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After much mucking around with the TAPLFO chip, I wanted to use it with the audio portion of my near-ancient Shoot The Moon tremolo (itself derived from the Tremulus Lune). I pared down the waveform options to just 4 (of 8 in the original code). Works and sounds great. I gave this one to my guitar teacher.

I laser cut/etched a face plate from 1/16" basswood ply and stained it. Then did some fine sanding to smooth it out and pull back the color a bit.

Side note: I named it "¡Aveces!" because "sometimes there is sound, and sometimes there is not". Apparently I'm the only one that thinks this is funny. 

I hesitate to call this a "dev" board because it's not really designed for rapidly testing code. It's really just for being able to diddle with the main parameters of the StompLFO from Electric Druid, which is a really cool LFO-on-a-chip with tap temp baked in. It's got 8 waveforms, including two that are pseudo-random. The code is open source, so you can modify it to suit your needs should you desire. That's beyond the scope of this post, but we could talk about that later if anyone is curious.



So this board has all the necessary components to get all the functionality out of the stock StompLFO code. And I also added a few things that make it easier to dial in and use it with some flexibility for breadboard projects or other types of circuit testing. I added two switches (using header pins and 2-pin mini jumpers) for 1) changing the microcontroller offset pin to either high or low state, and 2) bypassing or enabling a second set of LED pads that can be run off board to a breadboard or whatever. I also added a trimmer to set the minimum speed of the LFO because it can go slower than useful for some effects. Voltage regulator is also included to make it a self-sufficient package.

So that's what I've been goofing around with the last couple weeks (months, actually, if I'm being honest), among other things. I've also modified the code a bit so that the chip has only the waveforms I want and in the order I want in regards to the Wave pot sweep. Took a bit of monkeying around, but it's not real hard to do.

Email from AutoDesk just now says so. And here's the blog post from AutoDesk:
https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/future-of-autodesk-eagle-fusion-360-electronics/?mktvar002=5825936009%7CEML%7C172392069

https://po-ru.com/2023/05/23/3d-printable-hex-sockets-for-guitar-pedal-and-synth-diy

I'll definitely be printing some of these.

Did a quick search and didn't see this posted. Thought you degenerates would enjoy 

https://www.indifferentengine.com/tapeecho

Saw this at my local shop where I take lessons. They got it in that day, and I noticed the pickup switch was dodgy (wouldn't select the neck pickup by itself, so the middle position and neck position were the same). So I managed to talk my way into a $50 discount and got it for $350 out the door with a so-so hardshell case.

I got the new pickup switch installed, and it's working great. No real plans for any other upgrades...other than perhaps a set of Hipshot locking tuners, but so far the stock tuners are just fine. Core-Tek makes a solid guitar, assuming the buyer specs it out well. G&L obviously did in this case.

Oh, and holy shit these are the brightest/loudest pickups ever.  It's like a single coil on 11...or maybe 37. It doesn't look the part, but this thing DOOMs. 

https://www.musicradar.com/news/fulltone-effects-pedals-closing

Still seems to be a tiny bit of doubt that this is happening, but it appears to be true.

Can't wait for the market to flood with (even more) OCD clones. 

Looks pretty rad. https://shop.line6.com/dl4-mkii.html

The DL4 MkII honors that legacy by including every one of those original sounds and features, and retaining the same knob and footswitch layout, so there's no need for DL4 users to learn any new moves—but the DL4 MkII also introduces many new sounds and features that bring it fully into the 21st century. The 15 MkII delays were drawn from our HXTM family of amp and effects processors and include Line 6 originals such as Harmony Delay, Pitch Echo, Euclidian Delay, Glitch Delay and ADT tape delay, as well as 4-Switch and 1-Switch loopers with up to 240 seconds of record time, expandable to several hours using an optional microSD card.

