Seeing if there is any interest in compression other than the orange squeezer? I've heard it is a good, subtle compression but I am always a little wary of one-knob wonders. I was hoping for something optical based. There is quite a bit of product out there based on the dyna/ross design. My vote would be for the Pigtronix Philosophers Tone. Looks like a semi verified schematic will be done in a few days from FSB, I'd try and make a board but the layout is dual sided. Other ideas could be the compulator or the Diamond comp.
Pigtronix PGS Demo
FSB Thread
http://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11954&start=40 (http://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=11954&start=40)
I'd like to bump this thread with a hearty +1
this comp (or pigtronix adsr) seems very versatile: compression, volume swells, even unique textures
Yes please!
I wanted a philosophers tone for ages..
Whoa! I had never heard of this one before...definitely interested in this one as well! Thanks for posting this Paul
-Kaleb
+1
I will take one. :)
I approve of this thread. Andy convinces me every time that I need a pedal when he plays Radiohead in a demo. I don't know why I always passed over this pedal, but it does sound great. Plus you can't go wrong when the name is a Mad Gab!
I have been interested in building an orange squeezer for some time now but I too have that same curiousity. Can a one-knob compressor really make that much of a difference? In most demo videos I fail to hear the effect which leads me to believe its very subtle. Maybe its hard to see its benefits until you have one in your chain. I really liked this video and I'm not crazy about compression. That pedal was very versatile and has some great options especially when using it for clean boost with sustain! I would totally be interested in building one/multiple of these if Bean chooses to take it on.
This one has been of interest to me as well, but I was thinking it might be cool to leave out the overdrive part and just do the compression part. I have been watching the FSB thread on this one as well, and was going to see if I could figure out the compression/sustain parts and build that. I am still pretty noobish at this though.
Chad
I'd be interested for sure.
I've been following the thread for some time now, I underestimated the turnaround time for this one! This is still in the testing phase. I am pretty sure the actually physical traces have been locked down but the resistor values need to be confirmed and I haven't heard from the owner of the pedal in a while!
On another note, if this one doesn't work out the Diamond comp has been traced. Although everyone says it has a ton of bogus mojo built in (parallel capacitors in a production design?) I have always thought it sounded amazing.
Just looked up the thread for the Diamond Compressor. Lots like a high parts count build. Hopefully someone posts a perf/vero layout soon.
Bumpity Mc bump bump +1
Here are some vero layouts from sabrotone.com
Diamond comp
http://www.sabrotone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DiamondComp.gif (http://www.sabrotone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DiamondComp.gif)
Demeter comp
http://www.sabrotone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Compulator.gif (http://www.sabrotone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Compulator.gif)
+1 for the request for more compression options.
My vote though would be for something optical. IMHO compression is a delicate effect that is bi-polar in nature. To me you either WANT to hear the color or NEED it to do it's job transparently. I LOVE squashing a signal a little in front of my favorite overdrive with a little boost added for solos that seem to drip with character. I also LOVE to smack it down when I'm trying to pull off some Brad Paisley riff too. On the other end though, when my job is to provide an undercurrent of movement in a ballad or even funk tune I really don't WANT to hear the compression. I just want it to do it's job.
Currently I have a Diamond compressor http://www.diamondpedals.com/products/compressor.html (http://www.diamondpedals.com/products/compressor.html) for the more transparent needs and a Montey Allums http://www.monteallums.com/pedal_mods.html (http://www.monteallums.com/pedal_mods.html) (spelling) modded Boss CS for the "squash/boost" needs. I've just started to plan out doing my own version of the Analog Man bi-comp http://www.analogman.com/rossmod.htm#bicomp (http://www.analogman.com/rossmod.htm#bicomp). I need to do a LOT of testing, but I think that I'm going to build a Cupcake and Modded Ross comp into the same box. I have some "blend" pcb's on the way (thanks to JKOKURA) to add to the Ross side to get more of that Barber Tonepress http://www.barberelectronics.com/tonepress.htm (http://www.barberelectronics.com/tonepress.htm) thang that everyone seems to love.
Being able to switch between wants and needs just seems like a win win to me.
I would love to see some more options in this area for us to chose to build. It can't be as scary as a delay pedal right?!?
My 2ยข
"B"
I'd also like to add the Baja Optical Limiter...http://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2369&p=169219&hilit=optical+limiter#p169219
It's supposedly based on the LA2A (which has tubes IIRC)--a "holy grail" compressor that's really highly regarded in pro audio/the studio world
+1 for some interest in another compressor, I have the orange squeezer on the way but I'm interested in some other compression options.
Just wanted to mention that I finished and confirmed the schematic for the Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone a little while ago over at FSB, and the results are in that link to the FSB thread posted earlier. Harald from Sabrotone made an awesome vero layout (with onboard pots no less!) - I built this vero and confirmed it working.
IMO the critical component on this circuit is the LDR/LED that controls the automatic gain adjustment. I tried a couple of different LDR's I had laying around with difference characteristics, and found they didn't provide a quick enough reponse for a sudden hot signal, or didn't give enough gain for quiet signals. The VTL5C6 as in the original pedal works fine though, so keep this in mind if you build it. I don't know what LDRs would be suitable as a substitute, you'd have to look at the spec sheet for the VTL5C6 and compare to the LDRs.
Cool, If we wanted get rid of the grit portion, is it as simple as eliminating everything between R14 and the Grit 100kB pot? From your version 1.0 schematic.