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DIY Effects


JackLondon

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  • 4 weeks later...

Been a bit quiet in here lately so i thought i'd pop up a picture of a 2 channel splitter that i have made for a friend. He wants to run his bass through a guitar amp and bass amp at the same time.

This took about half an hour to make including the box. Very simple and doesnt suck too much tone! enclosure is a 1590A, and is a clone of the AMZ channel splitter.

[URL=http://s147.photobucket.com/user/grimacingreaper/media/WP_20150110_003_zps0e10ddc1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r317/grimacingreaper/WP_20150110_003_zps0e10ddc1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

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I did something similar, feeding bridge + neck pickup into two seperate bass amps but got ground loop hum. I found an audio isolation transformer to isolate one amp channel. (did not want to drop off an amp earth) Seemed to work Ok, not sure what the transformer was, expensive looking, I think from a professional tape head unit. As quick to make but not so pretty :rolleyes:

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Not an effect as such, but has anyone had a go at building an active eq for a bass, and if so which one? How successful was it? I'm thinking of putting one together using a Sadowsky schematic, I like the idea of this one partly because I can use a concentric pot for the bass/treb controls as they are the same value (unlike the Stingray circuit I've seen).

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1421141255' post='2657459']
Not an effect as such, but has anyone had a go at building an active eq for a bass, and if so which one? How successful was it? I'm thinking of putting one together using a Sadowsky schematic, I like the idea of this one partly because I can use a concentric pot for the bass/treb controls as they are the same value (unlike the Stingray circuit I've seen).
[/quote]

Not yet but I have plans to in the next month or so, similar to your plan I am wanting to a jazz bass with the Sadowsky pre clone using concentric volume controls, concentric bass & treble and a passive tone. If I beat you to actually doing it I will let you know how it goes.

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I'd love to have a go at an onboard preamp. But I have a feeling that, if I were to build the one I would like, it would be far too big to fit into a bass, because I would be building it on veroboard. I have yet to learn how to make my own PCBs and can't see me learning any time soon.

The preamp I would like to make would be the John East U Retro 01:

[i]Highly flexible on-board dual input preamp and EQ system. Its high quality circuit uses three stacked knobs and includes an active blend circuit plus a 3 band equaliser with bass, variable frequency mid, treble and bright function. The pot threads are 10mm long, designed to allow rear cavity mounting in the bass body.[/i]

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[quote name='d-basser' timestamp='1421839695' post='2665500']
Not yet but I have plans to in the next month or so, similar to your plan I am wanting to a jazz bass with the Sadowsky pre clone using concentric volume controls, concentric bass & treble and a passive tone. If I beat you to actually doing it I will let you know how it goes.
[/quote]
Snap :D concentric volumes, concentric bass/treb, and a passive tone with push-pull switch.

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I have decided that it is time to reopen my Big Muff/Musket and mess about with it, again. For no other reason than I can.

Because the Musket side has five transistors the signal comes out reversed, so when it goes through the blend circuit that I have installed, the volume drops mid sweep. Unfortunately, the only way I really know how to re-reverse the phase is to add another transistor stage in the form of a boost. Which also mean I will have to have another volume knob or trimmer to equalise its output.

...........


Tonight I found this:

http://guitar-fx-layouts.42897.x6.nabble.com/1-Knob-Noise-Gate-td16440.html

A one knob noise gate. It looks pretty handy so I think I might chuck that in there, too. Fortunately I have it all in quite a large enclosure, this thing will end up with a dozen knobs and seven switches.

............

The idea I had for the LED, using an RGB that glows blue for the Muff, red for the Musket and purple for both, isn't working out so well. Because I have an order switching switch in the centre I installed the LED to one side and I just can't get used to it, it always looks like only the effect on that side of the box is on, the position being more obvious than the colour. Which is a shame. So I am going to split it up and put separate (one blue and one purple) LEDs next to the footswitches.

...........

I need to do some experimenting with the Mids switch capacitor values.

...........

