Wednesday, 20 May 2020

DOD FX15 Swell Pedal

Requested and verified by AlexS
Original is a buffered effect with input and output connections wired straight to input and output jacks. But you can add a bypass switch, just connect input and output connections to the switch.


20 comments:

  1. Verified. Thanks! It's the BEST working swell pedal I've used because you control when it triggers.

    It can also be set up as a momentary cut or boost. Volume set to noon will do nothing, it has to either cut or boost. I'm using it after my drives. for swell and reverse type sounds.

    You can experiment with other optocouplers, or make your own like I did. LDR + LED + heatshrink. Then adjust with the trimpot. I used a soft SPST (open) switch.

    This video does a good job showing what you can do with it:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igUszkN4r3c&t=3s

    An interesting mod is to use a metal pick wired to "switch 1" to trigger the effect when it makes contact with the grounded strings:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yBePZY8lkk
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWdWrgiCQoY

    ReplyDelete
  2. My demos with footswitch and metal pick methods. Swell placed after fuzz with plugin delay added later.

    https://soundcloud.com/user-562468024/alexsez-dodfx15-footswitch
    https://soundcloud.com/user-562468024/alexsez-dodfx15-metal-pick

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks mate! Thanks for sorting this one out. Sounds like a really useful swell pedal.

      Delete
  3. what do u exactly mean by a "metal pick"?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used this:
      https://www.jimdunlop.com/teckpick-standard-brass/

      This is an older effect that MAY have used the same principle:
      http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/morley/syncattack

      Delete
  4. Is there any way you can set this up so you dont need to hit a footswitch when you want to trigger it? Like is there a way it can always be on and triggering when you play notes/chords?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not sure but you could try to omit the switch and have a jumper acrris the switch connections on the board.

      Delete
    2. Thanks. Im waiting for a few parts to arrive (the w taper pots) and then i will give it a go and let you know what happens

      Delete
  5. So having tested the build, it looks like the momentary switch grounds the circuit which as the voltage feeds the pedal again is when the swell of sound returns so i dont know if there is a way to make the pedal engage when the notes are played without touching the pedal :(. I have also noticed a clicking when i engage the footswitch. any idea on how to minimise the click?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I don't remember a click on mine. Did you try both before and after drive, or before /after FX loop?

    You can also try the metal pick method I wrote about above.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So at the moment I am playing the pedal on its own with not other effects before or after. the click happens when i press the momentary foot switch to engage the swell effect.

      Delete
  7. For anyone attempting to remedy the click that happens when you engage the footswitch: here's what I did. First, I built a silicon NPN Hornby Skewes bass boost board (it's a tiny circuit with no potentiometers). I lowered the 10k resistor that goes to the output of it to 10 ohms and used a really low gain (40 hfe) BJT. Then I tacked that boost onto the input of the DOD circuit and raised the value of the input capacitor (up to 100nF). The addition of the booster equalizes the tone (which rolls off some of the lows) and takes care of the click altogether. Mind you - I have no idea what I am doing, and could not tell you why this works. But it does. Click gone, bass frequencies restored.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Was the input capacitor you raised on the swell pedal or the bass boost board?

      Delete
  8. It would be a great swell effect, if not for that pop/click noise when pressing the switch. Has anyone managed this clickless?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Dimo check Chris' comment 2 above yours

      Delete
  9. Would using a DPDT footswitch work if you grounded it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How do you mean? For all I know, the momentary switch in this pedal is grounding the circuit when pressed. Have a look at the schematic and tracing here: https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?p=32958&sid=37a362e2cb9d3f5857e88ec0c0aa3c7a#p32958

      Delete
    2. For example, pin 5 of a DPDT would go to the ground on your DC plug or jack socket. Not sure if it would work but could be worth a try

      Delete
  10. This would a great pedal if it would work like SG-1, in a way of pick attack.

    ReplyDelete