footswitch

[gfxbss]

hey guys.

i just picked up a Gallien-Kruegen backline 600 bass head.

it has two channels, clean and overdrive.

it has an input for a footswitch, I wanted to see if you guys may know of a way that i can make a footswitch for the two channels. also, would it be possible to have a killswitch incorporated into the design?

any help would be appreciated.

thanks,

Tyler

[blatherskite]

Hey I wanted to bump this because I'm curious about making a footswitch for my Roland Cube 30x to switch between the "Clean" and "Lead" channels.

I tried googling but to no avail. Any ideas on how to construct a box to do this or should I just fork the money over for one?

[sumgai]

Guys,

The problem here is fairly simple to describe, as there are only two methods of "switching". The first is the one we're all familiar with, the light switch on the wall..... that's called a "latching" switch - it latchs into the On state or into the Off state. The other kind is called "momentary" - think of the starter switch in your car.

Now, in our amps, we can do either kind. Latching is easy, any old footswitch can do that. Momentary is also common for footswitches, in more recent years. The real problem comes up when we institute digital controls inside of our amps - these controls are operated by a momentary signal, which in turn causes a latching action (change a channel, turn on reverb, etc.).

Begin to see the problem? We could say "go build this and this", and we'd have a 50-50 chance of being right. Better would be to look at a schematic, and get it right the first time. Or, having no documentation on hand, look at a switch itself. Having neither reference to guide us, it's a crapshoot. Best to not do anything, for fear of causing someone else a lot of anguish (not to mention teeth gnashing and hair pulling ).

If it's your rig, then I'd suggest the following: get a footswitch that you've seen work. My favorite is any Fender from the early years, those are always latching. If you need an adapter (they were (and should still be) RCA phono plugs), then get an RCA-to-1/4" adapter. Plug it in, and see what happens!!

The worst that can happen is that you've plugged into a jack that wants a momentary switch, which will simply wait until you click the switch again before it does its thing. IOW, if you have to hit the switch twice every time to make something happen, then you need to procur a momentary switch for your amp. Ahh, but if you were lucky, everything worked as desired, and you're all set to go. ;D

The reverse is even easier to discern, but coming up with a momentary switch may not be so easy - they all look alike! Unless you have on ohm meter, then you might as well experiment with this one too. Plug it in (with an adapter?), and see if the circuit stays switched. If it doesn't (letting off the switch button causes the effect to change back, or the channel to change back), then you're using a momentary switch where the amp wants to see a latching one.

Pretty simple, yes?

In all cases I've ever seen, switching is low-voltage. But that doesn't mean that I've seen everything ever made! Don't take chances, use due care and caution until you are intimately familiar with your switching circuitry.

If you are working on an amp with a "funny" footswitch jack (not a standard 1/4" unit), then you're in for a real treat! That would be a big IMHO. You'll probably have to dive into your amp, use a meter to trace what connection goes where, see if you can buy a plug to match your jack, and some wire. But while you're in there, you may also decide to rip that non-standard stuff out, and convert everything to standard jacks, plugs, and cabling.

Just on option to consider. If you need to.

HTH


sumgai

[gfxbss]

blath, if youre really set on making one, what i would suggest for housing is to get some 1/8-1/4 inch sheet metal. then just have it welded together. it will give it a very cool homemade look.(assuming thats what you want).

sumgai,

youre great man. i just tried a pedal i have for my fender 2x12. i didnt think i would work cause my fender has 3 channels, "clean", "drive", and "more drive." as to my GKs 2 channels. however, it works perfectly.

Thanks SG

Tyler

[sumgai]

Tyler,

You're welcome.


sumgai

[avoriaz]

Perhaps the gallien-krueger web site or owners manual will provide the answer about the type of footswitch required.

Or maybe email them and ask nicely.

www.gallien-krueger.com/products_bl_hd_600bl.html

www.gallien-krueger.com/manuals/Backline%20Series%20OM.pdf.pdf


Or have I missed the point? I usually do. ;D

[sumgai]

avvie,

Perhaps the gallien-krueger web site or owners manual will provide the answer about the type of footswitch required.

Or maybe email them and ask nicely.

www.gallien-krueger.com/products_bl_hd_600bl.html

www.gallien-krueger.com/manuals/Backline%20Series%20OM.pdf.pdf

Or have I missed the point? I usually do. ;D

Nope, no point missed at all.

In fact, it's usually a good idea to check with the horse's mouth, sometimes you save a lot of effort that way. But when you're in a hurry (like I am, when it comes to waiting for an email reply ), then figuring things out can make the difference between a pile of parts on the bench, and a happy customer. ;D

Good advice, and good research to boot.... +1 for you.


sumgai

[gfxbss]

ahh, i had already email G-K. i was told that i could purchase a switch for about $70. i dont wanna spend that kind of money, so i figured why not make one if at all possible.