Sunday 14 February 2010

ZVex Super Hard-On

Original version:



New version with zener diode:

42 comments:

  1. Hi Thanks for posting your layouts, i built the SHO with the 9.1v zenor diode and it works great but im getting a pop when you switch it on and off. I just wondered if youve experenced anything like this.

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  2. Sorry for the late reply, only just noticed! Doh. You could try using a pulldown resistor between the input connection and ground.

    Imagine the terminals above like this:

    1 2 3 4

    5 6 7 8

    Just put a 1M resistor between 7 and 8.

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    1. Hi, could you please tell me that if the pulldown resistor would affect the true bypass? THX!

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    2. It wouldn't affect it at all because the pulldown resistor is only in circuit when the effect is turned on. When in the bypass position the entire circuit is removed including the pulldown resistor.

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    3. Got it! Thanks for your detailed explanation!

      Actually I've finished some SHO projects, and i'd like to share with you guys.
      Thanks so much for your help!

      http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=198507280290273&set=pcb.198507346956933&type=1&theater

      http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=198507300290271&set=pcb.198507346956933&type=1&theater

      http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=198506030290398&set=pcb.198507346956933&type=1&theater

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    4. Excellent, nice jobs there Lee, thanks for sharing the pics

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  3. Can it be made as a A/B output selector?
    Buffer - Channel selector :-)
    Or even like with TB-Buffer selector switch?

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  4. hey, thanks again for the layouts, this is a great blog!

    I finally got my SHO clone working after 3 attempts!

    I thought I had made a mistake, but turns out the ebay seller I bought them from had wrongly labelled them as T092 pinout! Just incase anyone else gets them on ebay :)

    on to build 6, which is hopefully going to be a Box of rock! Thanks!

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  5. thanks for posting these, im not great at reading schematics, do you think you could post a list of the needed parts for the version with the zener diode and where i might find them?

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  6. 90% of the supplies can be found at RadioShack aside from the 5.1K resistor, the BS170, and the 5kC pot. You can also use a IRF510 which gives a little less gain. That transistor can be found at RadioShack. You can use Smallbearelec.com for everything as well.

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  7. Thanx for posting this Layout... I build The original one it Sounds very good in front of my Matsumin Valvecaster
    Cheers from Staalhaar Copenhagen Denmark

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  8. Hi Mate

    Gonna do this as my second build... Sorry to sound a bit thick but my first build was a kit. What volt is the 10UF cap????

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    1. You want the caps to be rated higher than the supply. They actually won't all need to be but it's still a good practise to get into because you know that no matter where the cap is in the circuit it will always be rated adequately for the worst case scenario. So if you're using 9V then aim for at least 16V caps. For 18V effects go for at least 25V.

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  9. Thanks... Just off to pick up the parts. Any tips for a bypass??

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    1. 3PDT stomp switch if you want LED indication, DPDT if you're not bothered about an LED. All wired like this:

      http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html

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  10. Thanks will you know how it goes

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  11. Just a quick question; would I be able to swap out the 5.1k with a 10k trimpot and adjust to taste??

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  12. Its alive.

    Fired up first time, sound great.

    Just go to do bypass....

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    Replies
    1. Excellent, it's always nice when they start up first time!

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  13. Thanks mate.....This super hard on takes all the head room out of my clean channel on my Blackstar HT20 which is a good thing. The break up is nice and defined...

    I have the bits for the woolly mammoth, gonna start that next.....

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  14. Hi!
    I'm sorry for being a noob but how do you convert this layout to a vero/stripboard layout?

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    Replies
    1. http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2010/07/zvex-super-hard-on-updated-version.html

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  15. Hi

    Where the diode meets with the transistor on lug 3 and the same with the resistor on lug 8, on pic 2 with the zener, do you have to use a separate conector can i put then in the same hole?? I have a hissing which i cant fiind... I have changed the transistor any help please..

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    1. Same hole or tag. I only used that little link to show some separation between the two components or one would have been over the other. You could even solder the diode to the leads of the resistor if you wanted to.

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  16. Hi

    Thanks for reply....Any idea what the hiss is???

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  17. Please anyone..... I am at crying point

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    1. Without any photos it's difficult to diagnose a problem on the other side of the internet. It's a pretty simple build though so assuming all the components are good, are you getting continuity between all points of ground? Both points on the board, input sleeve, output sleeve, negative lug on DC socket, ground lug on switch for LED? What voltages are you getting between all the mosfet pins and ground? What DC adapter have you use and how is it wired up?

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  18. Cheers Mark Any help greatly appreciated.

    I built another one this Morning and same result. I used a different hook up to the one on here... http://gaussmarkov.net/wordpress/thoughts/wiring-up-a-1590b/

    This is what is happening..

    "" I first built the circuit and fired it up no bypass on a battery snap...Worked great

    Then I went to wire up the bypass and place it in enclosure without battery snap, on a plastic dc 2.1mm socket so could use my power supply. Then hissing . The pedal still works great, just a hiss. Yet if I turn the pedal up without playing the hiss gets quite turn the pedal down the hiss gets louder...

    If I now remove power supply and clip battery snap onto dc socket the pedal fires up no hiss.

    Here are some pics of this mornings build...

    http://s1060.photobucket.com/albums/t456/jamesd741/

    I got all the parts from DR Tweek...except The DC sockets these came off ebay

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  19. Wire color codes..

    Orange... Ground
    Black... Power In
    Purple... In-Out From switch
    Pink... Circuit in
    Yellow... Circuit out.
    White... To number pot..

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  20. I have 9v at the pin and every ground
    At the Transistor S 1.58
    G 5.52
    D 7.34

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  21. With this Hiss could I making a ground loop and if so how????

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    1. A ground loop is when you provide more than one possible path to ground, like this:

      http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j6/IvIark_2006/DIY/Groundloopexample.png

      You could have created one of course, you'd need to sketch out exactly what you have connected to what for us to see.

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  22. K this might be starting to make sense after 4 weeks.. Just before I get my hopes ups do ground loops cause hiss just on the out put????

    And on the super hard on layout above they are 2 grounds where do they go on yer hook up

    http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html

    Again Mark cheers for the e-mailand help...

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    Replies
    1. What was the answer to this? I'm just going to hook up the one closer to the input to the ground of the input jack...

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  23. The hiss is GONE......Power ripple 330uf electro cap soldered onto the DC socket and hiss gone..... am off to bed happy tonight

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    1. Awesome, glad you sorted it. What power supply are you using? I would expect most if not all of them to have a pretty high value filter cap in there already (which is why sometimes I'm not so bothered about leaving out the filter caps from the layouts).

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  24. Power supply is a Sound Lab 450 I am just glad that after a long 5 weeks I got there...It was luck I had the cap I got a couple for my red lama build....

    Thanks for the help along the way...

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  25. The sound lab looks to have a large electrolytic in it at 400v 440uf (Maplins s@it)

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    1. Is that a filter cap though or with it being rated so high is it before the rectifier? If so that wouldn't help with DC ripple.

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  26. It seems to come after 3 diodes and 1 zenner..

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  27. Is there any difference soundwise between the zener version and the other one?

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  28. My mate wants me to give him my SHO clone so he can sell his zvex one. So I am gonna build another one tomoz. Can I do switch able input caps to alter the tone and if so what switch do I need and any value suggestions???

    Once again thanks for the advise in advance....

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