DIY Effects

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='Bottle' timestamp='1364583333' post='2028564']
Hey guys,

Not normally a lurker on the effects side of the forum but I've been adding pedals to my gear list recently and I fancy having a go at building some DIY stuff. My first foray into pedal building was a Woolly Mammoth clone which wasn't my cup of tea really.

I've currently got (in order) a Bass Big Muff Pi, Boss CEB-3, into a SansAmp Paradriver. What I'm looking for is a small overdrive to sit at the front of the chain to bump up the level into the Muff, as I have found that OD into fuzz works much better than fuzz into OD. Ditched my ODB-3 as that was waaay too 'fizzy', if you understand what I mean by that.

The Paradriver is there for DI and tone shaping with just the merest hint of drive going on.

So, I'm looking for a schematic for a one-knob OD that is bass-friendly and will fit into a Hammond 1590A enclosure (yep, the really tiny micro pedal-sized one ). I have heard good things about the Earthquaker Devices Speaker Cranker and would like to emulate something like that on bass, but smaller too.....

Just wondering if I've bitten off more than I can chew?

Ta muchly,

Bottle
[/quote]

HAO Rust Ride, minimal Screamer (remove the buffers) with set gain and no tone control - they both spring to mind, though you may want to reduce the gain on the HAO.

If it's just for boosting a Muff, try a simple LPB-1 circuit rather than an OD. This is essentially what the Blackout Effectors Musket is. SHO isn't a bad call either, but you may find it overly brightens the muff afterwards.

[Bigwan]

Productive few days. Built an SFT circuit on Monday (worked first time!), and finished off my meatball clone circuit - alas it didn't work first time! Missing 2 jumpers was the main problem, and the inverting amps on the lp and hp filters were referenced to ground instead of vref by mistake. Took some scoping to find that in work this morning!

Not an easy circuit to debug, but looking forward to getting home to try it out! Now have 3 circuits to get built up into enclosures - these 2 and a knobless fuzz (mastotron done with trim pots destined for a 1590A enclosure).

Edited April 3, 2013 by Bigwan

[Bigwan]

The meatball clone still didn't work due to my inability to tell anode from cathode - had the LDRs installed backwards! Hoping to make some "bow-chicka-wow-wow" and "wiki-wiki-wah" noises with it tonight though...

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1365063769' post='2034632']
The meatball clone still didn't work due to my inability to tell anode from cathode - had the LDRs installed backwards! Hoping to make some "bow-chicka-wow-wow" and "wiki-wiki-wah" noises with it tonight though...
[/quote]

Octave and fuzz in the effects loop for a winning good time!

[Bigwan]

[quote name='TG Flatline' timestamp='1365087492' post='2035138']


Octave and fuzz in the effects loop for a winning good time!
[/quote]

That's the plan once I have the thing working. Haven't wired the fx loop yet - just something else to be getting in the way at the minute! Once it's up and running there'll be a chord octave and my knobless fuzz (mastotron clone) going in there.

[Bigwan]

I've been mulling over an idea...

Like quite a few folk here I really like the sound of my Ashdown hyperdrive, but not its size. Had looked at cloning it, but having traced out most of the circuit it seems overly complicated to me. So my thoughts turned to a work alike design. Blend/bp filter/distortion.

Then my mind wandered a bit further. Why blend the distorted bandpass signal back with a totally clean signal? Why not add a nice warm valve-sounding drive option instead, like the sft I've just built but with a mid control too. Also thinking of a DI out. All in a Hammond 1590BB.

Any thoughts?

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1365250351' post='2037180']
I've been mulling over an idea...

Like quite a few folk here I really like the sound of my Ashdown hyperdrive, but not its size. Had looked at cloning it, but having traced out most of the circuit it seems overly complicated to me. So my thoughts turned to a work alike design. Blend/bp filter/distortion.

Then my mind wandered a bit further. Why blend the distorted bandpass signal back with a totally clean signal? Why not add a nice warm valve-sounding drive option instead, like the sft I've just built but with a mid control too. Also thinking of a DI out. All in a Hammond 1590BB.

Any thoughts?
[/quote]

Do it. DI may be overkill unless your rig needs it, and if not I'd probably leave it out.

The older Ashdown pedals are deceptively sized! Once you've got anything bigger than pancake jacks on the side of a 1590B it isn't much smaller than the Ashdown. I'm starting to favour portrait 1590BB boxes with all jacks north-mounted.

