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Let me know if I miss anything:
- Take an existing circuit, for this example we'll use a standard DS-1, don't bother designing your own, that's too much work.
- Look up what components are the most popular mods, for more advanced peddlers you can experiment and find your own. Replace these with your own, and give them silly names. R2 in the DS1 can be replaced with "fizz" knob, that adjust how hard the signal hits the Q2 transistor on the input gain stage. The important part here is allowing users to tweak settings that are usually set and forget anyway. Don't be afraid to rename the common labels used on existing knobs to be sillier - eg. "Level" becomes "Pre"
- Replace the original tone circuit of one with a different design. This will majorly change the character of the pedal for little effort. The DS-1 has a Big Muff style tone control, essentially a bass cut and treble cut on the same knob? What if we split it into two seperate knobs and allow you to cut or boost the frequencies? Just finesse the tone section if a Digitech Bad Monkey, and voila, adjust a few caps or resistors on it and your DS-1 no longer sounds like a DS-1. A more advanced technique is also remove knobs. What if we put volume and gain on the same knob with two opposite pots with custom tapers to the pedal is always at unity? We can also add a second volume control labeled boost and add a toggle footswitch.
- Diode switch. If you're making a distortion this is a very important step, it adds more flexibility with very little thought. In future lectures we will discuss this as part of the "using atypical styles of switches" unit.
- Put it in a silly looking enclosure with funny knobs. Make a cool theme. This DS-1 will be called "The TREES have EYES" and will be built upon a right trapezoid with a tan front panel, a brown back panel, and pine green knobs. The PCB will be shaped like a bear rug.
- Switchable true/buffered bypass. This will be an internal DIP switch, labeled True/Buff.
- Bright Blue Led will always be a requirement, unless your pedal has a secondary mode such as our aforementioned boost, in which case it will turn red when the boost is engaged.
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