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
That's great, thanks for verifying. If you want to tame the oscillation a bit then try using a filter cap between 9V and ground. It may be worth experimenting with this though because if you use to high a value it may tame things a bit too much. Maybe try 47u and see if it helps.
Newbie question - I just built this in a test rig (completely unboxed) When I dial up the Intensity I am getting a high pitched background noise. IS this what you are talking about? Or is this something that would probably go away when I box it?
This Circuit will have some degree of noise, so it could be just a feature. But still. Try cleaning the strip gaps with a knife and check that there's no solder bridges or strip pieces around the cuts.
I modded mine, but it's really noisy with intensity maxed. +m
I often get oscillation testing unboxed effects which disappears when I do box up. I can't say for sure of course that the lack of shielding is the only thing that is causing your issue, so you're really going to have to box it to find out, but there is a good chance it will be fine.
If anyone else is curious boxing the circuit did solve the noise issues I was having. I like the sound but I have to echo what someone else said the volume on this pedal is insane it seems like the usable area is the first 3rd of the pot.
note - noticed on her site http://www.deviever.com/fx/ruby/ she has an update at the bottom that the volume pot was change to an audio.
Revision #’s / # made since February 2012 RB12S / 5 – SMD components, everything board mounted, 100k audio volume, 100k linear intensity (first one labeled RUB2012SMDA) artwork serial #’s / # made since February 2012
Hello, I have the same findings as everyone but I have not yet put the circuit in its case. If there is still too much oscillation after its set top box in place, then I will flitercap as Mattt advises. About the volume curve, I use a log pot but I still too early volume curve. What other value could arrange that? Also, are there way to have less acute by changing a resistor for example? thank you
Nothing too dramatic. Your sweep would just behave a bit differently. You would have less sweet spot area on the sweep. Here's a nice article on pots with illustrated taper curves: http://sound.westhost.com/pots.htm
So it would work just fine - controls would probably feel a bit wonkier. +m
The extreme clockwise and counter clockwise positions would sound exactly the same, but the sweep of how they get there would change. Volume will be fine (in fact it will probably work better with a log pot) but with the intensity control you may find that the sweep isn't as even, so the change may happen slowly, all at the end of the pot rotation. You should still be able to get it to sound the same, it's just the sensitivity will be greater with a log pot as you won't have the same resolution that you'd get using linear.
Put something like a 47u cap positive to 9V, negative to ground. The only thing is that the filter caps can tame nasty fuzz sometimes and so it may have an undesirable affect.
Thanks Mark...so if i try some filter caps across the dc jack..( where my board 9v and gnd terminate ) or have i got the wrong idea....by god this things loud !!!!...have the nasty stuff going on as previously noted..might benefit from a huminator also..have you tried one..stuck one in a noisy hissy treble boost...By Jove..it was silent lol
Yes the DC jack is fine, you can attach it to any 9V and ground point in the pedal. I haven't tried the Huminator because that essentially is what the filter cap is doing and I usually include those sort of measures in the effects. It includes a current limiting resistor in series with the supply but many of these layouts include one of those as well, and it has a parallel reverse polarity protection which I always omit because the diode explodes under reverse polarity. It's still a useful little utility box to have and I'm got it in my "quickie" to do list simply because some people will find it useful and it would make good use of those small 2" x 1.5" Hammond boxes.
yeah ive got one in a small box for myself....but the Treble Booster... ( not one of your layouts...yours are quiet :) was for a friend so i incorporated it in the board via a sister board . This is the one I use from DIY... http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=92731.0
Built this circuit and it's pretty cool. It responds to my Tele's controls in some interesting ways. Adjusting the tone control can change the noise level and frequency of the noise, and when turned all the way down the fuzz loses its gated character and sounds really nice.
