The Effect Builders Club!

[Thunderscreech]

I'm back with a new question:

With the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone (NOT the nano) is it possible to wire up a jack that i can hook to an external footswitch so i can remotely turn the color switch on and off?

 

[B.C.]

I'm back with a new question:

With the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone (NOT the nano) is it possible to wire up a jack that i can hook to an external footswitch so i can remotely turn the color switch on and off?

I think so yes. What I would do is use a DPDT switch, located in your external pedal. Go to www.tonepad.com to look at the schematic of the Small Stone. Just wire the switch the same way as in the pedal, except externally. The only problem is you need the footswitch from on out. Hm, let me think about this and I will get to you.

 

[chicago_mike]

its the same theory as wiring up an external volume control pedal for say, effect blend, or a speed control.

It can be done. The best way to do it is with internal switching and maybe even a relay, so no audio signal goes outside the box, but thats being, a little hard core..=)

swr uses vactrols for channel switching with a footpedal and it works great. like a vtl5c1 or similar

 

[Thunderscreech]

I think so yes. What I would do is use a DPDT switch, located in your external pedal. Go to www.tonepad.com to look at the schematic of the Small Stone. Just wire the switch the same way as in the pedal, except externally. The only problem is you need the footswitch from on out. Hm, let me think about this and I will get to you.

I was just thinking about this today, but couldn't i just put a second footswtich on the pedal to control the color switch? i know it's not near as cool, but it would be a bit easier and get the job done in the same way (i would like to turn the color switch on and off during songs with out having to bend down or risk turning the knob). I think it would be a bit easier, but i'm not sure

 

[B.C.]

I was just thinking about this today, but couldn't i just put a second footswtich on the pedal to control the color switch? i know it's not near as cool, but it would be a bit easier and get the job done in the same way (i would like to turn the color switch on and off during songs with out having to bend down or risk turning the knob). I think it would be a bit easier, but i'm not sure

Ya know, I didn't even think about that. I think that would be the best and probably a whole lot easier. I would just replace the color switch with a stomp switch, use longer wires and drill a hole and put it near the other switch.

 

[CliftonBonney]

To all you effect builders/modders out there,

I have the Electro-Harmonix Stereo Clone Theory pedal. It has some nice sounds, but is noisy as heck. Is there any mod that someone can do on this pedal to get rid of the noise? Thanks.

Clifton

 

[B.C.]

To all you effect builders/modders out there,

I have the Electro-Harmonix Stereo Clone Theory pedal. It has some nice sounds, but is noisy as heck. Is there any mod that someone can do on this pedal to get rid of the noise? Thanks.

Clifton

Hm, like a buzz noisy or the effect itself? I ask because it could be some different things for each one.

 

[CliftonBonney]

Hm, like a buzz noisy or the effect itself? I ask because it could be some different things for each one.

Thanks BC. It's just the effect itself, I think. Other people have complained about it too. There was a thread where Crabby talked about it.

Everything is fine until you activate the pedal. Then it just gets noisy. You can hear the bass, but it has to fight through the noise.

Clifton

 

[B.C.]

Thanks BC. It's just the effect itself, I think. Other people have complained about it too. There was a thread where Crabby talked about it.

Everything is fine until you activate the pedal. Then it just gets noisy. You can hear the bass, but it has to fight through the noise.

Clifton

Hm. That is an interesting one. Looking at www.tonepad.com, it seems, in the build reports, that others have issues with loosing bass with this pedal(does that sound about right?) so my first mod would be playing with capacitor values. Outside of that I'm not to sure.

 

[CliftonBonney]

Hm. That is an interesting one. Looking at www.tonepad.com, it seems, in the build reports, that others have issues with loosing bass with this pedal(does that sound about right?) so my first mod would be playing with capacitor values. Outside of that I'm not to sure.

BC, I did a little bit of testing on the pedal. It's definitely the higher frequencies that cause the hissing noise. I ran my bass into the Clone Theory and then that into my M-80 preamp. If I use my normal settings on my preamp, the hiss is there. If I turn down the mids and highs on the preamp, the hiss pretty much goes away and it sounds pretty sweet.

Another option I did that seems to work pretty good is to run the Clone Theory through my X-Blender. I then turn down the highs on the X-Blener and leave my preamp (which follows the X-Blender) settings on normal. This seems to work pretty good. However, I don't really want to waste my X-Blender on a chorus pedal.

This being said, is there a mod that can eliminate the hiss so I don't need to adjust my preamp?

Thanks for your help by the way.

 

[chicago_mike]

Hey Clifton, a couple questions just so I know whats up..

1. Nothing plugged, how noisy is it?

2. Does the noise follow the modulation? or is the noise, "just there"?

3. Is there any crackling from the unit?

My first go to's are power supply filtering or noisy transistors like 2906 or 2904 or similar.

Is this a new pedal or a reissue or vintage?

Thanks.

