Here's a collection of vero (stripboard) and tagboard guitar and bass effect layouts that we have put together covering many classic and popular effects in growing numbers. Many of these have been posted on freestompboxes.org, so check that site out for great discussions on building your own effect pedals. Enjoy the builds and please also visit us on Facebook and Twitter
Finished this tonight and... 1M seems to be too much. Checked some schematics from the web, and 4 of the first that google's picture search returned, used 500K linear instead of 1M. I'll be changing that tomorrow. The first 500K of that 1M does nothing. Last 50K or so turns this in to really cold and dry distortion.
Another thing that got me puzzled.. I could only source LM741CN opamps, and they all sound just terrible. Tried LM301 and it warms the sound up a bit, but it's still not-so-good distortion with drive pot all the way up. In other words, i can't seem to get this to sound like the one in the youtube demos. Or is this supposed to be more of a distortion than boost/overdrive? I guess i should try TL071, but i don't have those at hand. I do have NE5534P's and those go on the circuit for testing tomorrow too.
Any pointers are welcome...
I have similar issues with MXR Distortion+ at the moment. Although i think that can also be solved with LM301 and C500K pot. :)
I know that the blue thing and the big white thing are both electrolytic capacitors, but whenever I look up "electrolytic 4u7" or "electrolytic 10u" I can't get any results. Can you help me out with this?
That's 4,7 microfarad and 10 microfarad. Sometimes these are marked 4u7 or 4,7u. Or to be exactly correct, 4µ7 and 10µ.
Check out these: http://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/electrolytic-capacitors/4-7uf-35v-105c-radial-electrolytic-capacitor-5x11mm.html http://www.musikding.de/Passive-parts/Capacitors/Electrolytic/Electrolytic-caps-axial/Low-voltage/10uF-25V-axial::1974.html
Here's value conversion chart: http://www.justradios.com/uFnFpF.html
P.S. I can't remember what i did with mine, but i got it working perfectly...
I have no idea why I've never tried this pedal before. Miro recommended it to me and I believed him. Boy am I glad I did, my Orange OR50 just sings with this thing in front of it. Thanks!
This is simply amazing design. Everyone i know who have played with any version (original, reissue or YJM308) have been completely sold. I've heard two comments stating that "there's really no need for a tone pot". I think MXR D+ gives this a bad rep (as even the old ones suck when compared to this)...
From mild dirty booster to full on distortion with characteristic natural compression happening in there. Plus this really shines on any tube amp. Just remember to use 1N4148 for clippers, C500K pot for gain and B100K pot for level.
is this opamp from Tayda ok?: https://www.taydaelectronics.com/ic-integrated-circuits/audio-amplifier-instrumentation-op-amp/ua741cp-ua741-741-ic-op-amp.html
I tired some simple mods with this. Ge/Si clipping, upping the input cap etc. 1N4148 was the best clipping diode for me and more bass just turns into flubby nonsense, not worth it if you use high gain settings. So, I left it stock. It's very bright though which has worked for me spot on until now. Now I decided I want to set up my amp brighter to let the single coil cleans shine but that just makes the distortion with the DOD on just waaaay too shrill for my tastes. I think I'll try to darken this a bit and maybe use a switch to dial it back to original. Any thoughts on how to approach this? I probably need it to cut a lot of treble, I use a growly mid-heavy sound with the shrill high frequencies dialed out. Just fat, lower mid growly no bullshit tone reminiscent of a Les Paul running through a boosted Jubilee or someting like that. Try other opamps? Add a low pass filter? Add a tone stack of some sorts maybe?
You should probably check out the Overdrive II (not the 855 one, but the original). Just go with 1N4148s and tweak the output level to your liking. That's basically the same circuit with TS-style active tone control after 250-like main gain stage. +m
I know I know! I'm a bit conservative with these things too but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'll definitely keep the ODII in mind. Thanks again!
Started blind shooting with the existing one. I'm actually having great success putting a cap in parallel with the diodes. It doesn't change the main tonal qualities that much and the cut is not very drastic so you can use huge ass values. I tried everything I have between 470pf and 22n. 10n and 22n actually sound wonderful. It's STILL BRIGHT which is amazing but I'm not hearing the icepicky frequencies I did before. Also the clipping is still pretty sharp and focused. Gotta keep trying. The annoying thing is that I can't do a proper test home and as a family man getting to our rehearsal bunker is a bit tricky. Dang it.
