I've seen a few designs out there that starve a tube filament to maintain a low voltage and still provide nice results. The Matsumin Valvecaster is one of them. For those afraid to work with tubes due to high voltage (cue Electric Six, "Danger! High Voltage!"), this keeps the power at safer levels. It also allows a 9v battery to be used (or 12V) but will consume them fairly quickly... so an AC adapter is recommended. The design is nice and simple, and for beginning builders it's not too hard to follow the circuit visually. There are a couple of variations floating around, so if you're looking at multiple schematics or diagrams, be aware that they aren't all the same. Other builders have created their own unique pedals based on this design, but the values of the parts are different, so again, be aware ;) Matsumin Valvecaster schematic from hgamps My favorite diagram/illustration was from David Smith. The input and output jacks are included as well as the 3PDT switch to bypass the circuit. David's illustration is intended for a turret board, but if you prefer point to point it's still easy to follow. Be sure to note the orientation of the 3PDT switch, it won't work if it's oriented differently (i.e. twisted 90 degrees). David Smith's diagram offers an easy-to-follow layout Here's another diagram from Stompboxed, it's a little harder to follow but still helpful. Another diagram for reference. You'll probably want to use one of the larger Hammond 1590BB (or Hammond-style) chassis as I don't think trying to shoehorn this into a 1590B would be terribly easy. The 1590BB is available from the usual suspects, Mouser, Digikey, etc. in a variety of powdercoated colors. You can also go to Mammoth Electronics and get some much cooler paintjobs for a few more bucks, or go crazy with some waterslide decals... the sky is the limit. For this project I went with a purple Hammond 1590BB ... you can almost taste the grape looking at it. These are cast aluminum, so you need to treat them a little more gently than something that's extruded (e.g. try to do more drilling on the drill press rather than punching holes). Punching out the holes with a tool can sometimes take away more metal than you anticipated. I used larger Alpha pots in this build as I had them in the work-bin. CTS, Bourns and PEC also make good pots, and if you want to check out surplus, Clarostat and Allen Bradley are also great choices. The ceramic 9 pin tube socket is set against the chassis with a rubber "o" ring which can help quash microphonics. It's overkill for this build, but I had it in the bin. Beltons are cheaper and work great as well. There is a corresponding PCB to be used with CNC tube socket as the solder tabs are quite small to solder accurately. These can be found on Ebay by searching for "9 pin PCB", and Partsconnexion also carries them. The Russian PIO caps are a little on the large side and have metal shells, so they need to be carefully placed so they don't short any leads. They can also be covered with heatshrink. PTFE (teflon) tubing is placed on bare leads to ensure they don't short either. Also space needs to be given to the open-frame Switchcraft 11 1/4" jacks so they don't bump into any parts or wires when being inserted. Using different colored wire during the wiring process can help you visually follow the circuit if it doesn't work upon plugging in for the first time. Having a rat's nest of the same colored wire makes things much more difficult. Valvecaster wired up point to point On top of the chassis a tube shield will be installed to protect the tube from an errant foot. You can find these in a number of anodized colors from Angela.com. I thought the gold looked nice contrasting against the purple. Top of the Valvecaster with Tube Shield off... ...and tube shield on Hope you enjoyed the build process of the Matsumin Valvecaster Effects Pedal. You can see it's pretty easy to build a great effects pedal without a PCB and just a few parts. Remember to use good quality parts like Switchcraft 1/4" jacks, Alpha or CTS potentiometers, etc. to ensure your new pedal lasts a good long while. Please remember that building/modifying circuits can be dangerous to you and/or your surroundings and should only be performed by a certified technician. The owner of this blog and all associated parties can not / will not be held responsible if you attempt a build or modification posted above and cause physical harm to yourself or your surroundings. Many electronics contain high voltages that can kill, and mods, if performed improperly, can be a fire hazard.
After 2 years of building my own pedal boards, I have finally finished one that I'm completely happy with. This post is to showcase the earlier iterations, leading up to a more in-depth look at my latest design. Disclaimer: I have no training in woodworking and a very limited set of tools at home. My designs are completely improvised and represent the best I could pull off on my own. I do have some background in electrical engineering, at least! First Build - Pallet Design My first build sta
Create an awesome automatic phase pedal for your guitar effects using this 1977 guide from the magazine Everyday Electronics (December 1977 issue).