[Bigwan]

Yeah I'm all for north facing jacks. Landscape/portrait I'm undecided on. Looking at 8 controls on this thing so if they fit portrait with north facing jacks all the better.

The DI is maybe a bit ott, but if there's room I'll stick it in. My only DI pedal is an mxr m80 and it's just a glorified distortion/eq at the minute as the DI has given up the ghost...

[Gareth Hughes]

You know you need a tester for your Meatball clone And for the SFT clone too

[Bigwan]

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' timestamp='1365331640' post='2038044']
You know you need a tester for your Meatball clone And for the SFT clone too
[/quote]

Once I have them boxed I'll shout you G! Jnr no. 2 arrived on Friday morning so I'll probably not get an awful lot of chance to make proper use of them for a while!

[bartelby]

Recently decided to have a go at making pedals from scratch. Finished prototyping a simple fuzz pedal the other day. Finally got a chance to see if it works.
It does and I like it.


(the biro is my DIY audio probe)

Recorded a quick sample.
[url="http://soundcloud.com/warm_leatherette/fuzztest"]http://soundcloud.co...erette/fuzztest[/url]

First part has LED clipping, send bit is a 1N4148.

Next stage is to add a blend section and a switch for the clipping selection, then get a board to solder it on to.

Edited April 7, 2013 by bartelby

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1365339508' post='2038177']
Recently decided to have a go at making pedals from scratch. Finished prototyping a simple fuzz pedal the other day. Finally got a chance to see if it works.
It does and I like it.


(the biro is my DIY audio probe)

Recorded a quick sample.
[url="http://soundcloud.com/warm_leatherette/fuzztest"]http://soundcloud.co...erette/fuzztest[/url]

First part has LED clipping, send bit is a 1N4148.

Next stage is to add a blend section and a switch for the clipping selection, then get a board to solder it on to.
[/quote]

Bazz Fuss? Input cap blend is a nice one on this, I found I didn't need a clean blend once that was on there, worth a look if you've got it on the breadboard!

[bartelby]

It is a Bass Fuss. Would you put a blend before or after the cap?

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1365417095' post='2039137']
It is a Bass Fuss. Would you put a blend before or after the cap?
[/quote]

Cap blend? Check T[url="http://www.home-wrecker.com/bazz.html"]HIS LINK [/url]and you want the Deluxe version just above the Buzz Box. Simply place another cap and a pot wired as a variable resistor in parallel with the input cap. Keep the caps at least 1:100 ratio apart from each other (the values on there are decent starting points) with the larger cap in series with the pot

Edited April 8, 2013 by TG Flatline

[bartelby]

[quote name='TG Flatline' timestamp='1365418111' post='2039145']
Cap blend? Check T[url="http://www.home-wrecker.com/bazz.html"]HIS LINK [/url]and you want the Deluxe version just above the Buzz Box. Simply place another cap and a pot wired as a variable resistor in parallel with the input cap. Keep the caps at least 1:100 ratio apart from each other (the values on there are decent starting points) with the larger cap in series with the pot
[/quote]

excellent!

cheers


EDIT: I've quickly realised playing about with simple circuits is actually quite addictive! What starts out as a little, cheap hobby soon becomes a huge, expensive past time... More components... rarer components.. bigger circuits... more components...

This Bass Fuss is like a 'gateway' drug!!

Edited April 8, 2013 by bartelby

[bartelby]

Decided to build a prototyping rig, based on the Beavis Audio Beavisboard.
Need to get another breadboard, or two, and finish wiring it all up.
But it's a start:

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1365420066' post='2039176']
EDIT: I've quickly realised playing about with simple circuits is actually quite addictive! What starts out as a little, cheap hobby soon becomes a huge, expensive past time... More components... rarer components.. bigger circuits... more components...
[/quote]

This I can relate to! Proto rig looks ace, nice one!

[NoirBass]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1365954171' post='2046428']
Decided to build a prototyping rig, based on the Beavis Audio Beavisboard.
Need to get another breadboard, or two, and finish wiring it all up.
But it's a start:

[/quote]

Excellent work sir. I have just built my first few effects pedals (including a bass fuss!) and am about to embark on a Beavis style proto rig too. And I am also instantly addicted!

Can anyone offer me some advice on painting the enclosures?

1/ I have read loads of walkthroughs on the process, but they all suggest baking them in an oven. Is that really necessary? Can I just leave them to dry?

2/ Also how do I prime them, do I use an etch primer? or can I just use a standard car type primer?

