- Welcome to madbeanpedals::forum.
Recent posts
#51
General Questions / Boss electronic switching...
Last post by greysun - January 21, 2026, 08:24:44 PM... okay, hear me out! hehe.
I've been working on an Arduino powered programmable effects switcher for years - I've been tinkering with relays and quick muting and could never get that signature relay "pop" to fully go away.
I recently did a VFE build, which used the quiet clipping board, and was thinking something like that could be cool, but I'm not familiar with that chip or its ins/outs and wanted to see if there was a less proprietary option first...
But then I also just did a DS-1 mod/re-house and am looking into ways of making it true bypass now. Lots of folks don't like Boss' switching system because it uses in and out buffers - but looking at the diagram here on page 3, it seems like you could easily replicate the switching system and just not include the buffers.
Since I know I can't be the first person to piece this together, lol, I MUST be missing something. Is there still some affecting notions in the signal? or are the transistors not as good of a connection and therefore NEED the buffers in order to properly work?
Attached is a closer look at the switch portion of the diagram (missing is Q6 and Q7, which would route the in and out signal).
There's surprisingly little I'm finding doing internet search (something I'm not great at in the first place) that isn't just talking about the buffer disdain. The boss switch was always immediately responsive and never had any pop or anything for me, and the parts seem to still be available, so... If anyone has insight, let me know!
As always, thank you in advance!
I've been working on an Arduino powered programmable effects switcher for years - I've been tinkering with relays and quick muting and could never get that signature relay "pop" to fully go away.
I recently did a VFE build, which used the quiet clipping board, and was thinking something like that could be cool, but I'm not familiar with that chip or its ins/outs and wanted to see if there was a less proprietary option first...
But then I also just did a DS-1 mod/re-house and am looking into ways of making it true bypass now. Lots of folks don't like Boss' switching system because it uses in and out buffers - but looking at the diagram here on page 3, it seems like you could easily replicate the switching system and just not include the buffers.
Since I know I can't be the first person to piece this together, lol, I MUST be missing something. Is there still some affecting notions in the signal? or are the transistors not as good of a connection and therefore NEED the buffers in order to properly work?
Attached is a closer look at the switch portion of the diagram (missing is Q6 and Q7, which would route the in and out signal).
There's surprisingly little I'm finding doing internet search (something I'm not great at in the first place) that isn't just talking about the buffer disdain. The boss switch was always immediately responsive and never had any pop or anything for me, and the parts seem to still be available, so... If anyone has insight, let me know!
As always, thank you in advance!
#52
Global Annoucements / Re: Jan 2026 restocks
Last post by gordo - January 21, 2026, 04:18:23 AMLooking forward to 2026!!!
#53
Global Annoucements / Re: Jan 2026 restocks
Last post by Bucksears - January 19, 2026, 11:40:59 PMQuote from: neiltheseal on January 16, 2026, 11:30:33 AMQuote from: madbean on January 13, 2026, 11:39:14 PMUpdate: the headers came today after all.Looking forward to the microsynth!Quote from: BricksnBeatles on January 13, 2026, 08:29:13 PMDope! How about the coming soon stuff?
Well I have no choice except get them out ASAP (plus the other 10 that are basically ready) so I can work on the Microsynth. I'm gonna set a much better pace this year.
Same - I will likely go for the Edgelord as an immediate follow-up.
#54
General Questions / Repair help
Last post by geekmacdaddy - January 19, 2026, 12:43:01 PMHey Guys
Never mind
Thanks
Jeff
Never mind
Thanks
Jeff
#55
Global Annoucements / Re: Jan 2026 restocks
Last post by neiltheseal - January 16, 2026, 11:30:33 AMQuote from: madbean on January 13, 2026, 11:39:14 PMUpdate: the headers came today after all.Looking forward to the microsynth!Quote from: BricksnBeatles on January 13, 2026, 08:29:13 PMDope! How about the coming soon stuff?
Well I have no choice except get them out ASAP (plus the other 10 that are basically ready) so I can work on the Microsynth. I'm gonna set a much better pace this year.
#56
Build Reports / DS-1 modded and rehoused…
Last post by greysun - January 15, 2026, 03:24:15 PMOkay, so it's not a madbean build, but yall have been giving me advice in the general forum, so... yea.
It took me 15minutes to close this thing because boss in the 90s just liked to rats nest their wiring and I didn't wanna replace literally everything in it, so I don't have a gut shot, per se, but I threw the book at this thing and it paid off. Riffing off the internet's version of keeley mods, I replaced the following parts:
C1: 100n film
C2: 1u film
C3: toggled on/off/on - 440n, 100n, 1u; all film
C5: 100n film
C7: 220p ceramic
C8: 1u film
C9: 1u film
C11: 47n film
C12: 100n film
C13: 100n film
D5: 3mm red diffused led + 47p ceramic parallel
R13: 2.4k
R14: 1.5k
R35: 2.4k
R39: 20k
Switch: normally open momentary foot switch
LED: 5mm red diffused
Power: swapped in an "outie"
Removed the battery and rewired the power to be direct. Had to augment ground wires to the jacks as a result to test, but it worked!
