Any DIY pedal builders on TB? Strut your stuff!

[JoeDaddio]

You're missing a 470pF, according to the page you linked. Unless you left it off on purpose. Also, I'm assuming it's a 470pF, it's not really listed anywhere I saw.
View attachment 4070135 View attachment 4070136

Yeah, man! I checked and re-checked that thing a dozen times. I didn't have any 470pf when I was building and ordered them to pop in later. When I got them in the mail I was so excited to get it going that I only installed one! I had them marked on my sheet as needed and only x'd off one of them - dumb mistake.

Anyway, last night I got it wired up and plugged in and... nada! Went through it today and saw the missing cap. I don't think that was the *real* issue, though. Hot battery and no sound makes me think I burned it up. No magic smoke got out, but there was something on that board hot enough to smell, though I can't find any obvious solder globs or anything, but it's likely a dumb mistake as well.

This was my first foray back in to this after a long time out, and I knew I'd have to re-learn some things. The enclosure is laid out and good to go, so I'll need to re-build the board and try again. I've got all the parts and look forward to my next one being much better put together.


joe

 

[AudioTaper]

Yeah, man! I checked and re-checked that thing a dozen times. I didn't have any 470pf when I was building and ordered them to pop in later. When I got them in the mail I was so excited to get it going that I only installed one! I had them marked on my sheet as needed and only x'd off one of them - dumb mistake.

Anyway, last night I got it wired up and plugged in and... nada! Went through it today and saw the missing cap. I don't think that was the *real* issue, though. Hot battery and no sound makes me think I burned it up. No magic smoke got out, but there was something on that board hot enough to smell, though I can't find any obvious solder globs or anything, but it's likely a dumb mistake as well.

This was my first foray back in to this after a long time out, and I knew I'd have to re-learn some things. The enclosure is laid out and good to go, so I'll need to re-build the board and try again. I've got all the parts and look forward to my next one being much better put together.


joe

Oh that sucks! Get a DIP8 socket for the IC (I used Millmax) for future builds. It will save you some hassle if you pop one.

 

[JoeDaddio]

Oh that sucks! Get a DIP8 socket for the IC (I used Millmax) for future builds. It will save you some hassle if you pop one.

Thanks, I'll check in to that.

No biggie - more chance to learn as well as practice my soldering, which can use it after not having done much of it the past few years.


joe

 

[disssa]

I put an old diy-project in a new enclosure:

It is a rog "Ginger"...

 

[Fuzzonaut]

Yeah, man! I checked and re-checked that thing a dozen times. I didn't have any 470pf when I was building and ordered them to pop in later. When I got them in the mail I was so excited to get it going that I only installed one! I had them marked on my sheet as needed and only x'd off one of them - dumb mistake.

Anyway, last night I got it wired up and plugged in and... nada! Went through it today and saw the missing cap. I don't think that was the *real* issue, though. Hot battery and no sound makes me think I burned it up. No magic smoke got out, but there was something on that board hot enough to smell, though I can't find any obvious solder globs or anything, but it's likely a dumb mistake as well.

This was my first foray back in to this after a long time out, and I knew I'd have to re-learn some things. The enclosure is laid out and good to go, so I'll need to re-build the board and try again. I've got all the parts and look forward to my next one being much better put together.


joe

I might be Captain Obvious here, but having an audio probe is good thing when trouble shooting.

It's even a cool thing to use on a working circuit as it lets you hear what happens to the signal when it passes through the components.

 

[JoeDaddio]

I might be Captain Obvious here, but having an audio probe is good thing when trouble shooting.

It's even a cool thing to use on a working circuit as it lets you hear what happens to the signal when it passes through the components.



View attachment 4073943


View attachment 4073944

I've seen these mentioned on all of the forums I've been frequenting, and intend to build one but am missing the plug so I haven't yet. There is one in my Tayda cart, but I'm waiting for a few more things to come together before I put the order through. I've never used one before but the idea of them is pretty ingenious.

I haven't had any time to work on anything in the past few days (hence no updates on anything) but I should have a few hours tonight to play around, which I'm looking forward to.


joe

 

[JoeDaddio]

I think I realized what I did wrong on that DAM build: I had a little 9v battery to 2.1 plug for an Arduino which I used to test the pedal, which is center positive. I cut out the IC and diodes and they are all bad, so they got hit with a lot of voltage somehow, and I think that is it considering I can't find any other big faults/globs of solder. Still might be another/better explanation, but for my beginner self I think that's about as far as I can go with it right now. Lots more veroboard where that came from!


joe

 

[disssa]

My version of a Invalid Link Removed:

 

[AudioTaper]

My version of a Invalid Link Removed:
View attachment 4081793

Nice, is the text/logo silkscreened?
Is the orange ring around the switch a LED?

 

[disssa]

First I engrave the font with a CNC milling machine. Then I use powder paint / powder coating. Even for the red Ring.

 

[JoeDaddio]

Last night I got this together, a Catalinbread Sagrado Poblano Picoso.

Had a bit of a panic today as it had a high pitch hum, but that turned out to be my power supply, it is quiet and sounds good with a different power supply. I intended to put the power supply on the top as well as the jacks, but I had the pot too far up to make it work. I like the knob where it is, though, and I intentionally put the LED a bit high as well as it is bright blue and it looks cool getting that glare off the chrome knob.

