# Building custom footswitch (sooperlooper and others)

**URL:** <https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654>\
**Category:** Hardware\
**Created:** [September 14, 2026, 11:53am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654 "2026-09-14T11:53:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 11:53am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654/1 "2026-09-14T11:53:45Z")

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Hey there. I just thought about enhancing my custom build zynthian with an input for attaching a (probably also custom built) 2x footswitch.

First assumptions:

- Using free mcp23017 pinouts with a matching debouncing capacitor
- Having two footswitches
- Connection to stereo jack
- About to be routed to F1 and F2

Further thoughts:

- A momentary footswitch should be able to get recognized by the mcp. But I assume that the switch on the pinouts is assumed as normally high and low when pressed. I don’t know if I get some of that sort. Is there a way to customize a little circuit to use a 1PST footswitch to match the expected behaviour?
- Will the routing work (use superlooper with F1/F2)?

Do you have any thoughts?

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**Author:** ![ToFF](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/toff/32/5532_2.png) [@ToFF](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/ToFF)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654/2 "2026-09-14T12:01:43Z")

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The best starting point is the pedal — [Oberheim Echoplex Footpedal Tutorial](https://loopers-delight.com/tools/echoplex/echopedals.html) — which was designed to control the Oberheim Echoplex. SooperLooper is a virtual software replica of that piece of hardware.  
EDIT: I don’t mean in terms of the components used, but rather in terms of the controls.

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**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 12:08pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654/3 "2026-09-14T12:08:06Z")

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Thanks a lot, I’ll look into that.

My main question of course is to first achieve zynthian to recognize a footswitch input as a “button press”. In terms of looping in zynthian I’m actually willing to control everything by hand if necessary apart from of course at least the first loop where I might not have my hands free. So it’s basically to have the record/overdub switches controllable by foot. Probably the tap tempo for the second one.

By the way: How do you control sooperlooper?

Maybe I’m just on the wrong path because the easiest way to record a loop with an external controller seems to be by CC and so I don’t even know if I get the F1 button to control that thing.

I would normally just try to learn the respective control to CC64 (sustain pedal), but I get problems on my living room digital piano because of it’s continuous sustain pedal.

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**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 12:34pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654/4 "2026-09-14T12:34:34Z")

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My 2 cents. I think the cleaner and more flexible way would be:

- Design your pedal hardware as a standard MIDI controller, connected by USB or DIN-5.
- Create a ctrldev driver to integrate the pedal with SooperLooper.

Alternately, you could build a super-simple one-switch pedal and then configure it to trigger the one-pedal controller from the zynthian’s sooperlooper engine.

Regards,

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**Author:** ![hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hannesmenzel/32/13014_2.png) [@hannesmenzel](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/hannesmenzel)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 12:41pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654/5 "2026-09-14T12:41:47Z")

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> [@jofemodo](#):
>
> Alternately, you could build a super-simple one-switch pedal and then configure it to trigger the one-pedal controller from the zynthian’s sooperlooper engine

This would be according to the plan above I guess (attaching it to the mcp as a button). Can I configure the sooperlooper control to it (the zynswitch F1) and how? I mean, I can learn CC, but I think I cannot learn zynswitches.

The step from single to dual controller wouldn’t be far. Connecting a normally closed momentary footswitch to a mono jack or two normally closed momentary footswitches to a stereo jack with common ground.

Maybe I just search for a used FCB1010. Unfortunately I left out the DIN-5 connectors on my custom build.

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**Author:** ![ToFF](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/toff/32/5532_2.png) [@ToFF](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/ToFF)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 12:57pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654/6 "2026-09-14T12:57:50Z")

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There is a solution for every problem. [https://www.thomann.de/de/esi\_midimate\_ex.htm](https://www.thomann.de/de/esi_midimate_ex.htm) And this one is really good; I have it connected to an FCB1010 myself.

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**Author:** ![HansR](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/hansr/32/15102_2.png) [@HansR](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/HansR)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2026, 1:05pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654/7 "2026-09-14T13:05:02Z")

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Fwiw, I got this at our local thrift store for €4,50. It’s a used double analog pedal (used for racing games)

 ![image](https://discourse.zynthian.org/uploads/default/original/3X/e/b/eb9126a6f47233278bae3a99e122b9ffed596f8c.jpeg)

The analog part I like most, it’s far more versatile than an on/off button.

I connected it to an Arduino pro-micro’s AD converter and that sends out USB MIDI over arbitrary channels and with arbitrary CC’s.

Just an idea, It should be doable for someone who restores guitars 😉

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**Author:** ![Keeze101](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/keeze101/32/21_2.png) [@Keeze101](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/Keeze101)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 11:48pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/building-custom-footswitch-sooperlooper-and-others/13654/8 "2026-09-16T23:48:09Z")

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[https://makerworld.com/nl/models/1996256-pageturner#profileId-2148872](https://makerworld.com/nl/models/1996256-pageturner#profileId-2148872)

Or print one yourself 😉