Hello moogers, I need some help in finding the right pot to use as a VC. I want to hook up my mooger fooger to a pot mounted right on my guitar. Is there a smallish pot that will fit in a control cavity of a Les Paul and will control the mooger fooger?
Also I would really love to find a fader that I could mount on my guitar that could be used as a VC. Does anybody make a slider that can be used as a voltage control?
And while I’m at it, I would love to find a “modulation wheel” to be used as a voltage control. You know what I mean, the little wheel on your keyboard, but spring loaded to be closed (0 volts) and then when I tweak it (raise the volts) the effect comes on, then when I let go it returns to 0 volts (no effect).
I would like to thank you guys in advance for any help anybody can give to me. Please remember I am borderline retarded so if you respond with some sort of technical information I will just sit and stare blankly at my computer screen. Usefull information would be presented more like… “go to this web page, order this part number” that sort of thing. Please feel free to give any ideas you might have even if your not sure they will work perfectly.
yeah, all of those will work, just search through a Digi-Key, Mouser or All-Electronics catalog and do some measurements on the inside of your guitar. It should require minimal electronic components and probably a battery. I don’t have any moogerfooger pedals myself but if they provide voltage on one of their TRS connectors you don’t even need a battery!
All you need is a 10K, 50k, or 100k log potentiometer (they come in log/audio or linear variety-- log is probably what you want). I believe the pots in the expression pedals are 50k… but one of the other values might work better for you, depending on what you want. They’re generally all the same size, and will fit in the space you mentioned (because there are pots in that space already). You can get a rotary/knob pot, or a slider/fader type pot. Either will work, as long as you get the right value. You just need a stereo type cable and connect it to a male jack to access your MF.
You’ll then have 2 cables trailing your guitar–which might not be an ideal solution. You might also consider replacing the existing 1/4" audio jack on yr guitar with some other type of connector that could carry/connect all of these wires at one locale. On the other end of this connector’s cable, you could split the wire back into two 1/4" male phonos for use with your amp and/or MFs.
He could “braid” or spiral the two cords together. Or, choose a multi-conductor alternative like a locking XLR but with many more conductors of course.
Eric - I would reccomend against using a log pot. That is because all of the control is at one end, and then the response increases expontentially. A linear pot, on the other hand, has an even response throughout, and so is more suited for control.
Log pots are generally used when the scale is logarithmic, for example audio volume. The deciBell scale is log, so it makes sense to use this type there.
Jim - have you ever considered using an expression pedal? That would leave your hands free for playing. Or is it more the image you want? I guess Tom Morello made great use of his faulty pickup switch.
Sliders are much more (but not impossibly so) painful to mount than pots.
I think all the Moog manuals reccomend a 50 or 100K pot for use in expression pedals, so do the same for your extension.
FWIW, I once built a little extension box for my MF-102. It comprised of four TRS jacks connected with two trailer light cables (5 core, common ground (sleeve)) to two 5 pin DIN (MIDI) connectors on a little box. Then, I attached these to 100K sliders. The cables were long enough that I could sit the box up quite high, and slide whilst playing.
But soon I gave up and just turned the Moog knobs instead
Maybe it does. Anyone got a multimeter? Test the resistance (tip to sleeve or ring to sleeve) while treadling the pedal. If the rate of change increases at one end, it’s a log pot.
yeah, i’ve been looking for modwheels for awhile, I doubt any major vendor such as digikey or mouser would have them because they are primarily used in synthesizers. I noticed that Dave Smith instruments is making custom modwheels for “SynthWood” Sequential Circuits restoration company. Here is a link to a post on MatrixSynth about it if you are interested:
I’d agree with others who’ve said it’s unlikely that any parts distributors will carry an assembled mod-wheel assembly.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever really seen a mod wheel on anything but a synth (they’ve probably been used on something else…). So, there’s not much market for them.
You’d have to make one yourself probably. Besides the spring loading mechanism, it wouldn’t be all that difficult I guess. maybe you already know, but it’s basically just a pot on it’s side, connected to a larger plastic circle.
It might be funner to make a touch-pad, ribbon, or someother controller though. I’ve also always wanted ro eventually get around to building a X-Y theremin CV controller. I’m not so into the sound of the theremin (not that I don’t like it exactly, but…) but it’s such a fun and dramatic controller.
But no clear mod wheels!!! What were they thinking?
I also read on the Doefpher site that they’re planning on releasing a CV keyboard controlle;. Both the raw kybrd assembly (like the above assemblies) and a totally manufactured keyboard version.
Thats pretty cool. I’ve always wanted to build my own mono-synth, my own “MiniMoog.” If I could build my own, it would be similar to the Voyager, but without all the digital circuitry and LCD screens, etc. I’d also like a prominent patch bay like the MS20… sort of Voyager vs MS20.
