Floor based switcher

[DarkRain]

This time is a floor based switcher:
- 8 independent loops
- 16 presets organised in 2 banks
- direct access mode for individual loops command
- 6 switches for changing amp channels or for other purposes

More to come

[jubal81]

Damn impressive. Epic, even. Any chance we can see inside?

[DarkRain]

And some pictures from the assembly process.

[DarkRain]

Work in progress, update.

[DesertCruiser]

dang that looks professional! I would like to make a relay switcher as well, too bad i suck at programming
Do you feel like sharing the code if you get it up and running?

[DarkRain]

Thank you DesertCruiser, yes i can share the software but ... it would be useless without the hardware schematic because is written to use that particular hardware configuration.
Right now the schematic is a little bit bogus... as it's all bits and pieces at the moment

Regards,
Gabriel

dang that looks professional! I would like to make a relay switcher as well, too bad i suck at programming
Do you feel like sharing the code if you get it up and running?

[Ice-9]

Very nice piece of kit you have built there, and very nicely made up as well.

[Lucifer]

I would like to make a relay switcher as well, too bad i suck at programming

You can build a switcher just using relays, with no programming. I built a simple 4-way unit where, when a relay is activated by a footswitch, spare contacts on that relay disconnect any previously-connected relay. Any bigger than four ways and you start to run out of spare relay contacts (though you can always add relays in parallel to give you extra contacts). The circuit diagram for this is (unfortunately) on a different computer, so I can’t show you how I did it - but you should be able to work out something yourself from the information I’ve given. I remember sharing a sketch of the ideas with someone else on this site a while back who wanted to achieve something similar - so it might be worth you doing a search of the site.

I also designed a bigger, ‘programmable’ switcher (using steering diodes as ‘OR-Gate’ inputs to eight different busbars (one busbar for each of the eight ‘channels'), set by miniature DIL switches - but no actual ‘programming'). But before I could build it, Carl Martin brought out the Octa-Switch, which seemed to be exactly what I had in mind [I haven’t seen inside one of those, so I don’t know if it uses the same circuit ideas]. I decided that it would be cheaper to buy the Carl Martin device than to buy all the bits to make a professional looking version myself (though it would have been much more fun).

In the end I decided that I didn’t need such a complicated switching arrangement after all. There’s something to be said for keeping your rig as simple as possible.

Hope this helps.

Lucifer

[DarkRain]

Hey Lucifer

Yes i know the way with relays (i was using it when i was modifying some big machines), something like that:

• http://www.emil.matei.ro/img/onof2b_ro.png

Regarding the 2nd way, i've done it too... with diodes (i do thing that they call it: diode decoding) and if i remember well i've posted here sometime ago... mainly is the way that CM is doing the octa-switch.

But there are a bunch of diodes ... and a bunch of other parts, plus dip-switches ... everything is doable with fewer parts and a uC

SwitchNLopp.pdf

(32.02 KiB) Downloaded 173 times

Regards,
Gabriel

[DarkRain]

Finally is ready

[DesertCruiser]

You can build a switcher just using relays, with no programming. I built a simple 4-way unit where, when a relay is activated by a footswitch, spare contacts on that relay disconnect any previously-connected relay. Any bigger than four ways and you start to run out of spare relay contacts (though you can always add relays in parallel to give you extra contacts). The circuit diagram for this is (unfortunately) on a different computer, so I can’t show you how I did it - but you should be able to work out something yourself from the information I’ve given. I remember sharing a sketch of the ideas with someone else on this site a while back who wanted to achieve something similar - so it might be worth you doing a search of the site.

I also designed a bigger, ‘programmable’ switcher (using steering diodes as ‘OR-Gate’ inputs to eight different busbars (one busbar for each of the eight ‘channels'), set by miniature DIL switches - but no actual ‘programming'). But before I could build it, Carl Martin brought out the Octa-Switch, which seemed to be exactly what I had in mind [I haven’t seen inside one of those, so I don’t know if it uses the same circuit ideas]. I decided that it would be cheaper to buy the Carl Martin device than to buy all the bits to make a professional looking version myself (though it would have been much more fun).

In the end I decided that I didn’t need such a complicated switching arrangement after all. There’s something to be said for keeping your rig as simple as possible.

Hope this helps.

