DIY Effects

[JackLondon]

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='858876' date='Jun 6 2010, 01:50 PM']What a great looking pedal! How did u do the top graphics?
How does it sound?[/quote]

I'll second that, howdid you managed to do those graphics? They look sick man! Interested in doing few for some monies

[Daquifsta]

Glad you like it, it's actually iron- on T shirt transfer paper from PC world [url="http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/decadry-a4-dark-t-shirt-transfer-paper-5-sheets-00851397-pdt.html"]http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/decadry-a4-d...851397-pdt.html[/url]

Basically, I'd bought a couple of sheets of Laser compatable clear waterslide transfer paper from Das Musikding when I ordered all the other bits, intending to sneak it through the colour laser printer at work when no- one was looking! Long story short, both sheets got jammed up in the printer and ruined, so I nipped into good ol' PC world on the way home that night and decided to give the T shirt transfer stuff a go.

This is actually much easier than the waterslide paper I think:
1) It's inkjet compatable, which I meant I could print it at home.
2) There's no water to mess about with
3) The label is much less fragile than a waterslide decal when you've peeled it off the backing and are handling it. It won't stand up to a lot of abuse, because it's quite stretchy, but you can place, and re- place it many times before you finally heat it with the iron.

When you've got the thing in the right place on the box, you lay the backing paper (you did save it, didn't you ) on top of it, then iron away.

Now, the paper instructions recommend that you heat it for 10- 12 seconds - this may be fine for T shirts, but it's far too long on an aluminium box, 4-5 seconds with a cool to medium iron is nearer the mark. Don't move the iron about, either, just bring it straight down on the pedal/label/ backing paper sandwich, hold it for 5 and then off. Let it all cool back down, and gently peel the backing paper off.

The last step is to slap the clear lacquer on, to seal it all in. Be very light with the first couple of coats of lacquer - I had a couple of bubbles come up on my first pass and I was crapping me pants thinking I was going to have to rub it all off and start again from bare metal. The bubbles did settle down as the lacquer dried, but it was close run thing.

The basic label design itself was drawn up in Solidworks along with the rest of the pedal, then I just added the background in afterwards in Gimp. The bunny girl is actually part of an entire font of bunny girls I found as a free download, I think she was the letter 'i'.

Have a go yourself! You are a bit limited with the design, as the paper itself is white, so you can't have any clear areas in your label, and even if you tried the clear version of it, inkjet printers don't print in white, so it wouldn't work on dark coloured paints. Basically, you're stuck with a full face label, but it does look quite nice under the lacquer.

[Daquifsta]

Doh! Missed the question about the sound.

As far as I can hear from the videos on youtube, it's just like the original pedal.

1) With the gain knob all the way off, you have a clean boost, with some added warmth. The two band EQ is very effective in shaping that.
2) As you add more gain you start to get a nice breakup, which is controlled by the dynamics of your picking hand. This is what I really wanted the pedal for. I liked the idea of something that would let me smoothly dirty up the tone in a chorus or supporting a guitar lead just by hitting the strings harder, and not actually stomping on a pedal.
3) That said, when you get the gain knob up full, it doesn't matter what you do wth your fingers - you're going to get filth!

It's kind of three noises in one box

[badgerific]

I built this kit for my friend: [url="http://www.musikding.de/product_info.php/i...rdrive-kit.html"]http://www.musikding.de/product_info.php/i...rdrive-kit.html[/url] He said he tried put a battery in and the battery got really hot really quickly. Any idea's what's wrong? It works from a power supply.

[The Twickerman]

ANyone tried to build one of these?

