Anyone know of any sites that sell grab-bags of components that would be useful for DIY pedal building? There's a bunch of stuff that I'd like to build, but it would be a pain in the arse to compile a list of components for everything that I want to build. Also, are there any reasonably cost-effective places to get custom PCBs, or should I just settle for perf board?
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DIY Effect Makers (club?)
- Thread starter NateS
- Start date
Taylor Livingston
Commercial User
http://futurlec.com/
Search "pack".
As for PCBs, if you can do your own layouts, lots of people at diystompboxes.com offer etching and drilling of boards as a service.
Search "pack".
As for PCBs, if you can do your own layouts, lots of people at diystompboxes.com offer etching and drilling of boards as a service.
If someone has got questions/doesn't understand something in the Bass Amuser thread (because of language problems) just ask.
I haven't built it jet but it's on my (loooong) todo list.
On the bottom of the page there's a link to a thread called "Workshop Röhren-Overdrive" (Workshop Tube-Overdrive") in which you can find sound samples on page 10 or so.
+1 on Futurlec for hobbyist packs. I always pick up one or two whenever I order from them. They're also one of the more reasonably priced small-batch PCB houses out there.
Alltronics often has good grab-bags. It's surplus so the mix varies but is very cheap. Here's the contents of one of their $9.95 resistor packs:
Electronics Goldmine sells packs as well. I've found them a bit on the lean side for what you pay, but they're worth looking at if other sources don't have what you want.
I've built a few guitar pedals, but mainly build the Basyn MIDI boards (MIDIPeds). I recommend you get a good soldering iron with a fine tip. A good workstation with some alligator clips is essential. And let the soldering iron get good and hot before you go at it.
Right now, I'm working on a clone of an old Colorsound Dipthonizer, an early envelope filter capable of several different vowel sounds.
BTW, I really like General Guitar Gadgets kits. They come with everything and are very good support wise.
Right now, I'm working on a clone of an old Colorsound Dipthonizer, an early envelope filter capable of several different vowel sounds.
BTW, I really like General Guitar Gadgets kits. They come with everything and are very good support wise.
sounds fun!
orange-orange-red (#33): bjlevine
i've been too broke to buy the random components i need to finish my projects...bleh.
Cool thread, guys! 
I've built a couple of headphone amps, myself, and was thinking of adapting my next headphone amp project (balanced jisbos line-drivers, transformer-coupled) into a hifi dual-channel preamp (my ERB is split into "high-" and "low-range" sides).
I currently have what you'd think would be the "end all be all" multi effects pedal, the Line 6 Pod x3 Live, but I only really need a couple of tones (clean bass for the most part, and perhaps a chorusy Metheny-ish tone and occasionally some bluesy overdrive on the high side for the more funky fusion stuff my trio plays). While I love a few tones on the Line 6, well, it's starting to seem like wretched excess for my purposes.
So, to the question--I was thinking of rolling all my needs into one do-it-all hifi/swiss army knife/killer dual-channel bass preamp/effects unit...perhaps with a mixer-style effects bus so I could dial in individual effects into each channel separately. Would probably need some foot-switching capability. Am I crazy trying to integrate all this into one box?
I should add I'm a helpless tinkerer, so this is as much for the joy of trying to not electrocute myself as it is for practical application.
I've built a couple of headphone amps, myself, and was thinking of adapting my next headphone amp project (balanced jisbos line-drivers, transformer-coupled) into a hifi dual-channel preamp (my ERB is split into "high-" and "low-range" sides).
I currently have what you'd think would be the "end all be all" multi effects pedal, the Line 6 Pod x3 Live, but I only really need a couple of tones (clean bass for the most part, and perhaps a chorusy Metheny-ish tone and occasionally some bluesy overdrive on the high side for the more funky fusion stuff my trio plays). While I love a few tones on the Line 6, well, it's starting to seem like wretched excess for my purposes.
So, to the question--I was thinking of rolling all my needs into one do-it-all hifi/swiss army knife/killer dual-channel bass preamp/effects unit...perhaps with a mixer-style effects bus so I could dial in individual effects into each channel separately. Would probably need some foot-switching capability. Am I crazy trying to integrate all this into one box?