The DL4 MkII also features an XLR dynamic microphone input for vocal processing and looping; MIDI capabilities such as real time parameter control and preset selection (up to 128) via its MIDI In and Out/Thru DIN connectors; four heavy duty footswitches with colored halo rings; and switchable true, buffered, or DSP bypass. There's also a jack for connecting an optional expression pedal (automatically assigned to the Delay Time, Repeat, Tweak, Tweez, or Mix controls) or two assignable external footswitches.

Finally, although the DL4 MkII does everything that the original DL4 does (other than run on batteries), plus so much more, it is considerably smaller and lighter, making it an even more appealing choice for modern musicians of all types.

Identical knob and footswitch layout as the original DL4
30 Delay options: 15 new MkII plus 15 Legacy DL4
2 Loopers—mono/stereo and pre/post signal path options
Up to 240 seconds of looping time, or several hours with optional microSD card
XLR dynamic microphone input for vocal processing and looping
MIDI In, Out/Thru DIN connectors—receives PC and CC messages
128 Presets via MIDI, with footswitch control of up to six
Switchable true, buffered, or DSP bypass
Input for optional expression pedal or two additional footswitches

This is not anywhere near final art or even the actual name of the pedal, but I liked how this came out. Been working on the circuit since June 2021, and it's just about done. Few minor tweaks left, but it's just part values at this point. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Quick demo: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/679760929

Since this is a DIY forum, I'd like to share some of the details on how this is not just another "by the datasheet" PT2399. A long time ago, I played around with a super-simplified PT circuit that didn't have input or output buffers and only used one of the PT's internal op amps. The goal was a delay with the minimum of parts. It worked out great, and was a really fun DIY project, but I wanted to take that idea to the next level.

But I wanted to keep the idea of just using the one internal op amp, and making up for it with some external filtering. So I added two filters in series for the delay output: a Sallen-Key active filter that you'd normally see in an analog delay, and also a simple one-pole variable low-pass filter. Then I added a simple LFO to provide some modulation (modified version of the EA Trem LFO).

I used my little Neje Master 2 hobby laser (5.5W) to do the art on the box. Backfilled with acrylic paint. 

I spent all of 2021 purging gear (so much so that I got a 1099-K from Reverb), so of course it was time to complete the circle with a new purchase. 

This is the Fillmore 25, which is supposedly an old design from the early Mark I era days of Mesa. Definitely does not sound like any of the Mark amps or the many derivative models and lines. It's much more Fendery (but the breakup is great). Also, the tone stack does not at all behave/interact like most Mesa amps. It's a nice change, frankly. I'm not afraid to change the settings on this one like I am on the Mark V:25. 



I've only played it for a couple of hours, and of course it's still honeymoon territory, but I do like it quite a bit. This is going to be replacing my Princeton, for sure (anybody want a lightly used 68 RI Princeton?).  It can do that clean Fender sound (with tube reverb, no less) but also a whole lot more. It also takes up les space, which is always an issue for me.

In the Hi mode and with Gain dimed, it maxes out at around what I would call a medium-heavy overdrive. Definitely not a modern metal sound, but it can do 70s and early 80s hard rock pretty well. Actually, so far, I don't hear a whole lot of difference between the Drive and Hi modes. Hi has a little bit more compression and sustain, but gain-wise it's nearly identical to my ears. I actually think I like the overall sound of Drive mode better, but we'll see with some more time.

Apparently this thing was designed with edge of breakup / dynamic breakup in mind. It does this really well.

Things I would change: I don't have many gripes so far, but I'd love it if the reverb controls (one for each channel) were on the front panel. Also, it would be cool if they had a multi-watt switch option for 25w / 10w, but I can live without that. One last annoyance: the "Boogie" nameplate letters are painted on rather than being emossed/3D like on other Boogie-designated amps. Not the end of the world, but kinda lame for a pricey amp.

https://www.reddit.com/r/diypedals/comments/skhh7u/homemade_tape_echo_from_scratch_both_hardware_and/

Shit is mind-blowing.

Here's a demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI8ZTQqLwwg

Read all about it: https://smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com/update/

Dear Friends and Customers:

Small Bear is excited to announce that we have reached an agreement in principle to be acquired by synthCube.

