Post-Lockdown pedal building

roberty

These are all kit. Did some decals tonight. The Stammer thing is a Vox Repeater which I think will be useful for production. Didn't really use much imagination with the others

Got some more interesting projects planned for after this, more hands on

Keefy

roberty said:

These are all kit. Did some decals tonight. The Stammer thing is a Vox Repeater which I think will be useful for production. Didn't really use much imagination with the others

Got some more interesting projects planned for after this, more hands on

I do like those! I have changed my mind about the Echo Machine graphics, and also decided I need to finish the enclosure before I carry on mounting and wiring up components. So for now I have this, plus something laser-printed onto waterslide decal paper.

roberty

@Keefy good luck with the decal. I am starting to think they do shrink a bit. I decided to redo some old builds today so I could try some graphics ideas and see what works. The label placement always seems a bit random

I think text extending outside the background image is a winner

Keefy

roberty said:

@Keefy good luck with the decal. I am starting to think they do shrink a bit. I decided to redo some old builds today so I could try some graphics ideas and see what works. The label placement always seems a bit random

I think text extending outside the background image is a winner

Love it - especially Space Bollocks! My mahoosive decal is currently in the airing cupboard dryng onto the enclosure. It's possible to bake it in a 100C oven but the last time I did that I ended up with the paint crazing. I haven't the patience to learn Gimp so the control labels will be done on a label maker and stuck on afterwards.

roberty

@Keefy I think separate labelling could be the one to be honest

I couldn't think of a space theme, I was thinking "what's some space bollocks?" and ended my quest there 

I have a guitar playing friend who works in the space industry so I might gift it to him

LastMantra

Wee tip maybe? I got my son a pack of waterslide fake tattoos as a stocking filler for Christmas, amazon, I imagine. Was fed up with buying him those candy sticks (used to be candy cigarettes when I were a kid). He never ate them anyway, just wanted the batman tattoos. Really cheap and you get loads of them. His are marvel heroes but I think you get different types. Turns out they work really well on anything fairly flat and are thinner than the usual printable sheets you get so barely leave a visible edge.
Maybe worth a look if you just want a cheap alternative, that looks quite good. 

roberty

Boxed this up. I think I could just blow the decal up 3-5% and it would fit tbh. Looks better than it did anyway 

Keefy

Been wiring this up today - @idiotwind I feel your pain now, as despite my best efforts the inside of the case is like a bird's nest. I've connected up one side of the board but I'm too frazzled to continue tonight. Also had to order some more solder!

roberty

Looks like good progress to me @Keefy ;

Keefy

roberty said:

Looks like good progress to me @Keefy ;

I’m hoping to have it up and running in time for my next rock’n’roll gig on Sunday.

idiotwind

Keefy said:

Been wiring this up today - @idiotwind I feel your pain now, as despite my best efforts the inside of the case is like a bird's nest. I've connected up one side of the board but I'm too frazzled to continue tonight. Also had to order some more solder!

Yep, the board itself wasn't too bad, just had to be methodical.  But wiring up... leads everywhere, flipping things around, losing track of which way you were looking at things.  I remember when I thought I'd finished, trying to then get the board down into the box and a joint snapped on the rotary switch.  I had to desolder some of the other wires off the board to be able to angle it so I could get to it in order to fix it.

Keefy

idiotwind said:

Keefy said:

Been wiring this up today - @idiotwind I feel your pain now, as despite my best efforts the inside of the case is like a bird's nest. I've connected up one side of the board but I'm too frazzled to continue tonight. Also had to order some more solder!

Yep, the board itself wasn't too bad, just had to be methodical.  But wiring up... leads everywhere, flipping things around, losing track of which way you were looking at things.  I remember when I thought I'd finished, trying to then get the board down into the box and a joint snapped on the rotary switch.  I had to desolder some of the other wires off the board to be able to angle it so I could get to it in order to fix it.

I kind of wish I'd ordered a PCB from 1776 Effects when I had the chance! But then I kind of don't, this way is much more DIY.

Keefy

IT LIVES!

I finished wiring the board this evening, then checked for continuity and that there were no shorts between the header pins. Popped in the TL072 - 9V and 5V present in the correct places, and both bypass and dry signal pass through as expected. Popped a PT2399 in the delay 2 position and we have echo. Tried another one in the same spot and that was good too, so installed them both and had some fun playing - loads of fun!

I've set up the tape speed switch roughly and it's most impressive when used with a longer delay and the repeats set high - proper spaceship launch fun. I'll probably go back and tweak that for quicker response if I can.

All was well until I tried to coax the board into position and fit the base plate. Every time I did so I was getting intermittent squelchy oscillation. I thought lead dress was to blame for a while but then I realised it was one of the delay chips. I tried another one from the pack and it was fine.

So here you have it, my first delay pedal build, the most complicated pedal I've ever attempted, and though I say it myself, my best-looking to date. And yes I totally stole the idea for the decal from the J Rockett Clockwork.

Cookiemonster

Keefy said:

IT LIVES!

I finished wiring the board this evening, then checked for continuity and that there were no shorts between the header pins. Popped in the TL072 - 9V and 5V present in the correct places, and both bypass and dry signal pass through as expected. Popped a PT2399 in the delay 2 position and we have echo. Tried another one in the same spot and that was good too, so installed them both and had some fun playing - loads of fun!

I've set up the tape speed switch roughly and it's most impressive when used with a longer delay and the repeats set high - proper spaceship launch fun. I'll probably go back and tweak that for quicker response if I can.

All was well until I tried to coax the board into position and fit the base plate. Every time I did so I was getting intermittent squelchy oscillation. I thought lead dress was to blame for a while but then I realised it was one of the delay chips. I tried another one from the pack and it was fine.

So here you have it, my first delay pedal build, the most complicated pedal I've ever attempted, and though I say it myself, my best-looking to date. And yes I totally stole the idea for the decal from the J Rockett Clockwork.

Keefy, everything about this looks very cool. I really like the design. 

I have gone the other way and made my first 1590a, built on vero. It’s a modded meathead. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpOS3uktqyP/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

Cookiemonster

roberty

Wow @Keefy that is epic. Really impressive work

@Cookiemonster I sort of swore off those mini builds. It's nice when they're done though

I have had a less successful night, having boxed up my Vox Repeater. It is working on battery power but not DC so I'll have to do some debugging

I want it for the odd recording effect which is why I wired it for battery power. Don't normally bother but there's no way it's going on a pedal board

Keefy

Cookiemonster said:

Not even much room for the LED next to the foot switch!

roberty

It's a nightmare honestly

This is the one I did. A SHO. Sold it to someone on here who was looking for one. He was happy with it. Haven't heard back from him so I assume it's still doing the thing

Cookiemonster

Keefy said:

Cookiemonster said:

Not even much room for the LED next to the foot switch!

I think it’s just the angle. But it is close. The box was a pre drilled one I picked up on reverb. With all sorts of bits and pieces. Must have been a pedal company that has decided to not trade. I have some lovely looking fuzz face pcbs that came with it. But no instructions and oddly four electrolytic caps that I’m not quite sure I can figure out. 

Keefy

Cookiemonster said:

Keefy said:

Cookiemonster said:

Not even much room for the LED next to the foot switch!

I think it’s just the angle. But it is close. The box was a pre drilled one I picked up on reverb. With all sorts of bits and pieces. Must have been a pedal company that has decided to not trade. I have some lovely looking fuzz face pcbs that came with it. But no instructions and oddly four electrolytic caps that I’m not quite sure I can figure out. 

Are those caps bipolar?