Post-Lockdown pedal building

idiotwind

Duplicate post

Keefy

idiotwind said:

Keefy said:

Having been alerted to it in another thread, I fancy building a Multiplex Echo Machine. 1776 Effects supply the PCB but they are closed until the Zombie Apocalypse dies down. Ah well, that will have to wait for another day...

I've been planning to do one of these as well, though $13.30 shipping on a $15 PCB was holding me back a bit.  I have found a vero layout for it here: http://guitar-fx-layouts.42897.x6.nabble.com/1776-Multiplex-with-charge-discharge-trimmers-td29819.html
Considering I've never used vero before, it's a bit daunting though.  ...

Hmm... think I’ll wait for the PCB!

In other news I was able to install the input socket on my Big Muff Pi build today. Plugging in between Strat and amp, my first thought was: this sounds like a cheap distortion pedal. I quickly worked out that you need the sustain up to about 3 o’clock (at least with a Strat), the tone control makes a big difference, and it’s all about context. On its own it sounds, well, a bit shit, but when I tried playing along with Pink Floyd’s Animals, there’s the sound! You have to dig into the guitar quite a bit, you can’t just play a note and let the pedal make it sustain, it’s not as gainy as you might expect.

I also tried it with my Tele Deluxe, which is a much easier ride.

I’m currently sat listening to Animals (to be followed by Gilmour’s eponymous solo album from the preceding year) and you can hear how DG works the pedal.

roberty

Keefy said:

idiotwind said:

Keefy said:

Having been alerted to it in another thread, I fancy building a Multiplex Echo Machine. 1776 Effects supply the PCB but they are closed until the Zombie Apocalypse dies down. Ah well, that will have to wait for another day...

I've been planning to do one of these as well, though $13.30 shipping on a $15 PCB was holding me back a bit.  I have found a vero layout for it here: http://guitar-fx-layouts.42897.x6.nabble.com/1776-Multiplex-with-charge-discharge-trimmers-td29819.html
Considering I've never used vero before, it's a bit daunting though.  ...

Hmm... think I’ll wait for the PCB!

In other news I was able to install the input socket on my Big Muff Pi build today. Plugging in between Strat and amp, my first thought was: this sounds like a cheap distortion pedal. I quickly worked out that you need the sustain up to about 3 o’clock (at least with a Strat), the tone control makes a big difference, and it’s all about context. On its own it sounds, well, a bit shit, but when I tried playing along with Pink Floyd’s Animals, there’s the sound! You have to dig into the guitar quite a bit, you can’t just play a note and let the pedal make it sustain, it’s not as gainy as you might expect.

I also tried it with my Tele Deluxe, which is a much easier ride.

I’m currently sat listening to Animals (to be followed by Gilmour’s eponymous solo album from the preceding year) and you can hear how DG works the pedal.

Yep the magic in the muff is when you goose the sustain :-)

roberty

Oh this is the inside of a 1979 big muff btw, so if you're bummed out about your wiring not being a work of art as I am take solace

JMP220478

anyone seen a UK available kit for a Broadcast ?  

roberty

JMP220478 said:

anyone seen a UK available kit for a Broadcast ?  

Nope but I got a really good clone from a guy called Joseph Maxwell in Brighton. No PCB like the original. Sounds phenomenal. I can put you in touch

stickyfiddle

No Broadcast from Fuzzdog, but they do the Chimera 30 which is a Benson Preamp for a similar vibe, I think (albeit through quite a different route)

suspiciousminds

I love building my own effects.
Having to work and care for my other half who’s poorly, I find it’s a great way to relax in my spare time.
I get a real sense of achievement building from vero but of late I’ve been having my own pcbs made up and 
fabbed.

english_bob

JMP220478 said:

anyone seen a UK available kit for a Broadcast ?  

Jed's Peds Sullenberger.

I've never used them so can't comment on quality but they've been around a while...

stickyfiddle

Wobbly progress! Good build so far. Almost done on electrickery components with just chips, pots, switches and jacks left, I think. 

roberty

Looks good @stickyfiddle - the enclosure drilling will have to be very accurate to accommodate board mounted jacks?

