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i've discovered that i can't really get what i want (well i probably can, but i've not looked hard enough), so i'm going adapt what i've got.

Basically I want a footswitch with LEDs which show the function on/off and a stereo jack so i can unplug the footswitch and leave it on a board - the jack is the easy bit, but the LEDs might be a bit trickier. Wiring them in should be easy enough, but how do I know what voltage LEDs I should get? Is it a case of taking the back off the footswitch, plugging it into the amp and putting a meter across it? Also, if I want to use the switch off two different amps, is it likely they would produce two different voltages

Or should I leave well alone (I'm probably going to do it anyway!!)

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Many footswitches just make a connection to ground so there are no volts to use for LEDs. I have a dual footswitch that uses a separate battery to drive the LEDs.

You haven't said what the amp is or what functions you are trying to switch.

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In order to operate an LED at the same time as switching over some function, the actual switch (i.e. the electronic part) needs to have two separate "poles" that switch over when the switch is pressed. The chances are, the standard switch supplied will not be this type (for reasons of cost) therefore it will not have the facility to switch an LED at the same time. You could, however, replace the switch.

The next thing you need to be aware of is that here are two types of switch. A non-latching (or "momentary") switch only changes over while the switch is actually pressed. When you release the switch if flips back again. If this type of switch is used then circuitry in the amp detects the switch operation and that circuitry actually changes the channel. If this type of switch is used then it becomes more of a probelm to fit an LED, as the LED would only stay on as long as the switch was pressed down and go off when you release the switch !

A latching switch changes over when you press it and stays changed over until you press it again. It is relatively easy to replace the actual switch in this case with one that has more poles to allow it to also switch an LED.

If you you an LED you'll need to power it. You can power the LED from a 9V battery but you'll need to find space to fit the battery. Alternatively you could power it from a 9V dc power supply if there is already one on your pedal board. In this case you'd need to fit a socket to take the power plug.


To test the existing switch the most reliable way of doing this would be to open up the switch casing and disconnect the wires inside (having first made a careful note of where they go). You could then use a meter safely to determine exactly what the switch does.

If it's a latching switch then it should be fairly simple to replace the switch with a double pole one, and fit and LED (you'll also need a resistor for the LED) and find a way of getting 9V to the LED.

If it's non-latching then it becomes much more complicated and I'd be inclined to leave it alone.

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I too would like one of these.
I'm LED (ho ho) to believe that the MarkBass LMK footswitch has LEDs to indicate function so that may work for you. However it's getting one for reasonable money that's difficult.
Having said that I can't see any in the pictures ...

Dave, could you knock some up?

Edited by OldGit
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cheers BOD2.
i've got an ashdown abm 300 evo II thingy (an english one!!! :)) and I use a marshall two button latching footswitch to turn on the sub harmonic function and switch between the valve drive and clean sounds. I also use the same footswitch to change the channels on my Laney LC30 and turn the reverb on and off. I'd ideally like a an LED switch to show me when a particular function or channel was active as sometime's it's not too clear to distinguish a sound with a drummer like ours - it does appear though that unless i can get a switch with its own 9v power for the LEDs, it might be a bit of a pain - I didn't think of this to be fair. It might also be worth investigating whether any of the switches out there with LEDs use their own power.

Cheers

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[quote name='BigRedX' post='17383' date='Jun 14 2007, 09:46 AM']Will Boss FS5L (latching footswitches with status LEDs) not do what you want?[/quote]

Marshall do a bunch too, nice and cheap, but there's no mention of what powers the LEDs

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[quote name='BigRedX' post='17383' date='Jun 14 2007, 09:46 AM']Will Boss FS5L (latching footswitches with status LEDs) not do what you want?[/quote]

quite possibly

[quote name='OldGit' post='17399' date='Jun 14 2007, 10:07 AM']Marshall do a bunch too, nice and cheap, but there's no mention of what powers the LEDs
[/quote]

although i might just go and get one of these and stick a stereo jack on it

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[quote name='john_the_bass' post='17401' date='Jun 14 2007, 10:11 AM']quite possibly
although i might just go and get one of these and stick a stereo jack on it[/quote]

I guess one of those with a battery to power the LEDs if needed would do it.
It's already got a stereo jack ...

