# Footswitch and other parts not listed



## lushhush (Dec 7, 2021)

I just went through and bought all the components listed on the build documents for the Twin Face and Ionizer2 for my first builds, and didn't realize the footswitch wasn't on the listed components. Neither are power or input/output jacks, but I have some of those. Actually I'm not sure if the power jacks I have will work. What kind of power jacks are recommended? What do you guys recommend for buying switches, what kind, where from? I like the soft switches that don't make the clicking noise. Any leads on sourcing those?

Also, the wattage for the resistors aren't listed. 1/4W seems popular, are those the go to? The capacitor types aren't specified either. I think I went with all electrolytic. Not sure if that makes a difference over ceramic, though?

Thank you


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## slacjs (Dec 7, 2021)

You can use almost any power jack you want, as long as you can get 9v into it. Usually, a 2.1mm jack like this one is used with the center being negative:








						DC Power Jack 2.1mm Enclosed Frame With Switch
					

Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping




					www.taydaelectronics.com
				




Big list of switches. You want a 3PDT switch.





						Stomp Switch Footswitch - Switches, Key Pad - Electromechanical
					






					www.taydaelectronics.com
				




Soft 3PDT:








						3PDT Stomp Foot / Pedal Switch
					

Light Force 1.1KGf | 3PDT | ON-ON | Latching | Solder Lugs | Long Lasting | High Quality




					www.taydaelectronics.com
				




If you want a true soft touch, you need to look into using a relay bypass like this:








						Basic Relay Bypass - PedalPCB.com
					

Relay Bypass Module




					www.pedalpcb.com
				




1/4w resistors are the standard, though some boards want 1/8w. Both of those boards are 1/4w. Capacitor type depends on what capacitance is needed, for example, looking at the Ionizer2, the 47uF capacitor is electrolytic, the rest are film. A rule of thumb is to make sure your capacitors are rated for at least double the input voltage. I usually go for at least 25v, though if there's a higher voltage rating in the same footprint I usually go for those.

Here's a list of film capacitors. Usually you want ones with a 5mm lead spacing:





						Polyester Film Box Type Capacitors - Capacitors
					






					www.taydaelectronics.com


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## lushhush (Dec 7, 2021)

slacjs said:


> You can use almost any power jack you want, as long as you can get 9v into it. Usually, a 2.1mm jack like this one is used with the center being negative:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Awesome, thank you. So how do you know what type of capacitor to get ceramic vs flim vs electrolytic? Since I went all electrolytic, will they pose a problem?


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## slacjs (Dec 7, 2021)

Electrolytic capacitors have a positive and negative side which won't be marked on the board if that place was intended for a film capacitor, so you'll have to figure that out and ensure they're oriented correctly. 

Which type you get depends on how the board was designed, which usually comes down to capacitance. I think usually it's best to go for film box, though for some very small values you'll often go with ceramic. Larger values are usually electrolytic, anything over 1uF, though 1uF capacitors are often either, depending on the board. 

Bottom line, check the board. Here you can see the 47u is electrolytic, but the 100n capacitors are all film.


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## lushhush (Dec 7, 2021)

slacjs said:


> Electrolytic capacitors have a positive and negative side which won't be marked on the board if that place was intended for a film capacitor, so you'll have to figure that out and ensure they're oriented correctly.
> 
> Which type you get depends on how the board was designed, which usually comes down to capacitance. I think usually it's best to go for film box, though for some very small values you'll often go with ceramic. Larger values are usually electrolytic, anything over 1uF, though 1uF capacitors are often either, depending on the board.
> 
> ...


So looking at the twin face, only the 10n seems to be film capacitor? For the voltages I see 100v and 250v on tadya which both seem more than enough, right?

These are the input jacks I have. Will they work?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0IQ5QI?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
I'm not sure what you mean by true soft touch foot switch. Do I need the relay bypass if I get the soft 3pdt?


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## slacjs (Dec 7, 2021)

lushhush said:


> So looking at the twin face, only the 10n seems to be film capacitor? For the voltages I see 100v and 250v on tadya which both seem more than enough, right?
> 
> These are the input jacks I have. Will they work?
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0IQ5QI?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
> I'm not sure what you mean by true soft touch foot switch. Do I need the relay bypass if I get the soft 3pdt?


