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Hey guys! Long time no see. I don't have much time lately 'cause life and work got in the way..

I searched the forum for cab sim suggestions, but I had a couple questions so I thought I should write a new thread.

I wanna build a cab sim/ DI combo and I found a lot of DIY designs. But the question is if I build a cab sim, like ROG's Condor, would I need a DI, like for example a H&K Red Box, after it for feeding the signal to the main console (PA system) for a live situation?
I'm just searching a amp-less solution for live performances. Have anyone built and used a setup like this?

Hector

So... I was wondering. I have this wall-wart 5V power supply that I don't use at all and I lack a pedalboard power supply. And I found these modules. They can step up anything higher than 2.5V with decent output current. And the output is adjustable. So with the same module, you can have any voltage (up to ~32V). And this could also work for a portable pedalboard with a 5V USB power bank (I think RobA posted a similar idea like a year ago). They would be great if the DC ripple is not too high. What do you think?

http://m.ebay.com/itm/310717070508?nav=SEARCH

Hey guys! At last! After a lot of time, I post a build report! I've been away of building pedals the year that passed, because I served my duties in the Greek Army. Yes, it's mandatory for every Greek  man older than 18 years old to serve in the army for 9-12 months. So, I've been away from home, and building.
However, I did follow your builds here on the forum, and it made me want to build more! 

So, I'm back.. With a build that I'm very proud of! It's a simple pedal, but the engraving job on it is quite perfect, I think!  But you'll be the judges!

Here it is: the Hawaiian Boost!  I used the Hawaiian Airlines logo as you'll see. The engraving was really difficult, and my arm was aching for days..







Hope you like it! 

Hector

Not as much as it sounds ("Dragon Breath"  ), but it's a great tool for a pedalboard, due to both its size and sound.

It's a 1590A combo of a Crackle Not Okay (a layout of mine and I had it already built) and 1776 Effects' Unicorn Breath. The latter is a buffer board and is a new project from Josh, that will be available in the short future. 
The Unicorn Breath gives a little more clarity to the sound, but it's completely transparent!
Sounds amazing and I think it's a great combo! 

Outside: Copper paint and no lettering. Simple as possible! 



Inside:




The input jack goes to a DPDT switch which is the bypass for the buffer (if you ever don't want to use it) and then to the Crackle Not Okay board and the output jack.
Wiring on this was pretty simple, because most of the wiring is already done on the board. 

Hope you like it as much as I do! 

Hector

I need to build an easy project (in a 1590A, so not that easy!  ) and I thought of a buffer/booster for the start of my chain. Has anyone built something like this? The only project that I found is the AMZ Mosfet Booster, the one with the two outputs. But I don't have the parts for it. However, I have the parts for a Crackle Not Okay (Soulsonic's SHO workalike) and I have already built one which I quite liked! And thought I would maybe throw in a vero Klon buffer (switchable ON/OFF), and get done with it.

Any suggestions?

Hector

I just saw that, so I thought I would post it! 
Have any of you guys seen this?  Pretty clever!

Hector

Hey guys!
It's New Microphone Day! 



I'm really happy with it! It's an AKG Perception P5. Nice sounding mic, and for just 42 Euros, it's a bargain!

I already recorded a song , and it's great for vocals! However, I still prefer my DIY Electret mic for recording guitars...

Hector

[optical tremolo]

Hey guys!

I just built an optical tremolo circuit based on an old tremolo design (I'll give hints later..  ) on breadboard.

At the start, it didn't have ticking at all! But after some changes in the circuit, I got a huge amount of ticking.
Although I returned it in the previous settings, the ticking remained.

It sounds pretty interesting and it's really simple. If only I could take the ticking away.. 

So what steps do you guys take to remove LFO ticking when designing a circuit? 

Hector

Firtsly, I want to make it clear that I don't know the seller and I'm not associated with them in any way!
Just point it out to guys who will find it useful.

