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The final part of my ring mod trilogy, I finished this up today.





I've added a fine tune pot to the frequency tuning because the range is ridiculous for one control, but other than that and the layout it's totally stock.
I really didn't like the knob layout on the PCB, and there was no sensible way to secure it, so I had to make a mounting plate out of an old scratchplate and bolt it to the case. Maybe a little overengineered but it works. I really wish all PCBs had mounting holes, it seems a pretty basic requirement to me but maybe I'm old fashioned.

Here she is with my other recent builds. I'm close to having enough ring mods now I feel



I still haven't actually used any of these much as my studio is in a transitory period right now, but if you're trying to pick one of the three to build I'd sumise them by saying-

Ring Stinger- Complicated in build and use, lots of control, lots of fuzz
Wurmloch- Easy to build, lots of crazy noise but more limited in use, perfect if you want a simplified noise fuzz with ring mod sounds
Hapalochlaena- Easy to build, the only "clean" ring mod of the three, great for a studio effect if you want to experiment with running vocals etc through it.

I can't stress enough that I barely know what I'm talking about here, but those are my initial impressions.

My continuing mission, to build all the ring modulators....

This is a Wurmloch, PCB from Deadend. Based on the Death By Audio Space Ring with an added blend and "Wormhole" control, it's pretty bonkers but a lot of fun. Far less versatile and powerful than the String Ringer I recently completed, it covers a few of the sounds well and is a great solution for someone looking for bonkers noise but not something as complex as that.





There are a few wierd parts that you'll probably not have laying around but it's a pretty simple build once you get them. The layout is nice and clean and you can make it more compact than I have if you don't share my distrust of board mounted switches.

My first build of 2022 is my first build since 2018, using a board etched in 2015ish.
Spent a month or so slowly building this up, triple checking every component, placement, wire and solder joint. Really didn't want to end up trouble shooting this monster and in the end it fired up first try thankfully. Only slight issues were replacing one wire with shielded cable and moving another away from the transformer board to reduce background noise, and now I think its done!
I realise that not many will build this version now the deadend fx PCB is available, but huge shoutout to Haberdasher for the board. It is truly a work of art and as high quality as anything out there.









As you can see I went with toggle switches over stomp switches as this seems a better desktop unit than anything else, and in the unlikely event it ends up on a pedalboard it will just have to go in a loop.

I spent so long staring at builds of this when I was starting out building pedals and I'm super glad to finally have it under my belt. Feels like a good confidence boost having not built anything in so long.

After this sat dead on a shelf for a couple of months, I started feeling really guilty about avoiding troubleshooting this beast. So I spent the last few hours going through it and finally found a single, unsoldered pad.
Sigh.
Even ignoring today, this is probably the most time i've invested in a build, but I'm really happy with the result. It's as compact as I feel comfortable making something with this much wire in it, and unlike most builds I've seen (especially the original) you can actually hit the bastard footswitch!
Paint job is old school DIY (ie. garbage), but that's never been my strong point.





Under the board is as neat as I could make it



The board then just folds over the pots. I built a very technical rig for the wiring process as you can see

As an effect, it's fairly bonkers, and I haven't messed with it much but I'm pretty sure everything works as it should. I've played a lot of crazy effects but this has it's own thing going on, worth building in my opinion, especially if you've recently given up drugs and are looking for a substitute.
I think with this working I'll finish my vero ADA flanger and then only build fabbed PCBs with board mounted pots for the rest of my life!

I'm putting together some big PCBs for the first time in a while, and a lot of them have board mounted LEDs. I really don't like the idea of not using bezels so I usually use flying wires, but these projects are tight on space and keeping the LEDs in place under the board seems the best route.
Using bezels seems a bloody nightmare but I was wondering if anyone has a method I haven't noticed in build reports over the years?
I might drill an undersized hole countersunk from the back so they sit flush to the panel, but I much prefer the look of a bezel.

 This thing is awesome. Only been able to play it straight through a desk so can't really go in depth as to sound but what i've heard sounds great and I have faith it'll kill when put through a good amp.
Managed to get it into a 1590xx with top mounted jacks like the original which I thought would be tricky, which to be fair, it was.





