Page 3 of 4
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:10 pm
by Officer Bukowski
I use pink LEDs more often than not

Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 9:00 am
by skullservant
Violet LEDs are my personal favorite. DEY SO MYSTERIOUS LOOKING
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 9:52 am
by Chankgeez
Oh, yeah, while we're talking about LEDs. For some reason I prefer metal LED bezels.
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 9:55 am
by skullservant
I'm digging the new black plastic ones that Mammoth just got not too long ago. But I mean I'd totally make every pedal all black if I could
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 10:02 am
by Chankgeez
Black Metal Bezels?
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 10:03 am
by skullservant
Chankgeez wrote:Black Metal Bezels?
\m/

Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 11:11 am
by Narwhal-Industries
The light on our pedals is above the switch, customers seem to like it there. On our pedal beside the switch would be in a way of the audio path.
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:37 pm
by Chankgeez
FullCustom wrote:The light on our pedals is above the switch, customers seem to like it there. On our pedal beside the switch would be in a way of the audio path.
Ha. I just looked again at your LED placement, FullCustom. That's exactly where I don't like it.
If I leave my foot on the switch, it obscures the LED. I know I'm probably in a small minority who cares about where on the enclosure the LED is located, but sometimes I can't be bothered to remove my foot from off of the pedal after I've switched it on or off.
I like to have a clear view of the LED, unobscured by foot or knobs. Is LED placement gonna stop me from buying a pedal I want? No, but I'd probably enjoy it better if the LED is real easy to see.
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 11:55 pm
by Psyre
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:06 am
by Ghost Hip
I'm way late to comment on this but I don't understand why you need to keep your foot over the pedal after you turn it on? Only time I do that is if I'm going to turn it off within the next few seconds. And if I'm doing that, it's probably for an intense dynamic change in the song in which I can certainly hear the pedal is on.
This complaint sounds as silly as the "my high gain/oscillating fuzz makes a lot of noise when I stop playing." Answer: Turn the pedal off. Can't see the LED? Move your foot.

Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:36 am
by WeHuntKings
i didn't know this was something people complained about.
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:39 am
by Chankgeez
PumpkinPieces wrote:I'm way late to comment on this but I don't understand why you need to keep your foot over the pedal after you turn it on? Only time I do that is if I'm going to turn it off within the next few seconds. And if I'm doing that, it's probably for an intense dynamic change in the song in which I can certainly hear the pedal is on.
This complaint sounds as silly as the "my high gain/oscillating fuzz makes a lot of noise when I stop playing." Answer: Turn the pedal off. Can't see the LED? Move your foot.
Oh, it's a totally silly complaint. Maybe not as silly as "my high gain/oscillating fuzz makes a lot of noise when I stop playing", but definitely silly.
Sometimes I'm too lazy or too caught up in the moment to move my foot. Simple as that.
Is it more easier for me to move my foot than to try to convince pedal builders to alter where the put the LED on the pedal? Yes. Is it more fun? No.
Now here's a pedal that has proper LED placement:

OK, let's move on to the next subject: Pedals which have unusable/dead spots at some point in the range of one or more of their controls.
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:50 am
by Ghost Hip
Chankgeez wrote:OK, let's move on to the next subject: Pedals which have unusable/dead spots at some point in the range of one or more of their controls.
Total boner killer. Especially if the pedal has only two or three knobs. Might as well have made it a flipswitch. I'm no builder, but whenever I get a pedal like that I can't help but think there is a way to work around/fix dead spots.
Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:09 am
by goroth
Boss HM-2! Weirdest taper on a distortion pot ever. On the other hand, you don't actually need a pot. Fixed resistor at max

Re: Why do pedal builders put the LED next to the footswitch
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:13 am
by goroth
PumpkinPieces wrote: I can't help but think there is a way to work around/fix dead spots.
Yep! There are many different tapers you can get in different values, and by adding resistors to the lugs you can change the taper even further. There is no excuse for poorly designed pot tapers. There are even mechanical solutions, such as having a larger diameter knob for increased fine adjustment, or a smaller diameter knob if the change is too slow. It doesn't change the circuit at all but changes how we interact with it, which is super important. No reason for dead spots!