Following a final agreement, Small Bear customers will be able to continue ordering directly from the Small Bear webstore, as soon as arrangements have been completed for synthCube to accept and fill those orders. Please note that it is likely to take a few months for synthCube to receive our remaining stock in Massachusetts, get it organized on their premises and re-stock depleted items.

We expect that the combination of Small Bear and synthCube will provide expanded parts selection for DIY audio enthusiasts, including makers of stompboxes, modular synths, amps and more.

The combined company will continue to serve both hobbyists and commercial accounts. Small to mid-size stompbox, modular synth and DIY audio companies will continue to find deep inventory and competitive prices for components purchased in bulk, with a particular focus on analog and digital components specific to audio DIY.

Please watch this space for updates as we build our partnership.

Steve, Judy and the Small Bear Team

Trying to troubleshoot a non-working SD9 for a buddy. I need a factory schematic because the part numbers matter. This one is MIJ.

All I can find are schematics from GGG and Dirk Hendrik. Anybody got a source or a file they can email me?

Thanks!

This is the first build of an idea I've had for a while. Still have a couple issues to correct, but overall I'm happy with it.

Simple JFET boost concept with an input cap switch. But also has a "drive" switch that toggles in a set of clipping diodes and a master volume control. The boost alone is pretty clean up to a certain point and then gets a bit dirty. The clippers obviously give it a bit more of an overdrive sound, so it can sort of pull double duty on a small board.

Got the box from Smallbear as a closeout color on the cheap. Laser etched the graphics with a NEJE Master 2 (5.5-watt diode laser), which is definitely the best of the cheapo diode lasers I've tried over the past 3-4 years. Combined with Lightburn software, this thing is quite passable as a pedal art platform. Two passes a medium-slow speed and 80% power gets down to bare metal (took about 30 minutes for this pedal, more if you have more complex art). Good for personal stuff, but not really fast enough for commercial opps.

Might end up as an Function f(x) product, idk. 

I'll be releasing this as a DIY project at some point in the near future, but wanted to post the first build now since I liked how (almost) everything turned out. Sound clips are in the works.

The base delay circuit is one that I and earthtonesaudio (of DIYstomboxes fame) came up with several years ago, and as I recall, it was the inspiration for madbean's Cave Dweller project. I had initially intended the original as a pseudo-reverb type of effect (short delay time and loads of feedback), but it also works out pretty well as a longer delay. Then recently I was playing around with a CD40106 oscillator and working on getting the wave shape to resemble something usable for modulation effects (triangle shape, at least), and I wondered how it would work with a PT2399 to wiggle the delay time. I still need to hook it up to my scope and have a look, but it seems to get pretty close to a triangle, if not a little bit more like a sawtooth.

To cut to the chase, it works pretty well with a PT2399, so I boxed it all up. I did the LFO as an on-the-fly perf layout, and I'm quite pleased with how that turned out. PCB for the delay was one already populated that has been kicking around my work bench for years now. I'll be doing a new integrated PCB that puts everything together. Still have a few minor things to work out, but the circuit is 95% done. More details to come!

The Depth and Time controls are highly interactive because of how it's set up. It's odd, but also offers a lot of flexibility on the tone of the repeats because as the Time control is increased, there is more and more low-pass filtering of the delay line. So you can turner that back a bit and then crank the Depth and get longer, clearer repeats. Or you do the opposite and get darker, more  BBD-like filtered repeats. Modulation ranges from mild to borderline insane.

The enclosure is etched with my little hobby laser (5w) and then backfilled with acrylic paint. I found the graphic on a stock image site and thought it would be cool on a pedal. I did white on the top, and white and gold on the bottom plate. Gold looks pretty solid on a blue box.

Definitely had to compromise on control layout because of using a PCB not designed for this kind of application. Perf LFO uses board-mounted pots for stability. Miscalculated the drill spot for the DC jack (classic culturejam!), so that's fugly. But this is a true prototype sort of build, so I don't mind.

