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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 7, 2011 10:34:11 GMT -5
i'm new to the DIYpedal fx scene, and i need some advice on doing BFS (Built From Scratch) work. due to low income and high bills i'll have to buy a little at a time, and need advice on what parts to get, what the part does, and how its wired on the board.
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 7, 2011 10:39:29 GMT -5
ok lets start things off with a simple treble booster. the parts i know of for sure are a 50k potentiometer, 3PDT Stomp switch. perf board, 1/4"stereo jacks, LED'S, battery terminals, a resistor for the LED, housing, knobs, and lest we forget a liberal amount of solder and wires...
now what's missing, what are their values, and how is it wired in the circuit(NOTE: I Cannot read schematics. diagrams are prefered!!!! + pictures, i'd like to know what i'm looking for when i go to purchase parts)
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Post by ashcatlt on Apr 7, 2011 10:48:19 GMT -5
I'm not an expert by any means, but IMO some things that should rank high on your list should be a breadboard, a decent difgital multimeter, alligator clip wires, and the parts to build an "audio probe" which is really just a guitar cable with one end hacked off and stripped with a largish (0.1uf at least) capacitor soldered to the "hot" center wire.
Are you looking at a specific treble booster circuit?
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 7, 2011 11:00:32 GMT -5
thanks for that ash i'll see if i can get some of those next time i'm in town. not inparticular just a simple circuit to ease my way into it, and since i don't have a treble boost and from other DIY Gutshots it looked like a good one to start DIY active fx With... ;D
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 7, 2011 11:41:26 GMT -5
but for reference sake tragic hero's brian may DIY treble booster or the rangemaster treble booster are likely candidates for this project i may even try building both
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Post by newey on Apr 7, 2011 13:06:57 GMT -5
Not exactly a treble booster, just a straight-ahead OD pedal, but JohnH's Blue Juice, posted in the effects schematics section above is a pretty simple build.
He has both a veroboard layout and a wiring diagram for the offboard wiring, essentially all the info you would need.
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Post by thetragichero on Apr 7, 2011 14:52:16 GMT -5
i don't think i ever posted clips of the brian may treble booster.... got too caught up with recording the ep
it sounds KILLER in front of my tweed deluxe clone (through the normal channel)
i'll see if i can make a perf layout for you "at some point".... i sorta just started soldering and let things go where they fit
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Post by JohnH on Apr 7, 2011 15:35:28 GMT -5
Not exactly a treble booster, just a straight-ahead OD pedal, but JohnH's Blue Juice, posted in the effects schematics section above is a pretty simple build. He has both a veroboard layout and a wiring diagram for the offboard wiring, essentially all the info you would need. Thanks newey - that circuit can be made to function like a treble booster by playing with a couple of capacitor values. What I haven't reseached is just what response and gain is usual for a classic TB, but that would not be hard to do. The circuit has three stages. For a first build, Id sugest trying just a single stage booster circuit. And also, when I build something, it never works first time. I fall back on my understanding of how the thing functions in order to trouble shoot it. So Id strongly recomend, starting simple, and testing on a solderless breadboard as Ash suggests, and take the time to learn all about exctly how the simple circuit works. John |
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Post by ashcatlt on Apr 7, 2011 16:09:31 GMT -5
I'd suggest picking a simple one, finding a schematic we can look at and then we could do a component by component walkthrough. The circuits mentioned so far are all transistor based, so I won't be able to help, but somebody else (ahem...JohnH...ahem) probably could. Hopefully I'll learn something, too!
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 7, 2011 20:34:05 GMT -5
thanks guys for all the help. ash the audio probe you mentioned, does cord lenth matter? and does it matter if the capacitor is a disk type or a cylinder type? and because of low funds i'll be using a small hardware store electrical components box and cover, are there any particular ones you'd recommend?
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Post by ashcatlt on Apr 7, 2011 20:47:47 GMT -5
Audio Probe (scroll down a bit). It specifies a "non-polar" cap, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. It can be tough to find .1uf caps in ceramic disc or other non-polar forms. An electrolytic should work. Put the - side connected to the cable itself. As for cable length, I don't think it much matters. This is just for debugging and a little loss of treble wouldn't probably kill you. Long enough to reach whatever amp you're plugging into without too much messing around. The link above contains a link to a version wired to a jack so you can use whatever cable is handy. The cap (BTW) is there to block any DC voltage which might exist in the circuit where you're probing from hitting the amp.
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Post by ashcatlt on Apr 7, 2011 20:54:07 GMT -5
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 7, 2011 21:25:27 GMT -5
also i've got a theory and i'm curious now. a continuity checker is a device with 2 wires with gator clips and an led right? and when you place the clips on a set of lugs and the current passes through it lights up showing continuity right? so in order to save money could one use a model rocket launch controller instead? it has 2 wires with clips and an led that lights up when both are connected to the same launch pin fuse.
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 7, 2011 21:31:58 GMT -5
ok heres a good question how should i wire a stompswitch an led and resistor 2 1/4" stereo jacks and a battery terminal together in both an active pedal and a passive one?
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 7, 2011 21:47:31 GMT -5
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 7, 2011 21:50:37 GMT -5
problem is the text is incoherent and unreadable at least on my psp anyway.
