I realize, in true PedalPCB fashion, I just dropped this pic of a random PCB with absolutely no explanation of what it is or what it does.
Explanation coming soon...
A couple folks already know, and I'm sure some can figure it out, but here we go. Feel free to ask questions or make suggestions.
Basic operation
The PedalPCB SideEffect module is designed to be used in specific 2-in-1 pedal builds to
allow switching both effects with a single footswitch. (think Beetronics Vezzpa™ or Suhr Rufus Reloaded™)
You'll have a Primary effect (eg: fuzz) and a Secondary effect (eg: octave).
Pressing the footswitch will activate or bypass the primary effect, standard pedal operation.
Holding down the footswitch will activate or bypass the secondary effect.
For example, stomp the footswitch to activate the fuzz. Now as you're coming up for your big solo you can hold down the footswitch to enable an octave effect in front of the fuzz.
The secondary mode can also be used to active a feedback loop around a circuit, dime an effects control (reverb dwell, delay feedback, etc), etc.
The module will use a single 2-color LED to indicate which effects are active, taking the place of the onboard LEDs on each of the effects PCB.
Relay compatibility
By setting a solder jumper on the back of the PCB the module can be used with latching or non-latching relays. Latching relays are recommended for lower current consumption but these days we take what we can find, so the flexibility is there.
Modes
Similar to the
Intelligent Relay Bypass Module, there will be multiple modes of operation depending on the needs of a particular project.
- Standard - Standard mode is described above. Pressing the footswitch activates/bypasses the entire pedal, Holding the footswitch activates/deactivates the secondary effect in front of the primary effect
- Inverse Standard - Inverse Standard mode is similar to Standard mode, except the secondary effect comes after the primary effect in the signal chain. Inverse Standard mode does not swap the order of effects, it simply determines which effect is considered Primary and Secondary. The order is determined by the PCB and/or wiring used in conjunction with the module.
- Flip-Flop (XOR) - In Flip-Flop mode only one effect is active at a given time. Pressing the footswitch activates/bypasses the entire pedal, Holding the footswitch toggles between the Primary or Secondary effect
- Dual - In dual mode Pressing the footswitch will activate/bypass the primary effect, Holding the footswitch will activate/bypass the secondary effect. In this mode either, or both effects can be active (or bypassed) at the same time.
Wait just a moment
In addition to these four modes will be their momentary counterparts, where the functionality is similar but behaves in momentary fashion (eg: Holding down the footswitch will activate the secondary effect until it is released)
Whats with those WP pads?
As cool as all of this functionality may be, there will be times where some of these modes aren't necessary or won't make sense. The WP pads are a form of "write-protect" which will prevent the user from accidentally changing the mode from a predetermined setting by the builder.