Relays VS analog switches

Started by gecko_blaster, June 02, 2012, 10:34:51 AM

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gecko_blaster

Hi there, I'm building an FX switcher... Shematic is now finished 10 fx and 10 bank switcher all with true bypass, blessed be the 16-bit latching chips. Anyway I'm about to start experiment with the signal switching... Just thought I'd get some opinions off here 1st. I've got a SPDT relay with gold contacts and I've got an analog switch also SPDT with make before break built into it...

Which do you think will give least audio pop... All grounds will be tied together but no tie down resistors... My concern is that the analog has quite a high resistance (about 0.3 ohms) and I'll probably be using about 3 of the loops for fx before amp through these so 0.9ohm resistance total.... I could throw a buffer circuit in the mix or use a buffer pedal but would rather use the relays as these have a low resistance (about 0.1ohms each). Also, the relays all require drivers as the voltage to the coil is coming from a CMOS chip so analog switches help to keep cost down.

Not concerned with after amp fx as I believe the FX send is already a buffered signal so not concerned with resistance.

Opinions??

defaced

0.9 ohms is nothing for series resistance in a circuit like this. 

The ULN2803 is an inexpensive and effective driver for interfacing CMOS outputs to loads like relays. 

Pop is usually caused by changes in the DC levels of the pins of the switch/relay contacts.  If all of your signals are AC coupled to the switching contacts, you may not have any pop with either solution.  If one or more pedal has DC on the input/output, you'll have to either eliminate it or reference all of the contacts to that potential to keep it from popping.  I'd experiment with a basic circuit and the different switching devices you have and see which one works best. 
-Mike