If I were to make it...

[jgventura]

A 4 button footswitch for my Trem-O-Verb head, what kind of switches would I need to buy? And, would I need 4 (1/4") inputs at the end of the cable (instead of 4 individual cables coming from the footswitch if this is avoidable) in order to connect to each jack (fx, trem, reverb, chan.)? Thanks!

 

[hal9000]

A 4 button footswitch for my Trem-O-Verb head, what kind of switches would I need to buy? And, would I need 4 (1/4") inputs at the end of the cable (instead of 4 individual cables coming from the footswitch if this is avoidable) in order to connect to each jack (fx, trem, reverb, chan.)? Thanks!

Single Pole Single Throw (SPST) like those from Carling will work fine for what you're doing. You'd probably be best served to use a multi-pin connector like a 5-Pin DIN (used on modern Mesas). The other side of the 5-pin cable will need four (4) 1/4" plugs. I'm not sure if the footswitch outputs provide voltage for driving an LED or not, but I'm sure you can find the schematics online.

 

[jgventura]

you think my '98 trem-o-verb head can support that 5-Pin DIN cable? or would the 5-Pin part connect to the footswitch? and LED's would be awesome! I'm having my friend, who works at a metal fab shop, make me a diamond plate casing for the project It should look hott :shock: I heard someone mention something about latching something or other also before, does that make sense?

 

[hal9000]

you think my '98 trem-o-verb head can support that 5-Pin DIN cable? or would the 5-Pin part connect to the footswitch? and LED's would be awesome! I'm having my friend, who works at a metal fab shop, make me a diamond plate casing for the project It should look hott :shock: I heard someone mention something about latching something or other also before, does that make sense?

The 5-Pin is only for the footswitch to make it easier for connection. The other side of that cable will have to be four (4) 1/4" plugs to go into each function jack.

Yup, the switches need to be latching. All that means is once you switch it to the alternate position it stays there until you press the button again. It's kind of like clicking a ball point pen.

This switch from Carling is nice ($5.78 @ Mouser.com) http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-8476489043850_1916_3625608

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/627/1263.pdf
Mouser part number: 691-64111210
Carling part number: 64111210

If you measure the voltage out of each footswitch jack, you can probably choose a resistor/LED pair that will work. It's really simple. Incoming Voltage from Tremoverb => Bias resistor => LED => SPST Switch Pole 1 SPST Switch Pole 2 => Ground. When the switch connects the two poles, the LED gets a bias current and lights, and the signal from the amp is grounded changing the function. If the signal can't take the voltage of the LED/resistor pair to switch, then there are other ways to go about the problem. Namely, you can put a 9V battery in the footswitch and use that to light the LEDs. Of course, you'd need DPDT switches to do that, but it's still pretty easy.

 

[jgventura]

awesome! thanks a lot!

 

[jgventura]

A question about that 5 Pin Din.. firstly, where could i get a cable like that, and second, is there a place that sells a 5 Pin jack..?

 

[nocluejimbo]

Mouser.com, as posted above, will sell you a 5-pin DIN jack. Try a search.

 

[jgventura]

ok cool thanks.. one other thing, why is a 5 pin jack prefered over a 1/4" plug?

 

[nocluejimbo]

ok cool thanks.. one other thing, why is a 5 pin jack prefered over a 1/4" plug?

It's a heck of a lot easier than plugging 4 separate cables into your footswitch every time. Leave the 4 1/4" cables connected to the amp, connect one 5-pin to your footswitch, and you are ready to play.

 

[jgventura]

ohhhhhhh, you see, thats where i was confused, i thought that i could make (1) 1/4" for the footswitch split into (4) for the amp. I'm sure they dont sell a cable with the din on one end and (4) 1/4"s on the other end right? Any idea how i'd go about making that? Sorry, I just really dont wanna spend $240 on 4 Mesa footswitchs haha

 

[jgventura]

and also, would something like #2 at this link work for the plugs? http://www.switchcraft.com/products/jack-129.html

 

[jgventura]

I asked the guy from here who has the Amp Blackout website how much his footswitch would cost. When he metioned the options, he said they use cat5 cables with the typical ethernet type plug for the LED powered ones, but 5 Pin Din is only available with unpowered ones. Would it be possible to make one with a 5PinDin with LED's or no?

 

[hal9000]

I asked the guy from here who has the Amp Blackout website how much his footswitch would cost. When he metioned the options, he said they use cat5 cables with the typical ethernet type plug for the LED powered ones, but 5 Pin Din is only available with unpowered ones. Would it be possible to make one with a 5PinDin with LED's or no?

The number of pins you need is based on how each jack works. If each jack can share ground, then a five pin plug will work great (4 functions + Ground). If not, then you'll probably need 8 connections, which is why the CAT5 cable is useful. I don't particularly care for the plastic RJ-45 end on a CAT5, but there are military versions that are very stout.

I'd really have to sit down with a T-verb to give you the whole design as far as LEDs and what not.

BTW, the switchcraft 1/4" connector would work very well. I like their parts.

 

[hal9000]

ok cool thanks.. one other thing, why is a 5 pin jack prefered over a 1/4" plug?

You have four independant functions to switch. If each plug could share ground AND you wanted to switch all of them at the same time, you could split a single 1/4" plug into four, but then again, you could do that now with your existing switch. That's not very useful though.

Basically, you need a pin for each function plus one for ground. As I described above, the jacks may not be able to share ground, which means you need two pins per jack which totals eight.

 

[jgventura]

Awesome, thanks. I'm sure i'd have to make that cable right, with the 5 pin on one end, then the (4) 1/4" jacks on the other? Unless someone happens to make them, which i highly doubt

 

[hal9000]

Awesome, thanks. I'm sure i'd have to make that cable right, with the 5 pin on one end, then the (4) 1/4" jacks on the other? Unless someone happens to make them, which i highly doubt

Yeah, you'd have to make it. Of course, if you're going to make the rest of the switch too, the cable should be pretty simple.

 

[jgventura]

haha ok, just checking, thanks a lot!

 

[jgventura]

Ok, i know i'm a pain,.. haha. But, I went to Mouser, and clicked on cables, but I have no idea what type that I would end up using? http://www.mouser.com/search/Refine...4&N=1323038 254613&Ns=P_SField&RefType=Header there's the link with the type..

 

[jgventura]

Actually, I could just buy something like this http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Horizon-MIDI-Cable?sku=336140 and just snip off one end and then mod it right???

 

[hal9000]

Ok, i know i'm a pain,.. haha. But, I went to Mouser, and clicked on cables, but I have no idea what type that I would end up using? http://www.mouser.com/search/Refine...4&N=1323038 254613&Ns=P_SField&RefType=Header there's the link with the type..

Cables aren't going to do us any good until we find out what we need for the design. If the jacks all share ground, then a five conductor cable will work fine.

He's what you need to do. Connect a 1/4" instrument cable to on of the external plugs (let's use Channel). Now, looking at the other end of the cable with a 1/4" plug, use a paper clip to connect the sleeve and tip together, then the channel will change. If you use a multimeter to measure the voltage between the sleeve and tip that will tell us if we can use an LED in the circuit. We need around 2.5 V and 20 mA to light an LED. Now that you have the channel switching, let's switch the loop. Plug another 1/4" cable into the FX loop switching jack. This time, use the multimeter in resistance mode. Attach one terminal to the channel switch cable's sleeve, and the other terminal to the FX loop switch cable's sleeve. If you get a 0 Ohm measurement, then they share ground. Try these measurements with all the jacks and write it down. Let me know the results and I'll help you find what you need.