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Projects => Build Reports => Topic started by: thomasha on April 02, 2015, 11:51:24 PM

Title: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: thomasha on April 02, 2015, 11:51:24 PM
Hi,
I couldn't find a build report of this pedal yet, so here are some pictures I made.

It's an easy build, so I wanted to make it small...ish!

Let's begin with the schematic:
(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTjBqbiJl0hQjbUlqpIHvMt1sgSoouRqGHoQNeEBlTf2_8nEGac2A)

and the build:
(http://i.imgur.com/3pz5sgjl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/U4DJp5ql.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Doaez6Wl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/OSwMCeel.jpg)
I used some wood pieces to maintain the board on place.

The shutter is a plastic piece from a shampoo (Yes I know)

I replaced the pot by a led/ldr and a parallel 100k resistor.

Volume is maxed.



Cheers!
Thomas
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: lars on April 02, 2015, 11:58:36 PM
Amazing work! So tiny...such great tone!
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: GrindCustoms on April 03, 2015, 12:16:17 AM
Among the most amazing builts i've ever seen!

Can you send me an hand signed picture of it?  ;D
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: bigpiero on April 03, 2015, 07:21:47 AM
Any video?
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: m-Kresol on April 03, 2015, 08:02:18 AM
Very cool indeed and sounds fantastic
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: Guitarmageddon on April 03, 2015, 08:22:00 AM
Absolutely the best thing I've seen in a long time! Made my day. :)
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: luks999 on April 03, 2015, 09:07:29 AM
amazing build  8) love how you managed to build that little expression pedal on top :)
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: Cortexturizer on April 03, 2015, 09:13:36 AM
has to be one of the coolest things I have ever seen. you sir are a maniac!! :D
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: Ettore_M on April 03, 2015, 09:38:24 AM
Shampoo shutter! DIY all the way man! :D
Love it.. Just amazing! You are the man.. ;)
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: brejna on April 03, 2015, 10:34:25 AM
Great job on this one! (Y) ..and thanks for demo :)
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: micromegas on April 03, 2015, 11:06:42 AM
Wow! DIY at it's bests. This beats the mini-crybaby :)
you should get a prize or a diplomma of some sort for using a piece from a shampoo bottle. true recycling  :P
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: midwayfair on April 03, 2015, 12:14:58 PM
This makes me quite unreasonably happy.

And a little jealous.

But mostly happy.
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: Luke51411 on April 03, 2015, 01:30:44 PM
Wow I love it. Thanks for all the detailed pics! It is a simple yet elegant solution for a diy wah pedal! It inspires me to want to try to build one although probably at least in a 1590B :-[ It sounds great too!
Also, it looks to be really solid and reliable too.
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: G.G. on April 03, 2015, 02:25:50 PM
I'm calling it now: Build of the Year!!!  :) :) :)
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: pickdropper on April 03, 2015, 02:28:33 PM
This thing hits on so many levels.  Fantastic.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: brejna on April 03, 2015, 04:32:12 PM
What LDR did you use?
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: thomasha on April 03, 2015, 05:43:59 PM
Hi, thanks guys!