Right then, the actual reason for this post... I have a clipping stage switch that has the standard diode, no diode and LED options. I want to add a second switch so that when the first switch is in the no diode position it will in fact go to a second switch which will have a no diode option and then two asymmetrical clipping options. Which is something I have never given any real thought to before. Obviously I will breadboard it to see what I like and what I don't like, but I am at a bit of a loss as to where to start. Are there any common, well regarded settings that work particularly well for bass or the Big Muff? Does mixing diodes and LEDs work? I have seen some bonkers options, with a dozen diodes pointing one way and only a couple pointing the other, so it seems the options are endless.

Have you experimented with this before? How did it go? Is it worth the bother?

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[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1422512752' post='2673506']
I have decided that it is time to reopen my Big Muff/Musket and mess about with it, again. [b]For no other reason than I can.[/b]
Does mixing diodes and LEDs work? I have seen some bonkers options, with a dozen diodes pointing one way and only a couple pointing the other, so it seems the options are endless.

[/quote]

Point 1) That's the best reason for doming anything, go for it.
Point 2) Changing out the clipping diodes has a massive effect on the sound of the pedal. LEDS sound a 'softer' than Silicon diodes, and Germanium diodes sit somewhere in the middle.
Putting more diodes pointing one way than the other will give you asymmetrical clipping, which may or may not be a good thing depending in your tastes. Best thing to do is to wire a breadboard in place of the original diodes and then chop and change to your heart's content.

I think I remember reading somewhere than Boss patented putting one diode pointing one way and two the other way. Rotters.

A dpdt toggle switch is a great way to flick between two lots of clippers (Si and Ge), take the diodes off the board and wire the middle lugs of the switch in their place, then stick your diodes to the 2 remaining pairs of outside lugs.

Edited by paul_5
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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1422520069' post='2673543']


Point 1) That's the best reason for doming anything, go for it.
Point 2) Changing out the clipping diodes has a massive effect on the sound of the pedal. LEDS sound a 'softer' than Silicon diodes, and Germanium diodes sit somewhere in the middle.
Putting more diodes pointing one way than the other will give you asymmetrical clipping, which may or may not be a good thing depending in your tastes. Best thing to do is to wire a breadboard in place of the original diodes and then chop and change to your heart's content.

I think I remember reading somewhere than Boss patented putting one diode pointing one way and two the other way. Rotters.
[/quote]
I've already modded it with a switch that allows either the original diodes, no diodes or yellow LEDs (I preferred the yellow to the other colours I tried. The plan is to fit a second switch off the first to give me a couple of asymmetrical options. That's saying that I like the sound once I have tried it on a breadboard. Having said that, I'll probably do it anyway because it would mean the layout of the knobs and switches would be symmetrical.

I think I read that Peavey have a patent for 40:1 asymmetrical clipping as part of solid state amp simulation.

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Something else I could do with some help with... I have already started work on a loop pedal with blend, but it has limitations. The blend works fine as long as the pedal in its loop doesn't reverse phase. As I said in my previous post, the only way I know how to correct that is to add a boost, the LB-1, which also reverses the phase, problem sorted. Except then I have to include a volume knob for the boost to make sure the out put is even.

An alternative would be to find a boost with two gain stages that will leave the phase as it found it. That way I old flick between the two. It'd be nice to have the boost start to kick in about 9:00 to give plenty of scape for getting the volumes right.
Then I would like to build a pedal that will have 6 or 8 of these channels. With a few other options for fun.

I'm sure I am missing things, but it is 9:34am and I haven't been to bed yet, too busy thing about this crap.

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Does anyone here use ferrite beads to help reduce RF noise in your pedals?

I am thinking of trying them, it can't hurt, can it? I can get 100 of them for less than £3 on Amazon.
The room I practice in is very noisy, with two PCs and monitors, router, cordless phone and various types of lighting, all in a small space. The biggest problem is probably that the headphones I practice with at night are cordless and transmit by radio.
I do have some IR cordless headphones but they give me far less range than I would have with a wired set, which is bloomin' stupid. I'm not good with wired sets, I started going cordless when I was having to repair or replace a set every three weeks because I kept breaking the wire.

