Here is my latest labor of love. This was going to be my fall contest entry, but there were holdups in the process, so it didn't make it. I'll post the pics up front and add the TLDR section later for those who don't care to read a novel.
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4353_zps3667cb7e.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4353_zps3667cb7e.jpg.html)
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4354_zpsa623e2b1.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4354_zpsa623e2b1.jpg.html)
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4358_zpseb08fb15.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4358_zpseb08fb15.jpg.html)
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4351_zps3537392f.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4351_zps3537392f.jpg.html)
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4349_zpsf50cdef7.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4349_zpsf50cdef7.jpg.html)
(http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/xx105/leevibe1/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4350_zps4f3ff195.jpg) (http://s746.photobucket.com/user/leevibe1/media/pedal%20builds/Class%20of%2077/IMG_4350_zps4f3ff195.jpg.html)
TLDR section:
For a long time I've wanted to build a pedal with a window into the guts but I couldn't think of a way to do it without ugly hardware around the top of the pedal. Once I got into messing with jeweler's resin, (aka envirotex) I realized I could try to encase an entire PCB in resin, put that inside the case, flow resin across the top, and that would give me one monolithic chunk of clear that would hold itself in place.
I had also been thinking of doing a PCB layout that would look something like the guts of a vintage tube amp. I thought it would be cool to make a board using gigantic pads that would be sized to accept turrets. So, I came up with this hybrid PCB that has some through-hole components and some turret mounted components. The goal was to lay the board out with the visual aesthetic as the primary concern, regardless of what that would mean for efficiency. Hence, this thing is a via-fest!! It's a terrible layout, but it looks so cool!
Even though I went for as simple a circuit as I could think of, it was still a crazy puzzle to figure out. I spent tons of time measuring, drawing, visualizing to get this to look right and still fit in a 1590bb. For the most part, I really lucked out with the way everything fit. One thing that I didn't account for was the size of the shoulders on the turrets. The OD of them was too big to sit side by side in the ring of turrets that makes up the opamp portion. So, I had my good friend Eric machine them down! Since then, I've figured out that I could have just cut them above the shoulder and let them sit on the little collar halfway up the turret. Oh well. It worked!
Eric is also the guy who did the machining for me. All of the cutting and engraving on the top was done by him using a CNC mill. I wasn't able to capture in pictures how good and jewel-like it looks.
There were many nail-biting moments in this build:
- seeing if the idea of soldering turrets to a PCB would even work
- firing up the circuit through my test rig for the first time. It didn't work!! I was terrified that I'd fried the metal can opamp. It takes so much heat to solder to turrets. I used a heat sink clamp, but still. It turned out (after MUCH studying the schematic and my layout) that there were two missing ground connections on the PCB, hence the jumpers on the bottom.
- firing it up AFTER I had scrubbed the PCB, worrying again that liquid may have done damage to the opamp
- making such a massive block of resin and wondering if I would get the amount right so it wouldn't overflow when I put the circuit into it. Also, wondering if I would get crazy amounts of air bubbles with no way to release them.
- firing it up after encasing it in resin!! It was a massive relief to hear it come to life. By that point I had put in a ton of work. By the way, I used a soap-making mold to cast the resin. I was lucky to find one exactly the right size. I had to chop down the depth a bit.
- flowing the final resin on the top. Black is SUPER unforgiving. I was also worried it might leak down inside the window and make a mess of all of my wire. I ended up using my hero, blu tack to hold the block in place while the top cured.
- drilling the resin out of the holes. Thankfully, no lifts!
- Wiring! I kept telling myself it was stupid to use ribbon! Every time I stripped a wire I was afraid I would break it. Every time I soldered, I was worried that the insulation would melt and go out of shape. There would be no turning back with this because all of the solder joints on the board were in resin.
- Being afraid that I would scratch the top while I was wiring.
- Finally firing it up after it was all together. So glad it works!!
