Hi everyone, i've been reading about what pedal you are using for preset changing, footswitch for up/down Combi or Prog, and almost everyone surprisingly suggest any on/off pedal, and of course it works, but it have been really unstable for me; I buy a on/ff pedal, and it works perfectly but one or two months later when i press the pedal it doesn't go to next preset, it goes two or even three presets forward, so when it should be in chorus' preset, it already have advanced to verse o bridge's preset, or even the next song's intro preset, so i can't trust in something that works wrong.
So, ¿what footswitch pedal reference have you used that works PERFECTLY and ROBUSTLY for preset changing?
Thanks so much!
Footswitch Recomendation
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billbaker
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If it is the switch's malfunction is most likely caused by dirt or corrosion - so to prevent that you might make sure that it is stored between use in a clean dry place. The cable should be wrapped loosely and not twisted tight around the pedal itself - a velcro cable tie will hold it together.
All my pedals get stored (along with my other small gear) in a decent quality Samsonite briefcase that features a dust seal. Anvil Cases used to make a briefcase with an industrial o-ring seal that kept things isolated from dust and moisture.
I have to say tho', that while I've had a few pedals that lasted a very long time with decent treatment, they all fail eventually. Two or three months seem to be an awfully short life, though.
What you appear to be seeing is multiple switching with a single push and that may not be the pedal -- it makes me think that there could also be a fault (loose wire or cold solder joint, e.g.) in the input jack of gear you are running it into. It wouldn't be as critical for something like sustain, but as you've seen when you're advancing programs or effects it makes a big difference, so you might want to have that looked at if the problem persists.
As for recommendations: I've recently gotten hold of a couple of the BOSS FS-series pedals and I like them a lot. They have a very sturdy metal case, use a changeable/replaceable cable, and come in several versions depending on your needs. They use a battery, but only to run an on/off indicator light for when the pedal is latched (on) or active (pressed for momentary mode).
Finally, you might want to check the documentation for the module to see if that "jump advance" behavior is actually a feature that you're hitting by accident because of the length of time you're pressing the pedal.
Many pedals have really primitive components that are the equivalent of rubbing two wires together. Yamaha pedals I've taken apart used a very small leaf spring that could bend out of alignment over time. M-audio and Crumar clamshell style pedals used a longer (2") spring and contact system that was reliable, but could snap (with no possible fix) if it got cold or was stepped on hard enough. A physical switch in a pedal which has even a slight "hang" due to dirt, misalignment or some other fail point even from "normal" use might be enough to cause the behavior you're seeing.
BB
All my pedals get stored (along with my other small gear) in a decent quality Samsonite briefcase that features a dust seal. Anvil Cases used to make a briefcase with an industrial o-ring seal that kept things isolated from dust and moisture.
I have to say tho', that while I've had a few pedals that lasted a very long time with decent treatment, they all fail eventually. Two or three months seem to be an awfully short life, though.
What you appear to be seeing is multiple switching with a single push and that may not be the pedal -- it makes me think that there could also be a fault (loose wire or cold solder joint, e.g.) in the input jack of gear you are running it into. It wouldn't be as critical for something like sustain, but as you've seen when you're advancing programs or effects it makes a big difference, so you might want to have that looked at if the problem persists.
As for recommendations: I've recently gotten hold of a couple of the BOSS FS-series pedals and I like them a lot. They have a very sturdy metal case, use a changeable/replaceable cable, and come in several versions depending on your needs. They use a battery, but only to run an on/off indicator light for when the pedal is latched (on) or active (pressed for momentary mode).
Finally, you might want to check the documentation for the module to see if that "jump advance" behavior is actually a feature that you're hitting by accident because of the length of time you're pressing the pedal.
Many pedals have really primitive components that are the equivalent of rubbing two wires together. Yamaha pedals I've taken apart used a very small leaf spring that could bend out of alignment over time. M-audio and Crumar clamshell style pedals used a longer (2") spring and contact system that was reliable, but could snap (with no possible fix) if it got cold or was stepped on hard enough. A physical switch in a pedal which has even a slight "hang" due to dirt, misalignment or some other fail point even from "normal" use might be enough to cause the behavior you're seeing.
BB
billbaker
Triton Extreme 88, Triton Classic Pro, Trinity V3 Pro
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Triton Extreme 88, Triton Classic Pro, Trinity V3 Pro
+E-mu, Alesis, Korg, Kawai, Yamaha, Line-6, TC Elecronics, Behringer, Lexicon...
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Lord Haendel
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2008 6:08 pm
Thanks so much Billbaker
Talking about the BOSS FS-5U/5L pedals, somebody knows how the switch works?? is it just a simple "rubbing two wires together" mechanism, or is it something most complex?
I'm going to open, check and clean the metal contacts inside the pedal to see if the problem is just a little of dust, but i dont think so, cause the previous pedal started to malfunction in the same way, but about one year after, not just three months.billbaker wrote: What you appear to be seeing is multiple switching with a single push and that may not be the pedal -- it makes me think that there could also be a fault (loose wire or cold solder joint, e.g.) in the input jack of gear you are running it into. It wouldn't be as critical for something like sustain, but as you've seen when you're advancing programs or effects it makes a big difference, so you might want to have that looked at if the problem persists.
BB
The Module is a KORG TR, and it doesn't have any problem if you hit the switch for a long time, so I dont think that its configuration be the problem.billbaker wrote: Finally, you might want to check the documentation for the module to see if that "jump advance" behavior is actually a feature that you're hitting by accident because of the length of time you're pressing the pedal.
BB
The first pedal was a Cherub and the problem was just misalignment, but finally became too many instable, so it pased to be my sustain, jejejeje. The second one is an M-Audio and it's the actual that i'm going to check.billbaker wrote: Many pedals have really primitive components that are the equivalent of rubbing two wires together. Yamaha pedals I've taken apart used a very small leaf spring that could bend out of alignment over time. M-audio and Crumar clamshell style pedals used a longer (2") spring and contact system that was reliable, but could snap (with no possible fix) if it got cold or was stepped on hard enough. A physical switch in a pedal which has even a slight "hang" due to dirt, misalignment or some other fail point even from "normal" use might be enough to cause the behavior you're seeing.
BB
Talking about the BOSS FS-5U/5L pedals, somebody knows how the switch works?? is it just a simple "rubbing two wires together" mechanism, or is it something most complex?