The boost gives me a BIG volume bump in the last tiny bit, though, but it appears to work well except for the last maybe 1/16 of the pot. It's weird. I'm new to this but my understanding is that a linear pot shouldn't do that. Going to test it next time I get some time in the shop and maybe replace the pot. I'm also planning on painting this at some point as well, something I haven't done yet.

joe

 

[AudioTaper]

Last night I got this together, a Catalinbread Sagrado Poblano Picoso.

Had a bit of a panic today as it had a high pitch hum, but that turned out to be my power supply, it is quiet and sounds good with a different power supply. I intended to put the power supply on the top as well as the jacks, but I had the pot too far up to make it work. I like the knob where it is, though, and I intentionally put the LED a bit high as well as it is bright blue and it looks cool getting that glare off the chrome knob.

The boost gives me a BIG volume bump in the last tiny bit, though, but it appears to work well except for the last maybe 1/16 of the pot. It's weird. I'm new to this but my understanding is that a linear pot shouldn't do that. Going to test it next time I get some time in the shop and maybe replace the pot. I'm also planning on painting this at some point as well, something I haven't done yet.

View attachment 4083409


joe

Looks like a nice little FET boost, I didnt see the specs anywhere - how much boost should you get? Hows it sound on bass?

That knob!!

I have a schematic for a nice little BJT boost, but it works better on guitar. I made it by mistake in 2003 when I tried to make a EHX Screaming Bird, but overlooked some parts. It has about 20dB boost, I did the math and verified with an oscilloscope & signal generator.

 

[JoeDaddio]

Looks like a nice little FET boost, I didnt see the specs anywhere - how much boost should you get? Hows it sound on bass?

That knob!!

I have a schematic for a nice little BJT boost, but it works better on guitar. I made it by mistake in 2003 when I tried to make a EHX Screaming Bird, but overlooked some parts. It has about 20dB boost, I did the math and verified with an oscilloscope & signal generator.

The production version should give 30db of boost from what I've read online. I don't have any way of testing it that I know of.

I have only played it on a Pignose (my "see if it works" combo I keep in the garage) and my Acoustic practice amp, so I haven't really been able to give it a full go, but as it is, it adds a mellow/round overdriven distortion that gets a bit more chunky the more you turn it up (except for the blow your ears out jump that happens at the end, other than that it's pretty steady and mellow). Fairly "tube-ish" I guess, and useable as-is.

Since it had only one pot I decided to go big with the knob. I put it up high because I felt it might make it a little more dramatic looking. Also, the pot is pretty stiff and with that knob could easily be turned with your foot, which is kinda neat.


joe

 

[Feral Feline]

Last night I got this together, a Catalinbread Sagrado Poblano Picoso.

Had a bit of a panic today as it had a high pitch hum, but that turned out to be my power supply, it is quiet and sounds good with a different power supply. I intended to put the power supply on the top as well as the jacks, but I had the pot too far up to make it work. I like the knob where it is, though, and I intentionally put the LED a bit high as well as it is bright blue and it looks cool getting that glare off the chrome knob.

The boost gives me a BIG volume bump in the last tiny bit, though, but it appears to work well except for the last maybe 1/16 of the pot. It's weird. I'm new to this but my understanding is that a linear pot shouldn't do that. Going to test it next time I get some time in the shop and maybe replace the pot. I'm also planning on painting this at some point as well, something I haven't done yet.

View attachment 4083409


joe

If your linear pot (B-taper) is behaving in the circuit that way, you could try a C-taper (reverse audio-taper), see if that smooths things out at the end of the dial.

The Secret Life of Pots

 

[davelowell2]

I finished up my Woolly Mammoth clone on stripboard.

 

[JoeDaddio]

I finished up my Woolly Mammoth clone on stripboard.

View attachment 4085979

I finished up my Woolly Mammoth clone on stripboard.

View attachment 4085979

Nice! I am digging the stamped look, too.

The WM from Tagboard Effects on vero was my first build, in about 2012 or so (my second build is the one above - took a long break!). It still works and I still use it once in a while. It goes from "nasty" to "holybejeezus nasty."

How does it sound?


joe

 

[davelowell2]

Nice! I am digging the stamped look, too.

The WM from Tagboard Effects on vero was my first build, in about 2012 or so (my second build is the one above - took a long break!). It still works and I still use it once in a while. It goes from "nasty" to "holybejeezus nasty."

How does it sound?


joe

Honestly, not great, lol, just ok.
I subbed the two 100uf caps for 47uf because that’s what I had. I think I’ll order the right ones and have another go at the vero and sub it in. I don’t know how much difference it will make but, this is diy, it’s fun...

 

[Deleted member 165050]

I've built way too many pedals now... this one was a real challenge for drilling:

 

[Feral Feline]

Ficelles... If you agreed to drill all my enclosures' holes for me for a nominal fee... even with $hipping, I'd still come out ahead.

Serious drill-ninja skills going on there.

Gotsta get me that DeadEndFX PLL PCB!


I don't mind drilling, in fact I kind of enjoy it.

Perhaps in a sick sadomasochistic way, 'cause my drilling is never quite spot-on enough to please me, yet I enjoy all the planning and prep. Graphics, I have great ideas, but as you'll note... I've nothing I'm willing to show here.

"Execution", takes on whole new meaning.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Gotsta get me that DeadEndFX PLL PCB!

I'm building the smaller version at the moment (minus the drones and momentary switches).