 

[CliftonBonney]

Hey Clifton, a couple questions just so I know whats up..

1. Nothing plugged, how noisy is it?

2. Does the noise follow the modulation? or is the noise, "just there"?

3. Is there any crackling from the unit?

My first go to's are power supply filtering or noisy transistors like 2906 or 2904 or similar.

Is this a new pedal or a reissue or vintage?

Thanks.

Chicago Mike,

Thanks for taking an interest. I'll try my best to answer your questions.

1. I'm not sure what you mean by "nothing plugged." If you mean is it noisy if it is the only pedal in the chain then yes. The pedal is not noisy at all when it's not engaged. Once it's engaged it gets noisy. The noise can be reduced/eliminated by reducing the highs and mids on my preamp.

2. I'm such a noob for this stuff. What do you mean by does the noise follow the modulation. The noise just seems to be there all the time when the pedal is engaged. I can reduce/eliminate the noise by turning down the highs.

3. There is no crackling from the unit.

4. The pedal is brand new. It's the new Stereo Clone Theory by Electro-Harmonix. This is actually my second one. I took one back because of the noise. It's pretty funny because I took it back to the store complaining that it was broken. They gave me a new one and it does the same thing. Others on this website have complained about it too, so it must be common with this pedal.

I've seen some people say this is common from an analog chorus pedal. I've seen others say it's not and that's is just because it's a cheaper pedal. I agree with the later because I also have an Analog.Man Mini Chorus that has no noise.

Many people complain about the bass dropping out when the pedal is engaged. I agree you lose quite a bit low end. I said in my previous post that I ran it through the X-Blender with good results but didn't really want to waste my X-Blender on it.

Now, I'm starting to think it sounds great with the X-Blender. I tweak the effected signal just enough to get rid of the hiss. However, I still leave some of that high sound (this distinguishes the sound from the Analog.Man). The original coming through the X-Blender keeps the bottom end.

A mod would be great if it could mimmick the X-Blender. In other words, get rid of some of the highs to reduce the hiss, but not all of the highs. I still want it to sound different than the Analog.Man. I think an major mod may make it sound just like the Analog.Man which is what I don't want.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[B.C.]

Chicago Mike,

Thanks for taking an interest. I'll try my best to answer your questions.

1. I'm not sure what you mean by "nothing plugged." If you mean is it noisy if it is the only pedal in the chain then yes. The pedal is not noisy at all when it's not engaged. Once it's engaged it gets noisy. The noise can be reduced/eliminated by reducing the highs and mids on my preamp.

2. I'm such a noob for this stuff. What do you mean by does the noise follow the modulation. The noise just seems to be there all the time when the pedal is engaged. I can reduce/eliminate the noise by turning down the highs.

3. There is no crackling from the unit.

4. The pedal is brand new. It's the new Stereo Clone Theory by Electro-Harmonix. This is actually my second one. I took one back because of the noise. It's pretty funny because I took it back to the store complaining that it was broken. They gave me a new one and it does the same thing. Others on this website have complained about it too, so it must be common with this pedal.

I've seen some people say this is common from an analog chorus pedal. I've seen others say it's not and that's is just because it's a cheaper pedal. I agree with the later because I also have an Analog.Man Mini Chorus that has no noise.

Many people complain about the bass dropping out when the pedal is engaged. I agree you lose quite a bit low end. I said in my previous post that I ran it through the X-Blender with good results but didn't really want to waste my X-Blender on it.

Now, I'm starting to think it sounds great with the X-Blender. I tweak the effected signal just enough to get rid of the hiss. However, I still leave some of that high sound (this distinguishes the sound from the Analog.Man). The original coming through the X-Blender keeps the bottom end.

A mod would be great if it could mimmick the X-Blender. In other words, get rid of some of the highs to reduce the hiss, but not all of the highs. I still want it to sound different than the Analog.Man. I think an major mod may make it sound just like the Analog.Man which is what I don't want.

Thanks again for your help.

I think what Chicago Mike is saying for point 1. is that if you run the pedal with a battery and not a supply, is it still noisy? If not, a filtered power supply will provide "clean" power and eliminate the noise.

The frequencies you listed(high and mid) could, in theory, be attenuated by switching capacitors. If you new, I wouldn't recomend you trying this, it can get a little hairy.

So, I looked for some guys who do mods, like Keeley and Analogman. They don't have any modded ones persay, but I would try contacting analogman www.analogman.com to see if they have any mods for the Small Clone.

Hope this helps!

 

[CliftonBonney]

I think what Chicago Mike is saying for point 1. is that if you run the pedal with a battery and not a supply, is it still noisy? If not, a filtered power supply will provide "clean" power and eliminate the noise.

The frequencies you listed(high and mid) could, in theory, be attenuated by switching capacitors. If you new, I wouldn't recomend you trying this, it can get a little hairy.

