madbeanpedals::forum

Projects => Build Reports => Topic started by: gordo on June 20, 2017, 08:12:51 PM

Title: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: gordo on June 20, 2017, 08:12:51 PM
I felt myself stepping all over Shu's build report...I'm good like that.  I figured I better start my own.  This is an insane project in it's scope of cloning the old ADA Final Phase.  As the name implies this is the last word in phasers as they existed in the late 70's.  I dare say that it still holds true in 2017.  The thing I DON'T like about phasers is the cyclic nature of the LFO.  That's as dumb as saying I don't like the fishy taste of salmon.

The FP takes a different tack by introducing a modulator to the LFO.  In essence it cyclically modulates a cyclic LFO to introduce all kinds of subtle variation on the phaser ilk.  8 stages...10 stages...whatever it takes.

The outcome is a less pronounced waveform to control the phase.  Unless you don't want that and you want a radically swept phase, or a REALLY whacked waveform within a waveform.  You get the picture.

Add to that a totally cool overdrive to make whatever the phaser is doing WAY more pronounced.  It's like a JetPhase (Roland) that isn't limited to "Who's That Lady".

Easy build, although be prepared to have massive quantities of the same resistor.  I bought in bulk and will likely be stocked for life in 20K 1/4 watts.  Easy calibration if your multi does frequency.  I tuned it by ear till I hooked it up to the test gear and was WAY off.  This is an easy add on to my board and despite it's crazy size I don't see it moving any time soon.  It's got a killer animated OD sound that I can make great use of.  Phaser for anti-phaser folks (me).

(http://www.gordomusic.com/Madbean/adafp1.jpg)

(http://www.gordomusic.com/Madbean/adafp2.jpg)

No hidden wires on the VCO portion of the board (middle jack and T/R/S pads).  I likely won't go there.  And I'm lazy.  If I get ambitious I'll add it.  I used a shielded wire for the input.  Would have used it for the output but ran out of wire.  I don't really think it needs either.  This thing is among the quietest of my phaser builds even with the OD engaged. Note that it ticked VERY slightly before I got it boxed.  Dead quiet now.

Major kudos to the LectricFX folks. With all the stuff going on with ANYBODY associated with this board the bar is set ridiculously high now.  It's been such a dramatic uptick in what can be accomplished at the DIY level that the builds I'm doing these days are SO far beyond my layout skills it's frightening.  I'm truly grateful that Brian harbors this kind of environment and to all the whacko's that embrace this goofy hobby.

Stepping down off my soapbox now.  If anybody want's the graphics to this one just PM me.  Ditto for the EchoFlanger and ADA Flanger.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: gordo on June 20, 2017, 08:32:59 PM
Forgot to add.  These are Steve's new 10 turn trimmers at Smallbear.  Slick.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: mjg on June 20, 2017, 09:14:57 PM
Wow - there is an insane amount of stuff going on in that build.  Nice work.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: jubal81 on June 20, 2017, 09:26:58 PM
Deeply impressive~!
Looks great and clean as it gets.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: czapa tranzystor 2 on June 20, 2017, 11:52:45 PM
Awesome :D
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Boba7 on June 21, 2017, 01:06:17 AM
Amazing!! And that board looks just fantastic... Great job!
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: cajone5 on June 21, 2017, 05:32:50 AM
Looks awesome -- are there any demos of this out there?  Would love to understand more about what you describe on this.  I like phaser but also like things that are just... well... different than the norm, I guess.  Thanks for posting!
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Haberdasher on June 21, 2017, 06:38:13 AM
Looks awesome, gordo!