I tried really hard to keep it neat, but my word there's a lot of wiring in here...
The sad part is this is a build for a friend, and as much as I want my own I really don't know if I can be bothered to go through this again! Ho-hum, maybe one day.
For now, I've got to say i'm super proud of this one. Thanks to tagboardeffects for the (as always) excellent layout.

This was built mainly because I had the parts, but i'm starting to think it could be a really useful, beastly pedal.





Wiring looks sprawled but it avoids crosstalk nicely.
Fairly boring guts due to board mounted 9mm pots. Makes for cute little boards though-

Scarab Deluxe and Lunar Module Deluxe. The extra controls are really worth it IMO, and the super tight 9mm pots were used out if curiosity. Really doubt i'll ever go after 1590A builds!







Both sound great and are highly recommended. No rare parts or other B.S, just good fuzzy fun.

Built up an IC Muff as i've always been curious. Sounds really great, the tone control is just absurd- a million pillows all the way to nightmare static. Built out of magical mojo parts for no real reason. Its the tagboardeffects layout.
It might not look spectacular compared to a lot of the stuff on here, but i'm really happy how neat this looks. From now on this is the standard i'd really like to hit with my builds.

Oh god these things are ridiculous. Built a mini swash on a 4MS board before, and i have an old school big box original. Think this one works as it should though i haven't a/b'd it yet. I do remember the big box and mini swash being fairly different though... i think these things do as they please...





The cracked and superglued top goes some way to explain why real tupperware costs so much i suppose.

Well, this is a lot of fun-




Pretty sure everything is working as it should, doesn't seem as well behaved or refined as the demo online but that may just be the vero over a pcb. Certainly works better than it did for the time spent trouble shooting before realising i was missing a cut on the board (sigh).
Like it so much i think i'll buy a pcb and give it a go with that. This one is perfect for my tupperware noise setup though.

In preparation for my PLL build/ wire-o-thon, i thought i'd warm up with just a 6-knob build 
The Echbender is a great toy and a recomended build to anyone. Just a lovely echo/ dist/ noise box. Simple build other than the tight layout leaving little space for electrolytics.




Not going to win any beauty awards yet, but she's easily rehoused!
(Built from the tagboardeffects layout, i love that site so, so much)

Hey eveyone, this is my first post since 2013, meaning i've been out of the pedal game for 4ish years  I've realised i really miss it and want to start putting in the time again!
Feeling an urge to prove something to myself, i'm going to attempt  a PLLone, as i've always wanted to try one out. I know it might be wiser to start with a fuzzface or something, but so far it's going OK-


What I'm wondering is if anyone here has done this, and if they have any photos or advice. The great Photobucket nightmare has hindered my research somewhat 

Anywhoo, it's nice to be back and I hope to be here often. Now I'm off to drool at the build reports section some more! Best wishes to you all

I have a few 2n404a transistors laying around of the following hfe's and low leakages-
116
92
72
103
108
and was wondering if I can use them for anything fun? I already have a Tonebender and Fuzz Face using these, so I'm looking for some new flavours. I noticed Stomptown used one in a Harmonic Percolator build, so I'll probably start with one of those, but was wondering if there's much else to use them in?

I've been slacking on build reports lately, so here's a round up of a few dirt pedals.

First off is one of Bengt's Blue Monster PCBs-




Very interesting sounding distortion, with a lot of tonez to play with. At first the filter pot seemed a bit over the top at either extreme but after playing with it a while you realise that there are certain settings which require the full sweep. Certainly worth a build if your into unique sounding high-gain pedulz. Hoping to get a proper demo recorded soon.

Now onto some vero action. This one is a SHO/ Meathead built for someone who wanted a birthday gift for their guitar playing friend. The switches are an order reverse switch and input/ output caps for the meathead-




I enjoyed building this, and caught the vero bug. This led to my Christmas gift for a very good friend- a Blackout Effectors Musket clone (highly modified muff)-




Sounds epic and a highly recommended build for muff fans.

Up next is a Mad Prof Stone Grey Distortion / DAM Sonic Titan double distortion-




Loving the sound of this one. There is a whine with the Stone Grey distortion maxed out, but I don't mind as this pedal is for me and I won't be using it like that. First impressions are that they are fairly similar sounding circuits, but different enough to want both Dirty, noisy rock distortion!

Finally is a build using two of Pickdropper's beautiful PCBs. This is a Moon Lander and Screwdriver-




One of those pedals you know is a keeper the second you hear it. If you've not played either of these circuits you really should build them, this is staying on my guitar pedal board for good! Having these two together really does open up a huge array of sounds. Freaking awesome.

Hope you good people like 'em!

 Would anyone mind giving their opinions on a couple of rotary switch wiring ideas? I came up with the following layouts and was wondering if anyone could have a look and see if I actually got them right

Switch 1-
This is for a pedal with two separate distortions each with their own independent foot switch. I want to also build a delay into this which could be assigned to either distortion. The switch is a 4P3T rotary with one unused set of lugs.
"from dist.1 out" is from the distortion 1 PCB output, "to dist.1 out" means to the foot switch. Sorry for not making this diagram clearer...
Position 1 would be Distortion 1 with delay, distortion 2 without delay
Position 2 would be distortion 1 without delay, distortion 2 with delay
Position 3 would be delay off entirely.



The second switch is for two effects with one foot switch.
Position 1 would be effect one alone.
Position 2 would be effect two alone.
Position 3 would be effect one into effect two.



I'm sorry if this doesn't make any sense at all, I've tried to make myself clear but may well have failed...

This project has been a long time in the making, stemming from many discussions and cups of tea with the new owner. Bit of an unusual project in that a lot of the normal limiting factors such as cost, size, sanity and common sense were thrown out of the window to be replaced with "awesome".
Some pics!









Not as complex as it might look at first, it's a two channel distortion/ OD box. One channel has an Op Amp Muff, Slow Loris and La Vache, each with an off/ on toggle and a flipper switch to move the La Vache from pre-boost to post-boost duties (muff > rat > LV or LV > muff > rat). The other side is the same layout but with an Ego Driver, Moon Lander and Hoodoo Drive.
The centre foot switch is bypass, the right side is channel A/ channel B and the left foot switch is an independent TB loop following the dirt. This is the SOLO function, and the loop will be filled with phasers and delays etc.
The guy who bought this plays a variety of different styles, and wanted something that can be configured to be anything from a clean boost to a fire-breathing monster. He also wanted a simple way of getting crazy stacked distortion tones without tap-dancing as he is a singer who doesn't want to have to concentrate on his pedalboard on stage. Though some might look at this pedal and think it needless overkill, I think it will be very practical for the user. No more endlessly re-arranging his board, just flip a few switches and have a whole new dirt setup!
The enclosure is a Hammond 1550J, the largest of the Hammond diecast series. I must have had it waiting for a project for two years...
Thanks has to go to Jacob and Brian, without whom I would have had a hard time fitting this into an amp chassis, let alone this box. As always, their layouts and boards are just wonderful to work with and sound fabulous. Thanks also goes to everyone on these boards for the inspiration and education needed to get a beast like this up and running. You people are the best.

YABMP!

This is a nice variation on a theme, much more useable at lower gain than a regular muff but with tonnes of filth if you crank it up. Great for stoner rock riffing on guitar, and super doomy with full chords. This pedal sounds like drugs.




Dig the mojo caps...
I don't really know what happened with the guts- it was meant to be super tidy, and stage by stage it felt like things were going to plan. However, the finished article doesn't look that great... You live and learn I guess.
A recommended build for muff enthusiasts, or anyone looking for a heavy fuzzstortion sound.

 I found an old 4MS nocto loco board I want to finally build up, but have no 1uf electrolytics to hand. Can anyone tell me if I'm able to use film caps instead?



Sorry for being such a n00b. I really don't understand circuits very well, I just like building them... 

 First up is a 4MS Noise Swash. For those of you who don't know what it does, I think the official spiel explains it best-
"breath-e the spectral noise layers of saturated soothingly blazing cymbals of pourring rushingwhiteness and sonics with guitarr or audiosonics creating devise
the musician produces atethered spectrums of sheering whiteness
...beyond thee traditionalle distortion|fuzz boxes
noise swash distortion plethorizes the gainationing of the sounnd to naturallieshatterr glasse and rumble the landes"

errr... yeah, pretty much that!




Next up is a very slightly modified Big Muff.




To the untrained eye, it appears to be a stock NYBMP, but closer inspection reveals it to now house a Fixd Fuzz Deluxe/ Wooly Mammoth mashup.
The only real giveaway is the blue LED I fitted