220c Spring 2018 ~bjosie

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Phase I - Analog

Although I consider myself a guitar pedal enthusiast, I had never explored the creation of an analog pedal myself. I have seen countless product demonstrations, and as my understanding of electronics has expanded over my time at Stanford, I have been wondering how I might gain a greater understanding of the circuitry involved in the sound sculpture in pedals, or at least a greater insight of their design.

After coming across a couple wah pedals in the Max Lab, I made the logical step of tearing them open to inspect the insides.


With one note reading "Scratchy sound when pot is moved," these pedals were in the junk bin for a reason. They were not in superb shape for practical use, but I was lucky they were extremely intact, and I could explore the insides. I found circuit diagrams for a simple wah as well as the specific wah in question and compared the diagram with the actual pedal.

File:Users/benjaminjosie/desktop/wah1.gif File:Users/benjaminjosie/desktop/crybabyCircuit.png

After several trials of removing/swapping resistors, capacitors and potentiometers, I began to realize the circuit was less interesting to me than was the design of the pedal itself. The mechanics of the tilted surface, the rolling pot, and the way the designers filled the housing piqued my interest. This became even more evident when I busted open my Boss SD-1. Boss, a company whose name has become synonymous with indestructible, sure knows how this process works.


Each piece of the pedal is placed extremely intentionally, using rugged materials and leaving nothing to luck. The insides were all screwed into place, and it was rather straightforward to be able to deconstruct. Inside, wires were even ziptied to be directed into place.

In this exploration, I realized two things: Nine weeks would not provide me with enough time to meaningfully understand the workings of an analog circuit; I am more intrigued by the physical design anyway, which makes me ready to move onto....


Phase II - Digital Controller