7
POTENTIOMETERS
A potentiometer, or pot, is a variable
resistor. This means as the knob
shaft is rotated, the DC resistance
will change. There are three lugs
or soldering terminals on a
conventional potentiometer.
The outside two are the ends
of the resistive strip, and the
center lug is connected to
the wiper. The wiper allows you
to vary the DC resistance relative
to its position along the resistive
strip, or relative to the
outer two lugs.
Potentiometers come in
two varieties, linear taper
and audio taper. The linear
taper pot’s taper works at a 1:1
ratio. Audio taper has a special
logarithmic ratio.
Audio taper is used because our ears don’t hear
changes in volume in a linear fashion as you might
expect. As the volume increases, a greater change
in signal or sound pressure is required to perceive a
smooth transition.
LEDs
LED stands for Light Emitting Diode,
and functionally LEDs are very similar to
regular diodes. LEDs are most often used
as indicator lights in pedals. They are
polarized just like diodes and electrolytic
capacitors and must be installed in the
correct orientation to work. The positive
(anode) lead of the LED will be longer and
the anode side of the LED housing will be
round. The negative (cathode) lead of the
LED will be shorter and the cathode side
of the LED housing will be flat. LEDs are
mounted inside of a bezel, which protects
the LED and insulates the leads from
shorting against the enclosure or any
internal components.
UNDERSTANDING ELECTRONIC
COMPONENTS
PAINTING
YOUR PEDAL
ENCLOSURE
1
1.
To minimize redoing steps,
make sure you have a solid idea of
the look and feel you’re going for.
2.
Lightly sand the outside of
the enclosure with 220-grit
sandpaper and wipe clean any
debris.
3.
Cover the holes from the
inside with masking tape.
4.
On a piece of cardboard, place
the enclosure and bottom cover
on scraps of wood to lift them off
the cardboard when spraying.
5.
With long, even strokes, spray
a light coat of primer or paint.
Allow 45 minutes of drying time
before the next coat.
6.
If you’re using primer-
followed-by-paint method, paint
three coats with 45 minutes
between coats.
7.
Now, add your included
stickers and any other desired
decoration (paint pens, acrylic
paint, Sharpie, etc.).
Allow drying time.
8.
Add three coats of clear-coat
glaze with 45 minutes between
coats. Wait at least two hours
before adding parts.
You’re creating a pedal from the ground up, so add your own custom paint job too!
Painting your pedal and adding the stickers provided in this kit (or custom decals
that you can create on your own) in advance is not only fun, but it’s much easier than
disassembling the pedal to paint it once you have put it together.
