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Messages - madbean

#5731
Try 100R there if you have it. If not, jumper it.
#5732
Tech Help - Projects Page / Re: Poindexter problem
March 12, 2012, 09:43:56 PM
What you have on the switch looks right, but check to make sure you have correctly wired the input and output to the tips of the jacks, and that your ground is consistent from the PCB to the switch, to one of the jack and to the DC jack.
#5733
Build Reports / Re: Tardis (Cave Dweller I)
March 12, 2012, 04:43:20 PM
If you have double layer perf, you can also mount three pots on one strip: two toward the top, one toward the bottom (to allow space for knobs). I think I have some around somewhere...so I haven't actually done that myself :)
#5734
Have you recorded any samples of your results, Lace? I'm really curious to hear what you have to compare.
#5735
Hmmm, I can see your point CJ. I certainly try not to grandstand or moralize....but the line is murky to me  (in terms of commercial clone production). I guess I can sum it up as "if you are gonna steal, do it from the best, but put something of yourself into it and make it your own".  :D

That said, I definitely reserve the right to express some disgust with well known boutique companies who mercilessly clone their peers (you know who I am talking about), use whatever shortcuts they can (i.e. other people's PCB designs) and get away with it. I find that very distasteful.
#5736
Open Discussion / Re: What to see in NY?
March 12, 2012, 02:22:14 AM
You can see my buddy Michael Galante, who plays drums in my on and off band, playing somewhere I'm sure. He's in like 12 bands in NYC!

Best drummer, ever, no joke. And hilarious.
#5737
Requests / Re: Vorg Warp Sound
March 12, 2012, 02:20:46 AM
It's helpful if you can provide some info about what you are looking for, or maybe a description of the sound you want. Even if the circuit is unknown, alternatives could be suggested.
#5738
Requests / Re: multi-bank loophole
March 12, 2012, 02:19:05 AM
Yeah, the complexity of such a thing is going to make it somewhat beyond the reach of regular through-hole DIY. But, I do expect to have some elements of what you are describing in the Loophole2. I plan on expanding it to two independent loops, single record and playback switch for each. I know I can solve that particular problem now. There may be some other tricks too, I just don't know yet.

I guess my point is that we can get close to a versatile and functional looper, but there are going to be certain limitations due to the technology it employs (voice recorders) and the necessity of it being non-SMD (as far as madbeanpedals is concerned).

I expect to start working on it beginning next month, so be sure to keep an eye out for a thread in the "project development blog". There will be an opportunity to provide feedback and suggest features then.
#5739
You are correct--the BOM states Q1-Q4, but it requires 5 2n3904. I haven't been to Radio Shack in quite a while so I don't know if you will get lucky there or not. You could always put a call out in the new "Parts Jar" section of the forum---I'm sure someone can get you one. I should have quite a few myself, so I can drop one in the mail to you.
#5740
Quote from: Diamond on March 10, 2012, 02:47:36 PM

Then there's also the issue of what to do with a pedal you built that you've used, but don't have a use for anymore. Lots of people here have built several, evens dozens of pedals and you can't possibly keep them all. Is it okay to sell them on eBay or Craigslist or whatever? Where exactly is the line in this area? I don't know. I usually re-use boxes, switches, pots, jacks, etc for other new projects and take the guts out. But I'm wondering how others forum members look at selling built clones on Madbean PCB's that you don't use anymore.

Selling off the unwanted stuff is perfectly legit. I'm going to have quite a bit of unwanted stuff for sale here very soon, myself. I think it's okay to go the eBay/Craigslist route for this if that's your only choice. But, don't ignore the possibility of selling those types of things through the DIY forums, too, and here. #1 - most people are already familiar with you, maybe your work, and maybe the project itself so they know what they are getting, and #2 - when you sell a DIY pedal to a DIY pedal maker, they can always fix it themselves if it ever breaks (no joke, this is a HUGE advantage).

Also, I think people SHOULD make money off their work. It's very easy to tell when someone is looking to make back their money and time invested in something they built and when they are trying to make a gross profit. You only have to look at the asking price.

Here's an example. I built two Sunkings for a fellow DIYer a few years ago (actually the last pedals I built for $$). He wanted one but could not build it at the time due to a hand injury. So, I built a nice little Sunking and I charged something like $75 for it. A couple months later he wanted to give one to his brother for a birthday present as a surprise. So, I built one more and charged less the second time.

Anyway, these are just examples to illustrate my thought process in all this---don't take them as "instructions on how to sell your boxes". That's up to you. IOW, I believe a lot in people's ability to make their own judgement calls in this area, and I've been proven just how awesome and honest folks in the DIY community are time and again.
#5741
Jamiroking, I appreciate you bringing that to a public discussion. Since you are posting it here on the MBP forum, I will of course remind everyone that the majority of the PCBs and PCB artwork that are available here is for non-commercial/DIY use. I've always tried to be reasonable about how much control I can actually have over that sort of thing, and I think the policy of doing "one offs" now and then (and of course, selling of your own personal builds that you don't want) is a fair attempt to keep customers and community members happy (while maintaining some ethical standard for how my own work is used).

