1977 Peavey Classic 212 Footswitch

[donovan]

Hi,

I bought an old amp Peavey Classic 212 the other day - but the guy I bought it from didn't have the footswitch.

Can anyone explain how the footswitch is wired? The footswitch connector is a 6 Pin Din connector - see the attached picture - and not a Tip, Ring Sleeve (stereo plug).

One more question - how is the din connector numbered?

Thanks to Broogino, I found the schematics here
http://music-electronics-forum.com/s...ead.php?t=9147

Unfortunately my knowledge of electronics is very basic.

Thanks in advance!
Donovan

[Enzo]

Does that EXACTLY match your amp? Are your four input jacks named bright, normal, series, and parallel?

If so:
Look in the schematic. In various places you will see "F.S." and a number is a small circle. That refers to footswitch adn the DIN connector pin number.

Are the numbers not embossed on the jack next to each pin on the rear?

On the DIN, one pin will be ground, and the Trem and reverb kill lines will each go to a pin. Ground either one to disable that effect.

The channels each have a defeat line running to a FS pin. Grounding one turns off its channel. You select a channel by disabling the other. Lifting both from ground makes them both on or "combined."

SO there will be an A/B switch, but its common won't go to ground. There will be a "combine" switch between that common and ground. Additionally, sometimes that combiner switch didn't go directly to ground, it went to the input jacks so the parallel and seies jacks could over=ride it.

COntact Peavey and ask for a FS wiring diagram for your model.

[donovan]

Thanks Enzo - I had a good feeling about this forum :-)

My amp does have series, parallel, bright and normal input jacks - but I hear you - my amp may differ slightly.

The din socket doesn't have any labeling on it - so hopefully Peavey will pull through and supply the schematic. When they do I'll post my findings.

Failing that is there anyway to find the ground pin using a multi-meter without blowing my amp? I think you're going to say that sounds like a bad idea - but I'm just curious. :-)

Regards

[Enzo]

Sure, turn the amp off, ground your meter, then probe each hole in the jack and see who is grounded. Look at the schematic, it won't hurt it.

Think about it, the way the pedal works is to ground the various pins to enable or disable whatever. Take a clip wire and ground it to chassis, turn the amp on, and probe each hole in the jack with the ground lead. Clamp a little piece of wire in the clip lead to probe the little holes. You are not going to hurt it, you are just doing what the switches do. When you find the one that turns the reverb off and on, or the trem, note it down. I never bother with pin numbers, I find this faster, and I don't have to rely on the wiring matching the schematic. I just draw a little picture of the jack with arrows to each hole.

And wiring the channels is simple, turn one up adn the other down and see what controls it, then swap channels.

Get the schematic for the later Classic VT, there is a wiring diagram for hte FS right on teh sheet, adn it will be about the same, though pin numbers might vary

[donovan]

Woohoooo

I've figured it out - thanks Enzo.
Before starting the experiment I had a good hunch that the socket housing was ground since it is riveted into the amp. But there was a bit of trial and error at first.

To be honest I'm not really sure how to use my multi-meter properly. I tried testing the pins for resistance against the bare metal underside of the amp - they all seemed to have low resistance. Then I changed the dial to test for continuity (beep) - and the only connection that beeped was the rivet/socket housing connection.

From there on I followed Enzo's instructions.

I noticed that juicing the normal dial while its supposed to be turned off changes the volume slightly.

Anyway - check the attachment for my findings.
If this helps anyone else, please let me know. But...

“If I throw a dog a bone – I don’t want to know if it tastes good or not.”
Brick Top – Snatch ;-)

Thanks again Enzo.

[donovan]

Peavey replied with the circuit diagram. I'm quite pleased with their support.
Find the schematic attached. Looking at the diagram it seems I wasn't completely correct.

[Enzo]

I think that diagram is wrong, frankly, you might have been right in what you did.

If you have the Classic B series, which seems to be the case, note that the schemo says pins 1 and 2 are the channel kills. This disagrees with the FS diagram.

Also they show the selector switch funny. The combiner should be able to stomp at any time. Clearly here with the select switch as drawn, the combine switch can gave no function.

Not only that, the FS they sent you shows a phasor, your amp has a trem. I think they sent you the wrong one.

On the other hand, they are about the most responsive company on th planet, they honestly try.

I posted the PV Classic VT drawings in www.ampix.org in the Enzo gallery. Look upper right corner, there is the FS wiring. That is what you need, except swap pins 1 and 3.

Verify by shorting each pin to ground to see that it serves the correct function.

Note when the combiner switch is CLOSED, one or the other of the channel pins will be grounded. (The wire from combiner switch winds up at ground through the circuitry in the amp) The selector switch determines which. Open the combiner switch and then NEITHER channel is killed, so both are on.

[determined2play]

I just recently aquired the same model amp, and had the same questions. A friend referred my to this forum thread. Thanks for the great info. I will attempt to make this FS this weekend using the info you have provided.

Thanks
2play

[donovan]

Cool let me know how it goes.

I bought all the bits and pieces to build the pedal. I wired everything together and when I tried it out - the switches I used seemed to cause the reverb effect to pop when I turned the effect off. After that - I was a bit disheartened and I haven't touched the project since.

I bought all my components at a local electronics shop - so maybe source the right components that won't click and pop when you kick the switch. I was worried that I wouldn't find a 6 pin din connector, but I found a few (different shapes, colours, etc.) The switches were the most expensive components - if I recall about $4.5 each - where I come from thats alot plus I'm cheap :-)

Let me know how your switch goes and if you succeed let us know. I'm still keen to get this working.

It's an awesome amp though. I love it. Good luck.

[determined2play]

well I got it together. Most of it works. For some reason the Tremolo does not work off the footswitch though, I will have to check my solder joints on the DIN switch. Also I get som ehum when the reverb button is on.

I will keep trying.

[emanlooc]

I just got a Classic VT, too...

and I'm having the same issues. I want to build a pedal, but I don't know what the original one looks like or what the four switches do. I think there's a reverb on/off, phaser on/off, and an automix that turns the bright on/off, but what does the fourth switch do? Any pics? Thanks
Troy

[carl212]

Help

Hi every one , I just got a peavey classic vt (to go along with my classic vtx) I cannot get the phaser to stop on it. It doesnt have the push pull like my vtx , even with it turned all the way down it runnig just a lot slower. Is a foot switch the only thing that will turn it off ? If so do I need to get the 4 channel swtich for it ? distortion , clean , auto mix , and phaser.

[Enzo]

Reverb, Phasor, Channel select, Channel combine. Nothing works a bright switch.

The Classic VT schematic has enough information to build a switch.

As to what it looks like, it was a roughly rectangular pedal with four switches in a row. You can lay yours out any way you like.

[emanlooc]

The phaser should turn off then you rotate either the depth all the way down. Mine clicks into off position. You might just have a bad knob.

[arnoldkamp]

hai ,this is arnold
i have bought also such an amplifier without a foot switch.
did you have get a wiring diagram for such footswitch or do you know where i can get it?
thanks anyway for answer.
arnold kamphuis