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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: Pex657 on February 07, 2006, 01:08:18 AM

Title: Working on first pedal ever, need help
Post by: Pex657 on February 07, 2006, 01:08:18 AM
Hey,
First I would like to say that this is a great site with lots of helpful info! ;D

I am starting on my first pedal and I drew up a really simple plan for it.
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/Pex657/testpedal.jpg)

This is the first one I have ever drawn up before, so sorry if there are corrections that need to be made(that is why I am here though)
I want to make this, just to learn the very very basics, such as soldering, making a case, drawing up plans, things of that nature before I start the beginner project that is on this site. I want this to be a volume/tone pedal, that when turned on will give another volume level with a tone adjuster also. I plan on using a 3PDT switch. The question I am asking is, will this work?

Thanks,
-Pex657
Title: Re: Working on first pedal ever, need help
Post by: KMS on February 07, 2006, 01:20:53 AM
No that will not work.

Multiple problems.

Go this link and take a look and then try again.

http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/EQs/paramet.htm (http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/EQs/paramet.htm)

Check this out too.

http://europa.spaceports.com/~fishbake/mixer/mixr.jpg (http://europa.spaceports.com/~fishbake/mixer/mixr.jpg)

Also look at your LED....no negative connection?.....no light.
Title: Re: Working on first pedal ever, need help
Post by: junkyjunky on February 07, 2006, 01:42:35 AM
i commend your effort though for sure. keep working hard and you'll be fine.
Title: Re: Working on first pedal ever, need help
Post by: d95err on February 07, 2006, 04:02:32 AM
Quote from: Pex657 on February 07, 2006, 01:08:18 AM
This is the first one I have ever drawn up before, so sorry if there are corrections that need to be made(that is why I am here though)
I want to make this, just to learn the very very basics, such as soldering, making a case, drawing up plans, things of that nature before I start the beginner project that is on this site. I want this to be a volume/tone pedal, that when turned on will give another volume level with a tone adjuster also. I plan on using a 3PDT switch. The question I am asking is, will this work?

First, the LED is not wired correctly. It's never connected to ground, so it will never light up. You should wire the LED: 9V - switch - resistor - LED - ground (switch, resistor and LED can come in any order).

The volume control should work, but I don't know about the passive tone control. I would recommend skipping the tone control and making it a passive volume control only. You cold always add a buffer or simple booster later, possibly with a tone control.
Title: Re: Working on first pedal ever, need help
Post by: Pex657 on February 07, 2006, 01:00:32 PM
I removed the tone, since it seems that it will not work with out further improvements, and I want to see if the LED is correct.
(http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/Pex657/testpedal1a.jpg)

Thanks for all the help already!
Title: Re: Working on first pedal ever, need help
Post by: petemoore on February 07, 2006, 02:13:34 PM
  It looks like the LED will get current/voltage only when the effect is 'on', how much depends on the value of the resistor, that's probalby why you didn't specify.
  That's a 'stray' .22mfd mark I think.
Title: Re: Working on first pedal ever, need help
Post by: Pex657 on February 07, 2006, 04:36:35 PM
QuoteIt looks like the LED will get current/voltage only when the effect is 'on'
That was my goal.

Quotehow much depends on the value of the resistor, that's probalby why you didn't specify.
yup

so should this circuit work?, and from searching and reading, i found that using a 100K pot will give it a warmer sound than using something higher such as a 250, 500, or 1M pot.

Title: Re: Working on first pedal ever, need help
Post by: petemoore on February 07, 2006, 11:50:26 PM
  4k7's a safe value for LED Current limiting w/9v supply, the LED will light when 100k pot is in signal path, and go out when SP is going through Bypass jumper.
  100k pot means when you're adjusting the pot, you'll get to lower volumes without increasing to as much resistance between the pot input and output [ground being the third connection].
  Say a 100k lin. [for purposes of demonstration] is set to middle, so the signal goes through 50k, doesn't attenuate high frequencies as much as...
  if the pot were 500k, set to middle, the SP would be going through 250k, enough to trim highs a bit more than lows.
  However it appears you have a treble bleed cap to compensate for that effect [the .001]...you can mess with the values of the cap and the pot, larger pot values will need a larger bleed cap to preserve highs...If you notice it gets treblier when you turn the 100k down, you can reduce or eliminate the bleed cap.
  As shown the switching/vol/indicator circuit will work.