james90 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 think this might fit in this thread best bought that. since i've pretty much rebuilt my super lead without knowing it, and done some (unsafe!) mods...why not so, there's the basic circuit which i know by memory, BUT...if i wanted to tweak things for different sounds...........is there a way to tell what's interchangeable with what? Er...or something like that. loosely basing it off my favorite amp (below), but might change a few things to get it to sound even better. i have some NOS caps and resistors that i'm going to use....i found this old organ the other day that had a TON of useful things in it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 yeah, there's definitely a lot of leway in amps for mods etc. where mods are all about tweaking it to get the sound YOU want, there's a tonne of simple things you can do, like changing capacitor values to get more bass, or a brighter tone. Similarly, you could have a switch to change between 2 or 3 values if you like. In terms of things like gain etc, the easiest way in your case to change the gain is with the tubes. If you want more gain, and your amp is using 12A#7 series tubes, there's a gain factor chart. Not 100% of the values, but they all have different values. like i think 12AT7 has a gain factor of 65, 12AX7 is definitely 100 (the highest). So that depends on whether you want more or less gain like. As you know, better tubes will generally lead to a nicer tone, particularly if they're matched etc etc (can be pricey). Where'd you get that kit by the way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 That is awesome James. Amp building is something i am planning all the time but i don't know if i ever gonna build something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 yeah, there's definitely a lot of leway in amps for mods etc. where mods are all about tweaking it to get the sound YOU want, there's a tonne of simple things you can do, like changing capacitor values to get more bass, or a brighter tone. Similarly, you could have a switch to change between 2 or 3 values if you like. In terms of things like gain etc, the easiest way in your case to change the gain is with the tubes. If you want more gain, and your amp is using 12A#7 series tubes, there's a gain factor chart. Not 100% of the values, but they all have different values. like i think 12AT7 has a gain factor of 65, 12AX7 is definitely 100 (the highest). So that depends on whether you want more or less gain like. As you know, better tubes will generally lead to a nicer tone, particularly if they're matched etc etc (can be pricey). Where'd you get that kit by the way? Yeah, I know a few tweaks, though not too many. as for gain...the amp uses 12AX7s as standard, but it isn't too gainy at low volume anyway (non master volume). has to be cranked up. I've done some modifications to my other amp, such as changing certain cap and resistor values for more gain or a darker or brighter sound...not a huge difference though kit was from http://www.metroamp.com not the cheapest, but it comes with great parts. with mine, i'm putting in a different transformer set, and some NOS caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 then i'd say it'll sound SERIOUSLY tasty. As for me, just bought parts for a project that was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Gonna start on a Noise Gate tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james90 Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 will have to check some of those old books i have to see if there's any component information regarding what's interchangeable... had a lot of trouble finding the proper NOS caps for this. had to order some from greece.... 2x .0022uf 3x .022uf 4x .1uf 2x .68uf Not cheap either. could've substituted some values (for example the .018s can be used in place of some of the .022s, and .47? can be used in the place of some of the .1s)...meh. think the only extra features i'll add are external bias points and a line out jack. otherwise, the circuit will be very similar to the amp pictured above. whether it will sound similar or not, i'll have to see... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 tbh, i'm not overly pushed about things like nos caps etc. alot of the vintage caps are quite unreliable, as are some of the modern ones (tantalum in particular). You've to be careful with them imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomrulez Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 From this... to this... It's a really good compressor and gives plenty of sustain, although it's weird with impedance as if I put it at the start of my signal chain it oscillates when there is no playing but if I put it at the end it works fine. Probably getting sold on anyway. Edit: Fixed the oscillation, a wire from one of the pots had broken off when I was putting a battery in. Although now it picks up radio stations when everything is turned up ala fuzz factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teej212 Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 ive been thinking, i wanted to build a muff but i decided i needed a volume pedal more than a fuzz pedal. also, i didnt know where i would find any volume pedal chasis' so i want to build a volume pedal using a photo cell (like devi ever peeps). just a photo resistive cell wont do anything, so i guess it would be better to build a really clean boost pedal and replace the pot with the photo cell-like the zvex trem probe. i do have some questions: whats a good clean boost? also, since the photo cell only has 2 lugs, how would i switch that out for a 3 lug potentiometer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 there's a number of nice clean boosters out there. I built a dalas rangemaster recently, and that's nice, albeit a bit bright, but that's a matter of changing the first cap. The mxr micro amp is one of the nicest clean boosts about, as is the EHX LPB-1, and i think tomrulz would argue in favour of the LPB-1. There's a couple of other good boosts out there, but they tend to get a bit drivey at high levels. As for the LDR, it depends what way the pot is wired up in the schematic. post up the schem in question and i'll take a look. There's a few schems about for a PEEP work-alike. Or you could always go down the tougher, crazier route and do a proximity plate, like the ZVex Probe series. edit: actually, fuck it. I'll make an MXR Micro Amp and let you know what it's like. I've the parts here. edit2: wait... 22M resistor in it?! no i don't have that.