Designing my first stomp box

[M.C.]

Hello, I am brand new to this site. I work as an engineer but am in my last semester of my 4 year EET degree. I want to design my own single effect FX pedal/stompbox as my final project and I'm looking for the best resources for learning how to do this. the guitarist in my band wants a POG, so that may be cool to try. But I figure a distortion pedal would be easiest. IDK. Functional diagrams, schematics, tips/lessons, etc. I think knowing functional diagrams, I would have a good foundation. I already have a great collection of components and know where to get all the parts I need. Just need some tutelage.

Thanks!

M.C.

[J M Fahey]

Google "how a ts9 works" for a good explanation on a very popular one.
That might give you ideas.

What is "a POG"?

[rjb]

What is "a POG"?

Polyphonic Octave Generator.
Electro-Harmonix POG Polyphonic Octave Generator | DiscoFreq's Effects Database
ELECTRO-HARMONIX MICRO POG FX EFFECTS PEDAL Guitar Effects///Guitar Pedals

[Mark Hammer]

Your basic analog distortion unit, and the 95% digital POG are universes apart, in terms of not only what they do, but how they do it. One is analog, and the other is DSP. The non-distortion DSP-based effects require the DSP to "check in" on the properties of the input signal intermittently, but apply algorithms in a manner almost in spite of the signal. DSP-based distortion has been a significantly more difficult task for programmers becasue emulation of analog distortion requires constant monitoring of the input, and alteration of the algorithms used, based on the moment to moment changes in signal properties. Stated another way, almost everything other than distortion is much easier to do in the digital domain. EHX may make the POG seem simple, but there is a LOT of stuff underneath.

The trick for you will be in deciding what it is you wish to accomplish with this "design". With fuzzboxes being essentially THE most popular (hence marketed) stompbox effect for the past 45 years, there isn't a whole heckuva lot of ground that has not already been mined. So, if you want to set a challenge for your self of doing something "different", you need to first identify what has not already been done. That could be something in the way of tonal properties, but it could also be in the way of some fairly traditional tonal properties, but novel control/performance features.

[Steve Conner]

If you're looking for a DSP project, may I suggest trying bandlimited distortion with Chebyshev polynomials?

[J M Fahey]

If you're looking for a DSP project, may I suggest trying bandlimited distortion with Chebyshev polynomials?

*EXACTLY* what I was about to suggest

[eschertron]

If you're looking for a DSP project, may I suggest trying bandlimited distortion with Chebyshev polynomials?

*EXACTLY* what I was about to suggest

I prefer harmonic generation based on an amplitude-dependent Poisson distribution :evil wink:

[J M Fahey]

I prefer harmonic generation based on an amplitude-dependent Poisson distribution :evil wink:

Well, not my cup of tea, but out of courtesy, please do it your way