Build Your Own Clone Message Board

yeah, but isn't modding circuits half the fun?!

Of course. I was just being a annoying bass player.

you were? i had no idea,... i guess i'm too far away to hear you playing.

oh. snap.

That seems like a redundant statement.

could you post a schematic of the dead easy with that tone control? i'm still pretty new to building pedals...

Here you go. I have not verified this layout yet. I have all the parts sitting on my bench, but I have been so busy at work these days, traveling around for my XBox project, that I probably wont be able to build any pedals until August. But please let me know if you do build this. I did one with the stock Dead Easy Dirt, and the Muff Tone Control done point to point right on the pot, and it sounded great. But I didnt like the messy pot wiring. So I decided to work up this circuit... then all hell broke loose at work, and now I am swampped. This too shall pass. If anyone finds a mistake here, let me know. Rock on...

SWEET!

what are the red squares with the dots and where does everything connect together?

(like i said, i'm really new at this)

i've done research enough on parts that i built a theoretical schematic for a pedal i'd like to start producing and selling but i figure i should learn how it all comes together first instead of jumping in blind with my pieced together schematic that just *should* work...

EDIT: would this circuit work with a TM022, do you think? (i believe thats what the BYOC octave fuzz uses for it's octave effect, yeah?)

The red squares with dots are where the strips of copper (BradWorld's layout is for a vero/stripboard build) should be cut. Just twist a hand held drill bit to remove the copper at the points marked.

As for connecting things together, check this out: http://www.beavisaudio.com/techpages/StompboxWiring/.

Good luck.

Wow. I can't believe I haven't read this thread earlier and built this circuit! I love slipping little PTP fuzz/OD options in with other pedals (got a Magnus Modulus with a Bazz Fuss and a Snow White with an Easy Drive).

This will be a perfect bit of test dirt for a kid's keyboard I was hoping to mod with effects.

EDIT: nevermind, i got it... i was overcomplicating things.. i should be posting sound clips by friday after next, i'm going to LA for a while and my buddy is borrowing my mic...

After learning something new, I think it's possible that the sound you're getting here is the output coupling cap discharging through the clipping diodes. If that's the case, a 100R - 470R resistor between the output cap and the diodes should solve the funky noise problem.

This is how a similar problem is solved in the Suhr Riot circuit.

On the schematic it shows a 39k resistor, is that suppossed to be 3.9k? I couldn't fink 39k at my local radioshack but I did find a 3.9k...

No, it's supposed to be 39K. You could sub in 33K. It wouldn't sound exactly the same, but it would be close.

i'm entirely done except the grounding and the 39k resistor... will post audio as soon as i finish and get my mic back from my friend...

EDIT: figured out the grounding and the potentiometers! and i know how to wire the footswitch.. but can anyone direct me on how to work in an LED to indicate on/off?

and thanks to everyone for your help.. i'm planning on starting to produce pedals and this is kinda my draft run just to see if i like it, and to get used to what goes where and what does what...

EDIT AGAIN: if i were to wire a potentiometer into the 9v+ line, what kind would i need to use? i would like to add a voltage choke...

I'm about to build this, with one slight change (4u7 cap - it's the closest value I have to the 2u2) for a United Way gift basket raffle. I want to do a little write up about what all's in the gift basket (probably the pedal, some 9V batteries, strings, picks, maybe a mixed CD of music that I think is great guitar music*) and want to really go over the top with booteek marketing type hype. Anybody want to help write that up? I'm horrible at drilling enclosures, so everything's slightly off; was thinking about spinning that into the "hand made charm" aspect or something. I think I'll probably have the pedal finished up and can post pics tomorrow evening. It won't look too exciting - white PPP enclosure with a big ol' Davies style knob and a white LED.

*great guitar music (for me): Don Caballero, Maps & Atlases, Giraffes? Giraffes!, Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr, Karate, and so on...

Hmmm... You mentioned "no power filtering". Does that mean that if this was used in a two-in-one pedal, it could cause some powering issues?

