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programmable looper
Hey everyone,
I'm new to this forum, but it looks I've finally found a place that would be appropriate for this type of question.
I'm trying to build what I call a programmable looper. It's similar to a true bypass looper, but more flexible. A good example of what I'm talking about is the GigRig (http://www.thegigrig.com/). The difference between my idea and the GigRig is I want mine to be all analog - just jacks, switches, and wires (his is chip controlled for the switching and programming).
Here's what I've got so far:
A true bypass strip has 8 fx (the # is just an example) that are wired in series, each effect feeding the next one in the chain, but all true bypassable with a 3pdt switch. if want an effect, hit that effect's 3pdt switch and it's on. Want another, hit that one - now they're both on. Want them off, hit both their switches and now they are off.
The programmable looper would allow you to have all 8 fx plugged up, but you can choose to have more than one effect turn on when you the stomp switch. You can combine different fx into each of the 8 patches (or programs) and have them turn on by hitting that patch's stomp switch. Following me?
The wiring I have right now has a guitar input going to a 3pdt switch for sending signal only to the tuner out, then going to a master bypass 3pdt switch. The master bypass (when on) feeds into each of the 8 patch 3pdt stomp switches. The fx send on the 3pdt is wired to the #1 DPDT toggle switch for each patch. The toggles are wired in series, so #1 feeds #2, and so on. When a toggle is set to "off", it just feeds the next toggle (bypassing the effect's send & return). When a toggle switch is on, it sends the signal to the fx send and the fx return comes back into the second half of the DPDT toggle, then goes out to the next toggle.
The output of a patch's toggles goes back to the 3pdt stomp switch (the fx return in the wiring diagrams). So, if the 3pdt is off, it sends the signal to the output. If it's on, the signal goes out to the toggle switches for that patch, back into the 3pdt switch, then out to the output.
That all looks good now, except that when you turn on patch 1, then hit patch 3, both patch 1 & patch 3 are on. How do you get patch 3 to mute all the other patches?
I thought about wiring the patch 3dpt's in series (like a true bypass switch), with the last one going to the output jack, but you still have the same issue - you have patch 2 on, then hit patch 6, it would combine with patch 2, not mute it. There is a way to wire the 3pdt switch to have it mute the previous patches, but if wired in series like this, it would not allow you to go back to a lower # patch because it would be muted by the higher # patch - so that's out.
I've been reading around trying to find a solution and I think it might be relay switches, but I have to admit I don't understand them yet. I'm thinking it would look like this: same wiring scheme, but momentary switches on the patches, instead of 3pdt. The momentaries would tell a control switch(or relay) which one to allow through. The control switch would only allow one signal through at a time and changes based on which patch tells it is supposed to be on. That way, when you have patch 1 on and hit patch 7, the control switch/relay sees the new signal from patch 7 and turns off patch 1 and turns on patch 7, keeping the rest of the patches muted. This would be ideal, but how do you do that?? Is it a relay or switch or what?
I don't want to spend a small fortune in parts if it won't work and I just have a bunch of jacks, switches, and wires running around in a box, but not really doing anything.
Thanks and sorry for the insanely long post. I would really appreciate any insight you can give me.
Chris
I'm new to this forum, but it looks I've finally found a place that would be appropriate for this type of question.
I'm trying to build what I call a programmable looper. It's similar to a true bypass looper, but more flexible. A good example of what I'm talking about is the GigRig (http://www.thegigrig.com/). The difference between my idea and the GigRig is I want mine to be all analog - just jacks, switches, and wires (his is chip controlled for the switching and programming).
Here's what I've got so far:
A true bypass strip has 8 fx (the # is just an example) that are wired in series, each effect feeding the next one in the chain, but all true bypassable with a 3pdt switch. if want an effect, hit that effect's 3pdt switch and it's on. Want another, hit that one - now they're both on. Want them off, hit both their switches and now they are off.
The programmable looper would allow you to have all 8 fx plugged up, but you can choose to have more than one effect turn on when you the stomp switch. You can combine different fx into each of the 8 patches (or programs) and have them turn on by hitting that patch's stomp switch. Following me?
The wiring I have right now has a guitar input going to a 3pdt switch for sending signal only to the tuner out, then going to a master bypass 3pdt switch. The master bypass (when on) feeds into each of the 8 patch 3pdt stomp switches. The fx send on the 3pdt is wired to the #1 DPDT toggle switch for each patch. The toggles are wired in series, so #1 feeds #2, and so on. When a toggle is set to "off", it just feeds the next toggle (bypassing the effect's send & return). When a toggle switch is on, it sends the signal to the fx send and the fx return comes back into the second half of the DPDT toggle, then goes out to the next toggle.
The output of a patch's toggles goes back to the 3pdt stomp switch (the fx return in the wiring diagrams). So, if the 3pdt is off, it sends the signal to the output. If it's on, the signal goes out to the toggle switches for that patch, back into the 3pdt switch, then out to the output.
That all looks good now, except that when you turn on patch 1, then hit patch 3, both patch 1 & patch 3 are on. How do you get patch 3 to mute all the other patches?
I thought about wiring the patch 3dpt's in series (like a true bypass switch), with the last one going to the output jack, but you still have the same issue - you have patch 2 on, then hit patch 6, it would combine with patch 2, not mute it. There is a way to wire the 3pdt switch to have it mute the previous patches, but if wired in series like this, it would not allow you to go back to a lower # patch because it would be muted by the higher # patch - so that's out.
I've been reading around trying to find a solution and I think it might be relay switches, but I have to admit I don't understand them yet. I'm thinking it would look like this: same wiring scheme, but momentary switches on the patches, instead of 3pdt. The momentaries would tell a control switch(or relay) which one to allow through. The control switch would only allow one signal through at a time and changes based on which patch tells it is supposed to be on. That way, when you have patch 1 on and hit patch 7, the control switch/relay sees the new signal from patch 7 and turns off patch 1 and turns on patch 7, keeping the rest of the patches muted. This would be ideal, but how do you do that?? Is it a relay or switch or what?
I don't want to spend a small fortune in parts if it won't work and I just have a bunch of jacks, switches, and wires running around in a box, but not really doing anything.
Thanks and sorry for the insanely long post. I would really appreciate any insight you can give me.
Chris
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