There were also some firsts in this build:
- My first gooped board!! :)
- my first pedal with a window into its soul
- my first machined pedal
- my first turret/pcb hybrid board. I have to admit I thought it was my idea until I was later inside a vox amp. :)
- my first ribbon cable build
- my first use of carbon comps and axial caps in a build
I also want to say that I went into this understanding the many impracticalities of the build! I know I won't ever be able to replace the electros. I know there is more susceptibility to RF noise. I know the pcb layout is really bad from a practical standpoint. Hopefully it's clear that none of that was the point. This is just whimsical.
OK, so has anyone guessed the circuit? I will PIF one of these boards and a couple of those pretty blue Phillips caps to whoever can guess the circuit AND which parts in this pedal were purchased at radio shack.
DON'T POST YOUR PIF ANSWERS HERE! I'll make a thread in the PIF section and paste a link here
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=19001.0
nieradka guessed it! Knobs are Rat Shack. I've had these knobs for a couple years just waiting for the right build. For me they just really go well on this build. Who would have thought? Circuit is a '77 grey spec OD250. I needed something simple to make the concept work. This fits the bill and it's a great sounding circuit.
Ok Man, you win!!! No matter the contest.. you win! :o
Edit: Removed my guess... lol
Holy shit :o
/gobsmacked
wow, yeah. that would have done well in the contest. sweet build bro.
That is gorgeous. I totally would have voted for that one. Outstanding!
Quote from: GrindCustoms on December 24, 2014, 11:04:12 PM
Ok Man, you win!!! No matter the contest.. you win! :o
Yep. Next contest already has a winner. That is unbelievable Lee. I may just stop building now. :)
I've been waiting for the unveiling of this monster for months now and I have to say it is more incredible than I imagined! In about a year and a half, Lee has almost as many posts as I do over a four year period yet a serious lack of build reports. I've seen a ton of his older builds and we've discussed a bunch of his in-progress builds and I'm just stoked that everyone else is getting a peak at the Evel Genius! Well done Lee!!! :)
That could not be cooler
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah man, that is completely amazing. Well done, sir.
Wow! Just wow!
(http://s12.postimg.org/4wy5keact/onscreen.jpg)
That is really REALLY cool pedal :D
:o This is one of the coolest builds i think i've seen, totally original, very special, well done mate. I just hope none of those components ever die on you ;)
That's made my day Lee! Too cool, outstanding concept and realization!
dave
You've just won pedal building. OMFG.
Truly amazing, Lee :)
My favorite little detail: Hiding the LED under the 741.
Just fucking sick. And I say this on Christmas Eve...
Honestly, that sets the bar so high its not within reach of mere mortals. Just a superb bunch of work there and I can really appreciate the amount of thought that went into this build.
Unbelievable build. I don't even know what to say, it's flat-out incredible.
Art at its finest. I think you could even win a technical/art award for that.
Superb.
This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Not pedal....Thing!
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck :o
Man, that's beautiful. Well done, sir.
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What could possibly be said that the others have not? Crazy attention to detail and I love the LED under the IC. Great job man.
Cody
Thats an outstanding piece of work!
Friggin' awesome!!! What everyone else said... 8) cool cool cool
This is freakin' amazing! Really outstanding in every way. Chapeau!
Dunno what to say. This is really outstanding. I am so jealous :P
This would have won the contest and would have been my first choice for sure.
Every time I think I've seen you guys do the most amazing pedal I've seen, there's another one. This is absolute art!
That is jaw dropping! I'm completely amazed by this! The attention to detail in this build is insane 8)
Beautiful!!! It's like something you see at custom car show!! Absolutely immense achievement!! :) :)
Thanks all for the kind words (and expletives!) It's really satisfying/fun/rewarding to get such positive feedback from people I have such respect for!
It was so crazy yesterday. I posted this but then I had to run two "Kid's Church" Christmas Eve services last night. I was dying to get home so I could see the reactions. It was such a bad distraction! Merry Christmas!
Quote from: midwayfair on December 25, 2014, 03:02:09 AM
Truly amazing, Lee :)
My favorite little detail: Hiding the LED under the 741.