The LDR is from Tayda, it has no type especification. I need to check the value.
Thomas
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: juansolo on April 03, 2015, 07:41:32 PM
Micro engineering at its most awesome.  8)
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: eldanko on April 03, 2015, 08:18:26 PM
Yep. Took a page right out of midwayfair's playbook. This is freaking fantastic. Holy cow. I can't stop looking at it.
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: billstein on April 03, 2015, 09:22:33 PM
Either your feet are massive or that wah is really small! Probably the greatest wah ever! DIY at its best.
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: rumbletone on April 03, 2015, 09:49:58 PM
Awesome!!!!! Love the LDR/LED implementation - would like to make an expression pedal that size - or maybe a massive 1590B :-)
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: jalmonsalmon on April 03, 2015, 11:03:21 PM
Wow!
Take that CBM95!
Now that is really cool!  Smallest wah wah I have ever seen.
Very SWEET build and sounds great!.
( i need to rethink my pedal building skills again)  :P
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: icecycle66 on April 04, 2015, 01:57:54 AM
With this comes an infinite supply of cool.
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: AntKnee on April 04, 2015, 03:00:59 AM
What else can be said?
This.
Is.
Killer.
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: Leevibe on April 04, 2015, 06:34:52 AM
Watch out Toe Jam. Here comes Thomas! This is a seriously impressive accomplishment.
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: alanp on April 04, 2015, 07:01:22 AM
What amazes me is that the construction and photography makes you go, "Hmmm... I could have a go at that."
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: thomasha on April 04, 2015, 04:30:56 PM
Hi,
thanks agains for the compliments,

In fact the toe jam was one of my inspirations of course! If you're interested in a pot based wah, take a look at this:
it's in japanese, but I guess google can handle it.

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/takabb9055/31634649.html (http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/takabb9055/31634649.html)
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/takabb9055/31621362.html (http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/takabb9055/31621362.html)

when I saw this for the first time I had to try it myself!
Hope you like some more information about small wahwah builds.
I'm currently using a white led, but need to check which color works better.
Cheers,
Thomas
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: Muadzin on April 04, 2015, 06:26:58 PM
I have to agree with others that it is frickin' awesome. Words cannot express how awesome this build is.

As for the sound quality, it sounds great when you're playing notes, although muted strings whacka whacka seems a bit wanting. I guess the circuit is to blame, not you.

Now I want one as well.  :(
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: thomasha on April 04, 2015, 09:32:10 PM
Muadzin, you're right!

I was expecting more, could it be the low resistance of the ldr/led? When I'mback home I'm willing to measure how much resistance the ldr increases with the led, and which color is the best (higher resistance). I read somewhere that the colorsound wahs only go from 50k to 91k because of the mechanism. Let's see how it works with ldr/led.

Cheers,
Thomas
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: brejna on April 05, 2015, 10:41:01 AM
Quote from: thomasha on April 04, 2015, 04:30:56 PM
Hi,
thanks agains for the compliments,

In fact the toe jam was one of my inspirations of course! If you're interested in a pot based wah, take a look at this:
it's in japanese, but I guess google can handle it.

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/takabb9055/31634649.html (http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/takabb9055/31634649.html)
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/takabb9055/31621362.html (http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/takabb9055/31621362.html)

when I saw this for the first time I had to try it myself!
Hope you like some more information about small wahwah builds.
I'm currently using a white led, but need to check which color works better.
Cheers,
Thomas

I am hooked on this :D
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: JoeDorcia on April 05, 2015, 01:37:41 PM
That is seriously awesome! I've been thinking about making an expression pedal recently, wonder if I can use the same technique... Amazing job, kudos!
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: Leevibe on April 05, 2015, 01:54:38 PM
Can you change the sweep and taper by using different shutter profiles?
Title: Re: Colorsound Inductorless Wah
Post by: thomasha on April 05, 2015, 02:11:26 PM
Quote from: Leevibe on April 05, 2015, 01:54:38 PM
Can you change the sweep and taper by using different shutter profiles?

I guess yes, I started with a square shutter and the effect was only on one end of the movement.

i made the triangular/shark profile and it improved the sweep.
I guess you can change the sweep by changing the profile and the parallel/series resistors to obtain the sweep you want.

Edit.: Just checked it and the best led is the white one, resistance of the ldr goes down to 800 ohms.
I could remove the 470 resistor, so minimum would be 800. As the led is unprotected the leaking light and open enclosure, turned up reads a max resistance of 25k.
I imagine that with closed enclosure the reflected light could reduce this, if there is some.
One idea would be try to measure it with a protected led, so the light could only shine forward, to the shutter/ldr

Thomas