Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Greetings!

I built a V2 Mouse with the 6 position rotary switch. My band found "the sound" that we have been looking for with position 5. I need to build another one. Does anyone know exactly what that position is? I read somewhere that in positions 4-5-6 the clipping diodes are relocated to the feedback loop of the op-amp. And that position 5 is asymmetrical clipping.

The new version (Version 3) of the mouse doesn't seem to have these positions. Does anyone know if I could modify a V3 to get the position 5 found in the V2?

Thanks!

Exactly right. Position 5 of the clipping rotary is indeed an asymmetric diode array located in the op amp feedback loop (i.e. "soft" clipping), Tube Screamer style. Specifically, it's one 1N4001 diode & one 1N4148 (or 1N914) diode in series in one polarity direction and just a single 1N4001 diode in the other polarity direction. The PCB map and schematic for the V2 Mouse can be found in THIS POST, but I've included them below for viewing convenience.


That's true. And since the "hard" clipping is hard-wired into the circuit and there's no current provision for connecting "soft" clipping, this modification would be rather extensive. But if you're willing to forgo the three "hard" clipping choices and wire it for only that position 5 type of clipping, it would be much simplified.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

Thanks for the reply!

That totally works for me. I wouldn't mind making a position 5 (or 4,5 and 6) only Mouse. Could you explain in simple terms how I would go about doing that to a V3?

Thanks!

You'll need to cut the trace to the hard clipping diodes. Then stick whatever set of clipping devices you want to use between pins 2 and 6 of the op amp.

FYI, you can actually have double clipping. In fact, I generally tend to prefer it. So you might not even want to cut the trace to the hard clipping diodes till you try it.

_________________
*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

OK, if you want the "position 5 only" version, here's how I would go about it:

1) Leave out all six of the diodes (LED, Si and Ge) on the left side of the PCB.

2) You can either install or leave out the on-off-on SPDT toggle switch. If you install it, it won't do anything other than fill that hole in the enclosure.

3) Here's the main part of the modification: Solder two 1N4001 diodes, one 1N4148 diode, and the 100pf ceramic cap as shown in the diagram below. You're then going to use the leads of the ceramic cap to connect this 4-component assembly to the "101" position on the PCB located just below the op amp socket. Those eyelets connect back to the #2 and #6 pins of the op amp that Keith referred to in his post. (It would be nice to use the much sturdier leads of that middle 1N4001 to connect to the PCB, but that type of diode has heavier leads that I doubt will fit through the 101 cap position eyelets.)

Alternatively, you could connect those 4 components together on a small piece of perf or vero board rather than soldering the leads directly together, and then connect that assembly to those same two eyelets on the main PCB.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

I kibitzed a bit with Keith (byoc) and we have two other options to run by you, in addition to the "Position 5 only" clipping option above:

1) As Keith mentioned, you could install the toggle switch and all of the clipping diodes on the left side of the board, along with the third step of the "position 5" (P-5 hereafter, to save typing time!) modification I described above. This would give you the P-5 clipping in combination with whichever of the three modes of hard clipping you choose with the toggle switch. The drawback is that you can't get the P-5 clipping by itself with this set-up, since one of the three hard modes is always active due to how the switch is connected.

2) You could also do essentially the same thing, but leave the LED diode spaces on the PCB empty. That way, if you leave the toggle switch in the middle (off) position, you would get ONLY the P-5 clipping. With the toggle to the right or left, you'd get the P-5 in combination with whichever of the two hard clipping diode arrays you have selected. Also, you don't have to put silicon diodes in one spot and germaniums in the other, as per page 8 of the instructions. You could use one of those pairs on one side and a pair of LED's on the other. The choice is up to you, so go with whichever two diode pairs you like best. Keith & I thought this would be a great choice for you, since you can still get the P-5 only clipping that you seek, but also have two other clipping modes available to you through the toggle switch.

Good luck with it and let us know how it turns out! If you have any questions, we're here for you.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

Keith abd Voodooman,

Thanks for your ideas! I’ll most likely go with your final idea of having P5 along with 2 other hard clipping options. It’ll be a minute before I start the project but I’ll definitely let you know how it goes and probably have questions along the way.

Thanks again!

Yeah, we thought you'd like that one! Best of luck with the modified build, whenever you can get to it.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

Hey could someone post what type of distortion each of the rotary switch settings on the Mouse V2 are?
I can't seem to find that info anywhere...

Thanks!

From the last page of the Mouse V2 (rotary switch version) instructions (available on THIS PAGE):

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

Ah thank you so much! I somehow didn't see that...