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View Full Version : ...and another effect is born.



Ch0jin
July 14th, 2008, 04:19 AM
As all of my new batch of kit pedals draw close to completion I thought I might chuck up a few pics and sound clips and stuff in case anyones interested.

OK. First up is (so far anyway) the coolest of the bunch. This is an interpretation of an Ibanez AD80 analogue delay. Uber rare and pricey the orginal's were known in some circles for their warm analogue tones and in others for the crazy self oscillation and almost synth like effects you generate by sweeping the 'Time' control.

I've called this one the Re:Animator, and as I was testing the circuit I tried to listen to as many examples of the originals as I could, and this thing nails it. I couldn't be happier with the sound, but before I get to that I need to explain why I said this was an "interpretation". The original was analogue and the delay effect came from a bucket brigade IC. It would run off a 9V battery, but sounded awesome with a 12V power supply. This version has a charge pump circuit built in to run the effect at 12V from a 9V battery, which is pretty cool, but chews the batteries, I'll be running this off a standard boss supply I reckon. Instead of the old BBD, this one uses a digital delay IC, but maintains the same front end and back end, but with additional filtering to really nail the lo-fi analogue sound.

Anyway, you can probably tell I love the thing.

I'll do some sound clips when it's not as late, but in a general sense this sounds NOTHING like any of the digital delays I have, it's an organic thing that will run away into self oscillation if you dont keep it tamed at one end of the scale and at the other its almost reverb like in the sweetening up of clean sounds. It also loves being fed by one of my fuzz's, really loves it actually.

OK, end of raving....

Here's the pix and a sneak preview of another in progress

(they are all at the top of my page so I didn't bother linkin them individually)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ch0jin

Oh and WARNING!!!! There are cartoon boobs in the artwork, so if that kinda thing offends...no clicky for you!

tot_Ou_tard
July 14th, 2008, 06:32 AM
Lot's cartoon boobies & other parts:

Big Muff Pi, Liv Nude Grunge, In & Out

...let me guess, you don't have a girlfriend ;).

Robert
July 14th, 2008, 07:10 AM
Cool pedals, man! Do they sound as sexy as they look?

Spudman
July 14th, 2008, 08:48 AM
:drool: I'm going to be in trouble if it sounds good. The graphics are a bonus.

duhvoodooman
July 14th, 2008, 09:23 AM
Very nice! :AOK: I just built a delay pedal, too--a free ping-pong/digital echo kit I got on a "buy 4, get 2 free" deal from BYOC. Haven't figured out how I'll decal it yet, though. Your artwork is very well done, if not my particular cup of tea!

But we need CLIPS, man!!! :rockon: :dude: :rockon:

Ch0jin
July 14th, 2008, 07:27 PM
Lot's cartoon boobies & other parts:

Big Muff Pi, Liv Nude Grunge, In & Out

...let me guess, you don't have a girlfriend ;).

HAHAHA, I almost spat coffee over my keyboard when I read that!

No Dr Freud, I do not have a girlfriend, well spotted.

In my defence though;

- I didn't come up with the name "Big Muff Pi" I think ElectroHarmonix did.
- The "In and Out" pic was taken to see if anyone notices that this is a positive ground fuzz. It's labelled that way 'cause "amp + guitar" is longer to write
- and Live Nude Grunge because the cover is off hence 'nude'..

just strum
July 14th, 2008, 07:30 PM
Oh and WARNING!!!! There are cartoon boobs in the artwork, so if that kinda thing offends...no clicky for you!

Huh, that's the reason I clicked. Less danger than clicking on one of Warren's pics.

Ch0jin
July 14th, 2008, 07:50 PM
Very nice! :AOK: I just built a delay pedal, too--a free ping-pong/digital echo kit I got on a "buy 4, get 2 free" deal from BYOC. Haven't figured out how I'll decal it yet, though. Your artwork is very well done, if not my particular cup of tea!

But we need CLIPS, man!!! :rockon: :dude: :rockon:

Clips are coming!! As you'd know DVM, creating the enclosures takes a lot of time away from actually playing, but most of my new batch are near completetion so soon I'll have more time for playing (and sound clips).

The delay is based on a GGG PT80 kit which is quite a bit different circuit wise to the BYOC one you have I think, so it'd be cool to compare sound clips! This is one kit I was SUPER relieved to get working first go. It's a pretty complex circuit (well for a stomp box anyway).

Oh and on the artwork, just so y'all know, I didn't create them. I found images I thought suitable online and modified them to my needs. I'm no artist I assure you. For the delay, the first time I tried it out on the bench (and by bench I mean the floor of my music room) I was plugged in clean and the slapback sounds reminded me of so many psychobilly bands I'd seen, so when I stumbled upon that image of rockabilly zombies, it just clicked.

If ur interested I can post up how I did the enclosures. Well not the grunge fuzz, that's just regular old purple spray paint, then spray glued a cell from a comic and clear coated. I wasn't happy with the finish so I found a new way to make them super shiney.

Anyway, enough work dodgin...

Over the next week or so I'll finish that black "Rock and Roll" pedal (which has a BSIAB circuit in it), a modifed TS808 design with 4 clipping modes and Phat Boost switch (and raunchier cartoon graphics) as well as another fuzz thats going to be called "Denim Demon"...see if you can guess what I'm using for a finish haha...

Ch0jin
July 21st, 2008, 05:42 AM
OK quick update....

