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Iron Ether FrantaBit

#82
At some point I do hope to take a stab at something like your expression box idea, Jared. Right now on my own board I'm running three EP-2s.

This avatar is just for fun for today, but I was thinking something new was in order. Something more permanent but less of a scowl is probably on the way...
 
#85
The only thing I feel that I'm missing from my MicroCrusher is expression control. Using my foot (ala John Davis) just isn't really that comfortable/ controllable. So, essentially, I must now buy this pedal. Also, where on the MicroCrusher is a switch to OBLITERATE???!!!

And speaking of John Davis, I wonder what his thoughts are on this pedal? I know his BugCrusher Micro is a pretty large part of his sound and it seems with the features of this (ingenious) pedal design it may be a bit more suitable to band-oriented electron-isized escapades.
 
#86
I was just thinking about an exp pedal A/B box. I think Mission Control might do something like that (I really should factcheck before I post) but an IE expression switcher would be so much cooler, especially if you could sweep the Xero and franta at the same time.

-- edit--
Mission makes the sp-2 that switches between 2 exp inputs. Taylor could do something a lot cooler.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#87
Jared Lash said:
If you look through the "What's Coming and Going" thread I think a number of people were alluding to this pedal. I have one on order and I know behndy does too. I'm guessing Jean Baudin, Wud and possibly metalinthenight also do.

And I agree, the FrantaBit is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. For that matter so is the Nimbus which is why I ordered one of those too.
Click to expand...

No, I haven't placed an order for one (yet), but I really have my sights set on the Nimbus reverb. EXACTLY what I've been looking for in a reverb (and I use a ton of reverb). I may be placing an order for one of these in the next few days.

Jared Lash said:
What I'd love is a switching box where I could run the stereo cable from my expression pedal in and then have several cables out, one for each pedal I want to control with the ability to turn expression control on and off for each one. In a perfect world maybe even an invert switch for each such that the effect of the sweep is reversed and thus you could have one effect going "up" while a second goes "down".
Click to expand...

Long before I had the funds for my Xerograph, I first sent an email to Taylor about something like this. He was very helpful in explaining the barriers and obstacles that go into a design like this (I.e. stereo wiring and everything).
 
#91
Eric! said:
And when an EXP is plugged into a pedal like the Xerograph, it registers it being plugged in, and disables the function of having it not plugged in (Frequency knob)
Click to expand...

My Xerograph functions the same regardless of whether there's a stereo cable plugged in or not. As long as the expression pedal is in the fully up position it should function the same as not being plugged in. Give it a try.
 
#95
Jared Lash said:
Same thing. I think "toe up" rather than "heel down" because that orientation makes more sense to me.
Click to expand...

ok, I registered "fully up" as toe down. Oops.

To add something - I had contacted both Dan at T1M and Mission Engineering regarding a multi-Expression (with at least 4 exp inputs). T1M was willing to try it but was cautious that having more than 1 on at a time would be problematic, and potentially damaging to the pedals.
 
#98
caeman said:
Would a bi-directional ABY box work with an exp pedal?
Click to expand...

Each jack needs to be stereo. There was somebody making an AB like that, but I can't remember who.

There are lots of reasons why a box like this can't be done in any simplistic manner, unfortunately. As Eric points out, for some pedals (not Iron Ether), if you have the jack plugged in but disconnected from the expression pot (as would happen in an AB when that jack is deselected), there would be an open circuit somewhere, and the pedal would not function correctly. For example, a fuzz with an expression jack for drive amount: if the plug is in the jack, but not selected, you have no signal. Any oscillator based on resistance (integrator oscillators used in chorus/flange/phasers, CMOS oscillators, etc.) would stop oscillating if you have a plug in the jack but disconnected from the expression treadle.

That's just in cases where the expression pedal would be physically connected to several pedals simultaneously, but only electronically connected to one at a time. What you guys really want is to have the exp. pedal controlling several pedal simultaneously, and with individual scaling and inversion. The problem here is that you can't connect the pot directly to multiple circuits, or you would be shorting all the circuits together in random ways. Best case, no sound, worst case, burned parts as massive current flows through the expression pedal pot and other parts.

So here you need to create multiple isolated remote potentiometers, controlled by the master expression pot. There are various methods of doing that, but the trick here is to make these pots work whether they're used as 2-terminal rheostats or 3-terminal dividers. Some builders will suggest optocouplers, but these only would work in limited circumstances, and not for Iron Ether pedals. In other words, it's a bit tricky... ;)
 
#100
So, you need an active expression pedal, that when you click to a different channel, it acts toward the other channel as if the expression pedal was only in that one spot. Sounds like an easy task for some of you pedal whizzes.
 

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