Donovan Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 They have many units with varied construction and functionality, some even 2-axis (tilt in 2 planes)... and yes, some employ digital inputs/outputs, others give an analog response. I would not mess with the digital ones without some deeper understanding of electronics, but the simpler ones, like the one I linked... check out the data sheet. What is does is allow a percentage of signal voltage through, in effect, a trim potentiometer, just like the drawing you posted. The point is though, that the Hg switch idea should be ditched entirely. Not because it wouldn't work, but it wouldn't work as smoothly. A mercury pot like your drawing would be a step up. A potentiometer is the best solution as it's an infinitely variable or very smooth solution. So, then the question becomes "how do I hook up a regular pot to achieve this?" Then the various ideas about weights and such come up. IMO, the prepackaged inclinometer (it's a shame we didn't invent it right here and now) is probably the simplest and best-packaged solution... at least that's my $0.02. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 The foot pedal still seems like a better idea to me. Then you don't have to worry about holding the guitar just right to get the effect you want.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovan Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 The foot pedal still seems like a better idea to me. Then you don't have to worry about holding the guitar just right to get the effect you want.. Good point. I hadn't realized the significance of that until now. I guess I perceived that the intent was for it to be for showmanship... dipping the guitar this way or that controlling the stereo effect, sort of a novelty. That's how the thread grabbed my attention. I am a sucker for a novelty! Anyway, even if that show-boating IS the original intent, you're right, the pedal could be synchronized with some pretend bodily dipping and such and then you would not have the effect working when you didn't want it to. So, I guess it comes down to whether the need is functionality/practicality or just show-boating/novelty, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billm90 Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 The fader pedal is the easy way out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 May be interested in this guitar with mercury switching... LINK There's an egg shaker inside the body with a contact mic attached to it. There's also two mercury switches wired into the electronics so moving the neck up and down can swap between bridge to neck, bridge to kill, or bridge both pickups. The egg shaker mic also picks up the strings so the bridge to kill setting has some weird sounds too. The body is just about .5' thick along the edges and about 1.5' at the center. The total weight is 5.25 pounds. I think scott may have had a spinal tap moment there and meant .5" and 1.5" thick ...all the same, some cool looking designs, great workmanship and features that show some remarkable (if possibly misguided) innovation! I think the coolest thing is the addressing of weight issues which is a recurring theme in his work. Hard to see the precedents on those electronics....maybe the GH controller...hahaha ... Not sure that I have a definitive definition of "cool"...often I get the impression that "innovative" means anything different and that cool is anything that doesn't look like the classics even if it is detrimental to it's intended use...but I am feeling particularly old I guess. I still see Leo's work on the strat to be incredibly cool still to this day! (and yes, he did build them even though he didn't actually play!) pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilikes2shred Posted March 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 I don't have much time to post now, so I'll make this short: @ Donovan: Thank you for posting that! It's just what I had in mind. It seems like it may need a mercury switch to activate/bypass it though, as it is affected by tilting two ways.... The original idea was basically for novelty.... so the pedal would not be as good. I would also include a switch to activate the fade so it's not always on. Anyway, thanks, and I'll post more later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovan Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 It seems like it may need a mercury switch to activate/bypass it though, as it is affected by tilting two ways.... Not sure what you meant there. If you mean the switch would be necessary to activate/bypass the 2 diferent axes as in one X, one Y, then no, I think you just leave the other axis pins as unused. Or if you mean the Hg switch would be used to turn the whole tilt system on and off... I still don't understand. Do you mean in order to keep the range of motion contained? If that is the case, they do make different configurations with varying ranges of motion. I would also include a switch to activate the fade so it's not always on. Yes, I agree that would be a necessity. I believe that a DPDT would make short work of that aspect. Seing you mentioned that makes me further confused about theother comment I quoted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilikes2shred Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Sorry since that was a little confusing. Basically: The sensor will increase the output level when tilted anywhere from level (the point at which output is zero). My idea would involve two channels, one for left and right. The signals for both the left and right would be equal in volume when the guitar is in playing position. When the guitar is tilted, the volume for one channel would decrease, producing the fading effect. My first thought was to have the sensor wired so it would simply bypass the signal for a channel to ground as it was tilted. That is, the sensor would be mounted so it would be level at playing position. The output of the sensor would be wired to ground. As the sensor is tilted, its output would increase, thus filtering more of the signal to ground, reducing it in volume. However, the sensor increases in output as it is tilted either left or right. That means a channel would decrease in volume when tilted anywhere away from playing position. This would be the case for both channels, so tilting the guitar any way would decrease the volume of both channels, which would not be a fading effect--rather a volume control. In order to remedy this problem, I would use a mercury switch: The sensor in the left channel would be connected via a mercury switch. The only way for the sensor to filter the signal to ground (to reduce the volume) would be when the mercury switch is closed. The mercury switch would be mounted so it would be closed only when the guitar is tilted to the left. That would stop the left channel circuit from reducing its volume when it is tilted to the right, as the mercury switch would then be open. The right channel would be wired in the same way except the mercury switch would be closed when tilted to the right. Effectively, wiring the circuit in this manner would allow each channel to be reduced in volume only when tilted one way, solving the original problem and producing a fading effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I've not contributed to this much as I think, or thought it was a little silly... ...particularly fading between neck and bridge pickups or even stereo... however, it would be kind of interesting to have a volume fader to tilt the neck to control volume swells...or maybe more practically in a strap button controller like the b-bender which might be possible with a spring tensioned pot for control. That way, pulling down on the neck could give you some neat volume swell effects perhaps. There may well be some kind of electronic " inclinometer" device...I suspect that you might have a digital readout kind of thing for various applications. Another way to do it perhaps with the pendulum effect would be a "hall effect" sensor...sensors the closeness and strength of a magnetic field. So, a magnet on a pendulum could be turned into a pot. Similarly light sensor devices could be used I guess...opto-resistors for instance...but again, you'd want something pretty special to be going to all that trouble. A passive method would be a heap of varying angled mercury switches or one with multiple contacts that add resistors into the circuit with each step creating a stepping pot in that way...again, you would really want to be keen! pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovan Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 There may well be some kind of electronic " inclinometer" device...I suspect that you might have a digital readout kind of thing for various applications. Ummmm... yes, read the posts that have passed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billm90 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I've not contributed to this much as I think, or thought it was a little silly... ...particularly fading between neck and bridge pickups or even stereo... You can't see this guy on stage with the guitar staight up, headstock in front of his face. He slaps the neck back and forth between left and right hands, and you get the stereo field effect of this ping pong open string distorted sound? I can see michael angelo batio doing this in my head right now I dont know what I would do with it as well. I guess for fast agressive side to side ping pong effects, jerking the guitar would be a lot faster then the pedal fade. Given I dont know what I would use it for, I some how still feel like I need one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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