Any DIY pedal builders on TB? Strut your stuff!

[AudioTaper]

I think the next step in my pedal projects should be an actual prototyping setup. I want to build something that can hold 2 protoboards, and have a space for jacks and pots to be mounted so they arent all hanging out everywhere. It also needs a cover, because I get a TON of background noise at the moment...

The old power supply kit isnt helping things, that has to go as well.

 

[AudioTaper]

I'm interested in your impressions from swapping caps.

The 0.22uF caps were darker sounding, it didnt have as much gain, but did have more bass. It was similar to my Darkglass Alpha Omega pedal, but less behaved and with less options...

Going back to the 0.1uF, less bass but the drive was absolutely devastating. I would have this as a fuzzy metal solo pedal (think Cliff Burton-ish) if I can get the background noise under control. I would want to build up a nice board, add a buffered blend, and put it in a box to see how it goes. Before that, I should compare it to my Morley Cliff Burton fuzz-wah.

 

[AudioTaper]

Anything you wish someone told you before your first build? I am still a few months away from giving it a go but would love to hear your collective thoughts on the question?

Forgot these two...

Get a good digital multimeter. It doesnt have to be crazy expensive and top of the line, but something fairly accurate. Read some reviews on Amazon, you can probably get something for $30-40 and up that's solid. I like Fluke, but those are pricy.

Get a book on electronics if you dont know much about electronics. Old, used textbooks are plentiful and cheap online (ebay, Amazon, etc...)

 

[bassbrad]

Well, it was hinted at, JKos, but yeah if I was breezing through the thread at work I may well have clicked through.

I found the graphic to be very Film Noir, Fuzzonaut ... though the switch placement...

.
Wonder what the censors here would do with a pedal that had Mich's David on it, or other renowned nekkid art; or something from Japan's Kanamara Matsuri or Hōnensai festivals. Then there's Fuzzrocious' Broke Dick Peanut Gallery pedal. Was that banned? IDK



@mdalamond Thanks for the pics!

I need to up my "pic-posting game"...

Oops.

Learning to read resistor code is going to break my brain.

Any helpful and ez hints

 

[disssa]

First test setup of a Invalid Link Removed:

 

[davelowell2]

@cosmicevan
Let me add that I’m speaking mostly of perfboard and veroboard projects. I’ve done two purchased pcb’s and they worked without a hitch, though I did have a better iron by then, so...

 

[Fuzzonaut]

You could at least give a NSFW warning.

Sorry.

Well, it was hinted at, JKos, but yeah if I was breezing through the thread at work I may well have clicked through.

I found the graphic to be very Film Noir, Fuzzonaut ... though the switch placement...

.
Wonder what the censors here would do with a pedal that had Mich's David on it, or other renowned nekkid art; or something from Japan's Kanamara Matsuri or Hōnensai festivals. Then there's Fuzzrocious' Broke Dick Peanut Gallery pedal. Was that banned? IDK



@mdalamond Thanks for the pics!

I need to up my "pic-posting game"...

I didn't like the proposed placement of the knobs and the switch by the PCB layout.
So, I introduced some symmetry, mainly by moving the master and the phase switch to the center.
Master had to be up there, Blend already was in the middle-middle so the switch had to go where it is, somehow, taking PCB and foot switch placement into account.

 

[JKos]

Ok, well, I now have a RPi with 3.5" touchscreen controlled 7x7 matrix effects switcher. GUI for building and changing loop order. Next is adding saving and recalling presets.

 

[mdalamond]

Ok, well, I now have a RPi with 3.5" touchscreen controlled 7x7 matrix effects switcher. GUI for building and changing loop order. Next is adding saving and recalling presets.

I can’t imagine what goes into that. I’m trying to make a simple diy Arduino midi foot controller just to sent PC and CC messages via 5 pin midi. I’m about to go postal. All I can find is usb builds and hear how easy it is. No luck on the “ simple” codes. Everything has either usb or screens. Ughh. I would be interested in seeing your build progress.

 

[Feral Feline]

@Fuzzonaut I dig it man. Some things have to go where they have to go.

One of my favourite things about pedal-building is also one of my most frustrating — planning what goes where. You get an idea in your head how you want the controls of dual-PCB build to sit, only to find it physically can't happen, not unless you want to offboard wire every single item.

Or you get a PCB that has a board-mounted switch that is for up/down or high and low, but the switch is un-intuitively positioned that it switches from side-to-side — I'm too lazy and impatient to learn how to etch my own boards.

One PCB supplier who shall remain nameless, 'cause I really rillay like his effects, has some of the worst knob layouts... Usually when you include... say EQ, it would make sense to group the EQ controls together in a typical Bass Mids Treble fashion and associated modifier switches etc should go with ... well, enough ranting.

I've tried some perf layouts myself, so I also kinda get that on a single-layer board, the schematic may throw some curve-ball constraints on what can go where.











