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Volume Pedal Retrofit, used as is?

Started by brand0nized, January 09, 2014, 10:27:48 AM

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brand0nized

I'm making a volume pedal, and I'm reading a lot about passive volume pedals sucking tone, since it's basically another volume control in the chain.

Can Craig Anderton's Volume Pedal Retrofit as the circuit for my volume pedal? I don't know how to make a buffer and all that stuff, and I've seen some DIY volume pedal threads around pointing to this project.

Besides, what is a "scratchy pot"?

Cortexturizer

A scratchy pot is a semi-faulty one, it operates as it should but introduces crackle into the sound, you hear a sound reminiscent to the sound of scratching a classroom board or just smashing two pieces of newspaper into each other.

This volume retrofit mechanism, it electronically isolates the pot from the signal path, so the scratchiness of the pot doesn't matter anymore and you don't have to buy a new one. The downside is that some people experienced noise from the ca3080, and increased treble content. I was on a verge of building it not that long ago but decided not to.

It is simply ridiculous not being able to build a decent volume pedal easily. But you can't. You're more likely to find a tap tempo 8-stage phaser project than a good volume pedal project. It's really weird, I know.
https://kuatodesign.blogspot.com - thoughts on some pedals I made
https://soundcloud.com/kuato-design-stompboxes - sounds and jams

brand0nized

Quote from: Cortexturizer on January 09, 2014, 10:46:39 AM
A scratchy pot is a semi-faulty one, it operates as it should but introduces crackle into the sound, you hear a sound reminiscent to the sound of scratching a classroom board or just smashing two pieces of newspaper into each other.

This volume retrofit mechanism, it electronically isolates the pot from the signal path, so the scratchiness of the pot doesn't matter anymore and you don't have to buy a new one. The downside is that some people experienced noise from the ca3080, and increased treble content. I was on a verge of building it not that long ago but decided not to.

It is simply ridiculous not being able to build a decent volume pedal easily. But you can't. You're more likely to find a tap tempo 8-stage phaser project than a good volume pedal project. It's really weird, I know.

That is pretty weird.

Isn't the increased treble content a good thing because the pedals like VP Jr. were rolling off highs?

Cortexturizer

Scott Henderson, who is my favorite guitar player, turned down John Suhr when he wanted to put stainless steel frets on his guitar after he said to him that stainless steel frets sound (??) a little bit brighter. He said: "I'm gonna stay away from those, my tone knob is on 3 as it is."

So no, increased treble is not everybody's cup of tea, mine sure isn't. Usually a guitarist seeks either for a beefy tone or do not want his tone to be altered in any way.
https://kuatodesign.blogspot.com - thoughts on some pedals I made
https://soundcloud.com/kuato-design-stompboxes - sounds and jams