So, I looked for some guys who do mods, like Keeley and Analogman. They don't have any modded ones persay, but I would try contacting analogman www.analogman.com to see if they have any mods for the Small Clone.

Hope this helps!

Thanks BC. The noise is there whether I use a battery or a power supply.

Believe me. I'm not doing any mods myself. I just learned what a capacitor was last night.

I sent an e-mail to Brian Wampler at IndyGuitarist.com. We'll see what he says. I guess I could send one to the guys at Analog.Man as well. Thanks.

 

[B.C.]

Thanks BC. The noise is there whether I use a battery or a power supply.

Believe me. I'm not doing any mods myself. I just learned what a capacitor was last night.

I sent an e-mail to Brian Wampler at IndyGuitarist.com. We'll see what he says. I guess I could send one to the guys at Analog.Man as well. Thanks.

No prob. I'm pretty sure this can be done.

 

[CliftonBonney]

No prob. I'm pretty sure this can be done.

Hi BC. So, I sent the e-mail to the guy at IndyGuitarist.com. He said a mod cannot be done for this pedal. Or, at least, he can't do it.

I've sent another e-mail to Analog.Man. We'll see what he says.

 

[chicago_mike]

This is tricky as the new eh pedals are surface mount. I have done surface mount before, but once you lift a pad...f' it. IF you dont know what a pad is, good for you. Keep it that way and take business school.

Just to clarify, noise following modulation...if the noise "swept around" like the chorus..or..If the noise was more"Straight".

If B.C. is right and its down to caps, which most the time this stuff is, then yes, someone out there with new eh pedals has made a mod. IF, and this is really cheap of EH, IF the modulation chip and even one audio chip are the same...youre stuck with the noise. The easy reason is the circuit that modulates the signal needs to be seperate from the audio path, until the l2nd to the last step in the circuit, the mixing stage.

If I went over your head, again, good...get into real estate!

 

[CliftonBonney]

This is tricky as the new eh pedals are surface mount. I have done surface mount before, but once you lift a pad...f' it. IF you dont know what a pad is, good for you. Keep it that way and take business school.

Just to clarify, noise following modulation...if the noise "swept around" like the chorus..or..If the noise was more"Straight".

If B.C. is right and its down to caps, which most the time this stuff is, then yes, someone out there with new eh pedals has made a mod. IF, and this is really cheap of EH, IF the modulation chip and even one audio chip are the same...youre stuck with the noise. The easy reason is the circuit that modulates the signal needs to be seperate from the audio path, until the l2nd to the last step in the circuit, the mixing stage.

If I went over your head, again, good...get into real estate!

Thanks Chicago Mike. Yes, most of that stuff is over my head. As for the noise following modulation, I would say the noise is more "straight." It's just there and doesn't sound chorusy. I can reduce the noise by reducing my mids and highs on my preamp. In my last test, I had the preamp after the chorus pedal. I haven't tried it before the pedal.

 

[chicago_mike]

have you tried it in an effects loop? I doubt this will help , but anything is worth trying once. If after all the routing combinations you can try, the pedal is still noisy, then it is the inherant circuit. At that point, the easiest advice I can give is to start looking for a quiet chorus pedal.

You mention the analog man is quiet. do you just have the other chorus for a seperate setting? Or do you chain them? While EH is cool, and they do make good pedals. With some searching, testing and more searching and testing, you can do better.

Not the best answers I know, but its better than trying to mod when youre unsure of your abilities and its cheaper then shipping it out, paying for the mod, and shipping it back, and it still possibly being noisy.

 

[CliftonBonney]

have you tried it in an effects loop? I doubt this will help , but anything is worth trying once. If after all the routing combinations you can try, the pedal is still noisy, then it is the inherant circuit. At that point, the easiest advice I can give is to start looking for a quiet chorus pedal.

You mention the analog man is quiet. do you just have the other chorus for a seperate setting? Or do you chain them? While EH is cool, and they do make good pedals. With some searching, testing and more searching and testing, you can do better.

Not the best answers I know, but its better than trying to mod when youre unsure of your abilities and its cheaper then shipping it out, paying for the mod, and shipping it back, and it still possibly being noisy.

Thanks. In the past (when this was my primary chorus pedal), I ran it through the effects loop. To the best of my recollection, the issue was still there but it wasn't as bad. Any reason for this? I'll have to try it again though to make sure my memory is correct.

I use the Analog.Man as my chorus pedal now. I was thinking about selling the Clone Theory, but thought I could maybe have someone else fix the problem instead. Believe me, I won't be fixing it myself. I'm very interested in effect building/modding, but I just started reading about all of this stuff. I won't take this project on as my first. I'll stick with building an A/B box or something.

If it turns out that no one can fix it, I may sell it. However, I'm starting to like the sound of it again when I follow it with a preamp with reduced mids and highs. I might find a cheaper preamp dedicated to the pedal and run the two in a separate loop. It definitely has a different sound than my Analog.Man which is nice.

Thanks for your help.