This was my old SKB PS-25 pedal board, mid-2012. After the pedalboard power supply died last year, I purchased a Visual Sound 1 Spot, and continued using the old SKB just as a convenient velcro surface to hold my pedals. As the Drop Daddies’ repertoire of cover tunes has expanded, so has my need to produce […]
After 2 years of building my own pedal boards, I have finally finished one that I'm completely happy with. This post is to showcase the earlier iterations, leading up to a more in-depth look at my latest design. Disclaimer: I have no training in woodworking and a very limited set of tools at home. My designs are completely improvised and represent the best I could pull off on my own. I do have some background in electrical engineering, at least! First Build - Pallet Design My first build sta
Every time I sew I push my foot pedal against the wall where I can't reach it. I made a non-slip pedal pad and it has not disappointed!
I started a new event at my shop called "First Saturday Demo Day." When I can, I'll do a tutorial of the demo for you here on the first Saturday of the month. Today is the first of what I hope will be many first Saturday tutorials for you! Today I'll show you how to make a foot pedal bed. This is a handy little item to help keep your machine foot pedal from running away from you. What you will need: One piece of rug gripper, 6.5" by 10". Use two pieces if your rug gripper is flimsy. (1) 2.5" by WOF (width of fabric) piece of fabric for the binding (1) 4" by 8" piece of fabric to make the pillow some kind of stuffing for your pillow (optional, but recommended) a walking foot for your machine to use when sewing on the binding You should probably measure your foot pedal before cutting your rug gripper. My foot pedal measures about 4.5" by 7.5". I added about 2" to the width and 2.5" to the length to arrive at the size 6.5" by 10". If your foot pedal is significantly different in size to mine, make the necessary measurement adjustments. All seam allowances are 1/4" Fold the 4" by 8" piece of fabric in half lengthwise and sew the long side seam. Roll this so that the sewn seam is at the center and press the seam open. Sew one of the open short sides shut. Turn this right side out. This is pretty easy to do, but I wanted to show you my turning tools. This Turn-it-All tool makes turning tubes so easy!! If you don't have one already, you should get one. I use this all the time and it's not very expensive. (Retails for $10.99 at my shop) Stuff your pillow to the desired firmness. The tube is longer than it needs to be so be sure to measure it against the width of your piece of rug gripper. Mine needs to be about 6.5" long stuffed. When it is sufficiently stuffed, sew the open end shut and trim off the excess fabric. Set the pillow aside for the moment. Take the 2.5" by WOF piece of fabric to your ironing surface and press it in half lengthwise, right side out. This is just like you would do for making binding for a quilt. Sew the binding to what will be the bottom side of your foot pedal bed, this side that will sit against the floor. Use whatever method of ending the binding you want. I used the "tuck end tail inside beginning tail" method. Photos below: Turn your partially bound piece of rug gripper over so that the binding is underneath. Baste the pillow to this about 1" down from one of the short ends. Pull the binding from the bottom side to the top side and clip or pin it in place. Clover Wonder Clips are great for this! Another must-have notion for me. Topstitch the binding in place all the way around. Put your new foot pedal bed on the floor underneath your machine and "tuck in your foot pedal" for a day of sewing!
While I know we've posted this previously, I found this layout to be one of the more useful ones. Look into our archives / previous posts for more Valvecaster layouts. Power source I was getting better results with 12v 1A, see Garth's 24v version below. -K Another idea is to incorporate a boost of your own choice (i prefer the alembic stratoblaster) and hook that up before C1 . This gives the pedal an extra boost to the circuit so it distorts more. I would use separate pots for this, not a dual pot. WIRING DIAGRAM w/ LED & True Bypass Footswitch GARTH's VALVECASTER w/ MODS @ 24V
How to start a synth DIY adventure? A list of possibilities depending on your skills, example sound synthesizer projects for beginners and advanced music enthusiasts.
EHX Green Russian Big Muff Big Muff Pi - Ram's Head Version , REV 2 Big Muff 1977 Opamp Version NYC Big Muff Big Muff Pi with Tone wicker switch
These DIY pedalboard plans will demonstrate how to build a pedalboard that perfectly suit your personal needs for organization.