But, I do have to draw the line somewhere, and the line is no commercial production. That's pretty easily defined by 1) being a commercial pedal maker, i.e. you advertise, have an online presence through a website or through eBay or 2) offering yourself as "work for hire" on a regular basis. If you fall into either one of these categories, you need to bone up and do the work yourself, i.e. create your own layouts or hire someone to do them for you. And, you should want to do this anyway if you are going to be a legitimate presence in the pedal business.

Also, let me be clear that my main concern revolves around the projects that are clones of current production, "boutique" effects. Stuff like the Klon, ZenDrive, the zVex stuff, etc. I don't care if people use Mudbunnys or GreenBeans to build Big Muffs and Tube Screamers, or Fuzzes and Rangemasters, etc...even on a semi-regular basis. I haven't been more explicit in stating that because 1) I don't offer bulk discounting and 2) if anyone planned on doing those kinds of effects in quantity they will pretty quickly figure out that it is much cheaper to have their own design made in bulk by a PCB manufacturer than to buy my PCBs.

Just to give you an example that I mean what I say: a few months ago a very well known pedal maker asked me to remove a certain PCB I was offering for sale. We came to an agreement since he was pretty nice about it, and the pedal maker offered to buy the remaining PCBs to build some one offs for his customers. I refused, reminding him that the PCBs were for DIY use only. IOW: I'm serious!

Personally, I don't care who builds clones or what...my only interest as far as MBP is concerned is that people understand that the restrictions I place on usage is for the good of my business and reputation. When I see folks (and there have been a few but none of the regular members here, thankfully) selling Klon clones or the like on eBay filled with MBP boards it really frustrates me. And, my overall tone here is probably a little negative only because I've gotten pretty hardened to this sort of thing. I guess having people outright lie to my face (which has happened) about what they are doing with the MBP stuff has made me a lot less trusting, in general. Even further: I have no financial interest in the boutique clone stuff because I don't sell those anymore....the only ones currently offered for sale are the EgoDriver and LaVache (both of which have been modded from the original design). While I could just take all the other stuff down, I haven't because I think it would be a real disservice to community members. MBP is not just a commercial enterprise---it's also a DIY resource.

Obviously, that has nothing to do with you...you are being honest and totally upfront. So, while I do not want to drag you into the muck here, I do want it to be clear and unequivocal: If you want to be a commercial builder or a work for hire I totally support you, but please do not use MBP artwork or PCBs to do so. Build what you want, of course, but do the work. Anything less is a short-cut.

Now, on a positive note, I very much hope that MBP will be a sort of "training ground" for future pedal manufacturers and king-makers. I would be honored to play some small part in influencing the future careers and endeavors of pedal hobbyists as they make the transition into their own small business. It's actually a training ground for me as well, because it has allowed me the opportunity to learn a lot about effects design and building...stuff that I will take with me when I launch my own pedal company someday. So, we are all very much in this together and that's something I care deeply about.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm doing two "one offs" myself right now (a "two off?)--a delay and a phaser for two different customers who approached me. I agreed because both sounded like fun and were not the standard "will you build me a Klon" type request. These are actually the only two pedals I've built for money in about 4 years. Of course, I don't expect people to limit their "one offs" in terms of years...I'm mentioning this to illustrate that I do my best to follow the rules, too. :) These are not even boutique clones---they are classics.


Anyone reading, please feel free to give feedback if you think I've missed the mark here in this (incredibly long) response. I always welcome comments so long as they are honest and fair.

#5742
Do you have output on pin4 of IC4? There are two outputs per IC.

Any noise on pins 2 or 6 of IC4? That is where the clock signal goes. If there is no clock noise on either pin, then the v3205s may not be the problem...it could be the clock.
#5743
Looking at the schematic, when the switch is down (as drawn) it bypasses the Rate control altogether and puts it in filter mode. What you want here is the opposite...skip the filter, leave the rate control on for the flanger. So, you need to jumper both halves of the switch so that B3 and B1 are always connected togehter and A3 and A1 are always connected together.

Take a look at the layout diagram in the document and compare it to the schematic. In the schem, you see only one part of the switch is connected to ground, A2. Notice also that A3 and B2 are connected together on the schematic. On the layout you will also see that the left side of the switch has one lug connected to ground on the upper left. The lower left lug is connected through that red trace to the upper right...hmm, we found A3 and B2!

So, it's a good guess that you want to jumper the middle and lower lugs together. One jumper for each side of the switch and you are ready to rock.
#5744
You can't unfortunately. You can only make it lower.

Witness the math for resistors in parallel: R(x)  = 1/(1/R1 + 1/R2 + ... + 1/Rx)

In the case of two resistors, it can be stated this way:
1/Rx = (R1+R2)/R1*R2

Say R1 = 50 and R2 = 100

1/Rx  = 150/5000 = .03, therefore Rx = 33.3k

In fact, as R2 gets exponentially large, you will only approach the value of R1 by fractional amounts. You would have to have an infinitely large resistor just to get back to your original 50k (only in pure mathematical terms, not practical ones)!

So, you cannot increase the value of a pot with a parallel resistor, but on the other hand, you can reduce the value of a pot that way which sometimes comes in very handy.
#5745
General Questions / Re: MAdbean PCB's
March 08, 2012, 06:46:57 PM
It's $3.50 total for up to 2 PCBs.
If you purchase 3, 4 or 5 PCBs it's $4.25 total.
If you purchase 6 or more PCBs it's $5 total.

These are the international rates, not for the US--just to point out.