Yeah, I thought it was clever and I didn't predict the cool flower petal look it creates. It really looks better in real life! I almost wish I had used white LEDs at the corners of the board too instead of UV, just to light it up brighter. No turning back now!
I love (and am not surprised) that you had the circuit all figured out. You are a smart cookie.
Holey Moley!
I just saw this- fantastic in every way!
Never seen anything like it! 8)
leevibe...... so amazing i love it
That's wild! Fantastic look.
The UVs in the corners works for me.. The bright white looks killer..
Quote from: midwayfair on December 25, 2014, 03:02:09 AM
Truly amazing, Lee :)
My favorite little detail: Hiding the LED under the 741.
Totally agree on both points.
Your build needs to be sitting in a glass case at the entry of an exhibit at the Smithsonian about musical effects.
Quote from: lincolnic on December 25, 2014, 04:10:37 AM
Unbelievable build. I don't even know what to say, it's flat-out incredible.
This +1, flat out wow. Somebody give this man a prize.
I don't think the bar can be raised much higher than this! Just amazing!
Richard
F**k me.
I'm speechless.
Wow......
Lee, that is some talent right there. I think everything that can be said has already been said.
Work-of-Art
Congratulations, a.m.a.z.i.n.g (and classy at the same time!)! This is so inspiring and daunting at the same time... Thanks for sharing the process and story, well written BTW, I read it like a novel, although I knew the pedal would turn out incredible in the end, I was caught by the suspense at every step :)
Absolutely incredible dude, probably my favourite build on this forum aesthetically, sounds like a real labour of love too, just awesome!
Wow man. That is just amazing. You have raised the bar on gut shots. The amount of work and planning are so apparent, the execution looks flawless.
This pedal is akin to creations by Bugatti or Pagani. A functional price of art. Art meets engineering for sure.
Crazy good lee! Love the story too.
Probably the most amazing thing is how you managed to keep the sides glossy with all the other things you had to do. Stunning.
Absolutely fantastic, the best looking build ever, you definitely win....
Quote from: Leevibe on December 24, 2014, 10:54:05 PM
Here is my latest labor of love. This was going to be my fall contest entry, but there were holdups in the process, so it...
- firing up the circuit through my test rig for the first time. It didn't work!! I was terrified that I'd fried the metal can opamp. It takes so much heat to solder to turrets. I used a heat sink clamp, but still. It turned out (after MUCH studying the schematic and my layout) that there were two missing ground connections on the PCB, hence the jumpers on the bottom.
Awesome build.
I think the jumpers on the bottom continue to lend themselves to the "point-to-point" turret board type wiring.
Gives it a vintage/vibe sort of feel.
Even if you were to go into production with these boards I would definitely leave them there .
Quote from: Leevibe on December 24, 2014, 10:54:05 PM
- making such a massive block of resin and wondering if I would get the amount right so it wouldn't overflow when I put the circuit into it. Also, wondering if I would get crazy amounts of air bubbles with no way to release them.
Gently tapping on the side of the mold always helps to bring bubbles to the surface.
With all this being said....
I want one those boards ! 8)
Dan
Dear lord. Everything about this is over-the-top awesome. Now that you have your proof of concept it's time to use this format for an ADA flanger 8)
Inspiring to say the least!
And thanks for the kind words Lee.
Max
Stunning. 'nuff said.
Aw shucks y'all. Thanks again.
Quote from: wgc on December 26, 2014, 03:44:28 PM
Probably the most amazing thing is how you managed to keep the sides glossy with all the other things you had to do. Stunning.
Actually, the sides are just plain ol' PPP gloss black. The pics flatter the sides a bit. Truth be told, I'm a little disappointed in the gloss black. It doesn't seem to be as hard and scratch resistant as other colors I've gotten there.
Quote from: danielzink on December 26, 2014, 06:24:20 PM
Awesome build.
I think the jumpers on the bottom continue to lend themselves to the "point-to-point" turret board type wiring.
Gives it a vintage/vibe sort of feel.
Even if you were to go into production with these boards I would definitely leave them there .
Gently tapping on the side of the mold always helps to bring bubbles to the surface.