Lucifer

Allright, yes that's indeed a much more "hardware" way of doing it. But what the hell, i shouldn't use that usual "analog is king" set of mind as an excuse for not learning something new. Better buy myself an arduino strarters kit and start messing with it, could be fun

I had a thought earlier about using a relay as the signal switching component in every pedal i build and that it would be triggered with a cheap spst-footswitch.
Then there would be a small jack in all the pedals that i could connect via patch cables to a controll unit in the front of the pedal board. This controll unit would contain some sort of programmable logic unit, preferable a micro processor, that would activate the relays according to different programmable scenarios. This way i dont need to run a pair of signal wires with huge and expensive 1/4" plugs for every pedal to a switcher that contains all the relays, effectively keeping the signal wire lengt shorter and less prone to noise and crosstalk. The controll unit would also be smaller beacuse it doesen't have to hold big 1/4" jacks, only small control current jacks that also would be half the number of what would otherwise be used.
The obvious problem with this set up is that every pedal you wish to be included in a scenario, you have to build yourself! You could look upon that as a constriction, but i choose to see it as a challenge

Finally is ready

10620228_331170183737972_7205625313125732244_o.jpg

Great work DarkRain Could we get a demonstration?

[DarkRain]

Thank you DesertCruiser,

Yes, a video demo is on the way ... it will be made Friday (i hope) and i will post it here.

Regards,
Gabriel

You can build a switcher just using relays, with no programming. I built a simple 4-way unit where, when a relay is activated by a footswitch, spare contacts on that relay disconnect any previously-connected relay. Any bigger than four ways and you start to run out of spare relay contacts (though you can always add relays in parallel to give you extra contacts). The circuit diagram for this is (unfortunately) on a different computer, so I can’t show you how I did it - but you should be able to work out something yourself from the information I’ve given. I remember sharing a sketch of the ideas with someone else on this site a while back who wanted to achieve something similar - so it might be worth you doing a search of the site.

I also designed a bigger, ‘programmable’ switcher (using steering diodes as ‘OR-Gate’ inputs to eight different busbars (one busbar for each of the eight ‘channels'), set by miniature DIL switches - but no actual ‘programming'). But before I could build it, Carl Martin brought out the Octa-Switch, which seemed to be exactly what I had in mind [I haven’t seen inside one of those, so I don’t know if it uses the same circuit ideas]. I decided that it would be cheaper to buy the Carl Martin device than to buy all the bits to make a professional looking version myself (though it would have been much more fun).

In the end I decided that I didn’t need such a complicated switching arrangement after all. There’s something to be said for keeping your rig as simple as possible.

Hope this helps.

Lucifer

Allright, yes that's indeed a much more "hardware" way of doing it. But what the hell, i shouldn't use that usual "analog is king" set of mind as an excuse for not learning something new. Better buy myself an arduino strarters kit and start messing with it, could be fun

I had a thought earlier about using a relay as the signal switching component in every pedal i build and that it would be triggered with a cheap spst-footswitch.
Then there would be a small jack in all the pedals that i could connect via patch cables to a controll unit in the front of the pedal board. This controll unit would contain some sort of programmable logic unit, preferable a micro processor, that would activate the relays according to different programmable scenarios. This way i dont need to run a pair of signal wires with huge and expensive 1/4" plugs for every pedal to a switcher that contains all the relays, effectively keeping the signal wire lengt shorter and less prone to noise and crosstalk. The controll unit would also be smaller beacuse it doesen't have to hold big 1/4" jacks, only small control current jacks that also would be half the number of what would otherwise be used.
The obvious problem with this set up is that every pedal you wish to be included in a scenario, you have to build yourself! You could look upon that as a constriction, but i choose to see it as a challenge

Finally is ready

10620228_331170183737972_7205625313125732244_o.jpg

Great work DarkRain Could we get a demonstration?

[DarkRain]

As i promised

[stirfoo]

That's some fine work there DarkRain. Did you make the enclosure yourself? Get a local shop to do it?

For anyone interested in delving into programmable loopers, I've put up some files on a looper I designed here:
https://github.com/stirfoo/edloop

It's based on the Arduino UNO. I'm not an EE so it's probably far from perfect. I did bench test it though. All seemed well, just never found the time to put it all together. I thought it would be cool to have a completely open system anyone could learn from, contribute to.

[DarkRain]

Thank you stirfoo. The enclosure was made in solid works, in fact the whole project was 3d modeled in SW and it was laser cut at a local shop and then bend. I will also try to gather all the details and post them but it is a fair complex project so it might take awhile.

[okgb]

Just gotta say , Nice ! clean built looks great
I had got in on a sort of grp buy fx switcher at B.Y.O.C. , but the guy never sent me
my parts or board [ a good 100.00 worth ] and disappeared , so I look at your's with Envy,
and wait for a good deal on an C.M. octo . what was the parts cost ?