In this project, we are going to build the perfect Fuzz with all the knowledge and experience that we have nowadays while keeping the tweaks and old character that make this vintage pedal to sound warm, round, and harmonically pleasant.
Got a request to make a layout for this schematic, and it turns out it's the BYOC Reverb 2. You can use 9mm pots and board mount them from the component side if you like. There are a few jumpers, though one of them (the one by the lower IC) can be eliminated if you just stretch out that 22k resistor. Also, the electrolytic caps are folded down on their side so things will fit with board mounted 9mm pots. The Belton BTDR-2H can also be board mounted from the solder side. Don't feel like making the board yourself? You can buy a PCB or a complete kit from BYOC.
Every time I sew I push my foot pedal against the wall where I can't reach it. I made a non-slip pedal pad and it has not disappointed!
Overdrive Pedal: An overdrive guitar pedal is kind of like a less harsh distortion pedal. Technically speaking, whereas a distortion pedal clips an amplified waveform at a particular height, the overdrive pedal actually rounds the top of the clipped wave. While thi…
The Faux Spring Reverb, like many pedal reverbs is based around a Belton reverb module. Originally it used the BTDR-1 (which is massive), but in this layout I've adapted it for the newer and smaller BTDR-2H. I've also simplified the power section a little, and used a TL071 for the second IC. In the original a TL072 was used, but only used half of it. Here's what Brian has to say about his design: The great thing about the Faux Spring Reverb is that it retains the Analog base tone, doesn’t send your signal through digital/analog converters and back again (wrecking your tone completely) allowing you to be as springy as you like without your sound becoming lifeless, dull and… well, bad. With the tone control, you can control your sound completely and have your reverb be as bright as day, or dark as night… As lively and bright as a small hall, or as deep as the biggest cathedrals. Edit: I realized this afternoon that the Depth pot would hit the Belton brick, so I've changed it to a 9mm pot and it will clear the brick. The whole thing will be really snug, but it should be doable.
PCB Transfer
Just for a bit of fun I've sent off for the Stevenson's pedal car MG TC plans so I can get my hand in again with woodworking which is something I haven't done for a long time. Stevenson Projects
DIY IKEA Pedal Board: As a beginner guitarist just getting into using pedals, I was looking for a simple pedal board. Since I also like to get hands on with crafting and woodworking, I thought it would be a great idea to create my own board. After a bit of research I fou…
Finally, I finished the plan for the Neck Router Jig! A flexible tool that helps you to create/re-create your favorite necks, or to do more advanced asymmetric neck shapes that otherwise can be time-consuming. About two years ago I finished the Neck Router Jig and did a post in Swedish about the idea and how it works. And
how to build pedestals with drawers
Here's the Boss OD-1–the first of the tube screamer-type overdrives (yes, the first TS wasn't an Ibanez). It features asymmetrical clipping diodes (where a stock TS has symmetrical clipping) which gives it a thicker, more edgy sound. Initial versions of the circuit used a quad opamp, using 2 of the opamps as in the input/output buffers, but this was later replaced by the more common transistor buffers and a dual opamp to save cost and use more readily available parts back in the late 70s/early 80s.
The Ashbory bass was first introduced in 1986 and is/was a half scale (18") fretless travel bass with a piezo pickup and built in preamp. That preamp is essentially a Baxendall tone stack feeding into the volume control, into an op amp based gain stage. I stumbled across the schematic and thought it would be a good addition to the library. Should fit nicely in a 1590B, or you could wire it into a bass.
Raspberry Pi Zero Guitar Pedal: Pedal-Pi is a lo-fi programmable guitar pedal that works with the Raspberry Pi ZERO Board. The project is totally Open Source & Open Hardware and made for hackers, programmers and musicians that want to experiment with sounds and learn about dig…
DIY IKEA Pedal Board: As a beginner guitarist just getting into using pedals, I was looking for a simple pedal board. Since I also like to get hands on with crafting and woodworking, I thought it would be a great idea to create my own board. After a bit of research I fou…
Somehow I've not laid this classic out already, so here's the Ross Compressor. One of the most highly thought of (and therefore copied) compressors of all time. Should be an easy fit in a 1590B.
The Micro Amp is a classic clean boost circuit first introduced by MXR in the late 70s. It's a great option if you need to stomp on something for solos. Pretty simple op-amp design that should fit nicely in a 1590a.