For film capacitors, you want to look at the lead spacing. You usually want 5mm, I think these are usually 100v. Higher voltages might be too thick or the lead spacing might be too big. These will both work, I use the cheap ones and haven't had a problem but some people prefer the more expensive ones.









						10nF 0.01uF 100V 5% Polyester Film Box Type Capacitor
					

JB Capacitors - Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping




					www.taydaelectronics.com
				











						10nF 0.01uF 100V 5% Polyester Film Box Type Capacitor WIMA MKS2
					

WIMA - Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping




					www.taydaelectronics.com
				




You don't need a relay if you get the soft 3pdt. These will still have a click but it's soft. The relay bypass uses a momentary switch that doesn't latch so there's no click at all. I recommend just going for the soft 3pdt, those are what I use.

I like Switchcraft 111 jacks if you can get them, but those look like they should work, though I'm not sure if they'd fit in the case without trying. Switchcraft are definitely nicer than cheaper ones, though I use cheap ones most of the time and haven't had any problems. I think most people recommend Neutrik or Switchcraft. If you're ordering from Tayda already, I'd recommend any of these:








						6.35mm 1/4" Mono Phone Jack Socket Lumberg Brand KLBM 3
					

KARL LUMBERG - Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping




					www.taydaelectronics.com
				











						6.35mm 1/4" Mono Chassis Socket / Jack
					

Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping




					www.taydaelectronics.com
				











						REAN Neutrik NYS229 6.35mm 1/4" Mono Chassis Socket / Jack 2 Terminals
					

REAN Neutrik - Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping




					www.taydaelectronics.com
				



These are cheap copies of the Switchcraft I mentioned:








						6.35mm 1/4" Stereo Phone Jack
					

Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping




					www.taydaelectronics.com
				




Here's some in the US if you're in a rush





						1/4" Jacks and Cables - Mono Jacks - Love My Switches
					






					lovemyswitches.com


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## lushhush (Dec 7, 2021)

slacjs said:


> For film capacitors, you want to look at the lead spacing. You usually want 5mm, I think these are usually 100v. Higher voltages might be too thick or the lead spacing might be too big. These will both work, I use the cheap ones and haven't had a problem but some people prefer the more expensive ones.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Got them, thanks for the help!


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## Preverb (Dec 7, 2021)

lushhush said:


> 1/4W seems popular, are those the go to?



You can go higher than 1/4 watt in theory.  However, with Tayda, these are much bigger and might not fit in a tight board.  I ordered 1/2 W in one value by mistake the last time.  I ended up going to Jaycar to get the same one.  They also only had 1/2 in that value but they were physically the same size as the Tayda 1/4 watt.  

Also, I would build a few first before doing a massive order.  I got a bit obsessive and think I've already ordered the parts and PCBs for about 15 pedals. I blame the Black Friday sale and being slightly ADHD.


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## lushhush (Dec 7, 2021)

Preverb said:


> You can go higher than 1/4 watt in theory.  However, with Tayda, these are much bigger and might not fit in a tight board.  I ordered 1/2 W in one value by mistake the last time.  I ended up going to Jaycar to get the same one.  They also only had 1/2 in that value but they were physically the same size as the Tayda 1/4 watt.
> 
> Also, I would build a few first before doing a massive order.  I got a bit obsessive and think I've already ordered the parts and PCBs for about 15 pedals. I blame the Black Friday sale and being slightly ADHD.


I'm in the same boat with the obsessive ordering. I also got a few pcbs from the black friday deal. They just arrived and they're so small! Now I'm a bit worried about the resistor sizes since I ordered a bunch of 1/4 W from tadya as well.


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## Preverb (Dec 7, 2021)

lushhush said:


> I'm in the same boat with the obsessive ordering. I also got a few pcbs from the black friday deal. They just arrived and they're so small! Now I'm a bit worried about the resistor sizes since I ordered a bunch of 1/4 W from tadya as well.


Their 1/4W resistors are actually what you want for most builds.  It is the 1/2W ones that are much bigger.  They might still work if the board has space.  Otherwise, picking up a few resistors from a local store won't make a big difference.


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## lushhush (Dec 8, 2021)

Preverb said:


> Their 1/4W resistors are actually what you want for most builds.  It is the 1/2W ones that are much bigger.  They might still work if the board has space.  Otherwise, picking up a few resistors from a local store won't make a big difference.


I think it might have been reddit where I saw suggestions on getting 1W resistors for the fuzz face build. How can you tell when it's not specified?


