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#11
Build Reports / Re: MicroSynth Fuzz
Last post by Jobu - January 25, 2026, 02:25:49 AMI finally got mine boxed up, I've never played a real Microsynth before and I have to say I am a big fan of this flavor of octave fuzz! Thanks again for the board!
#12
General Questions / Re: Boss electronic switching....
Last post by NorthCoast - January 24, 2026, 07:57:30 PMLet us know what you come up with, I'm really curious about solid-state switching options.
#13
Build Reports / Re: DS-1 modded and rehoused…
Last post by greysun - January 24, 2026, 02:55:23 PMWorth noting: you could easily take the buffers out if you've already gone this far into modding the pedal, but I liked where it landed and didn't wanna push my luck. If you really don't want them even with the effect on...
www.electrosmash.com/boss-ds1-analysis breaks down where the buffers start and stop. Remove those parts and set your in and out wires accordingly.
www.electrosmash.com/boss-ds1-analysis breaks down where the buffers start and stop. Remove those parts and set your in and out wires accordingly.
#14
Build Reports / Re: DS-1 modded and rehoused…
Last post by greysun - January 24, 2026, 02:50:11 PMI couldn't help myself and continued to mod this to be true bypass*
Why true bypass* (asterisk)? Well, the in/out buffers are technically still there - I can just bypass them in clean.
How did I do this? I took out the transistors that control the electronic switching (Q6, Q7 and Q8) and jumper'd the outside pins of Q6 and Q7 and left Q8 empty. All of the parts at the bottom of the boss board were for the electronic switching, so I took out everything but the resistors in that part of the circuit for space and to possibly help with any noise. The 3PDT now has PLENTY of space and it worked like a charm. Used madbeans foot switch diagram and it's beautiful (well, it doesn't LOOK beautiful cause it was tight working in there, but you know what I mean. Hehe).
Gut shots below. Any of the cream caps are of my own addition. You can see the LED for clipping near the IC, as well as the jumper at q6. Figuring out the power took me longer than I'd like to admit, but the way the battery was intertwined with the jack and power wasn't what I was used to.
So all in all - I took a pedal I didn't like, modded it to sound better in stock settings, added a "fuzz" switch (which so far is GREAT for leads), made it true bypass and put it into a housing I prefer. Win/win all around. Modding, true bypassing and rehousing these old buggers IS possible.
Why true bypass* (asterisk)? Well, the in/out buffers are technically still there - I can just bypass them in clean.
How did I do this? I took out the transistors that control the electronic switching (Q6, Q7 and Q8) and jumper'd the outside pins of Q6 and Q7 and left Q8 empty. All of the parts at the bottom of the boss board were for the electronic switching, so I took out everything but the resistors in that part of the circuit for space and to possibly help with any noise. The 3PDT now has PLENTY of space and it worked like a charm. Used madbeans foot switch diagram and it's beautiful (well, it doesn't LOOK beautiful cause it was tight working in there, but you know what I mean. Hehe).
Gut shots below. Any of the cream caps are of my own addition. You can see the LED for clipping near the IC, as well as the jumper at q6. Figuring out the power took me longer than I'd like to admit, but the way the battery was intertwined with the jack and power wasn't what I was used to.
So all in all - I took a pedal I didn't like, modded it to sound better in stock settings, added a "fuzz" switch (which so far is GREAT for leads), made it true bypass and put it into a housing I prefer. Win/win all around. Modding, true bypassing and rehousing these old buggers IS possible.
#15
Open Discussion / Re: Happy New Year 2026, Pork ...
Last post by Aleph Null - January 23, 2026, 04:11:33 PMThe AE tremolo produces a sine wave, or very close to one. I'm using that drive a two-stage optical phaser. It's producing vibrato. It doesn't go very slow, but that's not necessary in my use case. If you want a really slow sign wave, you might consider using a micronctoller. Maybe on of Electric Druid's TAPLFO chips?
#16
General Questions / Re: Boss electronic switching....
Last post by greysun - January 23, 2026, 03:40:39 PMQuote from: NorthCoast on January 22, 2026, 09:08:45 PMIf you haven't already seen it, you might find this interesting:
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/cd4053/cd4053.htm
Hadn't seen this, no... I'm intrigued! Thanks for sharing!
