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Hello everyone,
I'm writing this post to share the frustration I feel right now that makes me rethink whether the satisfaction of building pedals is still worth it. A couple of weeks ago I was tempted by the new Aion projects and decided to order a couple of pcbs. I know well that shipping costs have increased a lot but even so my desire to build pedals after so much time of inactivity was stronger.
The package has been blocked at Belgian customs for a week and today they sent me the invoice to pay for taxes and administrative expenses: 27.12 euros!
It's not really about the money but finally I think that paying a total of 69 euros (42 for the order + 27 taxes) about 70 US dollars for 2 pcbs is excessive and frustrating!
I don't want to be misunderstood, my anger is only with Belgian customs...but I think this was the last time I ordered pcbs or parts from outside Europe. I wanted to order some of Madbean's new projects but...
And I still haven't received the pcbs. A shame...
Apologies for the long post and for complaining.

Pierre

Hello !
This one was sold to a friend...
The enclosure in this one was an experiment, painted in black, gold and turquoise and then sanded down. I kind of like the result...
Sounds great, really great ! 
Hope you like it

...my second build report !
I have 3 Cascadia done, this one was the first and it sounds fantastic !!!
Boxed in a 150BB, just to challenge myself, I had to file a little the enclosure's lid.
I hope you like it !

Hello !
I've never posted a buid report before ( mostly due to my lack of confidence with my english skills) so here I go !
This one got me into the Madbean forum, the PCB was etched back in 2011, but I populated and boxed it a few weeks ago. Volume pot is a 50KA and C9 is 100pF instead of 1nF. D1 and D2 are AA113 (or AA143?) and 1N60P for D3 and D4...

Hello !
I have my Dreamtime built, working and sounding good (really good !). However I have a small question regarding the controls in the reverb mode. Controls seems to be different from the build documents, I'll try to explain:
Reverb amount is P0 (P2 in docs), Width is P2 (P1), Speed P1 (P0) and Blend sets the amount of wet signal. In delay mode the controls are like stated in the build documents...
Thanks !

I forgot to include some 22µF low ESR in my last order from Mouser...Can I use regular low profile 22µF instead ?

Happy New Year 2017 for everyone !!!
Best wishes from Brussels 

Hi !
I got my Lab Series preamp project up and running, it sounds really good ! I still didn't calibrate the trim pots, only set the compressor trim to cero.
But before I put it in the enclosure I have a couple of questions , just to verify that the preamp is working as it should.  One is the Limit function, I get maximum compression with the knob all the way down...and the other one is regarding the Hi-Lo switch, signal is boosted in "Lo" position...it's this the way it was intended...?
Thanks for your help 

Hi !
My Deathklaw is working good but dry signal is a little below unity level and a little dark sounding. Everything seems to be correct...I'm double checking resistors and caps right now, but I really don't know where to look...any ideas will be appreciated, thank you !

hi !
...can 25KA pots be used instead of 20KA pots in the Demented Compressor ?
And last one:can I use 620 ohm for those 619 ohm resistors ?
Thank you !!!

[9,7V]

Hi !
So, yesterday I put toghether the Laserwolf project...Overdrive and delay works fine but Phaser not...I mean yes, but when I engage the phaser volume drops to allmost nothing...I can hear it swooshing but at a very very low level...Rate led is working, and so are all the pots.
The strange thing is that I dont get ground continuity in phaser's "G" pad.
I did the "scrip fix" and I was extra carefull to cut the trace, I used a 0.8mm drill bit for the job turning it by hand...I have ground continuity everywhere in the circuit except in the "G" pad of the phaser...
The voltage readings seems to be similar to the chart in the building document...Changed all Ic's, checked for solder bridges and components values...desoldered the scrip switch, the 4pdt and still nothing...
In any case, here's de voltage readings from a 9,7V regulated PS:

IC5:                                           
1   4.98v           
2   2.5V
3   5mV
4   5mV
5   2.85V
6   2.5V
7   0.55V
8   0.67V   
9-16   2.5V

IC4:
1   4.7V
2   4.7V
3   4.67V
4    3mV
5    4.67V
6    4.7V
7    4.7V
8    9.4V

IC2:
1    3.94V
2    3.94V
3    3.69V
4    2.6mV
5-6-7 varies
8    9.06V

IC3:
1    3.95V
2    3.95V
3    3.95V
4    2.5mV
5     3.95V
6     3.94V
7     3.74V
8     9.06V

IC6:
1     3.94V
2     3.94V
3     3.94V
4      2.5mV
5      3.94V
6      3.94V
7      3.94V
8      9.07V

...I'm really lost here...I can't find my mistake...I can post some pictures.
Thanks for your help !

Pierre

Hello everybody !
...I was just about to put together a Green Bean when I realize that in the BOM the drive pot is 500k B, in most TS project that I build drive pot is 500k A...The same with the level pot which is 100k A when usually is a 100k B...Is it better this way? I'm a little confused here...

thanks !

Hi !
I'm Pierre, this is my first post here...but I was reading around for a while...
Yesterday I build my first Zero Point SDX which worked right away; as I had a spare board and enough parts to build another one, today I decided to do it. The only thing different with this one is the caps, I wanted to try some Wima caps to see if they would make any difference in the sound. This one don't work  
The sound is gated and there is an aw full motorboarding noise...I can tell true the noise that control knobs do what they are suppose to do, as well for the switches...

I have done some voltage readings in the IC's if it can help :

IC1
1  4.77v    5  9.54
2  4.77      6  4.78
3  4.75      7  4.78
4  0.01      8  4.15

IC2 and IC3 same readings
1  5.02        9  2.52
2  2.5         10  2.52
3  0.01       11  2.52
4  0.01       12  2.52
5  1.28       13  2.52
6  2.45       14  2.52
7  0.28       15  2.52
8  0.80       16  2.52

IC 4
1  4.77        8  4.77
2  4.77        9  4.77
3  4.68       10  4.75
4  9.54       11  0
5  2.34       12  4.75
6  4.77       13  4.77
7  4.77       14  4.77

IC 5
1 between 2 and 5?
2 4.77
3  4.54
4   0
5  9.54
6  between 2 and 7 ?
7  4.54
8  3.97

Any toughs?
Thank you !!!