Dimming those pesky blue LED's

[Burnt Gerbil]

You know, those ones that are absolutely blinding when looking at them from above. The current method is to tape some paper over them, but I'm not much a fan of the aesthetic value of a little white square on the top of a pedal.

Anyone have any ideas on how to dim them a bit? Maybe a carefully, lightly applied paint of some sort? I still want to be able to see that it's on, so I can't just black it out or anything. And I 150% cannot get in there and replace the LED. I remain incapable of using a soldering iron without destroying something in the process. I keep trying, and thus I keep buying cables/pedals to replace the failed attempts.

[scantron81]

Maybe a black square of paper?

[wbrown97]

Try sharpie. That might stop some of the light.

[rangercaster]

a dab of cheap nail polish maybe ???

[ChipOnly]

I just use a little bit of masking tape. You know, for masking.

[Burnt Gerbil]

I'm sadly fresh out of masking tape (and nail polish...), so I tried the sharpie method. It definitely helped some, but I can't quite get it to cover the surface because now it just kinda smudges when I try to apply more. I'll let it dry and then try again.

[audiohatemchine]

I stuck blu tak over mine. This was a white LED that was similar to having someone flick their hi beams on at you when you turned it on.

[Donelson]

This problem is an example of "feature bloat". Years ago, pedals had no lights. Then, some, Boss for example, added dim ones. Now many or most have these hideous bright things. You have to cover them with your thumb to see where the knobs are set. Two or three layers of masking tape barely dims them enough for me.

Almost like the stupid beer brand that has cans that "tell you" when the stuff is "cold".

[TG]

I hate the things. Any company that uses them automatically goes down in my estimation.

I've just put tape over them, but the nail varnish idea is a good one.

[11 Gauge]

Originally Posted by Burnt Gerbil

those ones that are absolutely blinding when looking at them from above...

I didn't know there was any other kind.

The wavelength with the blue LED's is what adds to their vicious intensity. I have a Foxx Tone Machine scratchbuild w/a pair of LED's for the bypass/octave functions. I chose a superbrite red and a blue LED, and the red is really not that bad, but the blue will burn your eyes out.

There is also a type of hypnotic effect which is supposed to have negative health consequences (on mood), but I haven't really looked into it.

...I just yank those daggone things most of the time, but realize this isn't practical for a lot of folks. Also, there is only a single current limiting resistor that can be increased in value, and this will bring down the brightness as well. But if someone is going to that trouble, they should probably just replace the LED with a non-super brite.

I noticed that Danelectro has blues that are a kind of diffused/frosted plastic, and it's just barely not as bad. I wonder if some kind of "satin plastic" might be enough to help you?

There's a product called liquid tape, and it comes in colors. I wonder if red or green might work. You really need something that would almost definitely be considered opaque to drop the intensity substantially. That is why the Sharpie and nail polish approaches typically don't work too well.

Another possibility would be one of those paint pens - just keep adding layers until it drops down the intensity to a tolerable point.

Someone mentioned the "future trend of status LED retro," when we all go back to the red ones that were originally in all of this stuff. I kind of hope it actually happens!

Good luck with bringing down the intensity - whatever you figure out, be sure to post it here. I think many pedal users would find it to be really helpful!

[mindlobster]

In model shops you can buy translucent colour acrylic paints...that might work?

[BoogerRooger]

a hammer - that should work.....

[11 Gauge]

Originally Posted by TG

I hate the things. Any company that uses them automatically goes down in my estimation.

In their defense, they are just hooking on to the trend train, so you can't really blame them. When we have coffeemakers, phones, toys, and now just about every disposable type of electronic device sporting these things, the pedal companies that choose them are just choosing to stay "in step."

My daughter's Nintendo Wii is another example of "blue LED trendiness." The whole optical drive bay flashes blue when a disk is removed or inserted. It's tacky, but Nintendo wouldn't have chosen it if it didn't meet their "marketing appeal criteria," I would think.

I would just like to yank every one out of my Keurig coffeemaker. The daggone thing looks like an alien artifact in the kitchen when the lights are off.

But like anything, this is a trend, and I'd have to hope that it is now closer to its ending stage. If you consider that Keeley was putting blues in his modded pedals years ago, we might be in the actual wind-down.

...The only issue with that is the companies that bought the things in bulk - like 40,000 units or more. They are obviously going to use them all up if possible.

But I wouldn't blame any pedal manufacturer that uses them. Lots of folks seem to think they look cool. I just think in the case of pedals that it's a matter of utility/practicality, so standing right over something with laser beam intensity is obviously a little less cool.

Biyang has these cool "frosted/satin" super brites, and one of the colors is green. It is quite pleasant IMO, and not so intense. They have reds and other colors. So the frosted style is pretty decent, but it is still hard to drop the intensity of the blues.

I have about 5 pedals left that have the things in them. It will be a relief when I can finally get to changing the rest of them.

I wish I knew where Biyang got their "frosted greens" from. The problem is that you can go through something like the Mouser catalog and spend a week looking for a more subtle replacement LED. There are thousands, and depending on the material of the housing, some will beam intense color off-axis, too. But if the Mouser online catalog doesn't drive you nuts, you can compare intensity/wavelength, diffused/frosted/colored lens material versus the super clear that gives the "laser beam effect," and so on. Just comparing almost any blue to any other color will reveal the intensity numbers you want to avoid. The blues are usually many magnitudes higher.

...The only ones I've seen that can be almost as intense are the ultra brite purple LED's, because they use part of the blue LED design to make that color. The whites even have a blue-ish cast for the same reason.

I like the "nice calm amber" on my DVR boxes -1.5" tall status readout that is visible from 30 feet w/o being hard on the eyes.

But it is a trend that will pass, so I wouldn't knock manufacturers.

[Enaitz]

+1 on hating blue leds.

Anyway, leds are cheap, you can easily replace them (or you just can use paint).

[Bob Arbogast]

It can be useful. On this live clip, I can tell when I click on a clean boost mid-solo by the bright glow of the blue LED! (Solo starts at 2:44.) Without the LED, how would I know? (Oh, you mean I would have to listen? like we did in the old days? I never did have a problem telling when my mid-70s Distortion+ was on; somehow it made my guitar sound different!)

Bob Arbogast

[TG]

Originally Posted by 11 Gauge

In their defense, they are just hooking on to the trend train, so you can't really blame them. When we have coffeemakers, phones, toys, and now just about every disposable type of electronic device sporting these things, the pedal companies that choose them are just choosing to stay "in step."...

True. But undoubtedly by now they'd have become aware, one way or another, that in guitar effect pedals in particular they are impractical and irritating to the point of discomfort.
This isn't the only discussion there has been on the subject.

So I think I will continue to blame them...

[rangercaster]

i just wear sunglasses when i play ... problem solved !!!

[VK7HSE]

You could also limit the current flow through the LED by applying Ohms Law....



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[JesterR]

I prefer bright led. I always can stick some paper on it, if I have gig in dark place. But I can not do vice versa with little and dull LEDs. I hate little LED on my T-rex, because I can not tell, if it on or off. And bright LEDs on Pharaoh and Carbon copy save me, on one gig in dark room near fog machine. I actually can tell where is my board only by that LEDs :)
So, my basic idea: you can have fast fiz for bright LED, but you can not do anything with dull LED.

[uriah1]

cut a little square from your stage lighting film/filters ....can maintain great heat loads..