Hey Mark, I built this on a breadboard from the schematic on Devi's site and it sounded awesome! Built this layout which is clearly correct using the same components off of the breadboard and it sounded very weak, still fuzzy with the intensity up but nowhere near how it sounded on the breadboard. Any ideas of things to check? The vero is loose and not in an enclosure yet so it is litterally just as it is here. I originally built one and put it in an enclosure with a few other features and had the same problem so did a bog standard version of your layout, which is the one I'm having trouble with. I must be doing something silly but no idea what!
Well due to my disappointment with fuzz face clones I decided to throw some BC108s in this that I had laying around and bang! awesome! cleans up better than a fuzzface but with no background noise etc. The only thing is, it has stripped all the bottom end so I was wondering if it's the input cap that I need to experiment with to let more bass in?
Hee hee, I've just noticed the two caps on the right should be 100n, so that would be a good place to start! :o) You could up all the 10n caps to 100n though
It says on the Ruby schematic, that both 10n caps connected to Q2 should be 100n and not 10n. you could try that first... And if that doesn't help enough, double the input cap to 22n...
Those caps may be the reason why my build sounded so bad. Due to that i scrapped it. +m
Cheers Miro, I decided to stop being so lazy and experiment myself.. I swapped the input and output caps for 220n .. and even that is only a slight difference. But a far better one though. Then settled on BC107b's and it sound great (for me).. Stil on the thin side but it cleans up brilliantly with the guitar vol.. I'll go back to it later and replace the remaining 10nf's with 100's and see what happens.
Yup. The output cap doesn't help much if the cap between intensity pot and Q2 base eat up all your bottom end. I would figure that upping this cap alone would fix it to some degree.
I recall messing with input cap as well. But still ended up scrapping it, before i even checked the schem.
I guess i'll have to try this with some really low gain transistors and huge caps :) +m
I started to experiment a bit. Ended up trying all kinds of different combinations, but i think i made up something that i really like. First of all.. The input cap. That 10n eats up your signal. 1µ there. Rest of the circuit is perfect as it is, but for the transistors.. :) I tried on my new favourite silicon ones, BC301, all measuring around 80-120 hFE. Boring. Went through many combinations, but ended up with MPSA12 for Q1. These darlington mosters are rated 20 000 hFE and up. Then i went through my bag of MP35 soviet germaniums and picked up one that had hFE of 28. The basic idea behind those transistors is that Q1 gives out way too much and Q2 just smoothens it out with super low gain. With 9V to Q2 collector via 10K resistor, you really don't have worry about biasing :)
Oh the smoothness of crush. It's a short/low sustained cross between tonebender 3, merkin and a bit crusher. Just beautiful for those little mindfuck sounds for you to hide in the mix. Solos and leads are just awesome. I've never heard this smooth crushed fuzz before. Such a simple thing, but mean. It reacts very nicely to all guitar controls. Different pickups change the tonality completely due to 1µ input cap. Volume cleans it up reasonably well and tone knobs also change it's character a lot.
Now i'm thinking about breadboarding this. I'd like to add one more stage that would light up the sustain..
By the way, i'd recommend logarithmic taper for volume pot as it shoots through the roof after first 5% of the sweep on linear pot. Power filter shouldn't hurt this one either, although i didn't try it on... +m
I never believed that they would be this good when driven massively with something like MPSA12. Now i feel like have a urge to buy more, lots more, of MP35s and other low gain germs :)
Looking at the schem, i think i might try to up that 1K on the int-pot for something like 10K or 22K. That should, in theory, add even more crush, and make more of the sweep usable. Other thing i might experiment with, would be to add 1-5K pot between Q1 emitter and ground. That should add nice little "gate" control.
I'm still not sure how to achieve more sustain though. Though about commom emitter amplifier at the output, but i don't think that would work.. That could work after the volume if it were maxed, but the unwanted noise levels.. Or maybe not... +m
Sounds good Miro.. Not sure why you're not getting the sustain as mine sings out for quite a while and dies off naturally.. Maybe something to do with the BC107b's.. Or maybe it's just luck of the build as I think that has a lot to do with things.. Like my Fuzz face attempts.. I've built four and they've all sounded 'wrong'.. Thats just a gremlin circuit to me now ;o)
Well it dies naturally without premature gating, but it's nowhere near Fuzz Face/Tonebender/DAM sustains. hFE of 28 for Q2 is definitely the cause for shorter singing.
