New Pedalboard Day!!

[MYLOWFREQ]

Hi friends!

I finally finished building my small pedalboard, modified my pedals, and put it all together! it is very compact, has every basic effect I need, can rock hard, be funky, synthy, and everything in between.

The order is: Boss TU-2 -> Boss OC-2 -> Boss ODB-3 -> Wooly Mammoth Clone -> MXR Bass Envelope Filter -> Boss LM-2B

The first (tuner) and the last (limiter) pedals are the only pedals that are not true bypass. The tuner is stock and powers everything up, and the limiter is always on.

I modified the OC-2 so that it works w/ 9v dc, and is true bypass. I raised the overall volume by replacing the resistors for each level ("Clean", "OCT 1", and "OCT 2"). I put the "OCT 2" on a switch, and when I take it out off the circuit, the other channels are boosted more. I also placed the "Clean" knob on a footswitch w/ its LED to mute it, and when it is muted the "OCT 1" gets even louder, and I don't have the volume drop problem when the OCT 1 is soloed anymore.

The ODB-3 is also true bypass now. I did the Wampler mods, and it sounds great. I also put a switch above the gain knob and now I can switch between the factory LED clipping, or the more subtle diode clipping.

The fuzz is a Woolly Mammoth clone w/ the input impedance knob so it works very well after other pedals.

The envelope filter is all stock, because it is awesome.

The LM-2B has the "Enhance" knob on a footswitch w/ its LED, and it gives me a nice mid scoop for slapping when I press it (yes, I still like slapping!)

Sorry for the low quality pics, but here it is:

Rock!

 

[JimmyM]

Pretty wild...a lot of stuff in a little board. Nice!

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Hi friends!

I finally finished building my small pedalboard, modified my pedals, and put it all together! it is very compact, has every basic effect I need, can rock hard, be funky, synthy, and everything in between.

The order is: Boss TU-2 -> Boss OC-2 -> Boss ODB-3 -> Wooly Mammoth Clone -> MXR Bass Envelope Filter -> Boss LM-2B

The first (tuner) and the last (limiter) pedals are the only pedals that are not true bypass. The tuner is stock and powers everything up, and the limiter is always on.

I modified the OC-2 so that it works w/ 9v dc, and is true bypass. I raised the overall volume by replacing the resistors for each level ("Clean", "OCT 1", and "OCT 2"). I put the "OCT 2" on a switch, and when I take it out off the circuit, the other channels are boosted more. I also placed the "Clean" knob on a footswitch w/ its LED to mute it, and when it is muted the "OCT 1" gets even louder, and I don't have the volume drop problem when the OCT 1 is soloed anymore.

The ODB-3 is also true bypass now. I did the Wampler mods, and it sounds great. I also put a switch above the gain knob and now I can switch between the factory LED clipping, or the more subtle diode clipping.

The fuzz is a Woolly Mammoth clone w/ the input impedance knob so it works very well after other pedals.

The envelope filter is all stock, because it is awesome.

The LM-2B has the "Enhance" knob on a footswitch w/ its LED, and it gives me a nice mid scoop for slapping when I press it (yes, I still like slapping!)

Sorry for the low quality pics, but here it is:

View attachment 4001281
View attachment 4001282
View attachment 4001283

Rock!

Awesome mods on the OC-2.
Mine only has the “kill the dry” foot switch added.
I’d do the mute OC2 mod but I have zero soldering iron skills.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Awesome mods on the OC-2.
Mine only has the “kill the dry” foot switch added.
I’d do the mute OC2 mod but I have zero soldering iron skills.

It's actually pretty simple to solder after a little practice.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

It's actually pretty simple to solder after a little practice.

Definitely a skill I should pick up.
I have some capacitors to replace in my old 4 track tape deck.

 

[JimmyM]

It's actually pretty simple to solder after a little practice.

I'm 59 and I've been practicing since I was 14 and I still can't do it.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

I'm 59 and I've been practicing since I was 14 and I still can't do it.