Quote from: cajone5 on June 21, 2017, 05:32:50 AM
Looks awesome -- are there any demos of this out there?  Would love to understand more about what you describe on this.  I like phaser but also like things that are just... well... different than the norm, I guess.  Thanks for posting!
No demos of the countdown phaser yet, but it's based on the earlier 1979 version of the final phase.  I went through this video and mimicked the settings he was using, and it was just like it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g-R6KkwLPQ&spfreload=1
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: wgc on June 21, 2017, 06:42:06 AM
wow, that's amazing!
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Betty Wont on June 21, 2017, 09:40:48 AM
NICE!!! I can't wait to get my hands on one of these.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: jimilee on June 21, 2017, 11:05:37 AM
Oh man, I can't believe you built yours first! That sounds awesome.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: somnif on June 21, 2017, 12:18:38 PM
Ok, can I just say.... I would have killed if I had known there were 10-turn trimmers that fit the 3362 footprint when I was building my Flanger. Would have made my life so much easier.

And I am already salivating over this thing. The youtube demos I've seen are intriguing.  Looks like another case of needing to document knob settings because the box can chameleon itself into so many different ways.

Quote from: Haberdasher on June 21, 2017, 06:38:13 AM
No demos of the countdown phaser yet, but it's based on the earlier 1979 version of the final phase. 
.

This really confused me for a sec until I realized you meant "as opposed to the modern reissue". The "earlier" version I was thinking of was the 1978, optical one. I know I can be a bit blind occasionally but I thought I would have at least noticed an opto somewhere on the board... But no, its the even more confusing "lets use cmos switching as a variable resistor" ...thing. Still trying to wrap my head around the concept.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Govmnt_Lacky on June 21, 2017, 12:33:03 PM
When will these be available??

Just popped into the website store and they were nowhere to be found  :-[
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: bsoncini on June 21, 2017, 02:44:11 PM
Quote from: somnif on June 21, 2017, 12:18:38 PM
Ok, can I just say.... I would have killed if I had known there were 10-turn trimmers that fit the 3362 footprint when I was building my Flanger. Would have made my life so much easier.

And I am already salivating over this thing. The youtube demos I've seen are intriguing.  Looks like another case of needing to document knob settings because the box can chameleon itself into so many different ways.

Quote from: Haberdasher on June 21, 2017, 06:38:13 AM
No demos of the countdown phaser yet, but it's based on the earlier 1979 version of the final phase. 
.

This really confused me for a sec until I realized you meant "as opposed to the modern reissue". The "earlier" version I was thinking of was the 1978, optical one. I know I can be a bit blind occasionally but I thought I would have at least noticed an opto somewhere on the board... But no, its the even more confusing "lets use cmos switching as a variable resistor" ...thing. Still trying to wrap my head around the concept.

I heard someone bring up the concept of a pwm cmos phaser a while ago and it intrigued me. Not a whole lot on the net about it at least explaining how it works.

I stumbled upon this and bookmarked it. In one of the comments merlinb and others explain how to use cmos switches in a phaser.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=97279.0
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: somnif on June 21, 2017, 03:10:41 PM
Yeah, the fellow behind Parasit had a phaser project that I've been reading up on as well. Its still brain bending. I can see why so many people just re-hash the phase 90 when designing their "original" circuits.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=108823.0
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: diablochris6 on June 21, 2017, 03:19:47 PM
Looks sweet! Killer sound.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: gordo on June 21, 2017, 04:42:11 PM
Quote from: somnif on June 21, 2017, 12:18:38 PM
Ok, can I just say.... I would have killed if I had known there were 10-turn trimmers that fit the 3362 footprint when I was building my Flanger. Would have made my life so much easier.
.

Ditto.  They're a bit overkill for this project because the settings aren't that twitchy.  I've built a lot where even breathing knocks the value way out of whack.  They're a nice footprint and I like the fact that they adjust from the top.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Haberdasher on June 22, 2017, 05:57:47 AM
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on June 21, 2017, 12:33:03 PM
When will these be available??

Just popped into the website store and they were nowhere to be found  :-[
They're not in the store yet because the build doc isn't quite finished yet.  I have the pcb's here though, so it shouldn't be too much longer.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Govmnt_Lacky on June 22, 2017, 09:34:13 AM
Quote from: Haberdasher on June 22, 2017, 05:57:47 AM
They're not in the store yet because the build doc isn't quite finished yet.  I have the pcb's here though, so it shouldn't be too much longer.