I used the B500K for drive as Miro said he saw in the schemes for this, and I like it much better. It still gets pretty nutty on the gain at only 500K, but he's absolutely correct that the last little portion with 1 meg is terrible sounding.
Just curious, what version is this? I built it and its on my board, sounds great with an lf351! Now I'm considering building the grey spec one, it looks quite different with the addition of a 1meg and and a 120pf cap and only one 1N cap, as well as pot values. Anybody compare this one to the grey spec one? I'm happy with this build...but curious!
Did you need to make changes to use the LF351? I thought that it should be interchangeable with the LM741, but tried out 5 different ones and my readings are vastly different with a LF351 and I get no output. All is fine with the LM741.
I think the volume pot on this should be 100K A, not 10K. Every DOD 250 schematic I've seen shows 100K. I like two germanium diodes and a 4148 + a BAT41 for the clipping. All 4148's seem to thin out the tone too much.
Replace the 47n by 56n. The 10k resistor next to the clipping to 100k. A 25pf at the ic and you have the yellow reissue specs. More full, ess harsh, far better.
I've built a couple of these but never dabbled from the BOM to much. Tonight I ran jumpers from the clipping diodes to a bread board and swapped diodes in and out with little difference noted including no diodes at all. I pulled 'em out with a chord ringing and seriously nothing changed. How obvious should it be?
If you built the pedal with the B1M pot for gain and the A10K pot for volume (as on the image), there may not be much of a difference, depending on your pot settings.
If you build the pedal with a C500K pot for gain and a B100K pot for volume (as in the original pedal), the pedal should be louder and distort less if no diodes are inserted (it makes no difference if you insert no diodes or just one diode). The difference is most notable with the pots at around 12 o'clock.
Finished this tonight and... 1M seems to be too much. Checked some schematics from the web, and 4 of the first that google's picture search returned, used 500K linear instead of 1M. I'll be changing that tomorrow. The first 500K of that 1M does nothing. Last 50K or so turns this in to really cold and dry distortion.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that got me puzzled.. I could only source LM741CN opamps, and they all sound just terrible. Tried LM301 and it warms the sound up a bit, but it's still not-so-good distortion with drive pot all the way up. In other words, i can't seem to get this to sound like the one in the youtube demos. Or is this supposed to be more of a distortion than boost/overdrive? I guess i should try TL071, but i don't have those at hand. I do have NE5534P's and those go on the circuit for testing tomorrow too.
Any pointers are welcome...
I have similar issues with MXR Distortion+ at the moment. Although i think that can also be solved with LM301 and C500K pot. :)
I know that the blue thing and the big white thing are both electrolytic capacitors, but whenever I look up "electrolytic 4u7" or "electrolytic 10u" I can't get any results. Can you help me out with this?
ReplyDeleteThat's 4,7 microfarad and 10 microfarad. Sometimes these are marked 4u7 or 4,7u. Or to be exactly correct, 4µ7 and 10µ.
DeleteCheck out these:
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/capacitors/electrolytic-capacitors/4-7uf-35v-105c-radial-electrolytic-capacitor-5x11mm.html
http://www.musikding.de/Passive-parts/Capacitors/Electrolytic/Electrolytic-caps-axial/Low-voltage/10uF-25V-axial::1974.html
Here's value conversion chart:
http://www.justradios.com/uFnFpF.html
P.S. I can't remember what i did with mine, but i got it working perfectly...
+m
How would one go about adding a "Gate" function to this circuit?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why I've never tried this pedal before. Miro recommended it to me and I believed him. Boy am I glad I did, my Orange OR50 just sings with this thing in front of it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis is simply amazing design. Everyone i know who have played with any version (original, reissue or YJM308) have been completely sold. I've heard two comments stating that "there's really no need for a tone pot". I think MXR D+ gives this a bad rep (as even the old ones suck when compared to this)...
ReplyDeleteFrom mild dirty booster to full on distortion with characteristic natural compression happening in there. Plus this really shines on any tube amp. Just remember to use 1N4148 for clippers, C500K pot for gain and B100K pot for level.
