Building for a pedal for tour

CheapSuitG

CheapSuitG

The TubeSchemer
Hi!

I’m building a pedal for a friend who’s a bust touring musician as a gift. While he’s not abusive with his gear, he is an enthusiastic performer so I want to make sure this build is as bulletproof as possible.

Up to now, I’ve only built pedals for myself and a couple of local friends, nothing that’s really seen life on the road.

I plan on using high end jacks, switches, pots etc.

I usually socket ICs to avoid heat damage while soldering but for something that’s going to be bounced around a lot, is there a good way to secure them in their sockets so they don’t come loose over time?

Any other tips?

Thanks!
 
maybe put some blue loctite on all the nuts so they don't come loose?

I don't think you have to worry about IC sockets coming loose. The round ones seem to hold better.

I'm pretty sure the standard cases and switches are tour ready 125b, 3PDT, Alpha pots etc.

Make sure your soldering is on point. You wouldn't want a cold solder on your jacks breaking loose and making the thing not work.

Disclaimer: I never built a pedal that went on tour or even played at a show. But I think about pedals being "on the road" when I put them together
 
CheapSuitG said:
Hi!

I’m building a pedal for a friend who’s a bust touring musician as a gift. While he’s not abusive with his gear, he is an enthusiastic performer so I want to make sure this build is as bulletproof as possible.

Up to now, I’ve only built pedals for myself and a couple of local friends, nothing that’s really seen life on the road.

I plan on using high end jacks, switches, pots etc.

I usually socket ICs to avoid heat damage while soldering but for something that’s going to be bounced around a lot, is there a good way to secure them in their sockets so they don’t come loose over time?

Any other tips?

Thanks!
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Wires between offboard components and pcbs prevents broken solder joints on shocks. Also avoid low temp bismuth solder that creates brittle joints.
 
NickKUK said:
Potting would make the pedal a throw away device. Think about the poor tech needing to source and replace parts.
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That was mostly sarcasm. I believe he JUST got a guitar tech. Good way to initiate him with some hazing!
Hal Harvey said:
Build two, or even three. Redundancy.
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Good idea, was hoping more of a one off gift but yeah, that is probably be a good idea.

Guilherme Collateral said:
Don’t use sockets man, the opamps/transistors WILL eventually get loose. I’ve been building pedals professionally for more than 15 years and I worked for a long time with repairs and I have seen this happen a lot.
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Transistors I have never done a socket unless I was testing things out. opamps, will have to give it a go it seems!
 
Build to NASA soldering-standards, if it can handle a shuttle-launch...

Then bolt the PCB to the enclosure, like Union Tube & Transistor or turret strip board bits...

Hot Glue all wire contact points...

Once everything is in the enclosure and tested as good, then pour in the epoxy resin up to the brim (put the back-plate on before the epoxy hardens...)


Then make a sacrificial offering, an effigy of a roadie, at your nearest volcano. No nearby active volcanos? A bush-party bonfire will do.
 
Feral Feline said:
Build to NASA soldering-standards, if it can handle a shuttle-launch...

Then bolt the PCB to the enclosure, like Union Tube & Transistor or turret strip board bits...

Hot Glue all wire contact points...

Once everything is in the enclosure and tested as good, then pour in the epoxy resin up to the brim (put the back-plate on before the epoxy hardens...)
Click to expand...

The poor pots and good luck getting 1/2” plugs in :ROFLMAO:

Use the pots that screw to the front panel, don’t use the thin plastic pcb mounted ones - dropped on it and the board is broken or traces ripped.

Don’t have open controls like sliders on foot pedals where dirt can drop in.

Don’t have ultra bright LEDs.

I assume he’s using a power conditioner? Check the power needs and noise needs (like RFiI etc).
 
The easiest way is (IMO) make things modular as well as bullet proof - separate the sections of the pedal that will see the most abose (jacks, switch, pot) into daughterboards and connect them to everything else with JST-XH's or ribbon cables.

If something breaks, swap them over in under a minute.

With that being said, I do like the system that Trueman use - there is a pressed steel frame that the switch/pots/etc bolt through, which also has standoffs which connect to the PCB. The entire board is mechanically connected to a steel frame, which is locked against the enclosure by the pot/switch nuts.
 
CheapSuitG said:
I usually socket ICs to avoid heat damage while soldering
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just solder them direct to the board. they can take it.
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1755647688991.png

- use an electronic relay bypass instead of mechanical 3PDT - these bastards can 'mis-switch' when hitting it badly on the fly and then goes into some fucked position where it's neither bypass or active, and just makes a loud hum (happened to me before).
a relay switch is just more reliable.
 
>90% of the problems come from cheap pots, jacks and switches, and handwiring.

Use good quality components and use a PCB for the 3PDT. That will cover most of the issues.
 
Feral Feline said:
I've yet to come across robust ribbon-cable, though it might be out there.
What ribbon cable I've come across that's intended for pedals... wouldn't last.
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i've never understood why anyone would ever want use ribbon cables in a pedal build. (except mass production to save time/money)

weak, flimsy, brittle pieces of shit.
they're fugly as hell.
and then if you lose continuity in a single conductor, you'd have to replace the whole thing. instead of just the one that failed.

just use a decent gauge. 24awg is kinda weak. 22awg is where it starts getting robust. prebond is probably the strongest.
 
drew.spriggs said:
The easiest way is (IMO) make things modular as well as bullet proof - separate the sections of the pedal that will see the most abose (jacks, switch, pot) into daughterboards and connect them to everything else with JST-XH's or ribbon cables.
Click to expand...

I've always appreciated that J.Rockett makes the footswitch user replaceable in a lot of their pedals.

1755653979786.png
 
Feral Feline said:
I've yet to come across robust ribbon-cable, though it might be out there.
What ribbon cable I've come across that's intended for pedals... wouldn't last.
Click to expand...
Our 3d printers had heads that a long ribbon attached to, which moved around like crazy. After about a year (of probably 8hrs per day) I began having weird print failures that I de idea were cable issues. I found (pretty sure it was Mouser) some mil spec silicon ribbon cable, and bought enough for all the printers. That was 7 or 8 years ago, and I think their still going strong.
 
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