Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Did this one just for fun. I forgot how dirty this thing was until I breadboarded it the other night.

Schematic is good to go. I used my drawing to breadboard, and it fired right up and sounded rippingly good.

I made a few minor value changes, but nothing that affects the sound/tone. Voltage divider values were changed to 470K, and the VREF filter cap was changed to 47u. I also added a pulldown resistor on the input (Rx), polarity diode, AC filter cap, and the current-limiting resistor and LED pads to the board. Just to make wiring the LED neater/easier.

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Function f(x)
TightCamera - Gear Reviews

c1 pwr 8

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I have no idea what that means.

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Function f(x)
TightCamera - Gear Reviews

ic 1 power Eff

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What about it?

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Function f(x)
TightCamera - Gear Reviews

i missread the schematic, so i was like:
"why is c1 between pin 4 and 8??"
Nevermind me...

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Just built one, it's a rip roaring velcro burster.

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"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com

Right? Thing rips!

I already have a PCB layout done. Single board-mounted pot for easy enclosure mounting.

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Function f(x)
TightCamera - Gear Reviews

lovely. getting itchy...no time for itch right now...

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Everyone likes sausage. Nobody wants to see how it's made.

I wonder, would the opamp version be good in series like the transistor version in the double muff. Maybe with a level for each circuit and a master volume at the end. Or would that not be good for this one?

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“Why sip from a tea cup, when you can drink from the river.”
--Steve Martin

I'm finding there's a lot of bacon frying noises as the notes decay, part of the charm perhaps?...but I'm killing it with a 2n2 cap to ground after C1. On my vero it fits nicely at 4I & 4J.

_________________
"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com

I would move it before C1. I'm not 100% sure it will make a ton of difference, but just about all of the high-cut/RF rejector input caps I've seen go right on the input before the input coupling cap.

Another thing to try is to put a small cap (470p - 1n) in parallel with the diodes in the loop on IC1B. That should tame some of the sizzle.

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Function f(x)
TightCamera - Gear Reviews

OK, yep before c1 has a more pronounced effect, but in the clipping loop works even better.

_________________
"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com

So would you recommend one over the other? Or maybe both?

I can add this to my layout as well.

Nice work, Ben.

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Function f(x)
TightCamera - Gear Reviews

470pf removes most of the harsh splatty noises, but the cap on the front smooths things nicely and gives it more of a tonebender vibe.
I think the clipping loop one should definatly be in there, and put the front end one on a switch for "smooth."

I was thinking about upping the output cap and putting two caps on a pot at the input for a "range" control type tone control too, but haven't tried it yet...

_________________
"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com

Okay cool.

Another you might try is LEDs for clipping. And going the other way, germanium or schottky diodes. Or maybe mix and match silicon with the other types. Or maybe have a massive rotary switch.

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Function f(x)
TightCamera - Gear Reviews

Didn't have much luck with the psuedo tone control, changing the input cap has pretty little effect on the sound of the curcuit.
The 'smooth' cap works much better. A 100k pot and a 0.47uf cap to ground worked sort of ok as a variable smooth,(*it actually worked much better with my stratoblaster on in front of it.)
Here's where it becomes a matter of taste, but...
For some reason I think symetrical clipping sounds better here. Two leds are good, two si are good. Ge are pretty compressed and si/ge or si/led didn't sound so good (harsh) to my ear.
Maybe because it's already quite dirty with no clippers?

_________________
"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com

Perhaps making R2 variable would be beneficial to dial in how much grit there is. With lower gain on on IC1_A, I think a bigger input cap would have a more pronounced effect.

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Function f(x)
TightCamera - Gear Reviews

simple vero build for those wanting to jump on the vero train....

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Everyone likes sausage. Nobody wants to see how it's made.

+1. But if the gain wasn't dimed, you wouldn't like it anyway!

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Can you explain the "7 cuts under c2" reference?

I want to try a vero board circuit but I've not done so yet. MY understanding was thatbthenred squares are the location of the cuts.

Thanks

Barry

There are 7 cuts in total (represented by the red squares) and make sure you don't miss the cut beneath capacitor C2.

_________________
"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com

Ok I see them now...kinda faded out ... My bad

I found some strip board at a local electronics place.

Can someone give me a quick tutorial on how to use this?

For soldering - do I just solder the lead to the copper stop and that's it or do I solder the components together?

Also -how does the input and output work? There's only one connection shown for each


Thanks

Barry

With the copper side as the back, just poke the parts through, solder on the back. The copper traces connect the components.
I find it's easiest to start with the lowest lying parts (diodes & resistors) then work though to the tallest parts last (electrolytic caps)
To make the trace cuts twist a drill bit until it cuts through the copper.
When you've finished soldering, run a blade between the traces in case there are any tiny solder bridges.
Then rock out.

_________________
"Spud knows tone"

codtone.com