I posted something about this circuit a while back. It's a Bazz Fuss (of course), but with a pair of geremanium transistors in a darlington configuration. I used the oddball 2N1101 NPN transistor from Smallbear because it's available, relatively cheap, and nobody else is doing it. 

Added a gain control and some filtering here and there. I think it still needs a little tweaking, but it's got a decent sound as is.

The enclosure is from Love My Switches and I laser-etched the art. Then I used acrylic paint to back-fill the etched out parts (pickdropper taught me this technique). This was my first time doing this technique, and I think it worked pretty good. As always, getting good alignment is the devil in the details, but it's not *that* hard. Pretty nice look you can do 100% at home and on the fly. Here's my post right after I finished it so you can see it pre-drilled: https://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=32273

I can't find my SMT parts stash, so the indicator LED doesn't work until I either find that box or my new resistor kit arrives. :/

I got some wacky colors of paint I'm going to try next (sparkle purple, etc). I'll post my findings.

Well, it makes a hell of a lot of sense to me. I thought this one was a great walk-through, even though the creator is into a hobby that doesn't really correlate with guitar amps all that well.

Dave (pickdropper) sometimes does this kind of finish, but he has the big-boy laser and lots of attention to detail. I have neither, haha. But this is a lazy-man's pickdropper fancy finish technique. 

Used a really cheap hobby laser engraver to cut through enough powdercoat to squeegee some acrylic paint in there. The software sucks and alignment is dodgy, but for DIY it's not a bad option.

For this first test, I just did a single pass at max power (3.5W) to see how it would work. Used a toothbrush to clear the ash, wiped it down, and then dabbed some white acrylic paint at the top. Used an old credit card as a squeegee to pull the paint downward and into the crevices to fill. Sort of like silkscreen work.

I let it dry and then wiped gently with 90% isopropyl to clean up the residual paint. It's not amazing, but I'll take it for a first try. The alignment is obviously off-center, but it's close enough that I can still build it. I think I figured out a way to print a template to verify alignment better, but I'll test that later.

Circuit details: It's the DIY classic Bazz Fuss circuit with some fun tweaks. Instead of an integrated darlington transistor (usually MPSA13), I did a discreet darlington with two germanium transistors (for mojo). I used the 2n211, which is a low-gain NPN germanium transistor available from SmallBear Electronics. It's a weird package shape, so I made my own part in Eagle CAD because nobody has a footprint available. I also added a gain control pot and a toggle switch to select between standard silicon and schottky diodes.

Sounds pretty good to me, but I love the base circuit. Adding in germanium mojo and some mods for flexibility is just icing on the tonal cake. I have a few boards left if anybody wants one to mess around with.

I had a Phaez a couple years back and sold because I got gear lust for...well, I forgot by now (I'm a whore). That one was a 14w Daisycutter and sounded awesome.

This one is an 8W Jube, which is a single-ended 6V6 with a clone of the Marshall Silver Jubilee for the preamp. It's basically Appetite for Destruction in a SE low-watt format. But as usual with all "low wattage" amps, it's loud as hell, haha. Sounds great and does the 80s JCM800 thing really well.

I emailed the builder (Randy Fay) to ask about pricing for this particular model, and he responded within an hour (on a random Thursday night). I want to take a shot at building my own head cab, and he was totally open to the idea of shipping it without a cab and adjusting the price accordingly. I also asked him to add a "Watts" knob (power scaling), and he only charged $30 to add it. Did a custom faceplate as well (included in price). He also included an etched logo nameplate for the cab (whenever I finish it). I'm very impressed with the quality and service.

First email to him was on Oct 16 and I got the amp today (from Canada). Not too shabby for a semi-custom build. Cost was $430 for the amp + actual shipping. I couldn't build this myself for that price.

Pics below. His older builds were 100% point-to-point (no PCB, no eyelets, no turrets), but his later stuff uses a combination of PCBs and on-socket / on-pot flying leads. For an amp with this much gain, it's surprisingly quiet.

Please ignore the ill-gotten Waffle House menu in the background. 

Some guy 3D printed a custom 2020-themed menorah: