Alright, so quick recap!
1. I sorta fixed the Bumblebee issue. It was with the 2N5457 though I am still waiting for replacement boards from OSHPark and started all over again. I'd highly recommend use 2N5952 for Bumblebee with recommended Vgs from Peter (around 1.4-1.5V). It will produce the longest swell. Mine is 1.12V. I am ordering some 2N5952 for testing later on. Be in my mind that the 1uF doesn't need to be a tantalum, however, the .68uF needs to be a tantalum.
2. Since it's a massive pedal chain, I added Unicorn Buffer Breath for IN and OUT buffer. Adding Buffer for I/O is the best decision I've ever made for this pedal. No more squealing/ high oscillation/ whining from high-frequency attenuation and it does sound way much cleaner.
3. I've added relay bypass from 1776 and again, I am very satisfied with the result. It's way much cleaner and nicer build with it. I daisy chained the Relay bypass using the extra +/- pads. It's very useful.
4. It's a massive build. So far, I have spent more than 100 hours to build this including errors, drawing the artwork, schematic, planning, etc. It's a real pain, challenging, fun, a lot of sweat, tears, desperado, and finally, it's done. A lot of effort understanding the circuit and looking at the schematic. Right now, I am quite familiar with what Peter has done for the majority of VFE product lines. I sort of understand where the idea came from and the inspiration to build a better design. I think this is the most important thing overall.
5. If you're tempted or inspired to build your own, I'd recommend creating the new design of the switching. The switching is the most interesting thing. So far, I have been fun learning PIC/ATMEL stuff. As a reference, you should do 9x2 switching board if you want to daisy chain it. Otherwise, figure out the puzzle of Mega Pedal switching. I know I am little bit cheating by adding the 1776 relays and switch them together without adding the patch bay. But, hey, it's my build and I picked different variances of VFE pedals I might use as one giant pedal. So far, it works for me.
