zvex.com

rumblefuzz · Joined: 21 Sep 2009 Posts: 4

Ok, I was here searching for posts on how other people deal with the loud noise the SHO makes when switching. I've always thought of it as a fact of nature, since this menace of a pedal 'crackles' as well. But I can't find ANY reference of it on this forum, and then it suddenly occured to me that it might be something that only my SHO does, and not intentionally so...

When I first turn the pedal ON it always gives out a loud *P Shocked

P*. I stomp the switch a couple of times and it gradually gets softer each time until it's gone. Then when I've adjusted the knob, it's the same story over again.

I've been using this pedal like this for a few years and as a makeshift solution I removed the volume knob to prevent me from turning it with my foot unintentionally while stomping, but that might not be the most elegant of solutions. I even lost the knob altogether by now...

Is there something that can be done to prevent this from happening?

fakeplasticmeat · Joined: 24 Oct 2002 Posts: 92 Location: Greensboro, NC

Its a fairly common "problem" with true bypass pedals. Now I don't know if this is something pedal specific, as I don't remember any of my zvex pedals doing the pop thing, but its typically a capacitor related problem, it will allow some voltage to escape causing the pop you hear. I'd imagine Vex tries to remedy this in his designs (I haven't bothered to look) by adding a resistor to ground after the cap. If its not there, you can add one.

Or this could be a completely different problem, perhaps mechanical. Wink

zvex · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:46 pm Post subject:

If you "fix" that problem, you lose the super high input impedance of the SHO. If it's a serious problem and you use your SHO at relatively high gain settings most of the time OR you don't need the very sparkly high-impedance sound, we can add a bleeder resistor that will keep that pop from happening.
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rumblefuzz · Joined: 21 Sep 2009 Posts: 4

I'm not sure how high impedance sounds... Would I lose the extended high frequencies?

zvex · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:07 pm Post subject:

Probably. The higher the input impedance of a booster, the more high-frequency detail that is preserved when a guitar is directly connected to the device.
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rumblefuzz · Joined: 21 Sep 2009 Posts: 4

Would this be something I can perform myself? I don't think shipping it across the atlantic twice for 1 resistor is really worth while. But if you told me where to put the resistor and what value it should be, I could easily install it myself I guess...

zvex · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:40 am Post subject:

Follow the black wire from the board to the stomp switch. Add a 1Mohm resistor to ground at the stomp switch. Be careful not to add it to the black wire from the input jack to ground. You'll lose true bypass that way.

You WILL lose sparkle this way. As well as the little teeny tiny pop! as you switch.
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rumblefuzz · Joined: 21 Sep 2009 Posts: 4

Thanks, I'll try it for sure.