:41 AM
I've never seen an on-on-on that wasn't DPDT.

To expand on Hal's diagram- If you label the six terminals as two commons ("C"), and two throw positions each (labeled "A" and "B"), this is what you'll see.

Overview:
A A
C C
B B


Below: the black labels below are not connected while the colors are.

Position 1:
A A
C C
B B


Position 2:
A A
C C
B B


Position 3:
A A
C C
B B


===============================
To make a DPDT on-on-on into a SP3T, use the blue C above as the common; wire a jumper from the blue A to the red C; and the three throws are (in order) red A, red B, and blue B.

Caution: I might have flipped the poles in position 2, check with a meter to be sure. :)

-Peter



This should work right?

junkyjunky

QuoteI'm lost when it comes to wiring up switches.

i know that feeling all to well. :icon_sad:
trash is often friendly

The Tone God

In the OP that diagram is actually a SP3T. You had it backwards. Poles are the number of common connections and the throw is the number of posistions. When you go more a couple of throws usually you are looking at a rotary switch.

Andrew

moosapotamus

#6
I may not be understanding your exact intentions correctly, but...
I do not think you want to use a 3-position switch that is (on-on-on), because I don't think that you want to be connected to either of the tone stacks when you put the switch in the middle bypass (off) position.

The drawing in your initial post looks to me like you are not "true-bypassing" either tone section. You are just switching the connections going in to either tone1, bypass, or tone2.
EDIT ~ That's wrong (sorry). you would need a SP3T rotary switch for that set-up.
That would call for a 3-position (on-off-on) SPDT toggle switch (three lugs).

The rest of this should be good. :icon_redface:
If you want to be able to "true-bypass" either tone section, that would call for a 3-position (on-off-on) DPDT toggle switch (six lugs).

If you want to get fancy, you could "true-bypass" either tone section and also use a bi-color LED to indicate which tone stack was active, and have the LED go off when the switch was in the middle, bypass (off) position. In that case you would want a 3-position (on-off-on) 3PDT toggle switch (nine lugs). The bi-color LED has three legs instead of two. Center lead to ground, and switching the power alternatively to the outside legs will cause it to light up (typically) either green or red. Each of the outside legs should have its own current limiting resistor.

~ Charlie
moosapotamus.net
"I tend to like anything that I think sounds good."

vanessa

#7
Quote from: moosapotamus on February 01, 2006, 02:12:18 PM
I may not be understanding your exact intentions correctly, but...
I do not think you want to use a 3-position switch that is (on-on-on), because I don't think that you want to be connected to either of the tone stacks when you put the switch in the middle bypass (off) position.

The drawing in your initial post looks to me like you are not "true-bypassing" either tone section. You are just switching the connections going in to either tone1, bypass, or tone2. That would call for a 3-position (on-off-on) SPDT toggle switch (three lugs).

If you want to be able to "true-bypass" either tone section, that would call for a 3-position (on-off-on) DPDT toggle switch (six lugs).

If you want to get fancy, you could "true-bypass" either tone section and also use a bi-color LED to indicate which tone stack was active, and have the LED go off when the switch was in the middle, bypass (off) position. In that case you would want a 3-position (on-off-on) 3PDT toggle switch (nine lugs). The bi-color LED has three legs instead of two. Center lead to ground, and switching the power alternatively to the outside legs will cause it to light up (typically) either green or red. Each of the outside legs should have its own current limiting resistor.

~ Charlie


How would I wire a DPDT (on-off-on) to true bypass either tone stack? Would it be that big of a deal if they were or not? I know that a SPDT would be the cheapest route.

wcampagner

Vanessa,

You colud do it using electronic switching... but i don't know if this is what you want.

Thanks,
Wagner.
Thanks,
Wagner.


moosapotamus

I'm not so good with aschii diagrams, but here goes...

               Tone1
               |      |
               |      |
              (1)  (4)
IN--------(2)  (5)--------------OUT
              (3)  (6)
               |      |
               |      |
               Tone2

Well, now that I've drawn it and actually looked at it, maybe I was typing faster than I was thinking. The above would not allow you to bypass both tone stacks (sorry). :icon_redface: Center position would just break the signal. But, with a 2-position switch, it would TB one tone stack when you selected the other.

