Does anyone make a footswitch like this?

[daz]

What i need is a 3 pole footswitch thats momentary and each time you step on it it changes from one side to the other. Heres what i mean. Lets call pole 2 the common and 1 and 3 are alternately switched to the common, pole 2. But they are NOT latched, it's only momentary. So you step on it and the common momentarily connects to pole 1. Step on it again and it momentarily connects to pole 3. I'm pretty sure this is either not made in a footswitch or if it is it will be crazy hard to find. But i figure if anyone will know it's you guys. Thanks.

[eschertron]

I'm not sure if there's a mechanical solution - if there is, it may be hard to find - but what you are describing sounds to me like a 'flip flop' with momentary outputs (contacts). Would be pretty easy to come up with (given the high level of experience of the SS engineers/designers that visit here. You'd need a power supply (battery?) and perhaps a two-relay interface, depending on the application.

Also re "3-pole" as a term: each common in a switch is referred to as a 'pole'; the connections that they make on contact are called "throws". So you are describing what might be called a single-pole double-throw with a center off position switch. Yeah, there's probably a better way to say it

[Chuck H]

I don't know of any ready made switch like that. This might be a mechanical solution.

[J M Fahey]

the SHORT answer is use TWO momentary SPST switches, side by side, you step on left or right at will

the microprocessor/logic is the operator

[daz]

I don't know of any ready made switch like that. This might be a mechanical solution.

Oh shite ! That just might work ! I'll give that a shot, thanks Chuck.

[Chuck H]

the SHORT answer is use TWO momentary SPST switches, side by side, you step on left or right at will

the microprocessor/logic is the operator

That was my first thought but I figured daz has his reasons. So I tried to come up with a solution for the device description requested.

[daz]

That was my first thought but I figured daz has his reasons. So I tried to come up with a solution for the device description requested.

Exactly. I already have the ability to step on 2 side by side switches. Thats what i'm trying to get away from. I don't want to step on one switch to go to patch 2, then another to go back to patch 1. I want one switch that cycles back and fourth thru the 2 patches as a volume boost. If i have to hit different ones for more volume or less volume then i have to think about what i'm doing ! One button....hit it once and you get more volume. hit it again and back to standard volume. To me a lack of thought about crap like that at a gig is important. And i'm back to gigging for the first time in years and i need this function as i always had.

[Chuck H]

Exactly. I already have the ability to step on 2 side by side switches. Thats what i'm trying to get away from. I don't want to step on one switch to go to patch 2, then another to go back to patch 1. I want one switch that cycles back and fourth thru the 2 patches as a volume boost. If i have to hit different ones for more volume or less volume then i have to think about what i'm doing ! One button....hit it once and you get more volume. hit it again and back to standard volume. To me a lack of thought about crap like that at a gig is important. And i'm back to gigging for the first time in years and i need this function as i always had.

Ah! But If you consider it....

If the possibility of confusion over which volume level you're on exists, whether to hit the "one switch" is more of a question than "which switch" if you were using two!!! The advantage of two switches is that you would know which one will take you to low or high volume. That could help in a pinch. With just the one switch, if there's any confusion about what volume you're already at, punching it is a crap shoot.

[daz]

Ah! But If you consider it....

If the possibility of confusion over which volume level you're on exists, whether to hit the "one switch" is more of a question than "which switch" if you were using two!!! The advantage of two switches is that you would know which one will take you to low or high volume. That could help in a pinch. With just the one switch, if there's any confusion about what volume you're already at, punching it is a crap shoot.

Except for one thing.....i have a LCD readout that tells me which it is. You should know me by now Chuck....i'm too anal to not have already had that worked out.

[Enzo]

I am not sure why a simple boost on/off wouldn't work. One button. Instead of having to select one or the other, wire one as the default, then switch to the other or not.

[Chuck H]

I am not sure why a simple boost on/off wouldn't work. One button. Instead of having to select one or the other, wire one as the default, then switch to the other or not.

daz probably wants more/less of the exact same tone. "I" would ordinarily do this as you say, with a preamp set up for the tone and a selective volume cut in a post preamp effects loop. I remember a thread where daz was unable to get acceptable results this way.

[daz]

I already made that box for the loop and it works. But since then i keep thinking what a pain for one function i could do by simply switching from patch 1 to 2 and back. But there were 2 reasons i didn't want to do that, one, there seemed to be a slight delay between the patches, and two, i cannot have 2 switches dedicated to that function for several reasons including the confusion it will cause me when trying to concentrate on playing and often singing. I have since determined the delay isn't as bad as i thought, and if i can work this out to have one button i'll be able to $hit can that box i made and simplify my setup and remove the loop from the equation for possibly a better sound. Maybe in a modeler the loop doesn't affect tone like a tube amp, but it DOES drop the overall amp volume so it can't be good. (and that happens even just putting a patch cord from send to return) I'm not sure what enzo is suggesting but i don't see any way to do that. I intend on using the stock footswitch only as an indicator because it has led's and a LCD. But the buttons are too close together and i don't even want all of them. So i want to use momentary footswitches and make a panel for them so i can space them right and have only the functions i want. I would simply make the panel, space the buttons as i want, then run wires from the switch contacts in the footswitch who's functions i want to the momentarys in the panel i make. The functions are triggered with DPDT switches, but they are only using them as SPST momentarys.

The only way i can see doing it with one button is to use a latching type SPDT. That may work but what if leaving the contacts latched causes a issue. Can anyone tell me if that can overheat a device and do damage? Not sure if that would even work but i think it would. The contacts make the change not when closed, but after closing when they are opened again is when the action takes place. But that should work is one is being closed while the other opened. But again, will having 1 of the the contacts closed for long periods cause an issue?

[Chuck H]

Well then... If possible (and it might be if you're only using two patches) you could just copy patch one and two alternately for as many patches as the program will allow. Then just use the "advance" option with a single momentary switch. Some "advance" options will even double back to "1" when you reach the end of your patches. In that case you only need the two patches with the advance option.

[daz]

It only does up/down or patch 1 to 2 and back but it will not allow one button to cycle back and fourth. And if i were to make every other patch the high vol one and every other next to them the low, i'd have to program 100 slots and throw away all my other patches i have made. Theres no way to do it stock, trust me.

That said, i just hooked up a SPDT latching switch to it and it works perfectly. However, can anyone tell me if that might damage whatever device is doing the switching, or at least tell me if i can tell somehow? If i can safely do it this way i'm good to go and will start rebuilding my board tomorrow.

EDIT: i just checked something.....i connected my meter to the contacts that make the switch and held the stock switch down to see if it keeps latching if held down because it makes a click sound which made me thing they momentarily connect then disconnect even with the switch held down. The reason i checked that is because i thought if thats how these switches are they would be using them as to not damage a device if you happen to hold your foot on the button. However, as long as i held it down it kept contact which means it's at least safe to latch it for a short time. So i wonder if that means i can latch it for long periods? Any thoughts on that?

[Chuck H]

i just checked something.....i connected my meter to the contacts that make the switch and held the stock switch down to see if it keeps latching if held down because it makes a click sound which made me thing they momentarily connect then disconnect even with the switch held down. The reason i checked that is because i thought if thats how these switches are they would be using them as to not damage a device if you happen to hold your foot on the button. However, as long as i held it down it kept contact which means it's at least safe to latch it for a short time. So i wonder if that means i can latch it for long periods? Any thoughts on that?

That just popped a vein in my head.