So, some of you probably know it already, but Nooelec is the best!
I got a handful of PT2399s from him and they came today. I open the package and it was the first time I see the chips in plastic antistatic package. And to make it better, the guys are over in US (not China as I first thought because of the low price) and the package was sent as First Class International. I'll sure buy from them again!



Hector

I present to you the JamPlug! (You'll see where it's going if you already know the JamHub  )



It's an all-in-one and complete solution for band rehearsals!
10 mono instrument inputs with seperate volumes, a mixer, a headphone amp, buffer for each headphone output and finally 6 stereo (not true) headphone outputs! 



This was a work in progress as it started in modular form last year for use with my band, and it took this form the last months. It was working all this time, but I finished it (finish finish! ) this week.



Yeah I know! It's a absolute spaghetti in there! But I couldn't do it any other way!  Awesome amount of off-board wiring. These are 16 pots and 16 jacks! 

Nevertheless, I'm truly proud for this one as it was really difficult to build and debug. Lots of problems with this one!

BUT! It works like a champ. Really clean sound with really low tone sucking (if any! )! I'm really proud of this one! Like really! 

Hope you like it guys!

Hector

I don't know if anyone else has seen something like it and posted it here, but this is what happened to me today! 

So, I like polishing the boxes on which I build my pedals.
Today, when I got back home from the university, I started polishing a 125B enclosure, which I got from Tayda.

And that's what I found in it when I looked more closely! 




No! This is not a joke! This is really a 125B box! I'm not kidding! 
Enjoy!

Hector

Success!!
AT LAST! After two failed tries (to sensitise the board), I actually made it! 
My first home-etched double-sided PCB, using a photosensitive board.
It's a PiDuino! An Arduino that stacks on the GPIOs of a Raspberry Pi, with the possibility to program not only ATMega's, but an ATTiny2313 or an ATTiny25/45/85.
Run through a couple of problems, but all sorted out now.



Hope you like it! 

Hector

So, this wants a proper build report! (It's on Open Discussion too: http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=6957.0)



Finally and properly built it and it works! Sounds great! But you'll be the judges! 

Took me a year from design to a final build. But I truly worked on it approximately two months. Yeah, I know, unacceptable, but things happen in life, and we lose interest. 

Nevertheless, I never forget the idea and after the summer, I got to it again. As my other responsibilities allowed me, of course. 
But now it's finally built and I'm really happy with it! 
It's the first circuit I designed (if designing is glueing different pieces of circuitry together to make a finished product..  )

Not yet labelled or knobbed, but the knobs are (from left to right): MASTER VOL - GAIN - BASS - MIDDLE - TREBLE.

Pretty complicated build, and I had several issues with it! NOISE was the most important. And it took me a lot time to understand that it is a grounding issue! Now I know! Always use STAR GROUNDING! Always...!

Inside:



And finally, the appropriate sound clip!

[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/ettore_m/hybrid-amp-demo-as-of-29-12[/soundcloud]

Hope you like it! 

Hector

P.S. Note that the schematic used for this is not the one on the first page on the other thread.

Hey guys!

I made it!  Haha! Not what you think, I didn't make a actual tap tempo as you are imagining it! 
But it's a step towards the actual thing! 

So, I wrote some code to read two taps from a NO SPST switch with the use of the GPIOs, and change the frequency of a PWM output according to the time recorded between the two taps! And after some searching and help from the guys over at the Raspberry Pi forums, I got it working! 
And it's working perfectly!

Hope you like it!

Hector

Ι decided to start using the photosensitive method, because I don't have a laser printer. Now, I print inkjet transparencies and I use them to sensitise the board. Yesterday, I etched a Cave Dweller and I had the best results. The little letters ("MBP", "CAVE1") came out with great detail! I'm amazed.

I haven't seen anyone of you guys using photosensitive boards for etching. Most of you seem to prefer the usual toner transfer method.

Why is that?

Hector

So, I decided to build a Red Llama, on a already-built veroboard. I knew it was going to be red, but I wanted a different name on it. So, I wiki'ed "Llama" and reading about llamas, my eye caught that baby llamas are called "Llama crias". So that's the name! I really like it. 