The rest are pretty much the keeley seeing eye mods as found on the internet, which have some degree of variance, albeit slightly. All EXCEPT:
C3 is what lets this get pretty fuzzy. Even 100n (stock is 47n, I think, and Keeley didn't change this) darkens it up slightly and nicely for a distortion, but the further north you go the fuzzier it gets - the left switch is stock center, fuzz bottom, fuzziest top. This might make it great for lead work. I think wampler showcased this in a video, and I went all in for it.
The so called synth mods are... fine. lol. I'm wondering if these keeley mods actually messed with how the synth mods work, but I'm not sharp enough to figure it out. Toggle in the middle of the pedal turns them on, toggle on the right is on/on/on and goes through the varied mods. They're a bit unpredictable in mine and therefore I think I'll be leaving them off, but I do like to add noise here and there for texture, so I'm glad they're at least there and toggle-able.
I notice in bypass it's a little fatter than direct - attributing this possibly to the change in c3, which I believe is part of the buffer circuit, and the fact that I did not make this true bypass. It honestly doesn't sound half bad, lol - but at some point I might need to address it. If I wind up liking the sound, I might throw together an actual board that's not so messy with a 3pdt true bypass.
Anywho, here are the pics I have:
It took me 15minutes to close this thing because boss in the 90s just liked to rats nest their wiring and I didn't wanna replace literally everything in it, so I don't have a gut shot, per se, but I threw the book at this thing and it paid off. Riffing off the internet's version of keeley mods, I replaced the following parts:
C1: 100n film
C2: 1u film
C3: toggled on/off/on - 440n, 100n, 1u; all film
C5: 100n film
C7: 220p ceramic
C8: 1u film
C9: 1u film
C11: 47n film
C12: 100n film
C13: 100n film
D5: 3mm red diffused led + 47p ceramic parallel
R13: 2.4k
R14: 1.5k
R35: 2.4k
R39: 20k
Switch: normally open momentary foot switch
LED: 5mm red diffused
Power: swapped in an "outie"
Removed the battery and rewired the power to be direct. Had to augment ground wires to the jacks as a result to test, but it worked!
The rest are pretty much the keeley seeing eye mods as found on the internet, which have some degree of variance, albeit slightly. All EXCEPT:
C3 is what lets this get pretty fuzzy. Even 100n (stock is 47n, I think, and Keeley didn't change this) darkens it up slightly and nicely for a distortion, but the further north you go the fuzzier it gets - the left switch is stock center, fuzz bottom, fuzziest top. This might make it great for lead work. I think wampler showcased this in a video, and I went all in for it.
The so called synth mods are... fine. lol. I'm wondering if these keeley mods actually messed with how the synth mods work, but I'm not sharp enough to figure it out. Toggle in the middle of the pedal turns them on, toggle on the right is on/on/on and goes through the varied mods. They're a bit unpredictable in mine and therefore I think I'll be leaving them off, but I do like to add noise here and there for texture, so I'm glad they're at least there and toggle-able.
I notice in bypass it's a little fatter than direct - attributing this possibly to the change in c3, which I believe is part of the buffer circuit, and the fact that I did not make this true bypass. It honestly doesn't sound half bad, lol - but at some point I might need to address it. If I wind up liking the sound, I might throw together an actual board that's not so messy with a 3pdt true bypass.
Anywho, here are the pics I have:
#57
Open Discussion / Re: Happy Christmas, Bean and ...
Last post by jimilee - January 14, 2026, 04:56:42 PMQuote from: TNblueshawk on January 14, 2026, 03:27:43 PMI'm retiring in 2026 so I know it's the best year ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Woohoo!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
#58
Open Discussion / Re: Happy Christmas, Bean and ...
Last post by TNblueshawk - January 14, 2026, 03:27:43 PMI'm retiring in 2026 so I know it's the best year ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#59
Global Annoucements / Re: Jan 2026 restocks
Last post by jwin615 - January 14, 2026, 01:17:35 PMAwesome news Brian!
#60
Global Annoucements / Re: Jan 2026 restocks
Last post by BricksnBeatles - January 14, 2026, 06:49:28 AMQuote from: madbean on January 13, 2026, 11:39:14 PMUpdate: the headers came today after all.Dope! Looking forward to ordering some Freekouts.Quote from: BricksnBeatles on January 13, 2026, 08:29:13 PMDope! How about the coming soon stuff?
Well I have no choice except get them out ASAP (plus the other 10 that are basically ready) so I can work on the Microsynth. I'm gonna set a much better pace this year.