Parallel Pedal (Cataclysm // Spirit Box) Wiring Question

Hey !

Been working on an idea I had to build a delay/reverb routed in parallel through a mixer circuit. After a bit of research I got a TH Custom Madbox to use as a parallel mixer, a cataclysm delay, and the spirit box verb. I got the boards all built out now, but hooking it all together has got me stumped.

For reference, here are the docs for each board:

Madbox
Cataclysm Delay
Spirit Box Reverb

I can't figure out what to do with the pads next to the power pads on the Delay and verb PCBs. Also, is there any issue with connecting all the boards to the same DC jack the way I have it in the diagram? I built another pedal with multiple boards all run off the same jack and it was hella noisy. I suspected that was why but never got around to actually experimenting with fixing it.

Here's all my work so far, any input and insight is big time appreciated.

IMG-0846.jpg

Thanks for checking out my post !
 
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The way it looks wired right now, if you bypass the Delay while running the Verb, you're going to have a clean signal running under the verb (and vice-versa), and if you bypass both the Delay and Verb you've got a signal split in two and then mixed to mono.

I'd want a master bypass to take the Mad Box out of the equation.
 
You're totally right. I didn't think about that.

Could I just put in a kill-dry switch ? or is that beyond the job description of the madbox ?

So what you're saying is that if I wired up a bypass for the madbox I could use each effect separately without the dry signal underneath ? Then, if I wanted the parallel blend of the two I could kick that bypass switch and split my signal ?
 
There are many permutations/directions you could go with this ... it really depends on what your wants/needs are.

You could put in a kill-dry switch, but it doesn't make sense to me to put it in the MadBox (not sure how to implement it there). Remember, both the Delay and Reverb effects themselves already have a dry signal running through them with the effect added to it.

For me, having a separate dry signal underneath the wet wouldn't be a bad thing (on bass). I'd wire up a master bypass and permanently kill the effects' dry signal in both the delay and reverb PCBs... That way if the Delay is bypassed and the Reverb is on, I still get a dry signal from the bypassed Delay. When both Delay and Reverb are on I wouldn't have any dry at all, so it'd be for super ambient washes.


Or you could have the master bypass, but kill the bypass of the Delay and Verb — ie have their stompers only engage the respective effect, but NOT bypass (keeping the dry signal of each effect itself).

A 4PDT stomper would let you, say, engage the Delay like a 3PDT but have the 4th pole disconnect a dry signal on the delay (or reverb).



Anutter idear:
Get a buff'n'blend type bypass for your master, so you've got a constant dry signal and a split to the MadBox;
kill the dry signals in both the Cataclysm and Spirit Box themselves.
This way you can minimise stompers and switches, but still engage either Delay, or Reverb, or both in parallel while maintaining a dry signal and avoiding phase cancellation issues with multiple dry signals in parallel.


Bear in mind, I've not tried any of this and have no clue whether any of what I've suggested will work.
 
Those are extra ground pads for grounding in/out jacks.

I'm working on a multi-pedal box, too, and my head's turned around a bit. Is it standard for these extra pads to always be extra ground pads? Should they all connected to jack sleeves (grounds)? Does it matter which one's are connected to which?

@jnfpbenjamin - good luck on that super box. looking forward to seeing the finished product.
1633359303903.png
1633359338503.png
 
They are standard on the pcbs offered by pedalpcb.com. They are both connected to each other and the other ground points of the circuit. The pcb ground, dc jack ground, and the in/out jack grounds all need to be connected to each other in order to complete a circuit. If your in/out jack sleeves make contact with the bare metal of the enclosure, then only one jack needs to be connected to the common ground as the other will be grounded through the enclosure.
 
There are many permutations/directions you could go with this ... it really depends on what your wants/needs are.

You could put in a kill-dry switch, but it doesn't make sense to me to put it in the MadBox (not sure how to implement it there). Remember, both the Delay and Reverb effects themselves already have a dry signal running through them with the effect added to it.

For me, having a separate dry signal underneath the wet wouldn't be a bad thing (on bass). I'd wire up a master bypass and permanently kill the effects' dry signal in both the delay and reverb PCBs... That way if the Delay is bypassed and the Reverb is on, I still get a dry signal from the bypassed Delay. When both Delay and Reverb are on I wouldn't have any dry at all, so it'd be for super ambient washes.


Or you could have the master bypass, but kill the bypass of the Delay and Verb — ie have their stompers only engage the respective effect, but NOT bypass (keeping the dry signal of each effect itself).

A 4PDT stomper would let you, say, engage the Delay like a 3PDT but have the 4th pole disconnect a dry signal on the delay (or reverb).



Anutter idear:
Get a buff'n'blend type bypass for your master, so you've got a constant dry signal and a split to the MadBox;
kill the dry signals in both the Cataclysm and Spirit Box themselves.
This way you can minimise stompers and switches, but still engage either Delay, or Reverb, or both in parallel while maintaining a dry signal and avoiding phase cancellation issues with multiple dry signals in parallel.


Bear in mind, I've not tried any of this and have no clue whether any of what I've suggested will work.
Weooo, I'm gonna learn a lot from this project :p

Thanks a million for the advice, I think I'm beginning to (get carried away) realize that it would be so cool to have a phase switch and a kill dry in this pedal. I got inspired by The Pedal Zone's video about the OBNE Signal Blender at the beginning and that's what set me on my way. The out-of-phase sounds between the delay and verb are wild, and having the ability to cut the dry signal from the reverb especially would be killer.

I might turn the madbox into it's own little thing to blend my distortion/ fuzz, and instead stick one of these in the box. That way I can have the input signal run through the Spirit Box and have the Cataclysm in the FX loop. I could kill the dry signal going to the cataclysm and just have the tails play out or I could keep rolling with the original idea to just have a verb/ delay in parallel.

So stoked on this project.
 
They are standard on the pcbs offered by pedalpcb.com. They are both connected to each other and the other ground points of the circuit. The pcb ground, dc jack ground, and the in/out jack grounds all need to be connected to each other in order to complete a circuit. If your in/out jack sleeves make contact with the bare metal of the enclosure, then only one jack needs to be connected to the common ground as the other will be grounded through the enclosure.
Thank you, that was on my list of too-afraid-to-ask's for a while :p
 
Weooo, I'm gonna learn a lot from this project :p

Thanks a million for the advice, I think I'm beginning to (get carried away) realize that it would be so cool to have a phase switch and a kill dry in this pedal. I got inspired by The Pedal Zone's video about the OBNE Signal Blender at the beginning and that's what set me on my way. The out-of-phase sounds between the delay and verb are wild, and having the ability to cut the dry signal from the reverb especially would be killer.

I might turn the madbox into it's own little thing to blend my distortion/ fuzz, and instead stick one of these in the box. That way I can have the input signal run through the Spirit Box and have the Cataclysm in the FX loop. I could kill the dry signal going to the cataclysm and just have the tails play out or I could keep rolling with the original idea to just have a verb/ delay in parallel.

So stoked on this project.
Yup, it looks like a fun project; I look forward to seeing which direction you take it. The Paramix can open up a lot of options on its own, but then throw in the Madbox into the Insert loop of the Paramix, or the Para into one channel of the MadBox, or Para after the Madbox/Delay/Reverb with an order switcher to put the Para in front of the MDR...

Optionitis, it affects us all at some point in our pedal-building journey.

FUN!
 
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