In quick looking, that chip is outdated/obsolete - TI has a newer version that works with less power (5v vs. 9, but might require extra parts to filter down) and supposedly has faster switching (which, may or may not be an issue with a pop/noise - I could probably also find that old chip without issue at mouser or something compatible).
Found a string where someone created a buffered version of this that worked, so maybe I'll figure out the varied part needs and breadboard a non-buffered version to test. Really I just wanna learn and see what's what...
Should be noted I have no issue with buffers in theory, but even with short cables direct vs. into any Boss pedals I've had/have I can hear a distinct tone color that I'm not super into...
At any rate - thank you for this!
#17
Open Discussion / Re: Happy New Year 2026, Pork ...
Last post by madbean - January 23, 2026, 02:03:06 AMI only just saw this thread. I'm not sure how a CE-2 would sound with a purely sine wave modulation. I think it might ened up sounding a little lop sided because the peaks and valleys would be much more drawn out.
However, this is DIY so all ideas are a good starting point. My suggestion is to take a different approach and maybe adapt one of the Electric Druid microcontrollers to be the modulation engine. Then you could use all sorts of different wave types, not just sine and triangle. Take a look at the Flangelicious project and consider how you might have to work it into a chorus design. It might require a BBD with extra stages, or some other wizadry.
However, this is DIY so all ideas are a good starting point. My suggestion is to take a different approach and maybe adapt one of the Electric Druid microcontrollers to be the modulation engine. Then you could use all sorts of different wave types, not just sine and triangle. Take a look at the Flangelicious project and consider how you might have to work it into a chorus design. It might require a BBD with extra stages, or some other wizadry.
#18
Open Discussion / The most unobtanium pedal part...
Last post by lars - January 22, 2026, 09:34:08 PMWell, Mojotone was very excited to send out an email for the latest pedal in the Lerxst line, the ATWAS. It is a faithful replica of the original Morley Power Wah, just in a much more pedalboard friendly size. BUT...there is a very important thing missing: the awesome sub-miniature pilot light jewel that all those old Morley pedals had. Those lamp jewels have proven to be the most impossible guitar pedal part to source in history. Tons of manufactures would be using them today, no doubt, but they are non-existent. Who made them back then? Where did they come from? How has nobody ever found a single NOS one in a little bag somewhere? The only way to get one is to cannibalize it off an old Morley pedal, but many of those are far too valuable to do that.
It doesn't look right without it.
It doesn't look right without it.
#19
General Questions / Re: Boss electronic switching....
Last post by NorthCoast - January 22, 2026, 09:08:45 PMIf you haven't already seen it, you might find this interesting:
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/cd4053/cd4053.htm
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/cd4053/cd4053.htm
#20
General Questions / Re: Boss electronic switching....
Last post by greysun - January 22, 2026, 05:23:34 PMApologies, all... Seems I'm just bad at internet search - I was searching for Boss electronic switching when I should have been looking for JFET switching.
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=131642.0
https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?t=28714
*sigh* BUT - I think I might A/B test this switching method a bit just to learn more about it, but it appears to be more effort than not to make it work WITHOUT a buffer. In the DIY stomp boxes link, the very last statement explains (if I'm reading it right) that the buffer brings up the impedance such that the switching can happen reliably without any glitches - without the buffer, getting the right mix of parts is tough when accounting for signal discrepancies in different scenarios it seems.
I'll keep doing my research... sorry for the bother! "Hey Timmy, can you help me print this PDF?" ;-)
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=131642.0
https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?t=28714
*sigh* BUT - I think I might A/B test this switching method a bit just to learn more about it, but it appears to be more effort than not to make it work WITHOUT a buffer. In the DIY stomp boxes link, the very last statement explains (if I'm reading it right) that the buffer brings up the impedance such that the switching can happen reliably without any glitches - without the buffer, getting the right mix of parts is tough when accounting for signal discrepancies in different scenarios it seems.
I'll keep doing my research... sorry for the bother! "Hey Timmy, can you help me print this PDF?" ;-)