Pedal building...

CDee

I am increasingly getting more and more interested in building my own pedal. But I am not an electronics expert at all so the task seems very daunting. So I've started surfing the web and looking at various schematics and stuff. But I couldn't really find something that'll help me learn more about this stuff. So I finally found this...

http://www.beavisaudio.com/bboard/index.htm

What do you guys think? Is there something like this available in SA somewhere?

?

Gearhead

All those parts except maybe for a few like the 3PDT switch (which is a luxury rather than a requirement) are available from local companies like Rabtron (Vereeniging, on Voortrekker between the last 2 robots towards Vanderbijl on your right hand, just before the railroad crossing). If they don't list the components in the kit just buy the ones you find in other projects.

Manfred-Klose

That is a really cool device for learning how the circuit works.

Components are really cheap!!! except the 3dpt switch which you also would have to buy over the internet.

So if you order just the B-board without components, it roughly works out R1300.
Which seems fair thinking of what you can build with this thing.

CDee

What is great about this is that he gives his manual online.
http://www.beavisaudio.com/bboard/docs/manual.htm

He even gives you the test projects documentation/schematics online. So you can try and build it by sourcing your own parts.
http://www.beavisaudio.com/bboard/projects/

@Gearhead and Manfred - Why would the 3dpt switch be an issue to find in SA?

Gearhead

just do a quick search on the forum - millions of threads on the topic

kayDUB

Hey CDee

I recently built my first pedal (still want to upload some pics) and can highly recommend it. It took me a while, but was tons of fun!
I did this build http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?PHPSESSID=c96cafefb54bd008ed8aa6fc5cbdde2b&board=33.0 from DIYstompboxes.com. The most expensive parts were the 3pdt (R90 imported) and the case R90 from Yebo electronics. That, and the first build you do you have to buy some things you will use over again, like pc board, etchant, wire, breadboard etc.

I got all the parts I needed in SA, except the 3PDT switch, which you need if you want true bypass and an LED the easy way. Or you can use a DPDT (locally available, but quality a question, remember it gets stomped on! ?) with this setup: http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/Millenium/millen.htm ?

I think you can build your own "beavis board" if you wanted to. All you really need is a pedal without a circuit. Then you can connect all the inputs and outputs, dc in/out and switch to the breadboard.

DO IT! DO IT! :yup:

cool link for you: http://www.tonepad.com/projects.asp?projectType=fx some nice projects in there.

CDee

Thanks for the great info KayDUB!!! ?

Please post me some pics of your pedal. I'd love to see it. Some sound clips will also be nice... (if you can ?)

After doing more research I kind of think that importing the Beavis Board will work out very expensive. I think I'll try building my first pedal with parts I find locally to just learn a bit more about the whole building experience.

Thanks again!
?

kayDUB

Anytime! I seem to be quite excitable about this topic! ?

I'll work on a post with pics and a walkthrough of what I did.

Gearhead

Some more sites to pick up ideas:
http://www.muzique.com/index.html : the Jack Orman designs are very well done and explained very clearly
www.generalguitargadgets.com
www.diyguitarist.com

CDee

Thanks Gearhead, I'll check them out! ?

CDee

So I went to Rabtron (Thanks Gearhead for the tip) and got most of what I needed. Now I can start building it. Can't wait! ?

kayDUB

Good stuff! Keep us updated... ?

CDee

Hey,

Just an update on the progress... I decided to build the "Tube Screamer". Bought all the components and I got everything working in the breadboard but it doesn't sound very good. Very noisy. The dudes on the web recon that this is normal because it's not in an enclosure and stuff.
Now I need to create the PCB. How do I create a PCB layout from the drawings? (I'm clueless when it comes to electronics :-[)
Here's a link to the design I used. http://www.beavisaudio.com/bboard/projects/bbp_BoutiqueTubeScreamer_Rev1_1.pdf

Can you gurus please help me out...

Heath

you could use vero board and lay it out almost exactly like the breadboard version , which doesn't take up to much space .

CDee

Tailon. wrote you could use vero board and lay it out almost exactly like the breadboard version , which doesn't take up to much space .

Thanks, I was going to do that, but allot of the guys on the net suggested that that is not ideal. So I don't know. Sometimes I get more confused after Google than what I was before Google. :-[

ralley

Method I use to make PCB's is as follows:

1) Print reversed PCB using a laser printer but on ink jet photo paper - HP Premium or Premium Plus works best for me.
2) Place the print out ink down on a piece of blank copper PCB board (available at Yebo electronics) and iron with a hot iron (or a sandwich press). I use a piece of plain paper between the print and the iron and take about 6 minutes.
3) Soak off the print out paper over night in water.
4) Etch the PCB in a mix of hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid (2:1 ratio), takes 2-3 minutes. Hydrogen Peroxide is available at the chemist, Hydrochloric at the pool or hardware store (it's also know as pool acid, muratic acid or spirits of salts).
5) Drill holes with a 1mm (or smaller) drill bit.

Rob.

CDee

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the advise. I'll use it to make the board. But my problem now is that I don't know how to make the layout to print onto the paper... :-[

Thanks

matta

CDee wrote
Tailon. wrote you could use vero board and lay it out almost exactly like the breadboard version , which doesn't take up to much space .
Thanks, I was going to do that, but allot of the guys on the net suggested that that is not ideal. So I don't know. Sometimes I get more confused after Google than what I was before Google. :-[

Veroboard is fine... for decades ALL electronic equipment was wired point to point or using tag/turrent board... can't see how vero board would be any different... there is alot of mumbo jumbo on the web, trust you gut.

If the design works on a breadboard, just copy it across to vero board and be done ?

Alternatively the TS is a WELL document project and there are tones of transfer ready layouts available, this one looks good and based on the original TS-808.

http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=1

If you are not up to etching your own PCB they even sell screened and masked PCB's.

One suggestion I want to make is to use a DIL8 socket for the opamps, alot of the sound can be found in it, so it will allow you to experiment with different brands in time.

Hope that helps!

Matt

ralley

Layout already designed for you, check here for a TS808 layout: http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/MarkMs-Gallery/album15/album76/?g2_page=5

Rob.

CDee

Thanks guys! I'll try to make it work!