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Mysterioso channel switching

Started by midwayfair, July 28, 2012, 02:53:30 AM

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midwayfair

A friend got me interested in this pedal a while ago, and we both like Llamas, and much to my surprise this was one of Bean's discontinued projects and happens to be pretty Llama-like. So now I've got one of these ready to go sans pots and switches while I decide what the final result will be. Did some readin' of past threads, and I found the original schematic online, but this doesn't seem to have been the most popular of Brian's projects, so there aren't a ton of build reports floating around to draw inspiration from.

I should probably finish it and at least listen to it before I start asking these questions, but ... I just wanted to get some sense of what's worth doing with the "channel" switching if I decide to use a second switch. The idea of just switching between two settings like the original pedal is pretty unappealing to me, especially because I don't find the original channels that different at all. And I like predictability when I hit a second switch -- I don't want to have to remember if the blue channel is hotter than the red channel, or if I switched the settings around last time I messed with it. Someone in the past worked up a way to switch between a preset boost level and the pot-set level, but again that seems a little more unpredictable than what I'd want (i.e., is the boost lower than the internal setting at the moment?).

There are a few things that I do think might be worth it for a second footswitch if I can make them do what I want, though:

1) Mids boost on a footswitch -- but only if it also boosts the output enough to compensate. I think, looking at the schematic, that switching on the cap will reduce the overall volume by some amount when it's made midsy. Correct me if I'm wrong, because this is #1 on my "best simple use for the switch." I guess I'd have to worry about popping, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it ... but is there a sure-fire way to boost the output when the mids are switched on? Maybe just a series resistor (~47K-100K) that gets removed when the switch is flipped?

2) PLC on a switch ... unfortunately I already know that this will do the opposite of what I want. It would go from midsy to full range with more volume. I want the opposite.

3) A gain-limiting resistor (or pot) on the switch. Basically, just another larger resistor in series with the 2.2K and gain pot after the b/r switch. This would give it a "dirty boost" setting. Adding a yet another pot isn't entirely appealing to me, but at least it's something that I or someone else wouldn't have to think about in a live setting.

Edit: 4) There's enough poles to play with on the second switch that I could combine the mids boost + gain boost. That would be intriguing, but I worry about doing two very different things at once ...

I have two poles to play with on the footswitch if I use an LED, so I know I can make two things happen at once. Anyway, anyone have any suggestions? Other things you've tried?