[url="http://www.lynx.net/~jc/DIY360plusKit.html"]http://www.lynx.net/~jc/DIY360plusKit.html[/url]

[Al Heeley]

[quote name='badgerific' post='863605' date='Jun 10 2010, 06:55 PM']I built this kit for my friend: [url="http://www.musikding.de/product_info.php/i...rdrive-kit.html"]http://www.musikding.de/product_info.php/i...rdrive-kit.html[/url] He said he tried put a battery in and the battery got really hot really quickly. Any idea's what's wrong? It works from a power supply.[/quote]
your link is fubar.
If it works from a power supply then theres no need for battery. If the battery and mains are clashing then that would explain why the battery gets v hot. The dc input jacks have to be wired so that inserting it disconnects the battery from the circuit. Now I may be stating the obvious here but theres not really enough info in your post to be able to offer more specific help.

[bobbass4k]

Anyone know anywhere to get pre-drilled enclosures in the UK? I know pedal-parts-plus do them but I've got all the other parts so I kind of want one ASAP. I hate not having a drill.

[escholl]

[quote name='The Twickerman' post='863616' date='Jun 10 2010, 07:05 PM']ANyone tried to build one of these?

[url="http://www.lynx.net/~jc/DIY360plusKit.html"]http://www.lynx.net/~jc/DIY360plusKit.html[/url][/quote]

Weirdly, I just came across that the other day, and was wondering the same thing lol. I like the idea of it, anyway. Apparently it's a bit different to the version that he makes however, but then it's also much cheaper. I think someone here should build/buy one (I would but i'm too poor), they could be the next big thing!

[bobbass4k]

I'm building a fuzz factory clone, I've wanted to mess around with one for ages, but not enough to drop £100 2'ns hand. Anywho just wanted to run the stripboard layout I came up with by everyone:



I basically combined a stripboard layout I found with the schematic [url="http://madbeanpedals.com/projects/Zombii/docs/Zombii_ver4.pdf"]here[/url].

Just wondering if anyone can spot any major cockups I've made, improvements I could make etc.

I might end up putting the little LED and (what I assume) is the rectifier bit on it's own little bit of stripboard, as the stab knob probably won't be with the others. Also, anyone got any suggestions for any bass friendlier mods? I've already increased the first and last cap values.

[escholl]

[quote name='bobbass4k' post='864860' date='Jun 12 2010, 12:59 AM']...[/quote]

Stripboard looks ok, but without tracing through everything I couldn't really tell you if there were errors. You'll just have to build it.

As for mods, well C1 and C4 are actually already quite large but you may want to increase C2 from 100n to 220n or more if you feel it's not letting through enough bass for some reason.

Given how expensive it is, there's hardly anything in it!

[JackLondon]

[quote name='escholl' post='864885' date='Jun 12 2010, 04:43 AM']Given how expensive it is, there's hardly anything in it![/quote]

[url="http://www.andertons.co.uk/electric-guitar-fx/pid10303/cid579/jim-dunlop-fuzz-face-pedal.asp?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=pricecomp&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping"]http://www.andertons.co.uk/electric-guitar...=GoogleShopping[/url] - with thier volume of purchasing there's maybe £15 worth of parts, tidy profit margin I'd say

[Al Heeley]

yep and the original Fuzz Face has less than half the components of the fuzz factory

[Al Heeley]

[quote name='escholl' post='857850' date='Jun 4 2010, 11:55 PM']all pinouts for the same model number are always the same, regardless of who makes it.[/quote]

that does not appear to be strictly true.
[url="http://www.muzique.com/lab/trans.gif"]http://www.muzique.com/lab/trans.gif[/url]
the BS170 trannies legs can be swapped over, depending on mfr.

[escholl]

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='867138' date='Jun 14 2010, 04:07 PM']that does not appear to be strictly true.
[url="http://www.muzique.com/lab/trans.gif"]http://www.muzique.com/lab/trans.gif[/url]
the BS170 trannies legs can be swapped over, depending on mfr.[/quote]

Trust me, it is true, always. If it wasn't, the industry would run into some serious issues.

Compare the datasheets, and you will see that that gif image is actually incorrect. The Vishay and Zetex ones actually have the Fairchild pinout, not a reversed pinout.

Vishay lists the 2N7000 on the same datasheet as their BS170, and that does have the gate and source switched, so that is likely where the confusion arose.