You still have the FF boards? Try it with 2N2222s. I've built a few silicon FFs in the past with those, and while they are not germanium FFs, they are still nice little fuzzes. BC107Bs should be around 150 hFE, so they should sound ok in there... +m
No I binned but It's a strange one as I seen to keep wanting to nail it properly. It sounded really nice but I got a crackle/buzzy kind of noise that got louder as the notes died out and it was present when rolling off the volume to clean up. It wasn't a huge issue but once I noticed it, thats all I could hear. It's only a small circuit so I may try another at a later date.
Sounds to me like your bias was just plain off. If the 10K trimmer couldn't fix that, then there must be something else wrong... You could try 20K next time.. +m
I think the full bias sweep was ok.. I got terrible to terrible at each end of the sweep. I may just get bad interference with this particular circuit. could try a bettery next time too. I scored a second hand MXR classic 108 so that should fill the gap, I remember that being exactly what I'm looking for
I have somewhat contradicting feelings about A-boxes. They are no fun to do, but they offer a challenge like no other.
This is the one which is with modified cap values and MPSA12+MP38A as transistors. Super mean, yet versatile - Offering basically two sounds: Volume at min + control maxed = super 8-bit soft krushing. Control at min + volume maxed = basic 60's style fuzzer.
Cool, I love the compactness but hate building in a 1590A. I wish I could get over myself about it because it would be so cool to have a whole range of effects in 1590A size
Well then. Get over it :D Start with the colorsound one-knobber, then off to green ringer, blue clipper and then any devi board. This baby will fit too: http://mirosol.kapsi.fi/varasto/layouts/VOX-Distortion-Booster+.png
Those boxes are pretty cheap to source. Plus you could drill them as you go along instead of planning it first. That gives much more freedom to do those. +m
Built this over the weekend, sounds great with the standard mpsa18's and all 100n caps. I dont seem to be getting the oscillation others mentioned though. Interestingly, the circuit seems to work with both trannies reversed in orientation, still fuzz but weird.
Hi! i noticed, i had to check the youtube demos to see what it was meant to sound like so i could get the trannies the right way. Prefer the hyperion to this though.
When I ordered parts for this and a couple more pedals I ordered 2PDT DPDT latching foot switches http://www.taydaelectronics.com/2pdt-stomp-foot-pedal-switch-solder-lugs.html
Will these work or am I going to run into problems?
Those will work just fine - but it's not that easy to get the indicator LED hooked uo with those. Here's 2PDT switch wiring at it's simplest: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nsvZ1rXQwes/TGiBRyyKIlI/AAAAAAAAAl0/kbfXTeendkY/s1600/2pdt.JPG
I've seen some ways to get the LED with that type of switch with true bypass too. Not as simple, but worth checking out: http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7130/6905948688_de3ffc3859.jpg +m
ok another noob question. I'm using this layout for the ruby in conjunction with the offboard wiring pic as well http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html
in the ruby layout it says Volume 2 to output, is that the output jack itself or the output lug on the 3pdt switch? And Volume 1 to ground, Do I ground 1 wire to dc power and one wire to volume 1 lug?
The output marked on the board (or in this case lug 2 of the volume pot) always goes to the switch first unless you're building a switchless always-on effect like a buffer maybe.
I finished this pedal per this layout and this sites offboard wiring diagram. only difference is I added another ground wire right next to the existing one on the veroboard and connected it to volume 1. In bypass my bass sounds fine and unaffected. I engage the pedal, the led lights but I get no sound at all to my amp. offboard wiring diagram http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html on that foot switch 4 to 9 connection I used a resistor lead not a wrapped wire. I just now noticed I can touch that wire with a screwdriver and I get sound, but it's perfectly clean. If I solder in a wrapped wire should I get sound? would it be the ruby affected sound? Or is there more than 1 problem?