Hey guys. I took a shot at building this and, well, it just doesn't work. Here's some pics:-



The LM386 chip was in there, I took it out for these shots.



Solderside looks correct to me, but another set of eyes might see something I can't. All offoard wiring is correct, and the 3PDT toggle switch was wired using stephens diagram, so I am 99% sure it's nothing to do with the switch wiring. I am trying to wire it in series with a wah, so it comes after the wah and operates off the bypass signal. Anyone care to take a look?

This was my second breadboard project ever, the first being a blinking LED. Amazingly, it worked on the first try.
I used all radio shack parts. It's noisy and squealy as all heck, except when I use the middle toggle position on my SG....plus as a bonus my Ampeg picks up a mexican radio station now.

Love the tone - reminds me of the first Kiss record or old Sabbath - tons of fuzz on the low end. Not sure if it actually sounds great, or if I'm just smitten with the fact that I made it myself. Can't wait to try my hand at the perf board and enclosure.

Thanks for posting up the circuit diagram - I can see how this can be addicting.

Just one quick question. How do I know that my output isn't too hot? Given the fact that I'm figuring all this out as I go along, I don't want fry my amp.

thanks --VJ

Try adding a larger cap (22uf or greater) between the +9v and GND rails on the board. Make sure the cap's negative lead (the shorter one, and also the one next to the stripe on the cap's body) goes to ground.

This will give you some AC ripple rejection and also help to regulate power to the IC. It might get rid of some of your squealies.

Also, add a small value cap (0.0022uf down to around 470p) directly between input and ground. This will likely get rid of your radio reception and tame some of the extreme highs the circuit puts out.


I suppose I could do a more comprehensive version of the Dead Easy Dirt, but then it wouldn't be "dead easy".




The most output you're going to get from a LM386n-1 is about 250mW. It's fine to run it into any guitar amp (that I'm aware of).

Awesome - thanks

I kind of like the spanish radio interference - gives my tone that latin flare it was missing

I've come REALLY late to this cool party, but I brought chips!



From the page http://www.muzique.com/lab/swtc.htm:


I'm going to try to add this instead of the Muff Tone circuit, as it is Dirt Easy and it provides a Volume control and I can build it onto the pots...

Yay, chips!! Burr-Brown, or Texas Instruments?

Heh heh heh

A-ha
Swapping out my mono input with a stereo input fixed all my squealies and Mexican radio issues. Thanks again

Ok....bear with me - I'm an uber noob, but assure you that I have been extensively reading every possible FAQ and beginner question page prior to posting this.

This was my first ever circuit, breadboard, perf, solder job, enclosure, etc. Lots of firsts here. I'm figuring all of this out as I go along.

I troubleshooted the issues on my previous post - I had the wiring all screwy, all funky issues have been solved. Swapping out my mono input with a stereo TRS fixed the squealies.

I used a Radio Shack printed circuit board with the isolated horizontal copper rails on the back, so when I soldered I could keep it as close to my breadboard layout as possible.

I have 3 questions:

1. Do I need to connect pins 1 and 8 on the IC? My completed build sounds great, but taking a closer look at the Vero and Perf diagrams, they look connected. I definitely don't have them connected on my circuit.

2. I'm trying my hardest to wrap my brain around the layout of the 2 clipping diodes and how signal passes through them. Is this "symmetrical clipping"? Why are the diodes going in different directions?

In trying to get the bottom of it, I found this - is this my answer?

"A diode clipping circuit can be used to limit the voltage swing of a signal. Figure [below] shows a diode circuit that clips both the positive and negative voltage swings to references voltages."



3. I used a non-polarized 2.2uf Cap, as this was the only 2.2uf Cap that Radio Shack happened to have in stock. Assume this is ok?

Thanks guys - pics below - VJ


(note, the back of the board does have the two diodes crossing the middle of the board)


Solder side:


Enclosure (to the right of the 808)