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Re: Fixing a footpedal
At 02:03 PM 12/29/2003, Chris Payne wrote:
>What about better quality ones?
you are kind of on your own there. Looper pedals get pressed a lot more
than most other types of pedals, so any switch is prone to trouble. Maybe
others who have experimented can recommend something. But be warned, it is
not simple to find an alternative switch!
My EDP pedal has been working since 1994 without any switch changes, so a
lot of it is up to the user. For me I found long ago that a light touch
gives better accuracy, so my buttons were saved from stomping and have
lasted a long time. Some people seem to think stomping is better, so go
figure.
The things I want in a looper switch are:
1. it must be quiet
2. it should not require too much force to press with rhythmic accuracy
3. it should have a reasonably short throw so it is easy to predict
4. it should have a good tactile feel for the contact
5. it should be reliable
It is hard to find all of that in one switch. Of those, #5 is actually the
easiest one to achieve. However, reliability usually means it is a heavy
duty industrial switch that makes a big loud K-CHUNG when you press it,
and
requires a lot of rhythm-killing force to make contact. It may or may not
have a good tactile feel. Those switches are usually designed with
factories and tractors in mind, not musicians.
It is not easy to find a switch that does 1-4 and 5 also, so good luck -
you might have to try a lot of switches. I find the existing switches work
fairly well for 1-4, and in my case 5 also. ymmv.
For me it seems simpler to just get a bunch of backup switches and a
soldering iron if you are prone to breaking them. The switches are cheap,
and soldering them in is easy. Or learn to tap the switch instead of
stomping!
kim
______________________________________________________________________
Kim Flint | Looper's Delight
kflint@loopers-delight.com | http://www.loopers-delight.com