madbeanpedals::forum

Projects => Build Reports => Topic started by: cooder on August 04, 2018, 06:34:42 AM

Title: Zenmaster
Post by: cooder on August 04, 2018, 06:34:42 AM
This is a bit of a "Larry Carlton-in-a-box" pedal.
Dumble type sounds with a Zendrive first on right side into a pedalpcb.com VHS (a take on JHS VCR pedal) which does boost, chorus and reverb, FV-1 based.

(https://i.imgur.com/bADUidI.jpg)

I made it to go with the "Indigo" amp that I just finished, posted in this thread:
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=28276.15 (http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=28276.15)

The amp is a great clean to slight grind platform that takes pedal very well thanks to it's high headroom EF86 input.
So it would be rude not to make a suitable pedal for it to give it the ingredients of gain, chorus and reverb.
A nice amount of tricks in one box.
And since all this is for a friend who is just getting into electric guitar and didn't have an amp that he liked so far it's great to give him a package that will keep him busy and happy for awhile with sound possibilities.

(https://i.imgur.com/aKiAUy2.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/0ir9Qpd.jpg)

Initially I found that the VHS pedal had a too high noise floor / hiss going on for my taste, I contacted BuGG from pedalpcb and he was great getting right onto recommending substitutions that reigned it in.
Great support there, shout out to BuGG!

What else to say: laser decal under acrylic faceplate, relay bypass by 1776 fx.

(https://i.imgur.com/IT6UQ5A.jpg)
Title: Re: Zenmaster
Post by: Turnip-Tone on August 04, 2018, 07:48:09 AM
Great, neat work as usual. Nice decal work too.
Your friend should be over the moon :)
Title: Re: Zenmaster
Post by: Willybomb on August 04, 2018, 08:29:46 AM
Very, very nice.
Title: Re: Zenmaster
Post by: Willybomb on August 04, 2018, 10:41:13 AM
So... Can you have reverb, chorus, and boost all on at once, and how do you set the date and depth?  Would it be worth putting each one on a footswitch?
Title: Re: Zenmaster
Post by: diablochris6 on August 04, 2018, 03:09:55 PM
Very nice and clean! Does it help you play the solo to to Kid Charlemagne?
Title: Re: Zenmaster
Post by: gordo on August 04, 2018, 06:21:43 PM
Did you have any issues with the chorus being WAY too intense?
Title: Re: Zenmaster
Post by: cooder on August 04, 2018, 08:56:13 PM
Cheers!
Quote from: Willybomb on August 04, 2018, 10:41:13 AM
So... Can you have reverb, chorus, and boost all on at once, and how do you set the date and depth?  Would it be worth putting each one on a footswitch?
Yes you van have them all at once and you could do off board wiring for the switches but you would obviously need quite some enclosure real estate. With the toggles it's like presetting it and then activate that side with one footswitch.
Rate and depth for chorus are pre programmed best watch a video to get the idea.

It does work not too bad for a single knob job, gives a useable spread of settings. I don't know how to set the date though...  ;D

Quote from: gordo on August 04, 2018, 06:21:43 PM
Did you have any issues with the chorus being WAY too intense?
I wouldn't say way too intense. It is a strong 80ties type for sure. Considering that I'm generally not a huge chorus fan myself I did like it in a good number of settings of the dial. But as said this is for a friend who seems to dig the idea of the pedal after watching the demo vids.
So hope he'll be happy.

Quote from: diablochris6 on August 04, 2018, 03:09:55 PM
Very nice and clean! Does it help you play the solo to to Kid Charlemagne?
No. ::)
Title: Re: Zenmaster
Post by: stringsthings on August 05, 2018, 12:26:34 AM
Superb!
Title: Re: Zenmaster
Post by: Willybomb on August 05, 2018, 10:54:06 AM
I think I'm going to steal this concept.  I apologise in advance.
Title: Re: Zenmaster
Post by: cooder on August 05, 2018, 10:27:43 PM
Quote from: Willybomb on August 05, 2018, 10:54:06 AM
I think I'm going to steal this concept.  I apologise in advance.
Go for it I'd say. Just make sure you check with BuGG for the latest version and recommendation of parts to use to minimize noise floor. I only noticed the hiss after I had it boxed up as on my test rig I just did a quick all go check.
So I had to later change around once it was in box...
Apparently the original VCR from JHS has a high noise floor which of course they don't show in the official demo videos...