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## slacjs (Dec 8, 2021)

lushhush said:


> I think it might have been reddit where I saw suggestions on getting 1W resistors for the fuzz face build. How can you tell when it's not specified?


If it's not specified, use 1/4w.


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## JamieJ (Dec 8, 2021)

PedalPCB is great because there are so many circuits to choose from but the draw back is that you need to know quite a bit about component choice before you take the leap. I built quite a few kits before I tried any PPCB boards. That could be worth considering first to get a feel of what parts are what.


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## Preverb (Dec 8, 2021)

JamieJ said:


> PedalPCB is great because there are so many circuits to choose from but the draw back is that you need to know quite a bit about component choice before you take the leap. I built quite a few kits before I tried any PPCB boards. That could be worth considering first to get a feel of what parts are what.



I am fully expecting that I messed something up in my recent massive order from Tayda...


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## Bricksnbeatles (Dec 8, 2021)

lushhush said:


> I think it might have been reddit where I saw suggestions on getting 1W resistors for the fuzz face build. How can you tell when it's not specified?


The only reason to use 1W resistors for a fuzz face build would be to make it look vintagey lol


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## fig (Dec 8, 2021)

Howdy,

You didn't ask about kits, but I agree with Jamie. It seems a more organic path to familiarization of components as well as  build order and techniques, rather than trial and error. You're likely to save money and a LOT of frustration as well, because you wont buy nearly as many incorrect parts, while still having to reorder and wait for the correct ones.


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## lushhush (Dec 9, 2021)

fig said:


> Howdy,
> 
> You didn't ask about kits, but I agree with Jamie. It seems a more organic path to familiarization of components as well as  build order and techniques, rather than trial and error. You're likely to save money and a LOT of frustration as well, because you wont buy nearly as many incorrect parts, while still having to reorder and wait for the correct ones.


Hi,

So I did buy a kit from build your own clone which I plan on doing first. I don't have the confidence to jump straight into a pcb build lol. I even bought a radio thing to practice soldering before doing the kit. I have some cheapo iron that came in a soldering bundle from amazon, so I hope it's up to the task.


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## lushhush (Dec 9, 2021)

Preverb said:


> I am fully expecting that I messed something up in my recent massive order from Tayda...


Uh oh. I don't know if tadya has an option for canceling online. Mouser definitely doesn't as I tried to cancel an order after I found cheaper parts elsewhere, but they were too slow in responding to emails, so the order ended up shipping before they could do anything.


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## lushhush (Dec 9, 2021)

Bricksnbeatles said:


> The only reason to use 1W resistors for a fuzz face build would be to make it look vintagey lol


Okay, hah. I take it the wattage on resistors aren't such a big deal?


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## fig (Dec 9, 2021)

lushhush said:


> Okay, hah. I take it the wattage on resistors aren't such a big deal?


For pedal building 1/4 watt 1% tolerance works 99.8% of the time.


lushhush said:


> I think it might have been reddit where I saw suggestions on getting 1W resistors for the fuzz face build.* How can you tell when it's not specified?*


Specifications are found in the build documentation. 


lushhush said:


> So I did buy a kit from build your own clone which I plan on doing first. I don't have the confidence to jump straight into a pcb build lol. I even bought a radio thing to practice soldering before doing the kit. I have some cheapo iron that came in a soldering bundle from amazon, so I hope it's up to the task.


Excellent! I have some QFP practice pcbs coming for my next learning curve.
Lower wattage irons are fine but need just a little more patience and attention which happen to be great attributes to hone from the start. As you progress, you'll _learn_ what attributes are important in your tools, and that makes the next purchase "informed". Keep the iron on the solder joint almost 2 seconds after the solder flows. Use sockets for ICs and transistors.

Most importantly....which pedal kit did you get?


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## Bricksnbeatles (Dec 9, 2021)

lushhush said:


> Okay, hah. I take it the wattage on resistors aren't such a big deal?


It is, in the sense that if the wattage rating is too low, you’ll be in for a bad time. It’s just that 1/4W resistors are by far the most common (and much smaller than 1W resistors in actual size) and are perfectly suitable for 99% of guitar pedal applications. Some pedals even use 1/8w resistors to save space. 1W, 2W, 5W, and even higher wattage resistors serve a very necessary purpose in many applications, but a simple 9v supply solid-state analog effect is almost never going to warrant that kind of power


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