PT80

[jkokura]

GGG doesn't have a forum build reports to post in, so it may as well go here!

I built the PT80, and boy was this a challenge to wire up! The board itself is quite large, but the layout is alright. One thing I don't like about GGG projects in general is that the pots don't necessarily connect to the board in an intuitive or easy fashion. Sometimes, like in this case, the pots have to be connected to each other with offboard wiring, and the wires go to various spots all over the board instead of all being routed to an easy to access edge. Another thing to note is that the Delay time pot is wired backwards on the GGG documents - you have to connect lug 2 to lug 3 and connect lug 1 to the spot that's designated for lug 3, otherwise the pot works backwards.

Further making this a difficult wiring job was my layout. I have a layout, you guys have all seen it innumerable times now and it's the same in just about all my builds. I like it, it works for me, and I like the way it looks. It's usually easy to wires small boards up in the 125B's, but this mother was a hair short of being genuinely too big if I really am honest. I had to jury rig a cap on the bottom of the board, and use some electricians tape to insulate some parts on the board from the plugs/jacks, I had to remove one of the lugs on the input jack, and I had to maneuver and bend things into place as best I could just to get it to fit.

On top of all that - I had some debugging to do once I boxed it. As usual, I "rocked it before I boxed it," so I knew it was working right before I wired it up. But once I went for my test run after snapping the shots below I was getting nothing. Bypass worked fine, but the pedal was dead and the LED wouldn't light up. I knew it had to be my wiring, but I didn't know what. I looked and couldn't see anything wrong, but I decided to take it out and start to do a step by step debug. I took it out of the box - low and behold my problem presented itself! I had forgotten to solder the ground of the DC jack to the ground of the output jack. The wire was hidden when I had been looking for the problem, so I soldered it in and all was well! It sounds pretty dang cool, the most authentic analog sound out of the PT2399 I've heard yet. This sounds a lot like a DM-2 if I'm honest. The Echo Base is more like the DMM, and the Rebote is still a little too clean to be called an analog type, but the PT2399 does it really really well. I don't like the oscillation, and I get it at about 3:15 on the repeats knob. If I were to build it again I'd socket the resistor responsible for the repeats and then try finding a value that would give me the most repeats without oscillation.



And the Guts.



Hope you've enjoyed.

Jacob

[gtr2]

Impeccable build Jacob!  I really like the font and color scheme you used on this one.  Very retro.  The comparisons between the different delays using the pt2399 are helpful as well.

After staring at my aquaboy build and the sheer amount of components for the size things look really spaced out on this board.

Hey I'm also used to looking at the other side of your guts...  That sounds wrong...

Josh

[redbean]

Great job! Retro-style indeed! 

[crash]

Very nice, I just finished populating one of these boards.  Getting ready to wire the pots and jacks.

[jkokura]

Very nice, I just finished populating one of these boards.  Getting ready to wire the pots and jacks.

Remember to wire the delay pot backwards. Connect lugs 2 and 3 to each other.

Jacob

[maysink]

That is a tight fit. I really prefer I/O + power on top and damn if you didn't make that work! Kudos again, sir.

[mjcyates]

Very Nice. The PT80 was my very first DIY build. My brother-in-law assisted me so it was a successful build in spite of me. It is a very nice sounding delay. I agree with your assessment of the Echobase being similar to DMM. I think of all the delays I have built (PT80, Aquaboy, Echobase, Rebote 2.5) I still prefer the rebote 2.5 if I had to choose one.

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

That is a perfect fit! Great job! Great color and font use. I'm planning on doing all these diy delays too so thanks for the run down. Found a great layout for robot 2.5 on vero! Have you built the magnus modulus? I'm considering doing that one soon too.