[Al Heeley]

blimey, you know your trannies! I bow to your superior knowledge but i am now destined to hunt the interweb for eternity in search of a rogue BS170 chip.

[The Twickerman]

[quote name='escholl' post='863952' date='Jun 11 2010, 04:13 AM']Weirdly, I just came across that the other day, and was wondering the same thing lol. I like the idea of it, anyway. Apparently it's a bit different to the version that he makes however, but then it's also much cheaper. I think someone here should build/buy one (I would but i'm too poor), they could be the next big thing! [/quote]

I've just ordered one. $65 (in the UK) buys you the PCB and detailed construction techniques (a bit steep I know). It also buys you into their users' forum.

Apparently there are folks who offer parts kits too... all will be revealed once I get access to the users' forum.

[escholl]

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='867720' date='Jun 15 2010, 08:04 AM']blimey, you know your trannies! I bow to your superior knowledge but i am now destined to hunt the interweb for eternity in search of a rogue BS170 chip.[/quote]
lol i'm sure there's one out there

also sorry if my last post came across as a bit of an abrupt know-it-all, in filling my head with electronics stuff I seem to have chucked out some useful things, like any sort of social skills.


[quote name='The Twickerman' post='867900' date='Jun 15 2010, 11:54 AM']I've just ordered one. $65 (in the UK) buys you the PCB and detailed construction techniques (a bit steep I know). It also buys you into their users' forum.

Apparently there are folks who offer parts kits too... all will be revealed once I get access to the users' forum.[/quote]
nice, be sure to let us know how it goes! lots of pics are a must

I am considering doing the same at some point so would be very interested in this project.

[The Twickerman]

[quote name='escholl' post='868057' date='Jun 15 2010, 03:04 PM']nice, be sure to let us know how it goes! lots of pics are a must

I am considering doing the same at some point so would be very interested in this project.[/quote]

Yeah. You'll have to be patient though.... I have a few things on my plate first.

[Al Heeley]

[quote name='escholl' post='868057' date='Jun 15 2010, 03:04 PM']..also sorry if my last post came across as a bit of an abrupt know-it-all, in filling my head with electronics stuff I seem to have chucked out some useful things, like any sort of social skills. [/quote]
Hey no problem! I like to get to the truth, there's often a lot of conflicting stuff on forums, thx for the input

[JackLondon]

My latest efforts, no gutshots because I forgot to take them and the effects are with their new owner now, fuzz face and signal booster both in A size enclosures.

[attachment=52560:IMG_0293.JPG]

[The Twickerman]

[quote name='JackLondon' post='871091' date='Jun 18 2010, 08:08 PM']My latest efforts, no gutshots because I forgot to take them and the effects are with their new owner now, fuzz face and signal booster both in A size enclosures.

[attachment=52560:IMG_0293.JPG][/quote]


Very [b]very[/b] nice. Where do you get the enclosures?

[JackLondon]

[quote name='The Twickerman' post='871099' date='Jun 18 2010, 08:21 PM']Very [b]very[/b] nice. Where do you get the enclosures?[/quote]

I got them from musikding.de but they don't sell them anymore but now you can get them here [url="http://www.banzaimusic.com/Eddystone-enclosure-A.html"]http://www.banzaimusic.com/Eddystone-enclosure-A.html[/url]

[The Twickerman]

[quote name='JackLondon' post='871104' date='Jun 18 2010, 08:28 PM']I got them from musikding.de but they don't sell them anymore but now you can get them here [url="http://www.banzaimusic.com/Eddystone-enclosure-A.html"]http://www.banzaimusic.com/Eddystone-enclosure-A.html[/url][/quote]

Ta!

[JackLondon]

as note, be carefull with those enclosures because there's not much you can fit in there tbh!

[The Twickerman]

[quote name='JackLondon' post='871118' date='Jun 18 2010, 08:44 PM']as note, be carefull with those enclosures because there's not much you can fit in there tbh![/quote]

I am familiar with this problem!

[attachment=52563:31130_42...184628_n.jpg]