#1

So, just trying to learn some basic electronics is throwing up possibilities that are beyond me. I have a few loop pedals which I love working with, being away from a computer, committing to changes, and the ability to undo if that last bit was really bad. What isn’t so great for me is what to do with those loops afterwards. I find it difficult to build something evolving out a loop of a few bars without losing the freshness (ie. by putting the loop in a DAW and adding stuff). Some of this problem it occurs to me could be remedied (but perhaps in other ways aggravated) by some syncing options.
On to my enquiries;

  1. I’d like to know whether euro gates/ triggers would have a sufficient voltage to trigger a small relay which could be used in lieu of the initial record pedal of my looper, meaning that I could use a clock divider to start and then set the loop length (which would then be perfectly in time with the modular)?
  2. If it’d be relatively simple to make a relay momentary even when receiving longer gates (otherwise it might act as a hold which triggers different functions in some loopers)?
  3. If it’d be possible to add a 3.5mm jack to the side of said looper which would be closed until patching in a jack which would override the pedal switch?
  4. Oh and how small I could make such a device without PCB (to try and fit inside the chassis)
    Please feel free to rain on my parade if this seems more complicated than it’s worth, dreamt it up last night in a state of post work exhaustion.
    Thanks HN
1 Like
#2

What pedals are you using?

#3

EHX 2880 (midi sync I know but it’s wonky and it’d mean computers for me too)
EHX 22500 (mostly for guitar but this would be the most useful for me to hack at the moment)
Any pedal will just be using momentary though right?

#4

i know this both doesn’t answer all your bullet points AND brings up new options, but it sounds like an octatrack might open up your evolving possibilities, as well as being able to sync to the modular.

this thread had lots of ideas:

#5
  1. I’d like to know whether euro gates/ triggers would have a sufficient voltage to trigger a small relay which could be used in lieu of the initial record pedal of my looper,

sure
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Teledyne-Relays/CD20CDW/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMsUriz2CNI3Ewugp77IS1cQ1oAS0CKBbjk%3D

  1. If it’d be relatively simple to make a relay momentary even when receiving longer gates (otherwise it might act as a hold which triggers different functions in some loopers)?

yeah the linked part opens when control >= 3.8V and stays open until cv <= 1.5V, or something like that

  1. If it’d be possible to add a 3.5mm jack to the side of said looper which would be closed until patching in a jack which would override the pedal switch?

sure, you should be able to get that behavior with normalling, use a jack with a normal switch like this: http://www.taydaelectronics.com/hugo/A-865.jpg and connect the sleeve to the footswitch, it will be grounded when plugged. (try it out)

  1. Oh and how small I could make such a device without PCB (to try and fit inside the chassis)

that seems potentially tricky but doable. that relay is like 10x14mm and includes optoisolation, so i don’t see how you’d need many other components. (hotglue!)

Please feel free to rain on my parade if this seems more complicated than it’s worth

seems like a good simple project, just test carefully and don’t blow up your pedals

#6

Thanks for the great quick replies, and links to specific parts too! I owe you one. I think this has loads of potential (also applicable to anything with a tap tempo I guess) I’ll post back with results (or broken pedal tears). I think successfully soldering the tiny replacement caps into my 128 (to sort the grid noise) has given me a false sense of security with all this (got to love it though).