A circuit like this probably already exists - anyone know?

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saxtim

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
88
Location
Melbourne, Australia
I'd like to make a little effect loops style box for live performances.

Basically I want to be able run my microphone (on sax) into guitar effects pedals, so I need a circuit that can convert it to the appropriate levels so the signal can be sent through stomp boxes.

A simply box with a mic in, a jack in/out for the effects pedals, and then and output. I think the output probably would have a simple DI circuit before it to convert the guitar signal back to something useable to plug straight into a mixer? I suppose I would want a balanced, +4db signal out?

has anyone got a schematic that might do something like this? I'm sure something like this has been built a few times before

tim
 
If this is for stage work with an SM58 sort of thing ... then a Mic-pre based on the SSM2019 (like my Dual Mic-pre) could do the trick.

You could battery power it and make it very mobile just like the stomp boxes. Use the unbalanced out and just feed that to the input of your favourite stomp and trim the level with a pot ... even a trim pot and PRE-set the level may be a useful thing.

The output from the stomp box may not be enough to run straight into the SSM2142 and may require a buffer opamp.

Otherwise just use a DI box as normal ... to send to the mixing desk.
 
Just get a low-Z-Mike to hi-Z-Mike transformer. Radio Shack probably still stocks them. With a mike in a sax you have plenty of signal, and stepped-up to hi-Z it will be just about right for guitar-jacks. (Remember that a guitar amp was originally a hi-Z mike input.)

At the other end, a direct box is suitable, though for short runs you might just run a long guitar cord into a board Line In.
 
yep
that's even easier

saxtim,
exactly what are you up to and what effect do you want to create?

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

As I was getting into the DIY I built several stompboxes and seeing as I don't play guitar (much/very well) I though it be good to experiment with them on my primary instrument. I've done all the 'standards' more or less - fuzz face, tube screamer, octavia, big muff pi, small stone phaser, small clone chorus, Electric Mistress etc etc etc.

I figure these will be cool to be able to use on some gigs, especially some of the more free improv ensembles I sometimes work with.

Add to that, I'm doing my masters in composition this year and I have really wanted to write a piece for saxophone quartet (amplified with electronics) and CD for some time. The CD part will be all sax, with effected signals. That will be the easy part as it's all pre-recorded and I can use sends etc. For the live performers though I'll obvious need to have some sort of effects loop for the mics. (thinking about this I guess I'm really going to need to build 4 of these things, though I can probably put them all in the one box).

Just get a low-Z-Mike to hi-Z-Mike transformer. Radio Shack probably still stocks them. With a mike in a sax you have plenty of signal, and stepped-up to hi-Z it will be just about right for guitar-jacks. (Remember that a guitar amp was originally a hi-Z mike input.)

This does sound like a good and simple idea.

Something like this maybe?

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-AUD-CP8201.html

If so I'll just have to find something like it in Oz

tim
 
...just watch yoiur monitoring if you switch in a fuzzbox. YOu might find that you have to work with *NO* foldback feed, or in-ear monitors, because the large amount of gain that you'd suddenly be inserting into the foldback loop would make the mic/speaker combo squeal uncontrollably! -In fact, at higher distortion settings, the front-of-house feed might get in there, and in between notes, the spill pickup from the rest of the band would be another thing that you might have to watch out for...

By all means try it, but distortion is a hard one to get away with on a live-miced instrument... delay, flange, vibrato, tremolo, phase, chorus etc... they all work well enough, and it can be fun to interact and 'groove' with the FX, but be very careful with the distortion... other band members have been known to wrap saxaphones, violins and other acoustic instruments round player's necks when feedback strikes!!!
:green:

Keith
 
This something I know about. A Fuzz Face will give you problems The input of the FF is a current summing junction. The guitar electronis are part of the gain setting of the FF. If you want to use a FF and have what the guitar players call touch you will need to have about 10K output R going into the FF.

I pro sax player was at my house for a good part of a day. He is a friend of a friend. I statrted building and modding effects about 1994 so I have a far number of effects and a friend of mine has two large effect petal boards and lots of petals. On that day there was alot of effects in my house.

Basicly what worked. a boss pitch shifter (blue color box) Octave dividers, Boss octave and the EBS were the best. The whammy 2 seemed to be the best of the 3 whammy types. filters The EH Q tron worked better than the meatball or others. Some whas can work OK. Phasers and flangers were so so the small stone seemed the best IIRC small stones vary in sound and need a make up circuit installed to bring the effect level to the bypassed level. We did not get to delays or looping

Funny thing we did not find distortion or fuzz to sound that good. We tried alot. I think it is because of how the note "comes up" in volume. A guiter etc has a sharp edge the Sax is a more slow risetime edge.
 
A sax puts out a squre wave to begin with, ehh?
I still think the riff to Satisfaction is a sax thru a fuzz box!
Go wireless, so you can stand out of the feedback area.
 
> Something like this maybe?

Exactly. As you see, it even has the right connectors.

I like the ones with Audio-Technica logo better than the ones with Radio Shack logo, but I strongly suspect they are all made in the same factory to basically the same quality and badged with the buyer's logo. The quality seems to be pretty good, certanly more than good enough for FX-Sax, amazing for $13 with connectors. Miracle of mass-production.
 

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