My favourite OD.
+m
is this opamp from Tayda ok?: https://www.taydaelectronics.com/ic-integrated-circuits/audio-amplifier-instrumentation-op-amp/ua741cp-ua741-741-ic-op-amp.html
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYes, you can use a UA741. The specs are the same as for the LM741, it's just a different manufacturer.
DeleteI tired some simple mods with this. Ge/Si clipping, upping the input cap etc. 1N4148 was the best clipping diode for me and more bass just turns into flubby nonsense, not worth it if you use high gain settings. So, I left it stock. It's very bright though which has worked for me spot on until now. Now I decided I want to set up my amp brighter to let the single coil cleans shine but that just makes the distortion with the DOD on just waaaay too shrill for my tastes. I think I'll try to darken this a bit and maybe use a switch to dial it back to original. Any thoughts on how to approach this? I probably need it to cut a lot of treble, I use a growly mid-heavy sound with the shrill high frequencies dialed out. Just fat, lower mid growly no bullshit tone reminiscent of a Les Paul running through a boosted Jubilee or someting like that. Try other opamps? Add a low pass filter? Add a tone stack of some sorts maybe?
ReplyDeleteNooooooo! Heresy!
DeleteYou should probably check out the Overdrive II (not the 855 one, but the original). Just go with 1N4148s and tweak the output level to your liking. That's basically the same circuit with TS-style active tone control after 250-like main gain stage.
+m
I know I know! I'm a bit conservative with these things too but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'll definitely keep the ODII in mind. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteStarted blind shooting with the existing one. I'm actually having great success putting a cap in parallel with the diodes. It doesn't change the main tonal qualities that much and the cut is not very drastic so you can use huge ass values. I tried everything I have between 470pf and 22n. 10n and 22n actually sound wonderful. It's STILL BRIGHT which is amazing but I'm not hearing the icepicky frequencies I did before. Also the clipping is still pretty sharp and focused. Gotta keep trying. The annoying thing is that I can't do a proper test home and as a family man getting to our rehearsal bunker is a bit tricky. Dang it.
ReplyDeleteNah, it's a dead end. When the amp is too bright, it's just too bright. The DOD is best served stock.
ReplyDeleteHeehee :)
Delete+m
I used the B500K for drive as Miro said he saw in the schemes for this, and I like it much better. It still gets pretty nutty on the gain at only 500K, but he's absolutely correct that the last little portion with 1 meg is terrible sounding.
ReplyDeleteJust curious, what version is this? I built it and its on my board, sounds great with an lf351! Now I'm considering building the grey spec one, it looks quite different with the addition of a 1meg and and a 120pf cap and only one 1N cap, as well as pot values. Anybody compare this one to the grey spec one? I'm happy with this build...but curious!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, IC's DO make a big difference in this circuit! A TL081 sounded crap, TLO71 much better but the LF351 was just right.
ReplyDeleteDid you need to make changes to use the LF351? I thought that it should be interchangeable with the LM741, but tried out 5 different ones and my readings are vastly different with a LF351 and I get no output. All is fine with the LM741.
DeleteI think the volume pot on this should be 100K A, not 10K. Every DOD 250 schematic I've seen shows 100K. I like two germanium diodes and a 4148 + a BAT41 for the clipping. All 4148's seem to thin out the tone too much.
ReplyDeleteReplace the 47n by 56n. The 10k resistor next to the clipping to 100k. A 25pf at the ic and you have the yellow reissue specs. More full, ess harsh, far better.
ReplyDeleteI've built a couple of these but never dabbled from the BOM to much. Tonight I ran jumpers from the clipping diodes to a bread board and swapped diodes in and out with little difference noted including no diodes at all. I pulled 'em out with a chord ringing and seriously nothing changed. How obvious should it be?
ReplyDeleteIf you built the pedal with the B1M pot for gain and the A10K pot for volume (as on the image), there may not be much of a difference, depending on your pot settings.
DeleteIf you build the pedal with a C500K pot for gain and a B100K pot for volume (as in the original pedal), the pedal should be louder and distort less if no diodes are inserted (it makes no difference if you insert no diodes or just one diode). The difference is most notable with the pots at around 12 o'clock.