My desire to build a loop pedal came last semester. I have always had a passion for electronics/technology in music, and this passion was rediscovered during that semester. As my recital is also coming up, I had been thinking more diligently about what I wanted to perform. The idea of a self-written loop pedal piece was one of the most prominent ideas in my mind. So, as I was browsing the web for loop pedals to use, one of my professors asked a characteristic question of the JMU music education staff: “Why don’t you just build one?”
So, I did. I met with some staff at JMU and looked online for some Loop Pedal kits. I didn’t find any. So, I took the matter into my own hands, and started watching tutorial after tutorial after tutorial. After watching and reading all about pedals, and even dissecting one on my own, I created my own kit. I sketched, took notes, and created a diagram of the inside of my pedal. Before I went too much further, I realized: I don’t even know how a loop pedal works. So, I was lent a pedal by a professor, and my friends and I jammed! We had no cares about being imperfect or making mistakes, we just made music for making music. The discovery part of this project was one of the most enjoyable parts! Then, I got to work. I learned how to sauder, how to laser cut my own (clear acrylic) encasing, how to strip and cut wires, and more. The encasing-cutting was also a small journey. With some help, we designed and cut out the shape we needed for the pedal. However, the first time, the cutter damaged the acrylic underneath it. The second time, however, we covered the acrylic with a masking tape-consistency material, and there were no burn marks! This is the first of many examples throughout this process of the fact that it is okay to fail. I then simply started wiring the pedal. I would switch between watching the tutorials, following my own notes, and looking up forums online. The wiring process was one of the most tedious, and the longest part of the process. I messed up many, many times, and even had to almost completely start over. At the point of starting over, I was very frustrated. I had almost finished when I realized that I incorrectly wired two wires to the same destination, and almost had to completely scrap everything I had done. With the help of a friend, though, we were able to come up with a solution that would salvage the rest of my work! From there, I was finally finished with the pedal. Then, I tested it out. I plugged in the amp, a microphone, the power chords, and turned everything on. And it didn’t work. It has been about four months of work, on something that doesn’t function correctly. This could be a very discouraging moment for some, but it doesn’t have to be. The fact that it doesn’t work right now means that I get to learn more about how to make it work in the future. For example, I feel as if my next pedal should have a power input, instead of relying on the amp to fuel it. I could also incorporate microphone jacks instead of regular jacks. There are many things that I am able to try in order to fix this little pedal, but, unfortunately, those trials will not be able to take place before the end of this class. This is also okay, I have discovered. Life gives us the mindset that everything must be perfect. We naturally think that if my final project doesn’t work, I will fail. I do not believe this. I do not believe that I failed. I believe that I learned an immense amount about music technology, wiring, pedals, amps, and many more physical things. I also learned about failure, resilience, disappointment, frustration, determination, and reflection. I know that if I told my students that I made a loop pedal and it worked the first time I tried it, it would not teach them the same lessons as this will. This will show my students how incredibly okay it is to fail, as long as you learn meaningful lessons along the way, much like I did through this project. As you can see in the video below, it technically did "work". As I press the switch, the feedback coming through the amp changes in volume. I am not sure what this means, but it is very assuring to know that something is happening in that little box! |
EricaThis page will be used for music-type things such as videos of myself playings, pieces I have composed, pieces I would like to play, and concerts! Archives
November 2019
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