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 ive been thinking, i wanted to build a muff but i decided i needed a volume pedal more than a fuzz pedal. also, i didnt know where i would find any volume pedal chasis' so i want to build a volume pedal using a photo cell (like devi ever peeps). just a photo resistive cell wont do anything, so i guess it would be better to build a really clean boost pedal and replace the pot with the photo cell-like the zvex trem probe. i do have some questions: whats a good clean boost? also, since the photo cell only has 2 lugs, how would i switch that out for a 3 lug potentiometer? I have a photocell, it is quite funny, but i couldn't imagine it as a valid replacement of a volume pedal. But the easiest try would be this (if you have a breadboard): Get an input and an output jack. Connect their grounds. Put the LDR between the hot in/out signal. Thats all. Yeah and you should get one with the lowest starting resistance possible. Now i am back to finish my Split-Bend box. Well it is not a box actually. Just a few wires, lot of jacks and stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 i've been sick for the last 5 days, so i still have yet to debug my BMP and build my noise gate. Flu sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthijs Posted August 8, 2009 Author Share Posted August 8, 2009 i've been sick for the last 5 days, so i still have yet to debug my BMP and build my noise gate. Flu sucks. you're so unworthy now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teej212 Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 will that work? just put it between the hot in and out? i guess that does make sense! and i think i will get some sweet swells out of it, and if i put a bypass switch in it then it will only be on when i need it. the only reason i want it is for swells to make bow-ish type sounds and add reverb to it- like shoegazey ambient sounds, you know? i think it would be pretty cool. since you have a photo cell can you test that out, just to make sure it works? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 will that work? just put it between the hot in and out? i guess that does make sense! and i think i will get some sweet swells out of it, and if i put a bypass switch in it then it will only be on when i need it. the only reason i want it is for swells to make bow-ish type sounds and add reverb to it- like shoegazey ambient sounds, you know? i think it would be pretty cool. since you have a photo cell can you test that out, just to make sure it works? K, im gonna try that, give me 3 min. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 K' date=' im gonna try that, give me 3 min.[/quote'] I tried that out, it worked, it was just a LDR between hot in and hot out. But it wasn't really reliable. It did nothing while my foot approaching it, it was like it had a full on state and when i finally touched it, the volume dropped by a great deal, but i wasn't as linear as a volume pedal or potent as a tremolo. I think there was too much light in my room, maybe at night, with light coming from above, it could work better. My LDR has a range of 8k-300k, maybe you should try a stronger one, or use it in some other configuration, like as a volume pot or gain pot or something. (i think i used it as a passive volume pot) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teej212 Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 im planning on making a bendy light that is also used on peeps and any schems or anything on how to make it a volume pot thats non passive? (passive means it draws no elec current right?) thanks for testing that out though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teej212 Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 also is there anything i can do with this: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049724 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 im planning on making a bendy light that is also used on peeps and any schems or anything on how to make it a volume pot thats non passive? (passive means it draws no elec current right?) thanks for testing that out though! I don't know the exact meaning of passive, i used it as "it needs no batterys". In an ideal world it would go from no volume loss to maximum volume loss, but the LDR have a little "starting" resistance, so it starts with a little volume loss, but i never managed to reach 0db because it would need absolute darkness and maybe higher resistance than 300k. If you want non-passive then i would use the LDR as a gain or volume control of a clean boost. So build a clean booster and change the volume or gain pot to this. (but to be honest, i wouldn't really use a LDR at all, because it was not linear and depends heavily on the brightness of the room/stage etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 Quote Removed POST EDITED I would substitute a 100k pot or bigger with an LDR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil. Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 Sorry about this teej and pear, but as with the FF, discussion of SHO clones aren't allowed. Discussion of ANY Zvex clones aren't allowed here. It's just because Zack Vex asked us a while ago not to allow it. There's a number of forums out there though that have a load of discussion on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don'tPostThePear Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 Sorry about this teej and pear, but as with the FF, discussion of SHO clones aren't allowed. Discussion of ANY Zvex clones aren't allowed here. It's just because Zack Vex asked us a while ago not to allow it. There's a number of forums out there though that have a load of discussion on it. Whoops:rolleyes: I finished my R.O.G Splitter/Blender, it works 75% which is quite good. It can split the signal Red/Green and can return from Green, but Red return is not working which is strange because that is the simplest part of the circuit. I got identical voltages on IC1 pinpairs (i say pairs because its a dual op amp, so by pairs i mean output1 and output2 and so on) which is right because that part of the circuit is works. On IC2 side where the problem hides, i got a bit different values for Red/Green side, but the difference was like 0,2v-0,3v on every pin pair. I should get bigger differences and/or zero voltages if i failed something with the wiring amirite? I swapped opamps and did a half-assed connectivity test so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teej212 Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 my bad! im actually thinking that i will do an lpb instead of the other thing that i said before i found someone who did it on ilovefuzz forums and thats what he did so im gonna do that. also it uses an npn transistor so i figured i could use a 2n3904 or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthijs Posted August 8, 2009 Author Share Posted August 8, 2009 it's not hard finding any zvex schematics out there, and i most certainly do not have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teej212 Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 neither does freestompboxes.org. they havent traced any of the zvex pedals oh, i kill myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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