I built the board to this one a long time ago but just around to boxing it up. It is a very nice comp with LOTS of squish. There is a hint of grittyness (that i'm not digging) to it when used with my high output humbuckers, i'll be playing around with this one to see if i can dial it out.
Finish is DC Green powder coat. There are hints of yellow and gold in the finish depending on the angle your viewing the pedal. Lettering is done with a vinyl cutter used for cutting signs. The particular vinyl i am using (oracal 651) survives powder coat curing process pretty good. This pedal isn't cleared. I need to change the name :) i misspelled the circuit creators handle, sorry mictester :)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JnwN5RlbWuc/TzhZehSwoII/AAAAAAAAIpY/5bRL3NaUAdE/s640/IMG_0704.JPG)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZV9NO9vZj24/TzhZwAfxYuI/AAAAAAAAIsA/m7VM7BEeQBw/s640/IMG_0703.JPG)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-z4-bae1yb00/TzhZS-WqupI/AAAAAAAAIok/Nz768k5QecM/s640/IMG_0705.JPG)
I love your lettering Jim... is there a tutorial somewhere I could read?? I really want to try it on some of my builds :)
How do you make it look so clean and empty!!! hahaha
Another layout of yours we might see?
Quote from: nzCdog on February 13, 2012, 05:44:27 AM
I love your lettering Jim... is there a tutorial somewhere I could read?? I really want to try it on some of my builds :)
Thanks. Not that I am aware of. It's not complicated at all it just a matter of having access to a vinyl plotter or a sign shop that will do it for you. Basically all I did is design my graphic and sent it to the plotter. The design comes out of the plotter, apply some app tape and put it on the enclosure. Super easy and efficient. The compromise is graphic can't be super complicated.
Quote from: bigmufffuzzwizz on February 13, 2012, 04:33:16 PM
How do you make it look so clean and empty!!! hahaha
Another layout of yours we might see?
Thanks Magic. If there some interest I can release a layout. If you want a board I have a extra pm me your info and I'll drop one in the mail for you.
Is this based on John Hollis' Flatline compressor? If so, you could try the VTL5C2 Vactrol unit instead of the LED/LDR. Sounds great in there!
The green colour looks great btw, and so do those knobs. Nice and clean wiring, looks like an excellent build!
Thanks for the compliments. I should have linked the source of this pedal in my original thread. http://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=8581&start=120
I don't believe that this one is based on the flatline. A Vactrol would work with this circuit if you used another led in antiparallel with it, check the linked thread for details. The only caveat is, it would not longer be a "really cheap compressor" the Vactrol would cost more than the entire circuits components.
I like the font. That yellow lettering really pops against the green background.
I think you can do this sort of thing with a Cricut machine, but I'm not completely sure.
Quote from: slimtriggers on February 14, 2012, 02:01:11 AM
I like the font. That yellow lettering really pops against the green background.
I think you can do this sort of thing with a Cricut machine, but I'm not completely sure.
Thanks. The cricut does funtion similarly to a vinyl cutter if not the same. The disadvantage is you are limited to the particular cartridge that is in the machine, you have to buy additional cartridges to get certain shapes and fonts. There was a program available that opened up it possibilities but it is no longer available for the cricuit. I'm not sure if it is limited on the media it will accept.
If you could use a cricut to make a vinyl enamel mask for PCB's that would be great! Just stick it on, spray with enamel, peel the vinyl and etch away, it'd be good for etching enclosures too. Can you do designs like that with a cricut?
Quote from: timbo_93631 on February 14, 2012, 08:03:00 AM
If you could use a cricut to make a vinyl enamel mask for PCB's that would be great! Just stick it on, spray with enamel, peel the vinyl and etch away, it'd be good for etching enclosures too. Can you do designs like that with a cricut?
Your idea would work if the graphic you wanted to etch was on one of their cartridges. As i understand it the program "SCAL" that allowed you to use your own graphic design is no longer available.
VERIFIED layout. Made a etchable layout of this project. As soon as the layout is verified i will post in the members project section. Eagle doesn't show any errors. If anyone see's one let me know.
Layout here (https://sites.google.com/a/beejivepedals.com/beejive/home/layouts/mictester.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1)
Hey, cool. This one was on my build list to hear since I heard it was a lot more "effecty" than the Afterlife. I don't suppose you came up with a solution for the input distortion issue? Or is it really only an issue with really hot pickups?
yes and yes. This particular schematic called for 2 caps in parallel for the input cap. I clipped one of them out and enough bass was taken out by reducing the value. Distortion only really occurred with powerful humbuckers (JB)
That looks great!
Josh
Yeah, that one looks great, too.
Awesome layout man. I just built it up (been meaning to try this circuit out) and I'm getting nothing. Still doing some digging, but so far haven't found my error. Mainly, the LEDs don't light up at all when the guitar is being played, so all I have is a volume control, the sustain is not currently doing anything. This seems to be the problem with any optical compressor I've ever tried to build.
The kid id in bed so I'm just poking around with the continuity tester right now. Tomorrow i'll break out the audio probe if I can narrow it down this way.
Again, I know that the issue is my build, and not your layout I'm sure. It's a great layout.
Sorry your having troubles Ian. I will try to build the layout tonight, if not at a minimum i get you the voltages. So things to try and think about.
Do the opamp voltages look good? Pin 8 9v, Pin 4 0v, other close to half of V+
The effect will not work at all if there is any ambient lighting. "so all I have is a volume control, the sustain is not currently doing anything." I believe you would have this effect if you had ambient lighting.
How bright the leds light up is dependent on the type of leds your using here is a quote from freestomp "on to the leds. so the leds did light up, but apparently these were the lazy type and were very dim. so i got some new leds. the first set i tried were super bright white leds with clear lenses. they light up alright, but as they flickered, i got these nasty crackling sound along with the guitar signal."
Also, mine don't light up bright at all but the effect works great. In fact i had to go to a dark room and cup the leds in my hand as i LOUDLY played to see them light up. How brightly they light is directly affect by how hard you attack. With my signal generator they were very bright.
Is your LDR 1M dark?
And lastly it could be my fault, if it is i apologize. Hopefully i will let you know for sure tonight or in the next couple of days.
Ok, this thing is now verified :) I didn't measure the ldr cause it was the only one i had laying around so it had to work :) its the only one available from tayda
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oioEBEXZj-0/UA9AT-saS7I/AAAAAAAAI_A/mgAQrgq6TRk/s288/IMG_1192.JPG)(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gZcWDLFbcM8/UA9Dd92I1EI/AAAAAAAAI_M/d2YbBJA-4tc/s288/IMG_1186.JPG)
The treble is all the way up so you can better the attack, at least thats the idea. Crappy iphone video. The hum in the video is partly because its not boxed up, and because i have everything maxed out so you can hear the hum. The leds will light up to full brightness depending on how strong the input is.