Post-Lockdown pedal building

Keefy

Not actually a pedal, but intended to go on a pedal board as an analog alternative to my recently acquired IR loader. It's a Condor Cab Sim (circuit from runoffgroove.com) with an added audio transformer for a balanced output. P.A. OUT takes my guitar signal to the mixer while the MONITOR output will run straight to my IEM transmitter. The amp sim on my board is a RevivalDrive Compact.

It took a few goes to get right. Both Fuzzdog and Jed's Peds do PCBs but I decided to go with Vero because I'm an idiot. Version 1 layout used two TL072s but I modified it to include the extra voicing option (scoopy Marshall tone, allegedly). I made so many mistakes with it that I eventually gave up. Version 2 layout was based around a single TL074, with the voicing switch. I actually got this to work! The first amplification stage is a FET. The designer recommends a J201 but you can use others. I stuck with the J201 as I found a 2N5457 too bright and crunchy.

The unit gives very acceptable results. I'm going to spend some time comparing it with my IR loader. I'll probably take both to gigs so that I have a spare cab sim.

roberty

That's really impressive @Keefy nice work

stickyfiddle

Yeah that’s a great idea and something I could benefit from as a get out of jail option for gig backup

Might have to build one though I’ll stick with the Fuzzdog cob version..!!

roberty

Vero is a bit like Jurassic Park, "your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should" :-)

Alex2678

I’ve a mate with a broken practice amp and I offered to stick a Ruby circuit in there for him, tried with vero but it was one problem after another, spent £4 on a pcb and worked first time. Those rows on vero are too close together for me

Keefy

I set up my direct-to-PA pedalboard and a GigRig Loopy 2 to switch between the Condor and the Sonic IR. Test instruments were an SC Relics Tele and a MIJ Strat (which are the guitars I tend to use with this 'board).

First off, without a cab sim, the clean-ish sound from the RD Compact sounds very much like what I get from my Boss Acoustic Simulator - who knew!? I set the gain and volume on the Condor to roughly match the output of the Sonic IR and proceeded to A/B the various IRs with the Condor.

Result: The Sonic IR pisses all over the Condor from a great height - all the sounds are fuller and more realistic, it works much better with overdrive, and the Condor has a small but noticeable noise floor. The Sonic IR is staying on my board but the Condor will be coming to amp-less gigs as a backup.

I already had most of the parts to build the Condor, including the enclosure and the transformer. If I'd had to buy them all then the total project cost would doubtless have exceeded the £40 I paid for the Sonic IR. Still, a fun project, and if I hadn't tried it I'd have been left wondering whether I was missing an analog trick. Maybe I'll try reverse-engineering the passive filter circuit in my Palmer PDI-09?

stylesforfree

Alex2678 said:

I don’t know if this qualifies as building but resurrecting at least - @stylesforfree offered up a couple of abandoned fuzz dog builds last year and finally got round to sorting this one - a Lemon Drop clone, meant to emulate a vox solid state amp as used by the Beatles and Zep. Really liking the sound, very brash 

Awesome!!