[LAD] May I asked something OT?

[Folderol]

On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:04:24 +0200
Ralf Mardorf <ralf.mardorf at alice-dsl.net> wrote:

> On Mon, 2010-07-19 at 01:30 -0400, Tim E. Real wrote:
> > On July 18, 2010 03:57:06 pm Ralf Mardorf wrote:
> > > A lot of kids wish to have a kill switch for their guitars.
> > > A kill switch is a short circuit, to 'stop' the audio signal.
> > >
> > > I'm not fine with this solution, but the kids argue, that e.g. an
> > > interruption does cause unwanted noise, especially for over drive
> > > sounds. IMO even using opto-electronics won't solve the issue, because
> > > the noise of the transistor overdrive effect still would be hearable,
> > > while for a short circuit there is silence.
> > >
> > > Has anybody an idea to solve this without a short circuit?
> > >
> > > I'm really not a fan of short circuits. Note, it's not possible to do an
> > > interrupt all the times behind the latest noise generator and even an
> > > interrupt could cause noise itself, while a short circuit indeed is a
> > > good way to cancel sound.
> > >
> > 
> > If you play a Gibson you can set the neck pickup volume to zero and 
> >  the bridge pickup volume to full and then toggle the pickup switch, 
> >  rapidly if desired, like Eddie van Halen on You Really Got Me.
> > Tim.
> 
> Yes, but this could cause noise by the switch or by effects, e.g. the
> sustainer. I guess the kids prevent any noise by a short circuit,
> perhaps even the sustainer then will be 'killed', if so, OTOH I guess
> this won't be good for the effects and amps. As some people mentioned
> before, it would be better to use some kind of gate at the end of the
> effect chain. I really wonder what happens to e.g. a sustainer or to the
> pre-amp of the guitar's amp when doing a short circuit. I guess because
> of a short circuit there really will be silence. I also wonder if just
> interrupting would cause that annoying noise, believing the hype, it
> should cause annoying noise. Btw. for all this Japan avant-garde a
> Gibson switch or a foot switch isn't good, they do need a momentary
> switch. Because it's really used by kids, I wonder how old the equipment
> would become. A short-circuit protection won't protect against impulses,
> OTOH just interrupting might also cause impulses.
> 
> Thank you all :)
> 
> Ralf

I'm not really clear on what your objection is to shorting the guitar
pickups. I've never heard of it causing any problem.

There is a remarkably effective click-free way of muting a guitar. The
original involved a light-dependent-resistor and a filament bulb, but
these days you'd be better off using an LED as the light source.

The L.D.R. (typically ORP12) is in a light proof box with a
hole in line with the LED. The LDR shunts the guitar output. When
'dark' it has a typical value of 5 Meg, and has no noticeable effect.
When 'light' it is typically 100 Ohm and effectively shorts out the
pickups.

However the trick is NOT to switch the LED off and on, but to keep it
on all the time and arrange the pedal/switch so it slides an opaque
vane or shutter between the LED and the L.D.R.

These switches can be made *extremely* robust and never wear out or
become noisy.

A variant of this was used as a swell pedal in the original GEM portable
organ of the middle 1960s - I know. I had one :)

-- 
Will J Godfrey
http://www.musically.me.uk
Say you have a poem and I have a tune.
Exchange them and we can both have a poem, a tune, and a song.