F***ing Popping Bastard Footswitches

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  • JohnnysevenJohnnyseven Frets: 905
    If the pop is quieter than the noise your guitar is making when you press the switch then is it still an issue?
    My trading feedback can be seen here - http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58242/
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  • It's really noticeable, it can still be heard when I'm playing, especially with the stuff I play with big reverbs and delays.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    It's really noticeable, it can still be heard when I'm playing, especially with the stuff I play with big reverbs and delays.
    You could always pretend you are Keef and intended to do it?
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  • UnclePsychosisUnclePsychosis Frets: 12879
    clarkefan said:
    How come it doesn't happen with Boss pedals?  They gave switches too, maybe because they're plastic or something? 

    ---Boss pedals don't use mechanical bypass switches, they use an electronic switching circuit. It means they don't pop. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    I had poppping pedals last night at the gig and terrible single coil hum, although the old Boss tuner didn't pop. No pops on anything earlier in the week. I don't know to what extent there could be a link between the pick ups humming and the pedals (minifooger, lovepedal, ZVex, MXR - I think they all popped) popping? Seemed beyond coincidence. 
    Quite likely some sort of earthing problem at the venue. It may not be dangerous but if there's noise on the earth that would probably cause both issues.

    The Boss will never pop even with that though.

    UnclePsychosis said:

    ---Boss pedals don't use mechanical bypass switches, they use an electronic switching circuit. It means they don't pop. 
    Or break.

    Or *almost* never, anyway - it's not totally unknown, but I think I've changed three Boss pedal switches in the thirty years I've been repairing stuff. There have been weeks where I've done that many mechanical switches. There are also probably more Boss pedals out there than any other brand.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    ICBM said:
    I had poppping pedals last night at the gig and terrible single coil hum, although the old Boss tuner didn't pop. No pops on anything earlier in the week. I don't know to what extent there could be a link between the pick ups humming and the pedals (minifooger, lovepedal, ZVex, MXR - I think they all popped) popping? Seemed beyond coincidence. 
    Quite likely some sort of earthing problem at the venue. It may not be dangerous but if there's noise on the earth that would probably cause both issues.

    The Boss will never pop even with that.
    I had played that venue before, about four years ago in another band, and that night my amp ( different one to Saturday's)died. Probably odd coincidence. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • jpfampsjpfamps Frets: 2723

    UnclePsychosis said:

    ---Boss pedals don't use mechanical bypass switches, they use an electronic switching circuit. It means they don't pop. 
    Or break.

    Or *almost* never, anyway - it's not totally unknown, but I think I've changed three Boss pedal switches in the thirty years I've been repairing stuff. There have been weeks where I've done that many mechanical switches. There are also probably more Boss pedals out there than any other brand.
    There are days when I do more switches than that!
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  • lasermonkeylasermonkey Frets: 1940
    If the popping is due to an external source, would putting  pulldown resistors on the input and output jacks help alleviate the problem? Say, 1M-2M on the input and 100K on the output?
    My wife asked me to stop singing Wonderwall.
    I said maybe.....
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  • The only thing you'll hear with boss (and the older similar digitech pedals and the hardwire digitech range if they're in buffered bypass mode) is the increase in noise floor a pedal provides (which, obviously, all pedals do to some extent). 

    Which reminds me, digitech were really onto something with the hardwire range. I love the metal distortion. I also have a polara which sounds ace and is slightly smaller, but I do wonder why they changed case style - far more likely to hit the knobs than the boss style enclosure. 

    The switch is a soft, buffered one though so they got that right :) I just absolutely prefer the boss mechanism. 

    I also have a dod which works similarly but they're known for dicky switches, probably as they're plastic, and the enclosure isn't as well thought out as the boss ones. Best chorus ever, though, so I let that slide. 
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  • UnclePsychosisUnclePsychosis Frets: 12879


    Which reminds me, digitech were really onto something with the hardwire range. I love the metal distortion. I also have a polara which sounds ace and is slightly smaller, but I do wonder why they changed case style - far more likely to hit the knobs than the boss style enclosure. 

    The guy who is now in charge of Digitech posts over at TGP and is pretty open about this---as much as the hardwire range seemed to impress people (build quality/sounds) they just didn't sell all that well. The newer style ones are flying off the shelves in comparison. I think its probably a sad reflection that looking like a "boutique" pedal is more important than being built like a tank.
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  • Moe_ZambeekMoe_Zambeek Frets: 3419
    The new ones are built like a tank though - very solid pedals. And they come with the rubber stomp protector if you are worried about damaging the knobs / changing settings. 
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253


    Which reminds me, digitech were really onto something with the hardwire range. I love the metal distortion. I also have a polara which sounds ace and is slightly smaller, but I do wonder why they changed case style - far more likely to hit the knobs than the boss style enclosure. 

    The guy who is now in charge of Digitech posts over at TGP and is pretty open about this---as much as the hardwire range seemed to impress people (build quality/sounds) they just didn't sell all that well. The newer style ones are flying off the shelves in comparison. I think its probably a sad reflection that looking like a "boutique" pedal is more important than being built like a tank.
    That's interesting, basically what I guessed. I've read a couple of times that the Polara is more or less a rebadged Hardwire but people love that fancy graphic. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • samzadgansamzadgan Frets: 1471
    Ha...been through this with two different EQD pedals. I've been told it's to do earthing...so I turned them on and off when the power to my board comes on...then they work fine.

    it's annoying as fuck...but I'm not about to chuck in my EQD's...as I love every single one of them. 

    But it I have been thinking about whether I could change the switches on each one of them, to the kind that TC or Walrus Audio uses...anyone have a thought on that?? @ICBM & @juansolo ; I'm guessing you guys might??
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  • GavRichListGavRichList Frets: 7142
    The switches on the Moog MF104M are the best I've used on any pedal. Would love those on all my pedals. 
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  • The switches on the Moog MF104M are the best I've used on any pedal. Would love those on all my pedals. 

    I like the switches Eventide use. They feel sturdy.
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  • juansolojuansolo Frets: 1773
    Depends how they are inside as to how much of a ball-ache it might me.
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10356
    FET switching is normally the way we go on mixer circuits, bit more faff but only requires a basic push to make switch to make a  FET SPDT

    I think the big ol metal mechanical switch is popular because you only need to drill a single round hole to mount the switch and there's no additional components needed. 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    edited March 2017
    Danny1969 said:

    I think the big ol metal mechanical switch is popular because you only need to drill a single round hole to mount the switch and there's no additional components needed. 
    Exactly, and because it's marketed as "true" bypass, implying it's perfect. Which it is, as long as you forget about the loading of the following cable(s)…

    It's also true the Boss-type soft switching has an issue with very slightly less than unity gain, but that could be fixed very easily without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • UPDATE: took it back to the shop, and they refunded me in full, bringing to end this fascination chapter in my life.
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