"If you you an LED you'll need to power it. You can power the LED from a 9V battery but you'll need to find space to fit the battery. Alternatively you could power it from a 9V dc power supply if there is already one on your pedal board. In this case you'd need to fit a socket to take the power plug."

in the past I've attached an external 9v battery clip to gadgets where there's not been enough room inside ..

Edited by OldGit
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[quote name='john_the_bass' post='17382' date='Jun 14 2007, 09:44 AM']cheers BOD2.
i've got an ashdown abm 300 evo II thingy (an english one!!! :)) and I use a marshall two button latching footswitch to turn on the sub harmonic function and switch between the valve drive and clean sounds. I also use the same footswitch to change the channels on my Laney LC30 and turn the reverb on and off. I'd ideally like a an LED switch to show me when a particular function or channel was active as sometime's it's not too clear to distinguish a sound with a drummer like ours - it does appear though that unless i can get a switch with its own 9v power for the LEDs, it might be a bit of a pain - I didn't think of this to be fair. It might also be worth investigating whether any of the switches out there with LEDs use their own power.

Cheers[/quote]

Ashdown ABM requires latching switches which connect the signalling wires to ground so there are no volts available down the cable to drive LEDs. I use one of these:



Latching switches, LEDS, battery inside, Ring/tip/sleeve jack socket. Not made any more but they do come up on ebay from time to time.

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[quote name='OldGit' post='17663' date='Jun 14 2007, 04:16 PM']How about this?
[url="http://www.behringer.com/AB200/index.cfm?lang=eng"]http://www.behringer.com/AB200/index.cfm?lang=eng[/url]
I can't quite work out if it will do the switching job
Dave can you translate the spec int yes or no?[/quote]

Funny you should mention that Si. I was looking at it earlier. I'm certain it would do the job however it would be a bit of a bodge on the cabling side. I think John said he wanted a single ring/tip/sleeve jack cable to plug into the footswitch. There's no way you could do that with this as the two switching elements are completely isolated from one another.

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Yeah thought it was not obvious.
I think the Rocktron RFS-2 will do my job for me if I can find one in the UK ..
[url="http://www.music123.com/Rocktron-RFS2-Rampage-Footswitch-i157116.music"]http://www.music123.com/Rocktron-RFS2-Ramp...h-i157116.music[/url]

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[quote name='obbm' post='17487' date='Jun 14 2007, 11:35 AM']Ashdown ABM requires latching switches which connect the signalling wires to ground so there are no volts available down the cable to drive LEDs. I use one of these:



Latching switches, LEDS, battery inside, Ring/tip/sleeve jack socket. Not made any more but they do come up on ebay from time to time.[/quote]


Aha
They have them
[url="http://en.woodbrass.com/FOOT+SWITCH+CONTROLLER+MATRIX+FSL2+FOR+KEYBOARD%2C+GUITAR%2C+HOMESTUDIO?currency=GBP&products_id=21651"]here[/url]

It's abroad but they ship to the Uk,
About 40 Euro inc shipping

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The Behringer one could probably be made to work but, as obbm says, the cabling would be a nightmare.

You could use two of the Boss FS5L switches and make up a "Y-cable" which effectivley changes what was your stereo jack into two mono jacks.

OldGit's Matrix FSL-2 looks promising (although I can't find any detailed info about it) but it looks to be the right sort of thing.

Likewise the Marshall footswitch shown also looks promising (the LEDs must be battery powered).

Other than that I could post a circuit diagram (would have to be tomorrow now) showing what you'd need to do to make one but it would probably end up costing just as much as the Matrix FSL-2.