So, have any of you tried ferrite beads and were they any good?

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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1422520069' post='2673543']
A dpdt toggle switch is a great way to flick between two lots of clippers (Si and Ge), take the diodes off the board and wire the middle lugs of the switch in their place, then stick your diodes to the 2 remaining pairs of outside lugs.
[/quote]Or if your breadboard experiment gives you several sounds that you really like, get a 4/5/6-way rotary switch and play to your heart's content :D

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[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1422610009' post='2674495']
Or if your breadboard experiment gives you several sounds that you really like, get a 4/5/6-way rotary switch and play to your heart's content :D
[/quote]

This - The DAM Ezekiel 25 does this I think.

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[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1422610009' post='2674495']
Or if your breadboard experiment gives you several sounds that you really like, get a 4/5/6-way rotary switch and play to your heart's content :D
[/quote]
I've got a 12 rotary switch that actually started the idea of even more clipping options for me. But it's quite big and I really don't think there is space in the box for it. I had to practically sit on it like it was an over stuffed suitcase to get it closed last time. I really need to sort the wiring properly, it looks like the back of a telephone exchange from the fifties at the moment.

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[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1422633710' post='2674957']

I've got a 12 rotary switch that actually started the idea of even more clipping options for me. But it's quite big and I really don't think there is space in the box for it. I had to practically sit on it like it was an over stuffed suitcase to get it closed last time. I really need to sort the wiring properly, it looks like the back of a telephone exchange from the fifties at the moment.
[/quote]
A 12 way switch..?? Blimey, that'd give you enough bells and whistles to let you ring and blow all day :lol:

Edited by UglyDog
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Finished a Rat clone tonight for my girlfriends pedalboard:

[IMG]http://i60.tinypic.com/2z57kn4.jpg[/IMG]

Madbeans PCB, going to drop an LED anti-pop circuit into it tomorrow, try and make the switch a little quieter!
Graphics are stenciled by me.

Si

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oooo - could you tell me what an LED anti-pop circuit is please. I've got pop-problems with my LPB-1 boost clone and I've done the usual 1M to the board input, but still getting probs. Thanks.

I'm waiting for my Madbean Afterlife Compressor PCB as I write!

Edited by ColinB
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[quote name='ColinB' timestamp='1423037266' post='2679743']
oooo - could you tell me what an LED anti-pop circuit is please. I've got pop-problems with my LPB-1 boost clone and I've done the usual 1M to the board input, but still getting probs. Thanks.

I'm waiting for my Madbean Afterlife Compressor PCB as I write!
[/quote]

http://www.muzique.com/lab/led.htm
I essentially use the second variant of the circuit. You can put together a vero board, or I'm just submitting a little PCB to a prototyper to put your LEDs into.
As mentioned at the bottom of the article, not always an LED issue, could just be a very high gain circuit, and it actually mentions the LPB-1 :-P

Si

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[quote name='ColinB' timestamp='1423060468' post='2680146']
Thanks Si. I'll look into those. I've built my LPB-1 in a 1590A box so there's very little room to do anything.
[/quote]

Ah yeah, you're not going to fit anything else in that bad-boy :)

Si

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Hello peeps, not been in here for a while.

Following a discussion in the main effects forum, can anyone enlighten me as to how I could make a small circuit that would allow me to delay the switching of a momentary switch by about 1/2 a second after I'd pressed it?

Thanks in advance.

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Press it half a second later?

Dunno, small timer circuit (simple resistor and capacitor affair) then use a transistor to do the actual switching maybe?

Or a transistor and a relay (is that over egging the pudding though?)

Edited by paul_5
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[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1423080472' post='2680538']
Press it half a second later?

Dunno, small timer circuit (simple resistor and capacitor affair) then use a transistor to do the actual switching maybe?

Or a transistor and a relay (is that over egging the pudding though?)
[/quote]

Can you point me in the direction of a simple timer circuit and / or transistor switching? I've not come across either.
Many thanks for the reply

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