Hyperswitch power wiring...

[Jmk69]

I am woking on a new guitar build. For electronics I am using:

1) Set of Billy Gibbons single coil sized humbuckers
2) 1 Vol, 2 Tone 250K pots
3) Hyperswitch
4) Gain pre-amp
5) Fishman 9V rechargeable battery

Here are my questions:
1) Does the Hyperswitch need battery power when it is not in use?
2) What function is being performed by the Hyperswitch in its low power mode?

All of the wiring diagrams for the Hyperswitch show a direct connect to a 9V source. Optimally I would like to wire by changing to a TRS jack, and wiring the 9V negative through the ring and sleeve so that power is activated when the guitar cable is inserted in the jack to complete the circuit. I always wire pre-amps/buffers this way to maximize battery life.

Is there any reason this would not work for the Hyperswitch?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mincer]

Welcome to the forum!

The Hyperswitch, from what I remember, does need power to work (even not connected to the app). As soon as the battery gets too low, it will stop connecting to the app. If it gets lower still, it will 'freeze' in one position. There is a 'sleep timer' you have to set. It is the time out when the switch isn't being used. Power is still used, though during this low power mode.

It does mention rechargeable batteries in the manual:

To be on the safe side, we recommend the battery should be replaced when the low battery warning pops up (close to 65%). For maximum safety, it is recommended that you only use 9v alkaline batteries. However, HyperSwitch will work with rechargeable and higher performance batteries like lithium manganese oxide batteries.

 

[Jmk69]

Welcome to the forum!

The Hyperswitch, from what I remember, does need power to work (even not connected to the app). As soon as the battery gets too low, it will stop connecting to the app. If it gets lower still, it will 'freeze' in one position. There is a 'sleep timer' you have to set. It is the time out when the switch isn't being used. Power is still used, though during this low power mode.

Thanks. I am trying to figure out if the hyperswitch stores settings in volatile memory that needs power, or has some other power dependent features when it is not being used to maintain the settings or if they designed the switch to always be connected to the battery to simplify the circuitry vis a vis another switch for power. Seems very silly to me that you would leave a circuit permanently connected when the device is not in use. Also, given the tendency of batteries to leak over time, it would seem that you do not want to store a guitar with the battery for any length of time. The TRS enabled ground switch circuit is the easiest way connect and disconnect the battery when the guitars in use without adding any additional controls. Let the TRS cable connector complete the circuit for you.

I don't want to wire the guitar this way (TRS) if it turns out that prolonged periods without a battery connection will render the hyperswitch not useable without reconfiguration the next time it is powered up.

 

[Mincer]

Well, it just goes into a 'sleep' mode when you aren't using it for awhile. But I think there is a very very slight drain on the battery when it isn't being used. It doesn't need to pair to the app unless you are adjusting the settings, but it does need power to work and keep the settings stored.

 

[Jmk69]

..but it does need power to work and keep the settings stored.

Thanks Mincer. Very helpful. Do you know how long the settings remain stored without power? If a battery died unbeknownst to the user and several weeks or months past, would they have to reconfigure the hyperswitch after they replaced the battery?

 

[Mincer]

I would think it would be a matter of connecting to the app and sending the settings stored in the app to the switch.

 

[Jmk69]

Thanks. The build should be completed in about a month. I will post my experiences with hyperswitch power wired through TRS in case others are interested.

 

[Mincer]

Thanks. The build should be completed in about a month. I will post my experiences with hyperswitch power wired through TRS in case others are interested.

Yes, I'd love to know how this turns out!

 

[ejbcpask8]

Good day. I am hoping someone might be able to help me. I am trying to install a Fishman universal USB rechargeable battery pack for my Stratocaster to my Hyperswitch, and I am having an issue. The voltage tests at 9.5v to "before" I input the battery red wire into the HyperSwitch. After installing the red positive battery wire to the Hyperswitch, the voltages fluctuate between 5v to 2.2v, rendering the HyperSwitch useless. I performed all the same tests on the Hyperswitch using the included 9v battery wiring, and the system tests and works perfectly.

Fishman battery pack is wired in the following ways: ground wire (black) is connected to common ground. Red wire to battery positive and White wire to battery negative. I've tried combining the white and black. The TRS wiring is NA for the HyperSwitch. None of these wiring combinations produced the desired results.

