madbeanpedals::forum

General => Open Discussion => Topic started by: GhostofJohnToad on June 14, 2013, 05:19:54 PM

Title: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: GhostofJohnToad on June 14, 2013, 05:19:54 PM
Was thinking it would be cool to incorporate a VU meter in a future build.  I guess my questions are:

1) Could it even work? maybe as a LFO sort of visual feedback, clipping indicator, or a signal level meter.
2) Are there any small enough to fit on a 1590BB at least?
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: drezdn on June 14, 2013, 05:31:28 PM
The Beavis Fuzz Lab has them (http://beavisaudio.com/projects/FuzzLab/), but I'm not sure what they're "measuring."
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: jprizz on June 14, 2013, 05:48:54 PM
This one does too:
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=9409.0 (http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=9409.0)
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: selfdestroyer on June 14, 2013, 06:09:08 PM
I have seen a fuzz face that had the voltage for the transistors somewhere.. Might have been here or FSB forum. Was pretty cool.
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: jimilee on June 14, 2013, 06:12:18 PM
I saw one on diysb where someone bought a cheap meter with the vu on it and hooked it up to the dc jack
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: GhostofJohnToad on June 14, 2013, 06:29:35 PM
Quote from: jprizz on June 14, 2013, 05:48:54 PM
This one does too:
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=9409.0 (http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=9409.0)


^^^I especially like this implementation. 

Glad to know some people have done this.  Guess I'm going to have to buy some and monkey around.
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: drezdn on June 14, 2013, 06:40:57 PM
Can't wait to see how it turns out (and then try it).
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: Effectsiation on June 14, 2013, 06:50:26 PM
Yeah, in my experience people mostly use them to measure voltage, when connecting a "Sag" or "Starve" pot to the DC Jack.
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: aballen on June 14, 2013, 09:10:22 PM
I was thinking a full on spectrum analyzer.  Like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/32-32-large-screen-RGB-Audio-LED-Level-Meter-display-Spectrum-Analyzer-amp-/111059161282?pt=US_Signal_Processors_Rack_Effects&hash=item19dba450c2

Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: gordo on June 14, 2013, 11:54:43 PM
I just like lots of lights and switches.  I may have been a trout in a previous life...
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: jimilee on June 15, 2013, 01:06:43 AM
Quote from: aballen on June 14, 2013, 09:10:22 PM
I was thinking a full on spectrum analyzer.  Like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/32-32-large-screen-RGB-Audio-LED-Level-Meter-display-Spectrum-Analyzer-amp-/111059161282?pt=US_Signal_Processors_Rack_Effects&hash=item19dba450c2


That would be awesome! Spendy though.
Title: Re: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: ch1naski on June 15, 2013, 02:46:04 AM
Cortex has a digital vu that shows bias voltage on one of his fuzz creations....pretty cool.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: spaceboss on June 15, 2013, 04:00:13 AM
I'm also very interested in this curious how you'd hook something like this up to a pedal, to show output in db.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-VU-Panel-Meter-500-A-Warm-Back-Light-Audio-Tube-Amp-630-Ohm-DC-AC-6V-to-12V-/390611279951?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af23f204f

What do you hook up where, and do you need a resistor, etc? I don't know if it is possible to do what I want in a simple way...

(I'm not even remotely interested in it being properly calibrated, I just want to see the meter move when I play. )
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: jimilee on June 15, 2013, 04:22:32 AM
Quote from: spaceboss on June 15, 2013, 04:00:13 AM
I'm also very interested in this curious how you'd hook something like this up to a pedal, to show output

(I'm not even remotely interested in it being properly calibrated, I just want to see the meter move when I play. )
Hell yeah! Guitar players are the coolest. My guitar player took his tuner off his board so he could have room for another dirt pedal!
/derail
Title: Re:
Post by: ch1naski on June 15, 2013, 06:19:51 AM
Jimi...lol

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: angrykoko on June 15, 2013, 10:16:39 AM
ValveWizards GlassBlower "GTI" has a LM3916 based led VU meter that you might try.
http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/glassblower.html (http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/glassblower.html) (Bottom of page)
QuoteThe VU meter is done in the usual way by sending the audio to a peak level detector and then to an LM3916 audio-taper LED driver. Although this chip is designed to drive 10 LEDs, it is not easy to get the full scale out of it with only 9V available, so I used six LEDs.