I think Khas is on the money... If you want to have a center position that bypasses both tone stacks, I think that toggle would work.

sorry :icon_redface:
~ Charlie
moosapotamus.net
"I tend to like anything that I think sounds good."

vanessa

Space might be an issue too. I'm not certain a rotary switch would be that great. I would like to put it in a 1590B but I guess if I had to I could go 1590BB.

So you don't think that using a DPDT on-on-on and wiring it up as a SP3T would work?

:icon_cry:

moosapotamus

Quote from: vanessa on February 01, 2006, 03:02:34 PMSo you don't think that using a DPDT on-on-on and wiring it up as a SP3T would work?
I think it could. Don't know if it's going to make any difference having the outputs of your tone stacks hard-wired together with the bypass line and only switching at the inputs.

Maybe better, but I'm not positive how the DP3T toggle switch that Khas linked to works. Definately smaller than a rotary, tho.

Eight lugs, something like this?

          |-------Tone1---------|
          |                            |
          |        Tone2           |
          |        |        |         |
          |       (1)    (5)        |
          |------(2)    (6)-------|
                  (3)----(7)

      IN-------(4)    (8 )--------OUT

Down position (3 - 7) is bypass - lug 4 switches to lug 3, and lug 8 to lug 7.
Center position (2 - 6) is Tone1 - lug 4 switches to lug 2, and lug 8 to lug 6.
Up position (1 - 5) is Tone2 - lug 4 switches to lug 1, and lug 8 to lug 5.

Is that how that switch works?
Maybe someone else can confirm?

~ Charlie
moosapotamus.net
"I tend to like anything that I think sounds good."

Pushtone

I'm working on something like this for a multi-effect pedal with a rotary switch.
Zvex helped out by pointing me toward the rotarty switch.

If I understand you correctly it should work for selecting between two tone stacks and bypass. It would need one rotary for each tone stack and would allow you to select both tone stacks at the same time. (although that may not be what you want)

Heres an "on-screen" version.
http://www3.telus.net/david65/pedal-pics/SwitchMix-Schem-SM.jpg

Heres a full rez version
http://www3.telus.net/david65/pedal-pics/SwitchMix-Schem-Final.GIF

Pushtone
It's time to buy a gun. That's what I've been thinking.
Maybe I can afford one, if I do a little less drinking. - Fred Eaglesmith

Khas Evets

You're close, Charlie. You need to switch 3/7 for 4/8. The common is 3/7.

I really like this switch, it's too bad they aren't made with a screw shaft like other toggles (it uses two screws like a slide switch). It's much smaller than a rotary. It's also useful for diode switching.

vanessa

Quote from: The Tone God on February 01, 2006, 02:10:16 PM
In the OP that diagram is actually a SP3T. You had it backwards. Poles are the number of common connections and the throw is the number of posistions. When you go more a couple of throws usually you are looking at a rotary switch.

Andrew

------------------------------------------->

                          o----tone 1----|
In                                            |                Out
-------------o        o----bypass----|----------
                                               |
                          o----tone 2----|   


In (common), three throws to Out.

SP3T???

       

spudulike

If you want to use a rotary switch you need to wire it like this ...








Use whichever version you can get but try to get one of these ...




1. Remove the fixing nut.
2. Remove the flat washer.
3. Move the tab washer to position 3.

That gives you only 3 positions. Then depending on how many poles (A, B, C, D) wire as above. This gives you Tonestack 1, Bypass, Tonestack 2.
I used this on my Java Boost and a Tweak Fuzz clone.

vanessa

Quote from: spudulike on February 01, 2006, 06:54:20 PM
I used this on my Java Boost and a Tweak Fuzz clone.


Do you use this with other alpha pots? If so do you cut down the shaft?

DavidS

#18
About rotaries, Mouser has some super-tiny ones that are real nice. I'm using three of them in a Tonepad SansAmp for the selector switches, they work great! They're $5.86, not too cheap, but not too expensive either.

Here's a link... http://www.mouser.com/index.cfm?handler=displayproduct&lstdispproductid=791041&e_categoryid=144&e_pcodeid=01019

moosapotamus

Quote from: DavidS on February 01, 2006, 10:05:12 PMMouser has some super-tiny ones that are real nice.

Oooooh, those do look very nice! Thanks! :icon_cool:

~ Charlie
moosapotamus.net
"I tend to like anything that I think sounds good."