With all this being said....
I want one those boards ! 8)
Dan
Thanks Dan. I don't have any plans to go into production with this board. It's not the easiest way to build. Working with the turrets kind of stinks. If there's enough interest, I could make this one a shared OSHpark. Thanks for the tip on tapping the sides of the mold. Good idea. I wouldn't have been able to see if it was working because the mold is semi-opaque. It might not be a bad idea to just tap on it for a while anyway.
Um, er, ummm, I'm gonna hang my soldering iron up on the retirement hanger now!
Seriously, I'm absolutely lost for words with this pedal, never seen anything like it, that is seriously amazing! Great job there buddy!
Incredible.
If it sounds a tenth as good as it looks it was worth all the effort.
Hats off to you.
I'm totally awed by the final results, like everyone else, but what really impresses me is the ingenuity and courage it takes to attempt all those "firsts" coming up with something like that.
Amazing!!!
This is so bad-ass there aren't even words. Can't believe I missed this! So glad I found it. Inspiring, bro.
Holy Moly! I missed this as well... Just spectacular!
Holy F! That is stellar man.
I...just...please...have mercy on us inferior builders. we don't mean to offend thee.
Great job man, Serious stuff!. Flawless Victory!
(http://www.slashgrats.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/flawless.jpg)
Thanks so much guys. I really appreciate it!
Missed this one also, great job.
Another late party-goer here.
Truly the coolest pedal I can recall seeing in many years of building. :)
I am just bumping this again because it's so damn cool and needs another bump.
One of my favorite pedals ever.
You are one talented man!
Seeing this for the first time. Wow, that's so cool. :o
Oh great, now I have to see this awesome build again. Damn it.. I was just starting to get my will power back to build again lol
This build still amazes me. Great stuff
Cody
Yes! This needs to come back. It's the ceremonial contest winner in my heart.
Quote from: selfdestroyer on March 25, 2015, 12:21:39 AM
Oh great, now I have to see this awesome build again. Damn it.. I was just starting to get my will power back to build again lol
This build still amazes me. Great stuff
Cody
Kindly remember:
the ridiculous hype
that offends so many
is not of my making.
I have to say, this was the most impressive build I think I have ever seen! It is inspiring and drives the rest of us to try to top this, I don't think I ever will. Well Done!!
Quote from: Leevibe on March 25, 2015, 12:36:47 AM
Quote from: selfdestroyer on March 25, 2015, 12:21:39 AM
Oh great, now I have to see this awesome build again. Damn it.. I was just starting to get my will power back to build again lol
This build still amazes me. Great stuff
Cody
Kindly remember:
the ridiculous hype
that offends so many
is not of my making.
You haven't created a hype but a super stunning pedal and that certainly deserves to be celebrated!
I don't think anybody here is offended by that for sure... nice quote though.
Hope there's another comptetition where you can enter it as it certainly would be great to see it in the limelight again!
Just fab and stunning, Lee!
Quote from: Leevibe on March 25, 2015, 12:36:47 AM
Quote from: selfdestroyer on March 25, 2015, 12:21:39 AM
Oh great, now I have to see this awesome build again. Damn it.. I was just starting to get my will power back to build again lol
This build still amazes me. Great stuff
Cody
Kindly remember:
the ridiculous hype
that offends so many
is not of my making.
That the quote that will be screened on the 2.0 model? lol
Cody
Quote from: selfdestroyer on March 25, 2015, 04:01:06 AM
Quote from: Leevibe on March 25, 2015, 12:36:47 AM
Quote from: selfdestroyer on March 25, 2015, 12:21:39 AM
Oh great, now I have to see this awesome build again. Damn it.. I was just starting to get my will power back to build again lol
This build still amazes me. Great stuff
Cody
Kindly remember:
the ridiculous hype
that offends so many
is not of my making.
That the quote that will be screened on the 2.0 model? lol
Cody
"This window is essential"
I have no words... more than beautiful... I can not finding fault... (http://www.hangmester.hu/smileys/worship.gif)
Awesome!! No other words to describe this pedal! :o :o