Footswitch with LED?

rico

I have a switchable boost on my Matamp that I have been using with a single Marshall foot switch - is it possible to mod it so that a small LED comes on when I engage boost?

I do not know if there is power sent from the footswitch socket on the amp - is it easy to check with a meter?

Cheers!

andy1839

@4114Effects  has made me a couple. Excellent quality, small footprint boxes with ultra bright leds powered by a 9v inside. 

Yep had the same problem with amp with unpowered/unlit footswitches. 

simonk

Brightonion will offer something suitable.

ICBM

It’s probably best to ask Matamp. With most amps there will be a voltage present on the footswitch circuit, but whether the current draw is in the right range to operate the switching without overloading the LED is difficult to tell. It can usually be done with resistors as well, but you may need the schematic or the amp on the bench to work it out.

If that’s all too complicated then a battery-operated LED will work, and if it’s a footswitch with a detachable cable then you can arrange it like a normal pedal so the battery is disconnected when there is no cable in the jack.

ecc83

I did this for someone with an HT-5 (I think). There is not enough juice to run even a low current LED but there is enough to turn a FET on or off (depends on the actual logic of the F/S) I powered the whole thing with a 3V button Lithium.

If you buy a lucky bag of LEDs (Maplin if you are bloody quick!) and go through them with a test circuit you  will find a few that are pretty bright even at a couple of 100 MICRO amps!

Dave.