Messages

1

General Questions / Tube Socket PCB - order separately?

« on: May 25, 2022, 09:27:25 AM »

I've got a PCB for a Tube Driver build already in process, but would like to mount the tube socket to a separate PCB.
Does Madbean sell the tube socket PCB (from the Archibald) separately?

2

Global Annoucements / Re: May release schedule

« on: May 07, 2022, 06:04:48 PM »

Return of the Collosalus!!!
Yeah, that and the OS-2 will be day one purchases for me.

3

General Questions / Re: Less gain out of a BSIAB II?

« on: April 28, 2022, 08:57:04 AM »

Thanks guys.
I've been using the General Guitar Gadgets PCB layout, which I have etched (they've gone through more than one layout over the years), but now building on using an etched version of the Perf & PCB Effects layout.

I'll give the biasing a shot before I box up this newest one.
Thx!

EDIT:  I'm using all Fairchild 2N5457s.

4

General Questions / Less gain out of a BSIAB II?

« on: April 27, 2022, 03:12:57 PM »

Is it possible to mod the BSIAB II for less gain?
I plugged in one I built years ago (went on the shelf due to noise issues, and I haven't gotten around to rebuilding), and it sounded really REALLY good, but has way too much distortion.
I THINK I have all 2N5457's in it now, but wanted to know if using MPF102s in the first Minibooster stage would bring the gain down enough, or if I should replace Q5 with something of lesser gain.

OR is there a way to bypass the 2nd Minibooster altogether?

Just spitballing here, as I love the tone, but not the gain (or the accompanying noise).
Thx!

5

Open Discussion / Recommend an volume/buffer pedal

« on: July 14, 2021, 10:57:02 AM »

I picked up a couple of wah enclosures recently and will be using one for a Vox wah, but want to do a volume pedal out of the other.
Never really looked into them before, but the only active one I've found is the Anderton Volume De-Scratcher circuit.
Is that pretty much the one to build?

I want something that is always on (when I use it), meaning no on/off footswitch and as transparent of a buffer as possible.

Any suggestions?

6

Tech Help - Projects Page / Sandstorm (Ibanez SD9) - LED clipping?

« on: July 07, 2020, 05:15:29 PM »

Got the Sandstorm board last week and (while recovering from surgery this week) have just started looking over the topology, getting ready to build.
I noticed with the clipping, it has 1N914 (stock), as well as 3mm LEDs and BAT41 diodes.
Looking at the toggle on the schematic, though, it looks like the LEDs are on all the time, and you're either switching between 1N914 + LED, LED only and BAT41 + LED.

Is that accurate? Are the LEDs giving the circuit the boost in volume that it's been missing?
Or do the LEDs clip (significantly) on their own?

7

Tech Help - Etcher's Paradise / Re: Breen Machine: which version?

« on: June 18, 2020, 11:55:31 AM »

It's based on whatever version was current in 2013 (from the schematic Dave B. provided to the DIY community).

Thanks - that makes sense, and that's the one I used to make my own board a few years back. I have all ideas that's the V2.
Had a 1st-gen Direct Drive way back when, but not messed with the later ones.

8

Tech Help - Etcher's Paradise / Breen Machine: which version?

« on: June 18, 2020, 07:51:24 AM »

Trying to find out which DD version the Breen is based on - is it V2 or V3?

Thanks!

9

Open Discussion / Need longer-lasting 900M-T-I solder tip - any suggestions?

« on: April 25, 2020, 03:36:37 PM »

I've gotten spoiled with the long, fine-point of the 900M-T-I type solder tips that I've been using for pedal builds these last 8mos, but they are some of the shortest-lasting I've ever used.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FNLQ7KN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The tip/point starts degrading within a day of use; this is with soldering at intervals of about 10min at a time. Not using tinner (Weller rep said that dissolves the plating if used too much), but I am using the 'brass shavings' ball to clean the tip while working.

Can anyone recommend something identical (compatible Hakko model?) that would have better longevity?
I'm using an inexpensive soldering iron, with an adjustable temperature dial on the handle, and an inline on/off switch. I'm only using this for building pedals, occasional guitar maintenance and even less occasional amp-building. The soldering iron itself works great, it's just these tips that keep crapping out.

Option B would be to keep buying these cheap ones and toss them as they wear out; would rather have something that performs a bit better.
Thx!

10

General Questions / Re: Collosalus Flanger: gone for good?

« on: April 21, 2020, 06:27:18 AM »

Sounds good - thx man!

11

General Questions / Collosalus Flanger: gone for good?

« on: April 20, 2020, 02:18:01 PM »

Is the Collosalus gone for good, or will it ever get revamped/redesigned/re-released?

Thx!
- Buck

12

Global Annoucements / Re: Upcoming January releases and sale

« on: March 14, 2020, 09:17:21 AM »

Late to the party on this one - is there going to be a Collosalus replacement, or is the M117 clone done?

13

Open Discussion / 1% metal film resistors: close enough?

« on: June 11, 2019, 11:52:58 AM »

Sometimes I feel like I'm going a bit overboard with tolerances; I got several boxes of 1% metal film resistors from SmallBear a couple of years ago, and still feel the need to measure them to get the strictest tolerance in each value.

Is this overkill? Anyone else do this?

14

General Questions / MN3204s - best source?

« on: March 15, 2019, 03:55:49 PM »

Anybody know of a reliable source for the MN3204 IC?
Littlediode (out of London) on ebay has them, but I'm not sure if they're just reselling Chinese fakes.

Any help would be appreciated - thx!
- Buck

15

Build Reports / Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus

« on: August 11, 2017, 06:54:04 AM »

Don't know how I missed this, but definitely interested. Only concern I have with this being a straight-up clone of a DC-2 is the headroom.
It appears to still run off of 9V. Any distortion/overload issues with humbuckers, etc?

I'm doing a full-on reverse engineered clone of the original DC-2 PCB (SIP ICs and all), and almost have that done. Only differences are, I beefed up the power section per some notes/suggestions I found online from Fromel himself, and I didn't include the buffer parts and will run it true bypass.

Besides being an unbelievably clean PCB, the other thing that really piques my interest is the input/output wiring is all at the bottom of the PCB (near the footswitch and jacks).
If mine doesn't work, I'm definitely picking up the BlueShift PCB.