Dark Rift Delay Footswitch Pop

[lukegalea]

Hi! I built a Dark Rift Delay kit for a friend of mine and I'm noticing that the footswitch causes a pop sometimes. I've used the tails mod by Vulcano Fx pictured here.

I tried it with two different interfaces which didn't have the pop issue but yesterday we tried it out with an amp and a pop could be heard both when using the footswitch and changing the toggle switch to tails on/off.

Any ideas? I'm thinking of replacing the 3PDT to a higher quality one perhaps?

 

[eh là bas ma]

Hi,

I have a similar popping issue on an Apostle build. So, assuming it isn't an issue with the tail mod, I can give you the various solutions I could find so far, ranked from easiest to hardest and surely most effective.

1/ try a higher led resistor value, up to 20k, the led's light will reduce accordingly, and hopefully the noise too.

2/ AMZ fix is effective on many circuits, quite easy, it is surely worth a try : http://www.muzique.com/lab/led.htm

2.5/ Someone recommended this : https://www.lehle.com/en/lehle-dc-filter
There's probably some diy versions, I never tried this solution. A bit expensive and bad reviews, no guarantee it'll work...
I just thought I should mention it, but I am a bit suspicious about it.

3/ silent relay bypass (this should be the most effective fix, never tried it either but I guess I will) :

Nope Relay Bypass kit, 10,40

Relay true bypass without microcontroller

www.musikding.de

Intelligent Relay Bypass kit, 18,50

Relay Bypass

www.musikding.de

Only downside is the space required in the enclosure, I guess.

 

[lukegalea]

Thanks! It's quite odd that sometimes I have popping issues and sometimes not with my builds. I'm thinking of upgrading the 3PDT footswitches that I use since I suspect that the common blue ones are sometimes defective perhaps?

I'm not sure that in my case the LED is the issue since a pop also happens when I change the tails toggle switch. The pop also happens when tails are on which is quite odd since I'm using a JFET switch. Thanks for the suggestions nonetheless, since I can try them out.

 

[eh là bas ma]

I suspect that the common blue ones are sometimes defective perhaps?

I think it's often the circuit design. In my experience blue 3PDT are good, if you get them from a reliable source. Higher quality can probably have more durability and the mechanical noise maybe a little bit quieter. There is a variety of footswitches, with various spring tensions (more or less hard to click. Momentary 3PDT don't click).

In your case, it can be the design of the mod, I can't say for sure. But even with an expensive 3PDT, if the circuit design is the issue, it won't change that.
If you can find a demo of the circuit with the mod, you 'll know for sure if it's supposed to be noisy or not.
Edit : Or you can try to uninstall the mod, and check if the noise was coming from it.

 

[lukegalea]

In your case, it can be the design of the mod

Agreed - I will try uninstalling it and try without it. Any ideas/sources for a tails mod?

 

[eh là bas ma]

You can try to search "Dark Rift" in the Modifification section of the forum :

Go to Modification, type Dark Rift in the search bar, select "this forum".

Here is what I found at first glance :

Tails mod for Dark Rift Delay

Hey all - got a question regarding a schematic I found for a tails mode switch for the Dark Rift PT2399 delay. I'm sure I can build it, and I'm sure that I can connect it to the 3PDT no problem, but I'm wondering just where I should be connecting this to the Dark Rift board? Could just be as...

forum.pedalpcb.com

 

[lukegalea]

Thanks - replied to that thread just in case.