When I read about the "Brown Sound" for the first time, I'll admit, I thought of farting. After reading more, I discovered that in guitar speak, "Brown Sound" meant Eddie Van Halen's sound. Interesting...

http://www.legendarytones.com/brownsound.html

So naturally when I saw my not-so-local stomp box kit vendor had one called "Brown Sound In A Box", I was curious.

That was a few weeks ago...

Now that kit is my "Rock'n'Roll" pedal.

http://flickr.com/photos/ch0jin/

I can't say if it nails EVH's 'Brown Sound', especially since I'm playing a totally different kinda guitar, but I don't care at all. This thing is amazing! Firstly, the knobs work like a master volume amp. The first one is like a master volume and the third like a gain, and the middle being a very JCM800 sounding tone control. Now your thinking "dude, most of my OD pedals have a volume and gain, whats the big deal?" I said these work like an amp, not a pedal ;) The harder you crank the master, the more drive you get! It's almost like you have a pre-amp gain control and a power stage gain control.

It doesn't do clean boost, in fact it doesn't do clean. This is a rock and roll machine. It does dimed marshall at bedroom volumes, but the problem is I keep finding myself thinking "h'mm I bet this would sound even better, even louder!"

I hope my hotrodded tubescreamer impresses me as much as this did!

Oh and BTW I'm not selling them, so this isn't and ad ;) Just letting you guys know that you can get a great kit! (Oh and I hear this is the circuit that the OCD was based on..)

And I know, I know "clips man!!!" I'm working on it haha :)

tot_Ou_tard
July 21st, 2008, 05:53 AM
At least you didn't use this:

:bootyshake:

as art for your Brown Sound in a Box.

Thanks for posting, I especially like the looks inside at the guts of the pedals.

duhvoodooman
July 21st, 2008, 09:50 AM
When I read about the "Brown Sound" for the first time, I'll admit, I thought of farting. After reading more, I discovered that in guitar speak, "Brown Sound" meant Eddie Van Halen's sound. Interesting...
The BSIAB circuit is a very cool one, generating all the signal distortion through a series of JFET gain stages rather than the more common diode-based signal clipping method. I came across this same circuit earlier this year at General Guitar Gadgets and posted about it HERE (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=6302). The thread includes some photos and links to some clips, both audio & video.

Ch0jin
July 21st, 2008, 10:55 PM
...generating all the signal distortion through a series of JFET gain stages rather than the more common diode-based signal clipping method...

Hehe, thats actually one of the reasons I built it.
I have:

Germanium fuzz - Fuzz Face and Fulltone '69
Si Diode Fuzz - Big Muff Pi
Almsot done is a tube screamer that can switch between (based on testing a number of options and settling for the ones I liked the sound of most) Symmetrical Si, Symmetrical Ge, Asymmetrical Ge, and Symmetrical red LED. (OK I've had the circuit working for ages, it's the box that's taking for ever. I had almost settled on the design when I discovered that in LED mode the red LED's actually light up in time with what your playing, now I'm trying to work that into the case design. Seems a waste of some sorts to have them glowing to themselves inside the case...

Combine those with a Boss Metal Zone and Turbo OD, and of course two tube amps, and I think I have an example of most of the common types of OD sounds. (except a tonebender...)

Oh and I'm making a PNP Ge Rangemaster out of leftovers haha.

So yeah, the JFET style was clearly missing in my pedalboard so I had to make one. I dig that it (like a few of my creations) might not be to everyones tastes, but this thing screams rock and roll to me :)

If I'm missing a style of OD, then by all means shout out cause I'm already getting weird looks from my friends who can actually play when they see how many FX I've built for 'personal use'.

OK now to go post on DVM's thread hehe.....

pes_laul
July 22nd, 2008, 07:56 PM
OK quick update....

When I read about the "Brown Sound" for the first time, I'll admit, I thought of farting. After reading more, I discovered that in guitar speak, "Brown Sound" meant Eddie Van Halen's sound. Interesting...

http://www.legendarytones.com/brownsound.html

So naturally when I saw my not-so-local stomp box kit vendor had one called "Brown Sound In A Box", I was curious.

That was a few weeks ago...

Now that kit is my "Rock'n'Roll" pedal.

http://flickr.com/photos/ch0jin/

I can't say if it nails EVH's 'Brown Sound', especially since I'm playing a totally different kinda guitar, but I don't care at all. This thing is amazing! Firstly, the knobs work like a master volume amp. The first one is like a master volume and the third like a gain, and the middle being a very JCM800 sounding tone control. Now your thinking "dude, most of my OD pedals have a volume and gain, whats the big deal?" I said these work like an amp, not a pedal ;) The harder you crank the master, the more drive you get! It's almost like you have a pre-amp gain control and a power stage gain control.

It doesn't do clean boost, in fact it doesn't do clean. This is a rock and roll machine. It does dimed marshall at bedroom volumes, but the problem is I keep finding myself thinking "h'mm I bet this would sound even better, even louder!"

I hope my hotrodded tubescreamer impresses me as much as this did!

Oh and BTW I'm not selling them, so this isn't and ad ;) Just letting you guys know that you can get a great kit! (Oh and I hear this is the circuit that the OCD was based on..)

And I know, I know "clips man!!!" I'm working on it haha :)
thanks for that link I have found some pretty cool stuff on that site:rockon: