Just a thought about battery power

[Zanius]

Ok, it sounds easy to just add a battery and wire a stereo jack for power switching. But we all know it can be a pita and mess up one's plans for perfect wire routes, and sometimes there just isn't enough space for a stereo jack.
What if the switching was done through a 4dtp where you could  ground only when effect is on? Would that create problems like popping once signal and power both hit the circuit at once? Maybe I haven't thought this through but still I like the idea not having to use a stereo jack.

[scimitar]

I think you hit the nail on the head with the popping issue - may not always be a pop but it takes a finite time for supply capacitors to reach supply voltage so switching won't be instant, the exact outcome would depend on the circuit. Also I can't see that a stereo socket takes significantly more space that a mono one, on the other hand a 4 pole foot switch definitely takes more space than a 3 pole.

[Zanius]

Yeah, It seemed a bad idea the moment I was typing it, and the capacitor issue came to mind first... Still decided to post because ideas, good or bad, may bring interesting discussion leading to new things.
Also, I always like to challenge the "we always did it that way" concept. On the other hand there may be a good reason "we do this that way"

[Andy Miller]

I don't think it's a bad idea.  Try it!  The reason stereo jacks are used this way is so that the pedal powers off when you unplug your guitar, whether bypassed or not, preventing battery drain when not in use.  If you don't care about that and can remember to hit the switch before you leave, go for it.  A 4-pole switch is only about 3/16" bigger in one dimension, although they do cost disproportionately more.

As far as popping goes. . . either it will or it won't.  Try it.  

[nocentelli]

It will pop, almost guaranteed, and unless you decide to go without a power filtering capacitor, it will also leave a noticeable lag before the power cap reaches full charge and DC current can flow, as mentioned above. The danelectro cool cat vibe (lamp driven univibe) disables power from the LFO and lamp to preserve battery life in bypass, and there is an annoying lag before the effect kicks in (the audio remains connected to prevent pop).