The build went beautifully smooth, and I really like the sound of it. I like the overdrive/fuzz that's going on with this pedal. And the best part is that it's really "touch-sensitive". The stronger you hit the strings, the more overdrive gets out! I really really like it! 

This time, Ι didn't polish the box! I wanted it red. and over this, once again, I engraved the letters onto the box! I think this one looks pretty good. Love the outcome.. 




That's it! I hope you like it.

Hector

Heys guys! I'll be back in the 1590A builds, and I want a good-sounding, 2-pot overdrive. Which one would you suggest? And if you built one, what's your impressions?

Thanks! 

Hector

[Engraving the enclosure..]

Hey guys! After a long time, you'll see an actual build report from me! 

Here's my Engineer's Thumb. I called it THE, because it sounded better! 
This one is for a very good friend of mine, Makis, who actually loves compressors. I've built him a 1590A Flatline a long time ago and he loved it! But reading the comments on the Engineer's Thumb, I knew I had to build him this one too. And to go BIG, I built him the 5-knob version!  So here's the result! 




It sounds really great, it's awfully quiet and I can say it's very transparent! However, next time, I'll build with only the standard Level/Ratio combination, and the Bright switch, which I think it's a great addition!

I used the great layout by the ever-productive Harald Sabro (Sabrotone)! Quite a lot offboard (and messy, too) wiring, but what could I do!  You'll notice the two LEDs that aren't in Harald's layout. I added them, because Merlin (Valvewizard. We all know him! ) highly recommended them. And I think it's better this way, as the OTAs won't clip in any way.



As for the finish, there isn't one typically. I polished the enclosure (125B, from Tayda), as much as I could. It's a very time-consuming job. Sanding, polishing, sanding a little more, until you get a good result. But in the end, I think it's worth it.

Then the even more time-consuming part! Engraving the enclosure..
I hand-engraved the letters and the flower with my trusty Dremel (Great tool! I love it with my whole heart!  ). This part took me only 6 hours! Oh yes! But again, the finish is one of a kind, right? 

Clearcoating


Detail


Also, I added a few mods in the layout. 10nF instead of 4.7nF for the treble cap, and 1k series resistor for the Release pot.

I hope you like it as much as I do!
Cheers!

Hector

Hey guys! Really excited with this one, as I will be building a lot of circuits in the next days (overdrives, mostly) to try out and pick the one (or two) I like the most. It also features an integrated breadboard for prototyping little circuits! 

It was an easy build and the results are great (at least, for me  ). I used a 125BB-sized box, which I designed and had the local "Metal Man" (I don't know how to say this in English! ) to build them for me. He also built a couple of 1790D-sized boxes. It's really cheap per box this way, so I think I'll have him make some 125B ones (or maybe 1590A, if he can make it this small!)

By the way, you'll see the "Effects Den" sign. I say it's the name for my pedal "company", even if I don't have one or ever have.  It's not trademarked, so I hope someone won't steal it.  As for where does the name comes from, the Assasins' Creed players will know. It comes from the Assasins' Dens, the Assasins' headquarters in each neighbourhood. Yeah, I love this game!

Also, the little "flower" (let's say..) is something I draw when I was 10 or 11 years old. I saw it recently in an old notebook and really liked it. So, I scanned it, threw it in Inkscape and make a digital version of it, which I can now edit. I think this flower is gonna be in every one of my next builds. I have a somewhat emotional connection with it. And it looks cool too!

For you wondering why I left so much empty space, I'm going to build a tone generator to test the circuits without having to use a guitar. It adds to the whole cable mess!

I hope you like it, as much as I do.

Hector

Tayda launched a new site (taydakits.com) for DIY kits, in which you can send your own idea for a kit. And for every Tayda sale, you take 10 - 15%. Nice! Check it out!

And here's the new discount code!
Enjoy!

15% Discount
Coupon Code: "TAYDAKITS " Valid until 15 September 2013 ( 6pm New
York time )

Hector