I should add I'm a helpless tinkerer, so this is as much for the joy of trying to not electrocute myself as it is for practical application.
ooh count me in for the club. I jumped in and built the ggg brassmaster clone a few weeks ago... just ordered parts for my mutron III clone, and maybe I'll do a wooly mammoth after that? I dunno, this stuff is way too much fun! I had done mods before and played with instrument wiring but building pedals is a whole other world of enjoyment.
Depends. How big is the box?
LOL - In all seriousness, probably 2u, possibly up to standard rack width.
I think front panel knob real-estate might be the bigger issue, actually--especially since I have a pair of P&G 100mm faders I'd like to use for the main output gainstage.
Internally, the JISBOS boards (and several other solid-state circuits I've been looking at) are pretty tiny. Getting into tubes might suck up some serious space, though.
Getting into tubes might suck up some serious space, though.
Take a look on eBay. There's a bunch of people selling tiny ex- Soviet military sub-miniature tubes at very reasonable prices.
Each of these is a dual triode.
I'm in!
I've completed copies of the ZVEX SHO and Woolly Mammoth. Mammoth is down right now, need to resolder the connections to the input jack. I'm working on an FX blender with polarity switch right now, and next up is a Tubescreamer with mods for bass.
I've also fixed a few Big Muffs that were unreliable because of bad soldering.
Anyone here ever made an analog delay or a polyphonic octaver (one that does octave down AND up)? I'd be interested to hear about it ...
I've completed copies of the ZVEX SHO and Woolly Mammoth. Mammoth is down right now, need to resolder the connections to the input jack. I'm working on an FX blender with polarity switch right now, and next up is a Tubescreamer with mods for bass.
I've also fixed a few Big Muffs that were unreliable because of bad soldering.
Anyone here ever made an analog delay or a polyphonic octaver (one that does octave down AND up)? I'd be interested to hear about it ...
Taylor Livingston
Commercial User
A polyphonic octaver must always be digital. It's certainly possible and I've made one, but it's not something you can do without doing some DSP programming.
Take a look on eBay. There's a bunch of people selling tiny ex- Soviet military sub-miniature tubes at very reasonable prices.
Each of these is a dual triode.
They sound pretty damn good too! I built up a bass OD circuit that runs on 9V and I was shocked at how good it sounds at such a low voltage. I still need to box up the circuit but it's one of the best bass ODs I've heard. I took the Beavis Audio circuit and made some mods to it.
Here's another great link on off board wiring:
Link Removed
and yeah I'll take a number too, forgot to say that before.
So far for bass I've built:
Wooly Mammoth
Dod 250 (modded)
SHO
Box of Rock (modded)
Civil War Muff (modded)
GGG tuned Muff
Bass Paralooper with adjustable high/low pass filters.
Built bunch more stuff for guitar too and a few oscillator based toys but I won't mention them here.
Link Removed
and yeah I'll take a number too, forgot to say that before.
So far for bass I've built:
Wooly Mammoth
Dod 250 (modded)
SHO
Box of Rock (modded)
Civil War Muff (modded)
GGG tuned Muff
Bass Paralooper with adjustable high/low pass filters.
Built bunch more stuff for guitar too and a few oscillator based toys but I won't mention them here.
Effect or not, I just finished assembling an Alembic Stratoblaster JFET buffer to my bass. It opened up the sound of my 8-coil humbucker compared to normal passive wiring with 500K vol pot.
Marko
Marko
Anyone know some noise type effects that are still musical? I realize this is all subjective but fuzz just isn't enough for me.
I'm thinking something like a PLL or Geiger Counter, just crazy stuff.
I saw in the PLL thread on FSB that the a modded synthax gets a similar sound (I'm guessing it was Taylor because it is his avatar). They said the layout was available but I'm not sure if that meant the modified one or what?
I'm thinking something like a PLL or Geiger Counter, just crazy stuff.
I saw in the PLL thread on FSB that the a modded synthax gets a similar sound (I'm guessing it was Taylor because it is his avatar). They said the layout was available but I'm not sure if that meant the modified one or what?
