PedalPCB 5-Loop True Bypass Switcher

[Giorfida]

Good question! I believe only the MIDI in jack would need to be isolated, right? Unsure though. Maybe the input would be grounded to the box, and the rest of the jacks are isolated?

I’d personally want to isolate all the jacks. Never know what kind of power supply someone is using, or if they are throwing the preamp of their actual amp in one of the loops. Isolated jacks could keep the grounds to each send/receive pair bussed, but isolated from other pairs. Not a true isolation but likely enough for most situations

 

[Giorfida]

Of course I’m not thinking straight. Isolating the loop jacks from
The master I/o jacks would likely make the connection not work.
Another option- a dip switch bank that would allow any jack have their ground lifted. That would make more sense.

May be overthinking it, but I’ve dealt with ground loops in the past that were a nightmare to troubleshoot (catch me on a side conversation about the old metal DOD pedalboards from the 80s)

 

[giovanni]

If all the pedals and the switcher are powered via isolated supplies the risk for ground loops should be minimal.

If we want two outputs, having at least one of them isolated (via transformer) would avoid ground loops between the two amps.

Am I missing anything?

 

[Giorfida]

3 scenarios you could be missing
- using one of the loops to put your amps preamp in the loop (ie 4 cable method), in which case it would be a crapshoot as to what you would want to isolate. So ground lift switches for all jacks would be cool and I’d think easy to implement
- metal pedalboard + metal cases pedals. Yes the Velcro could provide isolation, but some folks zip tie or use other attachment, which could introduce another common ground path.
- use of snake cables or other multi conductor cables- some of which share grounds.

And of course the “budget” isolated supply that isn’t really isolated

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

Spoke with Hugo, 1032L drilling is coming next month

Rad! Did he say anything about powder coating and UV printing?

 

[Robert]

My impression is that all three services will be offered.

 

[Robert]

Where should the dipswitches be located?

There isn't room on the back side with the jacks, so we have three choices....

Face of the enclosure, front side (facing the player), or internal.

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

Where should the dipswitches be located?

There isn't room on the back side with the jacks, so we have three choices....

Face of the enclosure, front side (facing the player), or internal.

I’d say front side.

 

[Robert]

What are the dipswitches for again?

Playing around with a design for a version of the switcher where the banks are programmed by dipswitches, similar to the Octa-Switch.

PedalPCB 5-Loop True Bypass Switcher

Creating this thread as a place to consolidate all the ramblings about the upcoming true bypass loop pedals

forum.pedalpcb.com

It may never happen because it's just as easy to program with the footswitches, but we'll see...

 

[jimilee]

Yeah, inside. I won’t see needing to switch that on the fly. You’re right, it is easier to do it with the foot switches, which wouldn’t get programmed in the fly either.

 

[Robert]

Yeah, inside. I won’t see needing to switch that on the fly.

Nah, and putting them on the face like the Carl Martin seems like a horrible idea.

I don't think dipswitches are designed for the amount of dirt and crud that is going to end up in there.

 

[jimilee]

Nah, and putting them on the face like the Carl Martin seems like a horrible idea.

I don't think dipswitches are designed for the amount of dirt and crud that is going to end up in there.

Oh god no.

 

[jimilee]

I think the overall appeal of the Carl Martin is brute force programmability.

Obviously a microcontroller based unit controlled by footswitches is far superior. The Joyo switcher in particular have a crazy amount of functionality for such a simple interface.

The only thing I'd like to see improved upon was switchable buffers, a stomp mode and maybe order switching of specific loops. There are times when I want to switch the order of my Fuzz and Wah on the fly.

I have a switcher now that has 2 inputs. One buffered and one non. It can definitely be handy.

 

[benny_profane]

Yeah, inside. I won’t see needing to switch that on the fly. You’re right, it is easier to do it with the foot switches, which wouldn’t get programmed in the fly either.

Footswitch-programmable banks certainly would get programmed on the fly.

 

[jimilee]

Footswitch-programmable banks certainly would get programmed on the fly.

Like when you’re gigging? That’s more what I was making reference to. Otherwise, yes. It’s all on the fly.

 

[jimilee]

I have to agree with @benny_profane in the sense that when I had the Joyo PXL8 Pro, the advantage of footswitch programming vs. menu programming was that you could on the fly save presets to banks at great speed using your feet.

I meant more like while you’re on stage. Otherwise, yes it’s all basically on the fly.

 

[Robert]

Obviously a microcontroller based unit controlled by footswitches is far superior.

I'm fairly certain there's still a microcontroller in the Carl Martin... Analog radio button switching would involve more circuitry than it's worth when it can be done with a single IC and some pull-up resistors.

 

[Robert]

I think I meant to say that footswitch programming is preferable almost universally for me rather than dip switches.

I think the dipswitches are pretty cool, but it would definitely not be the only (or primary) switcher project available.

 

[benny_profane]

I think the dipswitches are pretty cool, but it would definitely not be the only (or primary) switcher project available.

The only time I’d want DIP switches would be for things that I’d configure while wiring up the board. I wouldn’t want to rely on them for determining loops. (But I’ve already expressed interest in an Arduino looper so you know where I’m at.)

 

[ADAOCE]

Late to the party here but I’ve been waiting for this for so long! I’ll be thankful for anything @Robert comes up with! Really liking the discussion and plans I’ve read so far. I’m redoing my entire board around my HX Effects and a relay controlled 5 loop switcher was on my to do list but I was gonna hack it together now I get tuner out, relay switching and maybe programmable banks?!

I attached a representative board layout (outcome not final). If we somehow got a midi version whether this one or a different version I’d love to control from the HX Effects. Either way stoked!