Lots of options there :)

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[quote name='BOD2' post='17800' date='Jun 14 2007, 07:14 PM']The Behringer one could probably be made to work but, as obbm says, the cabling would be a nightmare.

You could use two of the Boss FS5L switches and make up a "Y-cable" which effectivley changes what was your stereo jack into two mono jacks.

OldGit's Matrix FSL-2 looks promising (although I can't find any detailed info about it) but it looks to be the right sort of thing.

Likewise the Marshall footswitch shown also looks promising (the LEDs must be battery powered).

Other than that I could post a circuit diagram (would have to be tomorrow now) showing what you'd need to do to make one but it would probably end up costing just as much as the Matrix FSL-2.

Lots of options there :huh:[/quote]


Thats OBBM's Matrix rather than mine ... in that he has one and recommends them.

The Marshall pedal LEDs are powered by something in the amp that squirts some sort of power down the cable...
I'd like to know if the Mark Bass LMK can do the same trick but I'd need to find someone who has both :)

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[quote name='obbm' post='17735' date='Jun 14 2007, 05:30 PM']Funny you should mention that Si. I was looking at it earlier. I'm certain it would do the job however it would be a bit of a bodge on the cabling side. I think John said he wanted a single ring/tip/sleeve jack cable to plug into the footswitch. There's no way you could do that with this as the two switching elements are completely isolated from one another.[/quote]

aaaah! I didn't realise that,
Basically, I've come to this conlusion to mod my own:

The switches in mine are double pole single throw - they need to be double pole double throw to operate to individual circuits and make the LEDs light up (using a battery). There will also need to be load resistors in there to stop the LED burning out. I reckon it's about £13 to put it together properly and after trooping round city music, sound control and pmr in birmingham yesterday, i think i'm just going to do it myself.

am i wrong then in thinking i could just get a stereo 1/4" jack and a stero cable with a 1/4" stereo plug on the end to connect it all together?

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[quote name='john_the_bass' post='18026' date='Jun 15 2007, 09:26 AM']am i wrong then in thinking i could just get a stereo 1/4" jack and a stero cable with a 1/4" stereo plug on the end to connect it all together?[/quote]

Don't waste money on a stereo cable. What you need is a balanced (screened twisted pair, same as mic cable) with Ring/Tip/Sleeve jacks on either end.

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OK.

Assuming that the two footswitches work by connecting either the tip or the ring of the stereo jack to the sleeve (earth) of the stereo jack (you'd need to check this ith a meter), then the I think the diagram below should do what you want.

[attachment=698:FootSwitch.jpg]

To conserve the battery the LEDs are off for one footswitch state and on for the other. You could use 2 pairs of LEDs and switch between then but than means there's always an LED on and the battery won't last as long.

It's been a while since I've done this so will someone please check it :)

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oh cool - cheers for that

basically my idea is:

Switch 1
Off - Clean Laney/Ashdown (LED off)
On - Switch channel Laney/Grind on Ashdown (LED on)

Switch 2
Off - Reverb off Laney/ Sub Harmonic Off Ashdown (LED off)
On - Reverb on Laney/Sub on Asdown (LED on)

Ideally, I'd like the the LEDs to go on an off independently with the switch

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[quote name='john_the_bass' post='18157' date='Jun 15 2007, 11:49 AM']oh cool - cheers for that

basically my idea is:

Switch 1
Off - Clean Laney/Ashdown (LED off)
On - Switch channel Laney/Grind on Ashdown (LED on)

Switch 2
Off - Reverb off Laney/ Sub Harmonic Off Ashdown (LED off)
On - Reverb on Laney/Sub on Asdown (LED on)

Ideally, I'd like the the LEDs to go on an off independently with the switch[/quote]


Yes, that diagram should do that for you. To get the LEDs to come on with the correct amp selection you might need to change one or other of the GREEN earth connections on the switches to the other (currently unused) pole vertically above it. You could probably work this out beforehand using a meter but if you wire it up and an LED comes on with the wrong selection, then just move the earth wire on the appropriate switch.

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