Maybe if someone sees you solder, they can point out what you're doing wrong. One mistake I see is that people apply the solder before applying enough heat in between the two parts to be soldered, or they just use the very tip of the iron instead of the side so there's not enough heat.

 

[JimmyM]

Maybe if someone sees you solder, they can point out what you're doing wrong. One mistake I see is that people apply the solder before applying enough heat in between the two parts to be soldered, or they just use the very tip of the iron instead of the side so there's not enough heat.

Could be, but I don't know...I've been instructed by the best, although nobody ever actually saw me soldering. So I guess you're right

 

[Killing Floor]

Nice setup. Go rock it!

 

[coyote1]

On soldering: yes you need heat. But you alleged to not heat the leads so much that you fry the components.

I love custom pedalboards. Made a few of my own over the decades,and always they have been better than the commercial options. Way to Go!

 

[GMC]

Nice board, I do like a well thought out DIY board. I particaulrly like your boss OC-2 mods, I've had three OC-2 pedals and a few clones over the uears. Last year, I got board of all that and bought a Source Audio C4 instead. I have a pair of patches next to each other so I can flick a switch and alternate between a OCt-1 pure wet / synth tone and a normal wet / dry Oct-1 tone. I also mapped the tone knob for a fuzz dial in too. Any how...I digress... your fuzz pedal has that 5th impedance knob...that makes it a Zfex Mastotron clone. The Woolly Mammouth is a the slightly more popular 4 knob version. I've built several clones myself (I have a draw full of my home build clones). I too have good solder skills! It's a rewarding but slow skill! I did electronics at school. I have a soldering iron with a clear thermostat display and good pointy sharp stabby hot end. It's a life skill, but it helps to have the right gear too.

 

[Treblefree]

Good stuff!

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Nice board, I do like a well thought out DIY board. I particaulrly like your boss OC-2 mods, I've had three OC-2 pedals and a few clones over the uears. Last year, I got board of all that and bought a Source Audio C4 instead. I have a pair of patches next to each other so I can flick a switch and alternate between a OCt-1 pure wet / synth tone and a normal wet / dry Oct-1 tone. I also mapped the tone knob for a fuzz dial in too. Any how...I digress... your fuzz pedal has that 5th impedance knob...that makes it a Zfex Mastotron clone. The Woolly Mammouth is a the slightly more popular 4 knob version. I've built several clones myself (I have a draw full of my home build clones). I too have good solder skills! It's a rewarding but slow skill! I did electronics at school. I have a soldering iron with a clear thermostat display and good pointy sharp stabby hot end. It's a life skill, but it helps to have the right gear too.

You should poke source audio and screen shot every time you mentioned the c4.

Get paid bro.

 

[the baint]

@MYLOWFREQ How did you bypass the OC-2 buffer? I'm about to purchase some switches, an enclosure, and I would get a true bypass daughter board if I knew how to bypass the buffer part of the circuit. If you were able to document your mods with some pictures, I know there are a few of us on TB still looking for mod info.

Nice board and setup!

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

@MYLOWFREQ How did you bypass the OC-2 buffer? I'm about to purchase some switches, an enclosure, and I would get a true bypass daughter board if I knew how to bypass the buffer part of the circuit. If you were able to document your mods with some pictures, I know there are a few of us on TB still looking for mod info.

Nice board and setup!

Thanks!

I believe R23 (56K) is the resistor to remove in order for the flip-flop circuit be forced into "effect mode" at all times. Bear in mind that my OC-2 is the older Japanese one so it might be different on later models. I wanted to use the original enclosure, so after my mods, I sent the pedal to Griffin effects for them to install the "Silent Step V2.2" true bypass switching.

Here's the other mods I did but I want to make a disclaimer that I am not an expert when it comes to electronics.