It's the last one in his build pdf and the full schematic is there toohttp://www.valvewizard.co.uk/glassblower.pdf (http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/glassblower.pdf)

Koko
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: aballen on June 15, 2013, 01:43:35 PM
That guy always has amazing stuff.  As soon as I have time I'm building an engineers thumb.
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: spaceboss on June 15, 2013, 03:39:59 PM
Quote from: jimilee on June 15, 2013, 04:22:32 AM
Quote from: spaceboss on June 15, 2013, 04:00:13 AM
I'm also very interested in this curious how you'd hook something like this up to a pedal, to show output

(I'm not even remotely interested in it being properly calibrated, I just want to see the meter move when I play. )
Hell yeah! Guitar players are the coolest. My guitar player took his tuner off his board so he could have room for another dirt pedal!
/derail

Not that the tuner is important, it isn't.  ;D But if your guitar player still doesn't have enough room, he can always Velcro new dirt pedals on top of existing dirt pedals.  8)
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: jimilee on June 15, 2013, 05:47:02 PM
Quote from: spaceboss on June 15, 2013, 03:39:59 PM
Quote from: jimilee on June 15, 2013, 04:22:32 AM
Quote from: spaceboss on June 15, 2013, 04:00:13 AM
I'm also very interested in this curious how you'd hook something like this up to a pedal, to show output

(I'm not even remotely interested in it being properly calibrated, I just want to see the meter move when I play. )
Hell yeah! Guitar players are the coolest. My guitar player took his tuner off his board so he could have room for another dirt pedal!
/derail

Not that the tuner is important, it isn't.  ;D But if your guitar player still doesn't have enough room, he can always Velcro new dirt pedals on top of existing dirt pedals.  8)
right he just tunes to me after I tune, I suggested a bigger pedal board.
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: RobA on June 15, 2013, 05:52:58 PM
Quote from: jimilee on June 15, 2013, 05:47:02 PM
...
right he just tunes to me after I tune, I suggested a bigger pedal board.

You could make hime get one of these,
http://www.planetwaves.com/pwProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=4115&productid=592&productname=NS_Mini_Headstock_Tuner (http://www.planetwaves.com/pwProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=4115&productid=592&productname=NS_Mini_Headstock_Tuner)
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: billstein on June 15, 2013, 06:53:28 PM
Quote from: spaceboss on June 15, 2013, 03:39:59 PM
Quote from: jimilee on June 15, 2013, 04:22:32 AM
Quote from: spaceboss on June 15, 2013, 04:00:13 AM
I'm also very interested in this curious how you'd hook something like this up to a pedal, to show output

(I'm not even remotely interested in it being properly calibrated, I just want to see the meter move when I play. )
Hell yeah! Guitar players are the coolest. My guitar player took his tuner off his board so he could have room for another dirt pedal!
/derail

Not that the tuner is important, it isn't.  ;D But if your guitar player still doesn't have enough room, he can always Velcro new dirt pedals on top of existing dirt pedals.  8)

If you get enough dirt pedals turned on nobody will know you're out of tune anyway.
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: pedalman on June 17, 2013, 12:53:23 AM
im working on a project with this

http://www.elabbay.com/servlet/the-2/Audio-Level-fdsh-Spectrum-Display/Detail
Title: Re: VU meters for pedals?
Post by: pedalman on July 31, 2013, 05:52:18 PM
Quote from: aballen on June 14, 2013, 09:10:22 PM
I was thinking a full on spectrum analyzer.  Like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/32-32-large-screen-RGB-Audio-LED-Level-Meter-display-Spectrum-Analyzer-amp-/111059161282?pt=US_Signal_Processors_Rack_Effects&hash=item19dba450c2



That would be so cool on a amp build  :o