If there is no doc and they are not in the stores, how did it get built? I mean to say... how did someone get one? Was there a giveaway? How does one get on the list to get one early?

I would have LOVED to get one of these built :)
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: bsoncini on June 22, 2017, 11:28:51 AM
Any chance you can tell us what pot values are in there. I'm about to make an order. I feel like Everytime I order stuff. Someone comes out with something that I wanna build right after and hafta make another order.

The ic's I don't really care. Can get those locally if I don't have them stocked.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Haberdasher on June 22, 2017, 11:32:38 AM
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on June 22, 2017, 09:34:13 AM
Quote from: Haberdasher on June 22, 2017, 05:57:47 AM
They're not in the store yet because the build doc isn't quite finished yet.  I have the pcb's here though, so it shouldn't be too much longer.

If there is no doc and they are not in the stores, how did it get built? I mean to say... how did someone get one? Was there a giveaway? How does one get on the list to get one early?

I would have LOVED to get one of these built :)
Ah, those 2 guys were buying something else off me at the time (Distortion II prototype pcb's).  This phaser got mentioned in PM's and it just kind of ended up happening that I sold them each one.  I thought it was a good opportunity to have a couple of other guys build it to see what they thought before they went on sale.
I wasn't trying to exclude anyone else though, and I hope it doesn't seem like that to anyone.

Quote from: bsoncini on June 22, 2017, 11:28:51 AM
Any chance you can tell us what pot values are in there. I'm about to make an order. I feel like Everytime I order stuff. Someone comes out with something that I wanna build right after and hafta make another order.

The ic's I don't really care. Can get those locally if I don't have them stocked.
Sure man, here's the entire BOM https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nbhUk8TMNXGtEA-CRsTDQWJH8DCbCx61y6obHeRwlkE/edit#gid=1831824126
You may also need a 5v regulator for setup purposes.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Govmnt_Lacky on June 22, 2017, 11:43:11 AM
Quote from: Haberdasher on June 22, 2017, 11:32:38 AM
I wasn't trying to exclude anyone else though, and I hope it doesn't seem like that to anyone.

No worries on my part. I am just more jealous than anything.  ::)
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: czapa tranzystor 2 on June 22, 2017, 11:48:56 AM
+1
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Scruffie on June 22, 2017, 12:23:40 PM
Quote from: Haberdasher on June 22, 2017, 11:32:38 AM
You may also need a 5v regulator for setup purposes.
You wont :)

I'll try and get the build set up section done by Monday.
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Haberdasher on June 22, 2017, 01:05:01 PM
Quote from: Scruffie on June 22, 2017, 12:23:40 PM
Quote from: Haberdasher on June 22, 2017, 11:32:38 AM
You may also need a 5v regulator for setup purposes.
You wont :)

I'll try and get the build set up section done by Monday.
Cool, can't wait to see what you'e got cooked up.
And there you have it, they will probably be up for sale on Monday :D

/huge hijack
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: KingDaddy on June 24, 2017, 12:27:22 AM
Drooling here... Fantastic build, this is going on the list, for sure!!

Sent from my E6633 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: Matt on June 25, 2017, 04:59:16 AM
Nice work and build report. Hmm. Now I want to build one
Title: Re: Lectric FX Countdown build
Post by: gordo on June 25, 2017, 06:54:02 PM
Thanks everyone. I'm clearing out my backlog of boards but this one I jumped all over. I finally finished a Pangea. It had me spooked enough that as long as it wasn't finished it wasn't a fail. If that makes any sense. In the end both boards went together withou issue and fired right up.

The Countdown and Echoflanger, as big as they are (they take up a quarter of my board), aren't going anywhere any time soon.

I've been waiting most patiently for Aion's Boss DC clone that should drop shortly so I'm just out of my mind with pedals I couldn't afford and have lusted after for better than half my life :-)