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Post by ashcatlt on Apr 7, 2011 21:50:52 GMT -5
also i've got a theory and i'm curious now. a continuity checker is a device with 2 wires with gator clips and an led right? and when you place the clips on a set of lugs and the current passes through it lights up showing continuity right? so in order to save money could one use a model rocket launch controller instead? it has 2 wires with clips and an led that lights up when both are connected to the same launch pin fuse. It requires some form of DC voltage to actually light the LED. Continuity is one thing, but you're really going to need a multimeter so you can get fairly accurate voltage and resistance readings. The first time something goes wrong, you'll be glad you spent that ~$20.  Um.... Maybe google "True Bypass Switching"? |
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 8, 2011 0:07:34 GMT -5
ok reguardind the perf layout i found can any one actually read that or find it elswhere in a interpretal version
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Post by newey on Apr 8, 2011 5:53:35 GMT -5
In the diagram, capacitors are "c", resistors are "r". The numbers for each correspond to the chart below.
Battery power goes to the 9V+, neg goes to the ground. Your input goes to the "in", output isn't marked but goes to the other side of the board, where you can also install a volume control.
One of the Resisitors is marked "kR", I have no idea what that means, I suspect it's a typo.
Problem is, no reference is given for Q1, the transistor. I suspect it's an NPN, but someone more knowledgeable than me will need to address that.
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 8, 2011 13:28:58 GMT -5
well i still have no idea the text appers digitally scrambled on my system and i can only tell where the're placed not their markings, yet another mobile downfall i guess.
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 8, 2011 13:33:28 GMT -5
in other news, i went to town today and at wal-mart i can get a digital multimeter for $12 a, continuity checker for $1.98, and those metal lightswitch boxs are $0.77 ;D ;D ;D
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Post by JohnH on Apr 8, 2011 17:06:47 GMT -5
Id say get the meter, lots to learn from them as well as as a diagnostic tool. Cheap ones are generally fine if cash is tight. You can use it to test guitars that you have, learn about pickup resistance, pot values etc. Save your $1.98 on the continuity check though - the multimeter will measure resistance, which is much more useful. If you want to check continuity of a cable or connection, meaure tresistance and look for very low ohms. I see you are hungry to learn, and your posts about passive circuits make me think that youd do well to get a couple of active circuits under your belt, since you might find you get much better results. For a simple start, best to understand one active device as well as possible, then make a simple circuit that works with just one active element. Probably the most versatile single active part for guitar circuits is an opamp, the basis of 95% of distortion and overdrive circuits Single normal transistors, such as in the treble booster that you linked to, can give you clean boosting, treble boosting and fuzz type circuits. My favorite device is a different sort of transistor, a Junction Field Effect Transistor. Its what I used in my overdrive box linked above. Although less common in general use, they are simple cheap parts and are particularly useful in guitar circuits because they have high input impedance (which means, you can connect them in a circuit to your guitar and it does not load the output and dull the tone), and when pushed hard, they can break up nicely a bit like a tube. If this is of interest, take a look at this: www.runoffgroove.com/fetzervalve.html Theres heaps of info there, more than most would want. If you are interested, Ill offer to step through a simple version, basicly about 1/3 of my overdrive circuit and you can build a handy clean/slightly dirty boost or treble boost with it. John |
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Post by JFrankParnell on Apr 8, 2011 19:56:34 GMT -5
With those fetzer valves, just remember your 3 in 1 oil and gauze pads  |
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Post by jcgss77 on Apr 8, 2011 20:28:42 GMT -5
My favorite device is a different sort of transistor, a Junction Field Effect Transistor. I am with you on this john- I am building the Dr. Boogey currently. I definitely agree that you should start with the beginner project boost from diystompboxes. That was my first circuit, and it is very simple, I actually got it working on my 4th try!!!! Word of advice-the instant you get your first build to work, you will be hooked on this stuff. Nothing like a new effect you built sounding through your amp!  |
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 8, 2011 20:52:36 GMT -5
i've actually joined the DIYstompbox forum and started a thread which landed me some gutshots and a .pdf on how to build a rangemaster treble booster judging from the pics the perfboard is 2'' long and a 1/2'' wide, with very few parts. which is ideal for a beginner like myself. ;D www.geofex.com/Articles_Folders/_Rangemaster/drm.htm |
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 8, 2011 21:10:12 GMT -5
johnh i've already been looking into OpAmp circuits. which brings me to a loaded question. if i have a hand full of opamp's and a 100 pack each of diodes, capacitors, & resistors. how many different effects are possible with just these parts,+ 3PDT's, perfboards, pots, 1/4'' jacks, terminals and batteries???
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Post by JohnH on Apr 8, 2011 21:33:40 GMT -5
johnh i've already been looking into OpAmp circuits. which brings me to a loaded question. if i have a hand full of opamp's and a 100 pack each of diodes, capacitors, & resistors. how many different effects are possible with just these parts,+ 3PDT's, perfboards, pots, 1/4'' jacks, terminals and batteries??? Id say you should be able to make clean boosters, various EQ and treble boost circuits, and a number of flavours of dirty overdrive/fuzz, using the diodes in various configuations and positions in the opamp circuitry. john |
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 8, 2011 22:00:42 GMT -5
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Post by JohnH on Apr 8, 2011 23:52:38 GMT -5
Well thats not looking like a beginner project. If you try it, bear in mind what he says about using large input signal. You may need opamps or other gain stages on the inputs to get the levels suitable. As to pcb layouts for it, its out of my range. Personally I'd only tackle such a thing if I was wanting to build it myself and test it, otherwise it would be too likely to come out wrong. John |
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Post by sbgodofmetal on Apr 9, 2011 13:08:25 GMT -5
nope thats my dream project the reason i've started learning schematics. here's my beginners project  |
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