I have a Zander Foxxton Woods PCB to build. Putting off going through the BOM to figure out which bits I need to buy. Got a couple of Ge trannies for Range Master builds too. Should really put an hour aside to go through it all and order the parts

LastMantra

roberty said:

Keefy said:

idiotwind said:

Keefy said:

Having been alerted to it in another thread, I fancy building a Multiplex Echo Machine. 1776 Effects supply the PCB but they are closed until the Zombie Apocalypse dies down. Ah well, that will have to wait for another day...

I've been planning to do one of these as well, though $13.30 shipping on a $15 PCB was holding me back a bit.  I have found a vero layout for it here: http://guitar-fx-layouts.42897.x6.nabble.com/1776-Multiplex-with-charge-discharge-trimmers-td29819.html
Considering I've never used vero before, it's a bit daunting though.  ...

Hmm... think I’ll wait for the PCB!

In other news I was able to install the input socket on my Big Muff Pi build today. Plugging in between Strat and amp, my first thought was: this sounds like a cheap distortion pedal. I quickly worked out that you need the sustain up to about 3 o’clock (at least with a Strat), the tone control makes a big difference, and it’s all about context. On its own it sounds, well, a bit shit, but when I tried playing along with Pink Floyd’s Animals, there’s the sound! You have to dig into the guitar quite a bit, you can’t just play a note and let the pedal make it sustain, it’s not as gainy as you might expect.

I also tried it with my Tele Deluxe, which is a much easier ride.

I’m currently sat listening to Animals (to be followed by Gilmour’s eponymous solo album from the preceding year) and you can hear how DG works the pedal.

Yep the magic in the muff is when you goose the sustain :-)

Although with some you can get a really cool "torn speaker" type sound with the sustain  down 

stickyfiddle

roberty said:

Looks good @stickyfiddle - the enclosure drilling will have to be very accurate to accommodate board mounted jacks?

Yep. Thankfully the kit comes with a pre-drilled enclosure which should be spot on. I wouldn’t like to drill this many things in the right spots without a pillar drill!!

TTony

stickyfiddle said:

Wobbly progress! Good build so far. Almost done on electrickery components with just chips, pots, switches and jacks left, I think. 

(title, not artist!!)

stickyfiddle

Cheers @TTony, though I’m still a fair way from powering up on the biggest kit I’ve done yet, so the artist may yet prove to be accurate!! I’ll know more in another hour or so

LastMantra

One thing I always do now with strip board (when I remember) is to run a blade or something along between the tracks (after soldering) More than once I've had tiny strands of solder (needed a magnifying glass to see) shorting things.

stickyfiddle

Fully populated board.



Powered up and calibrating trim pots 




Testing. Works and sounds decent




All cased and with knobs on. Overall a great little kit build and a brilliant sounding pedal. I haven't AB-ed with my Walrus Monuments yet but will do at some point. First impressions are that it's in a very similar ballpark but with more options from the Spacing & Harmonic Mix knobs, which is excellent.

english_bob

All that, and working first time. Good work.

Does it still use "roll-your-own" optocouplers? How did those work out? I imagine them being a bit of a faff. 

stickyfiddle

english_bob said:

All that, and working first time. Good work.

Does it still use "roll-your-own" optocouplers? How did those work out? I imagine them being a bit of a faff. 

Yeah. They were extremely easy actually, just an LED and LDR in a bit of heat shrink - about 1 minute's work each. They're just under the multimeter probes in that pic.

The only hitch was a small hole at the LED end of one of them as I got overzealous with the pliers trying to seal it completely. A bit of black sharpie stops any extra light getting in/out and it sounds good so I assume all fine. 

english_bob

Good to know. A friend of mine was thinking of buying one and getting me to build it for him. I've done a few pretty involved BYOC kits before but nothing quite as involved as the Quaverato.

Quite tempted to get one myself, partly because the kit is a total bargain, but I don't really need all that tremolo...