3/ if I want to paint artwork on them can I use acrylic paint and then clear coat them?

So many questions, I'd be really grateful for some advice.

[bartelby]

[quote name='NoirBass' timestamp='1366042532' post='2047639']


Excellent work sir. I have just built my first few effects pedals (including a bass fuss!) and am about to embark on a Beavis style proto rig too. And I am also instantly addicted!

Can anyone offer me some advice on painting the enclosures?

1/ I have read loads of walkthroughs on the process, but they all suggest baking them in an oven. Is that really necessary? Can I just leave them to dry?

2/ Also how do I prime them, do I use an etch primer? or can I just use a standard car type primer?

3/ if I want to paint artwork on them can I use acrylic paint and then clear coat them?

So many questions, I'd be really grateful for some advice.
[/quote]

Artwork hasn't yet come up, the last pedal I built (from a kit) was boxed in a pre coated yellow enclosure that I dipped in purple metal flake paint.

So, at some point I'll be asking the same questions as you...

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='NoirBass' timestamp='1366042532' post='2047639']
Excellent work sir. I have just built my first few effects pedals (including a bass fuss!) and am about to embark on a Beavis style proto rig too. And I am also instantly addicted!

Can anyone offer me some advice on painting the enclosures?

1/ I have read loads of walkthroughs on the process, but they all suggest baking them in an oven. Is that really necessary? Can I just leave them to dry?

2/ Also how do I prime them, do I use an etch primer? or can I just use a standard car type primer?

3/ if I want to paint artwork on them can I use acrylic paint and then clear coat them?

So many questions, I'd be really grateful for some advice.
[/quote]

Depends what kind of finish you're after readlly - for the painted artwork you mention in 3/ are you talking about ZVex style stuff? If so, try Uni Posca Paint Pens. You can then clear coat over them no problem.

If you do go down the line of baking your pedals, you absolutely 100% must not use the same oven you cook food in. Grab a small toaster oven from Argos for £20 or so. This also gives you a dust-free environment. You don't NEED to bake the pedals, but you need to wait a long time for the paint to cure before you can apply clear coat, and then a long time for that to cure before you can start attaching jacks etc without cracking the finish. I bake my pedals, the finish is far more durable and depending on other contraints you can have a box painted and clear coated in a couple of days. If you're only going to make the odd one here and there I wouldn't have thought buying an oven would be worth it though.

Lots of divided opinion about this on DIYSB and FSB forums though. Best bet is to identify a style you like and then try things out. I'm a fan of etching, so 99% of everything I do is etched, with a lot of bare metal showing on the finished box - others are not so keen though!

Good luck with it!

[NoirBass]

Nice one TG, Thats a great help.

Yeah, in 3/ I'm exactly on about ZVEX type artwork I'll check out the Uni Posca's.

And it looks like an oven might be a good idea, even just for the dust free aspect. Who'd of thought I'd need an oven to make pedals!

Still unsure about priming the pedals and what to use, is etch primer purely used pre etching? So therefore if I'm just painting them a stock aluminium primer is what I'd want.

Cheers again I'm off to source a cheap toaster oven.

[NoirBass]

Actually, whilst I'm here:

I'm looking at adding a blend to a fuzz. I have both circuits built my question is on switching.
I'd like to have one footswitch to turn the whole effect on and off and another to turn the blend function on and off.
Can anyone offer me a good diagram for wiring the switches. I've hunted high and low and cannot seem to find one.

Edited April 16, 2013 by NoirBass

[Bigwan]

[quote name='TG Flatline' timestamp='1366107893' post='2048296']

I'm a fan of etching, so 99% of everything I do is etched, with a lot of bare metal showing on the finished box - others are not so keen though!

Good luck with it!
[/quote]

Was looking at your build blogs on your website. Really cool stuff! What type of paint do you use to fill your etchings (on the Like Rome pedal for example)? Enamel?

[Protium]

I get better results baking enclosures, but 99% of them I leave as bare metal and print vinyl stickers. I'm seriously considering modifying a toaster

[TG Flatline]

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1366121780' post='2048590']
Was looking at your build blogs on your website. Really cool stuff! What type of paint do you use to fill your etchings (on the Like Rome pedal for example)? Enamel?
[/quote]

Cheers! Aye I use enamel spray paint. At the minute, budget limits me to spray cans, a compressor is on my Christmas list, though my Christmas list is pretty long...

NoirBass - what are the fuzz and blend circuits you'll be using? Switching may depend on the type of fuzz to get the best out of it is all.