Do 3PDT wiring boards pop less?

[Blues Healer]

On my facebook feed, Skreddy commented that he's now using a 3PDT wiring board. Analog Mike chimed in, and said he thinks they pop less. Is that true?

[GermanCdn]

Depends on the type of board/switch combo you're talking about.

If you're talking 3PDT standard 9 lug boards (like Josh/Rej/Ben/many other people) sell variants of, the answer generally would be "no" as all they are doing is serving as a vehicle to solder on and don't have any separate switching device.  In the case of Rej's boards, there are optional slots for pull down resistors, so if you have a circuit that doesn't have a pull down resistor built into it, it "could" pop less, but then you've effectively changed the circuit, so it's not a fair comparison.

If you're talking Optical switching (like Josh's Opto-tron), then the answer is "yes", as it's a momentary switch/H1F11 IC doing the switching (there is a far more techical description than that I'm sure, but it's a lazy brain day as all my thinking powers got consumed before lunch).

[Blues Healer]

Thanks

Analog Mike referred to his board, which SmallBear sells ... just a regular board.

the reason I ask is that one of my Rub a Dub Deluxe builds has a pop, and I might consider re-wiring it with either a regular board or an optical one.

[GermanCdn]

I've got Poodle's Schaller trem built up (no pull down resistor) wired up to a 3PDT board and it pops like a SOB.  Going to swap out the switch with one with Rej's board with a 2M PDR on the input and output and see if it makes a difference.  Will post here in the name of science.

[playpunk]

Yes. But not for any mechanical reason - the 3pdt boards are much easier to solder, and there are fewer bad joints with those. I think that pop is, sometimes, the result of a mediocre joint on a switch.

[Blues Healer]

Yes. But not for any mechanical reason - the 3pdt boards are much easier to solder, and there are fewer bad joints with those. I think that pop is, sometimes, the result of a mediocre joint on a switch.

I wondered about that ... I have a few boards, but I haven't used them yet. But for sure, the switch wiring has caused me problems before.

[hoodoo]

FWIW, i have a shoot the moon trem, that was popping badly also. It has one of Josh's 3pdt boards installed. I used a 1M resistor on the output side only and it solved the problem completely.

[culturejam]

If you're talking Optical switching (like Josh's Opto-tron), then the answer is "yes", as it's a momentary switch/H1F11 IC doing the switching

The switch is actually a latching type, just like most 3PDTs. So any pop suppression is probably a function of the other parts in the sub-circuit.

[Muadzin]

the 3pdt boards are much easier to solder

I never understood that. I never felt the need to use a 3PDT board as I find soldering (and desoldering) directly to the switch dead easy. To me it seems like an unnecessary complication.

[GermanCdn]

If you're talking Optical switching (like Josh's Opto-tron), then the answer is "yes", as it's a momentary switch/H1F11 IC doing the switching

The switch is actually a latching type, just like most 3PDTs. So any pop suppression is probably a function of the other parts in the sub-circuit.

Proof that my brain was in fact on vacation yesterday (and probably most of today)

I never understood that. I never felt the need to use a 3PDT board as I find soldering (and desoldering) directly to the switch dead easy. To me it seems like an unnecessary complication.

It really depends a lot on how you approach your builds.  I lay out my enclosures (for the most part) for Josh's 3PDT boards, and I typicaly drill and assemble in lots of 8 - 10, so while I'm waiting for the ink to dry on the enclosures after I've test fitted the components, I can assemble the 3PDT boards with the jacks, CLRs, and main power wires, trim and strip the board leads, and have it just about ready to drop in (I don't solder the boards to the stomp until the very end when everything is in place).  Not that you couldn't do the same without it.

[juansolo]

If you're talking Optical switching (like Josh's Opto-tron), then the answer is "yes", as it's a momentary switch/H1F11 IC doing the switching

The switch is actually a latching type, just like most 3PDTs. So any pop suppression is probably a function of the other parts in the sub-circuit.

• The only time I've had one pop was when the circuit it was connected to had DC on the output.

[Muadzin]

It really depends a lot on how you approach your builds.  I lay out my enclosures (for the most part) for Josh's 3PDT boards, and I typicaly drill and assemble in lots of 8 - 10, so while I'm waiting for the ink to dry on the enclosures after I've test fitted the components, I can assemble the 3PDT boards with the jacks, CLRs, and main power wires, trim and strip the board leads, and have it just about ready to drop in (I don't solder the boards to the stomp until the very end when everything is in place).  Not that you couldn't do the same without it.

Yeah, but, and I mean this affectionately, you're a mutant. I've seen your giant stack of amps that make Brian May and The Edge walk away in shame. I doubt most people build pedals in lots of 8-10. The most I ever did was 10 and that was spread out over a whole month. In the end that was even too much for me, and I'm a GAS'aholic.

[GermanCdn]

(In my best Chucky voice from SOA)

I accept that.