For anyone following my Tubular endeavour, a quick update on Ampers and The Little Princeton:
Last night swapped out the coupler caps for better ones, replaced the janky pre-amp tube socket, alas still using tone-wood to balance out the rectalfrier.

However, swapped out the other crappy cheap tubes for a variety of NOS treasures from North America and the UK... The amp sounded good enough with the tubes it came with, but ... RCA and Mullard ... oohhhh kayyyyyy. Now I get it. It's one thing to hear a really good amp, yeah okay fine just jim-dandy, but when you do back-to-back comparisons with muddy to mediocre to super-sweet-tone-gasms...

Somebody posted in another thread that when you're offered the red or the blue pill, you don't have to take either one... Alas, once inside the Tube Matrix, there is no escape from the vacuum, forever will it rule your destiny; Rolling in the Deeeeep... So with all this tube-rolling I kind of lost track of which sounded the sweetest, was it the Telefunken or the RCA or... ? Well, Punk? What's it gonna be...? Somewherrrre over the distortion threshold, headroom way up glassy highs... Ahhhh What tones may come... STELLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

 

[Feral Feline]

Oops. View attachment 4147265

Learning to read resistor code is going to break my brain. View attachment 4147268
Any helpful and ez hints

GuitarPCB gives you a little postcard with your PCB order, printed on the postcard is the Resistance Enigma Secret Decoder Thing.

I find the online code-breakers are easier to decypher...
Invalid Link Removed


I've yet to find one that does it in reverse, whereby you can punch in "470,000 Ohms" and it tells you:

Black — The first number
Yellow — second digit
Purple — third numeral
Yellow — multiplier
Brown — tolerance

Yeah, I don't have what means what memorised yet.

Doesn't help the durned things are so small you could read it backwards (in some cases, too many cases)...​

Red
Red
Black
Orange
Brown
=
220k

But!...​

Brown
Orange
Black
Red
Red
=
13k



So, always arm yourself with a DMM that has fresh batteries in it... and measure twice, solder once.

 

[AudioTaper]

GuitarPCB gives you a little postcard with your PCB order, printed on the postcard is the Resistance Enigma Secret Decoder Thing.

I find the online code-breakers are easier to decypher...
Invalid Link Removed


I've yet to find one that does it in reverse, whereby you can punch in "470,000 Ohms" and it tells you:

Black — The first number
Yellow — second digit
Purple — third numeral
Yellow — multiplier
Brown — tolerance

Yeah, I don't have what means what memorised yet.

Doesn't help the durned things are so small you could read it backwards (in some cases, too many cases)...​

Red
Red
Black
Orange
Brown
=
220k

But!...​

Brown
Orange
Black
Red
Red
=
13k



So, always arm yourself with a DMM that has fresh batteries in it... and measure twice, solder once.

Definitely +1 on a nice DMM

If you have an Android phone, theres an app called ElectroDoc that has a ton of useful info, calculators, etc. Its a lot easier than googling it every time.

 

[disssa]

My diy-pedals:

 

[mdalamond]

My diy-pedals:
View attachment 4148949

Great looking group. Are they all pcb builds? The B-15 has my interest.

 

[disssa]

Great looking group. Are they all pcb builds? The B-15 has my interest.

It is a Barber Linden EQ clone

 

[bassbrad]

@Feral Feline & @AudioTaper I had not thought of using a digital multi meter, thanks that helps as I have several in my collection of accoutrements in 60+ years.

 

[cosmicevan]

My diy-pedals:
View attachment 4148949

Nice assortment. Some are obvious, but what is the full lineup?

 

[RobbieK]

Hi all. I mostly hang out in the pickups forum, but I love building and modding pedals. Here's a new one for me.

It's basically a Big Muff, but with opamp input and output buffer/gain stages. The tone circuit is also tailored to bass more, with the mid scoop a little shallower, plus an octave lower. I went old-school with the enclosure, and the hammered finish paint. And simple with the dry-press lettering...

I love fuzz on bass, but I rarely use it live because I hate the compression that these sort of circuits bring. I'm working on a dynamic version of this though...

 

[mdalamond]

Hi all. I mostly hang out in the pickups forum, but I love building and modding pedals. Here's a new one for me.

It's basically a Big Muff, but with opamp input and output buffer/gain stages. The tone circuit is also tailored to bass more, with the mid scoop a little shallower, plus an octave lower. I went old-school with the enclosure, and the hammered finish paint. And simple with the dry-press lettering...

View attachment 4149650 View attachment 4149651

I love fuzz on bass, but I rarely use it live because I hate the compression that these sort of circuits bring. I'm working on a dynamic version of this though...

Very nice, looks top secret. I’m subscribed to your YouTube channel, very cool.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

PedalPCB Chaos Machine nearly there... another one that fits nicely into my favourite larger enclosure (1590Q):