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Any DIY pedal builders on TB? Strut your stuff!

SubHuman

SubHuman

Dec 29, 2005
4,297
25,009
Good Old USA
#1
Are there any DIY FX pedal builders here on TB?
I am attempting to build some FV-1 pedals for my friends for 2020 Christmas gifts since the dang virus has limited my other extracurricular activites. Note: these are for guitarists but I’m building a bass pedal for myself.
I wonder if any of you have suggestions, success stories, or even learn from others mistakes to have some succesful builds?
I like the FV-1 because it has powerful DSP programming capabilities with an easy to use GUI programming interface.
I bought the SpinSemi FV-1 developement kit and am very impressed so far. I am able to create my own FX with the super cool SpinCAD GUI code compiler. It’s so simple a caveman can do it! Ha!
Anyone here have some things they would like or are willing to share?
I am also using PedaPCB as a source for my design. No affiliation.
Thx!
 
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#2
Here's a JFET preamp that I've been working on for a while:

20200612_133226.jpg
 
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#3
SubHuman said:
Are there any DIY FX pedal builders here on TB?
Click to expand...

Pedals have never really been my thing particularly, but I'm actually taking a whack at a simple DSP based one right now. It's based on an old Alesis/Wavefront chipset that's totally stoned age compared to what you're doing.

Quite a few people have put my open source onboard preamp into stomp boxes though. While I was working out the design I did a few myself, like so:

NAMMstomp2.jpg


There are also quite a few TB threads on my DIY rack preamps and bass amps.
 
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#4
Passinwind said:
Pedals have never really been my thing particularly, but I'm actually taking a whack at a simple DSP based one right now. It's based on an old Alesis/Wavefront chipset that's totally stoned age compared to what you're doing.

Quite a few people have put my open source onboard preamp into stomp boxes though. While I was working out the design I did a few myself, like so:

View attachment 3882031

There are also quite a few TB threads on my DIY rack preamps and bass amps.
Click to expand...

Awesome job on the Bass Pre-Amp if others are using it! Yeah the the same guy that worked for Alesis, Keith Barr went on to start SpinSemi and created the FV-1. EQD and a lot of pedal builders use it in some of their designs.

Some one else (sorry I forget his name!) took the "convoluted to me" SpinASM code assembler/compiler and created a really useful GUI SpinCAD code designer compiler so it made it a lot easier to write custom programs. I bought the SpinSemi development board Spin Semiconductor - Products and once I learned how to write my own FX I decided to build some pedals for a hobby.
I've built distortion stomp boxes so I can solder and read schematics. I just need a distraction during this crazy virus. No concerts...no sports...no fun!
 
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#6
SubHuman said:
Awesome job on the Bass Pre-Amp if others are using it! Yeah the the same guy that worked for Alesis, Keith Barr went on to start SpinSemi and created the FV-1. EQD and a lot of pedal builders use it in some of their designs.

Some one else (sorry I forget his name!) took the "convoluted to me" SpinASM code assembler/compiler and created a really useful GUI SpinCAD code designer compiler so it made it a lot easier to write custom programs. I bought the SpinSemi development board Spin Semiconductor - Products and once I learned how to write my own FX I decided to build some pedals for a hobby.
I've built distortion stomp boxes so I can solder and read schematics. I just need a distraction during this crazy virus. No concerts...no sports...no fun!
Click to expand...

Nice, looking forward to seeing and hearing more. I'm a very longtime audio gear repair tech and have retired from that and kind of ported to DIY building and casual OEM design work over the last decade or so. Mostly onboard preamps for one luthier friend, nothing too sexy as far as the "commercial" stuff, but enough to get some of my builds in a busy NAMM booth at least. I've seen some of Keith's work and have also contemplated buying a SHARC development kit from Analog Devices. I had a DIY MiniDSP crossover appliance for a while but it was a very early one and not quite up to snuff for my purposes at that time.

I hear you on the pandemic stir craziness. During house arrest I've designed at least a dozen new onboard preamps, knocked out the first version of the Wavefront based pedal, and am well into a 100 watt tube amp build. I was slowing down on sports and gigging anyway, but I'd definitely prefer to have those choices come on my own terms.
 
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#8
SubHuman said:
Cool idea on the JFET preamp! I see you also do some kind of programming/bread boarding too!
Is that part of your JFET preamp design?
Click to expand...

It was, as it has relay bypass. Initially, I was going with a micro controlled bypass, but opted for a flip-flop based system to reduce costs/complexity. I also had some ideas of possibly playing a pattern with the LEDs in the logo, but haven't done that yet.
 
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#12
I built about 20 pedals of various types between 1999 and 2003 (ages 18 to 22) Mostly modded Fuzz Face clones, 20dB clean boosts, there were a few one-offs (TS808 with a blend and switchable gain channels, octave fuzz, FET OD)

It was fun, but then the boutique pedal business really took off and I didnt have the resources to compete. Heres a few on my Fuzz's and boosts, and a digital theremin that sounds like a buzzsaw.
20200626_215255.jpg


My 22 year old self was proud of the workmanship. My current self is not.
20200626_215419.jpg


I still have boxes of parts, Hammond 1590 boxes in various stages of completion, and thousands of resistors, transistors, and JRC4558 op amps.
20200626_215628.jpg


I do want to build a dual channel blend for my pedalboard. At least I have parts on hand.
 
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#14
I want to ask you a question, why can't I pm you?

AudioTaper said:
I built about 20 pedals of various types between 1999 and 2003 (ages 18 to 22) Mostly modded Fuzz Face clones, 20dB clean boosts, there were a few one-offs (TS808 with a blend and switchable gain channels, octave fuzz, FET OD)

It was fun, but then the boutique pedal business really took off and I didnt have the resources to compete. Heres a few on my Fuzz's and boosts, and a digital theremin that sounds like a buzzsaw.
View attachment 3882776

My 22 year old self was proud of the workmanship. My current self is not.
View attachment 3882779

I still have boxes of parts, Hammond 1590 boxes in various stages of completion, and thousands of resistors, transistors, and JRC4558 op amps. View attachment 3882782

I do want to build a dual channel blend for my pedalboard. At least I have parts on hand.
Click to expand...
 
#18
thetragichero said:
yeah tubes in pedals is gimmicky to me.
either they're super low voltage or you've got high voltage on the floor where some idiot can spill beer on it
Click to expand...

You ever see those miniaturized military tubes that are NOS? Anybody know of a pedal design that uses them with HV...not the starved voltage gimmick pedals? Ebay has tons but I can’t find any info on using them for tube preamps. Anybody?
 
#19
SubHuman said:
You ever see those miniaturized military tubes that are NOS? Anybody know of a pedal design that uses them with HV...not the starved voltage gimmick pedals? Ebay has tons but I can’t find any info on using them for tube preamps. Anybody?
Click to expand...
You mean like this?

Ibanez Nu Tubescreamer Overdrive Pedal with Nutube

I seem to recall at the time this came out they had a few other "nutube" branded pedals but not seeing any after a quick google search.
 

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