Any thoughts?

 

[hamerfan]

Just for a sanity check: Do you have the right polarity? Otherwise you would read only the reverse polarity voltage thru the protection diode. The could 2 volts depending on the used diode.

 

[ejbcpask8]

No worries that is a valid question. The polarity appears correct and matches the polarity of the actual battery. I tested my multi meter readings to verify the expected output. I can wire it up and disconnect the ground or power lead and read 9.5v. After connecting all leads, the reading at the mounting screws is a fail. In opposition, the same test with a regular battery reads a steady below 9v charge (7.5v with my test battery). I suspect my wiring causes the power flow in the wrong direction or the 9.5v output is too much. I am hoping to find someone who has successfully powered there Hyperswitch using a Fishman battery pack.

 

[ejbcpask8]

I have a definitive answer. Sweetwater did some research on my behalf and contacted Seymour Duncan directly. It turns out that the lithium battery in the Fishman Fluence USB battery pack does not provide enough "Current" to power the switch. It does send the correct voltage, but not enough current. Therefore, the Fishman USB battery pack is incompatible with the Hyperswitch. Sweetwater is providing me with a full refund due to incompatibility issues. Hopefully, this post will help others when considering power options for the Hyperswitch.

 

[Mincer]

I have a definitive answer. Sweetwater did some research on my behalf and contacted Seymour Duncan directly. It turns out that the lithium battery in the Fishman Fluence USB battery pack does not provide enough "Current" to power the switch. It does send the correct voltage, but not enough current. Therefore, the Fishman USB battery pack is incompatible with the Hyperswitch. Sweetwater is providing me with a full refund due to incompatibility issues. Hopefully, this post will help others when considering power options for the Hyperswitch.

Thank you for this. It sounded like it would be a cool idea, too.

 

[ejbcpask8]

I apologize in advance for geeking out. I needed to fully understand why rechargeable batteries are not ideal for the hyperswitch. So, I did some easy math to estimate the mAh (milliamps per hour) needed to power the switch.

Proviso: Do not hesitate to correct my thoughts below. I am not an engineer. Just a guitar nerd!

I understand that the average 9v battery produces approximately 650mAh (a range of 500-1000 milliamps per hour). If the hyperswitch will last 6 hours in continuous pairing mode, the math says the switch draws approximately 100mAh. The switch draws less than 0.5mAh (650mAh / 2100 hours) if not connected to the app. On the other hand, the average rechargeable battery provides 175mAh; therefore, if they work, rechargeable batteries would be drained in an hour and a half if connected continuously. The reason the Fishman Fluence battery packs would not work is that they are designed to be used with active guitar pickups that draw approximately 1mAh - 5mAh, depending on the brand of active pickup.

As Mincer said above. It sounded like it would be a cool idea!

Now, I am looking into ways to mount the 9v battery alongside the Tremolo area. Just having fun and geeking out!

 

[Chistopher]

I would have to know more about the Fishman pack to say something definitive, but it looks like you are on the right track. The Fishman battery pack seems to be incapable of putting out the required current to turn on continuous pairing mode

 

[Mincer]

For anyone who hasn't tried the Hyperswitch, it is really pretty interesting technology. There is really no better way to try all sorts of interesting combinations of coils that would be impossible to map to a standard or super 5 way switch.

 

[ejbcpask8]

My Hyperswitch is paired with the Everything Axe pickups. The sound combinations seem endless. I am in guitar geek heaven until........ I change the battery! A small price to pay for sooo much versatility!

 

[pwkimbrell]

My Hyperswitch is paired with the Everything Axe pickups. The sound combinations seem endless. I am in guitar geek heaven until........ I change the battery! A small price to pay for sooo much versatility!

I just ordered the hyperswitch tried it with my stock single coil pickups but now I'm leaning towards getting the Everything Axe pickup set to use with it. How are you finding the middle pickup (duck bucker or something like that) when trying the various options like splitting with the neck or bridge etc. in the HyperSwitch settings? I mean, does it work out having those 3 poles per coil? I hope that question made sense. I'm looking forward to tinkering with this once it's all lined out!

 

[jeremy]

you dont want to split a duckbucker or vintage rails

 

[Mincer]

you dont want to split a duckbucker or vintage rails

Yeah, only half of the pickup would work. They are also wired in parallel, I believe.