For overall more gain Replace: R59: 100K (direct), R60: 100K (octave 1), and R61: 100K (octave 2) w/ lower value resistors. I used 51K for each. This boosted the volume of each channel, but not by much.

Place R61 on a SPST switch or you can youse a SPDT switch and leave one terminal open. This places the "OCT 2" on a switch and when you take it out of the circuit the other signals are boosted nicely. (pdf attached)

Place R59 on a DPDT foot switch (I used DPDT so I can use the other side for the LED, and used a footswitch to mute the "Direct" live). This places the "Direct" signal on a switch and when you take it out of the circuit the other signals are boosted. (pdf attached)

If your pedal is the older Japanese model, you can replace D3, and R17 w/ jumpers to modify the old Boss ACA pedal to PSA Spec. (AKA: 12VDC to 9V DC Conversion)

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

One last pic:

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Nice board, I do like a well thought out DIY board. I particaulrly like your boss OC-2 mods, I've had three OC-2 pedals and a few clones over the uears. Last year, I got board of all that and bought a Source Audio C4 instead. I have a pair of patches next to each other so I can flick a switch and alternate between a OCt-1 pure wet / synth tone and a normal wet / dry Oct-1 tone. I also mapped the tone knob for a fuzz dial in too. Any how...I digress... your fuzz pedal has that 5th impedance knob...that makes it a Zfex Mastotron clone. The Woolly Mammouth is a the slightly more popular 4 knob version. I've built several clones myself (I have a draw full of my home build clones). I too have good solder skills! It's a rewarding but slow skill! I did electronics at school. I have a soldering iron with a clear thermostat display and good pointy sharp stabby hot end. It's a life skill, but it helps to have the right gear too.

Source Audio is great!

Regarding the Wooly Mammoth clone: I actually built the more known Mammoth clone, and stole and implemented the input impedance knob only from the Mastotron. If the input impedance knob is the only difference between the two, then yes mine is a Mastotron, if not, it's the Mammoth w/ the knob from Mastotron. either way it still is my favorite gated fuzz, and the OC-2, Mammoth, and the MXR Filter can do a lot of different things nicely.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Update:

I replaced the Boss TU-2 Tuner w/ the T-Rex Tunemaster Tuner, and added the Broughton Audio Always On High Pass Filter! I also replaced the patch cables with EBS PG Flat Patch Cables, added Donner Footswitch Caps, and replaced the knobs on the MXR M82 Bass Envelope Filter. (Turned out the original aluminum knobs are made out of two pieces, and can strip inside. Plus it looks funkier with the blue knobs now.) Lastly, I got a hard case so the board and the power supply fits in nicely. I even made a recall sheet for the board!

So the new order is: T-Rex TuneMaster Chromatic Tuner -> Broughton Audio Always On High Pass Filter -> Boss OC-2 -> Boss ODB-3 -> Wooly Mammoth Clone -> MXR Bass Envelope Filter -> Boss LM-2B

The TuneMaster can be either true bypass, or buffered bypass. The buffered bypass has an output level control that allows me to match the level of my different basses. In other words, I do not need to adjust the sensitivity knob on the filter, or threshold knob on the limiter, or any other pedals on my board really. The buffer on the tuner, high pass filter, and the limiter pedals are always on, and are what I call the "Utility" effects. The rest is for fun

Sorry for the crappy pics..

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Update #2:

I rearranged the actual pedals on the board so that the OC-2 which has two switches now is on the bottom row thus easier to be accessed. The Bass Envelope filter is on top row instead. Same signal order, it's just more convenient now. I'll make a new recall sheet with the correct order

 

[Rich67]

Update #2:

I rearranged the actual pedals on the board so that the OC-2 which has two switches now is on the bottom row thus easier to be accessed. The Bass Envelope filter is on top row instead. Same signal order, it's just more convenient now. I'll make a new recall sheet with the correct order

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View attachment 4253096

Apologize if it's been asked before, what's the mod on your Boss limiter?