I just built this myself last night and worked out my own errors, just got it working today.
I added several ground connections other than just the one on there. That will work just fine as long as it is connected the "ground strip" with an exception to the ground lug on the DC jack.
The resistor lead just by itself is fine, I do that all the time. It works, a connection is a connection. As long as it isn't touching anything else.
Make sure there's nothing else touching anything it shouldn't also Transistor orientation. Recheck your solder points. Re-solder them if needed.
I made the mistake of swapping the circuit input/output leads on the switch, so I'd check the wiring again just to be sure. I tape the solder-side of the circuit to prevent shorting also.
First pedal I made from this site -- a Christmas present for my lady to fuzz-out her cello. It has a switchable Karaoke Party stage after it.
http://postimg.org/image/h8494fl7b/
Can't comment on what the originals used, but I agree that the 10n caps make it sound too small. Replaced them all with 100n. Will need to try the rest of Mirosol's mods...
Because it is a nice treble booster too, i try the Ruby with my Big Muff. Therefore the sustain is almost all the way down at the Big Muff and i compress the signal with a comon compressor. I use russian metal can transistors with Hfe 280.
Later i used to make a hybrid of silicone and germanium. As you noticed each pot dials one transistor, i can now easily blend between both charakteristics.
Built it and wow, it is LOUD. In fact, way too loud. Using a 100ka pot I can't go past the first 5% without the risking blowing up my amp. I should probably add a resistor between Vol 2 and Vol 1 (ground) to tame the volume. Is this a good idea? Any suggestions on resistor values?
Heh, I must have done something wrong when testing because after a I boxed it is fine. Even most of the background noise is gone, except when the 2nd knob is full up, but that's expected. Really good effect! Sounds to me closer to my boss ds-1 than a big muff or my other fuzzes, actually
Awesome dude! Thanks so much for doing this!
ReplyDeleteLoving the Devi stuff. Even if it sounds like "crap," it is a heck of a lot of fun with a handful of components!
ReplyDeleteGoddamn for work! If i wasn't at the office, i could be building this right now :)
ReplyDelete+m
I would do it but I've had my fill of Devi pedals ;o)
DeleteI'll build it right away once i get home in three to four hours :)
Delete+m
Just built and tested this and its monstrous! I got quite a bit of oscillation with the intensity up full, but guessing this is intentional :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the layout.
That's great, thanks for verifying. If you want to tame the oscillation a bit then try using a filter cap between 9V and ground. It may be worth experimenting with this though because if you use to high a value it may tame things a bit too much. Maybe try 47u and see if it helps.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteNewbie question - I just built this in a test rig (completely unboxed) When I dial up the Intensity I am getting a high pitched background noise. IS this what you are talking about? Or is this something that would probably go away when I box it?
DeleteThis Circuit will have some degree of noise, so it could be just a feature. But still. Try cleaning the strip gaps with a knife and check that there's no solder bridges or strip pieces around the cuts.
DeleteI modded mine, but it's really noisy with intensity maxed.
+m
I often get oscillation testing unboxed effects which disappears when I do box up. I can't say for sure of course that the lack of shielding is the only thing that is causing your issue, so you're really going to have to box it to find out, but there is a good chance it will be fine.
DeleteIf anyone else is curious boxing the circuit did solve the noise issues I was having. I like the sound but I have to echo what someone else said the volume on this pedal is insane it seems like the usable area is the first 3rd of the pot.
Deletenote - noticed on her site http://www.deviever.com/fx/ruby/ she has an update at the bottom that the volume pot was change to an audio.
DeleteRevision #’s / # made since February 2012
RB12S / 5 – SMD components, everything board mounted, 100k audio volume, 100k linear intensity (first one labeled RUB2012SMDA)
artwork serial #’s / # made since February 2012
Thanks for the heads up
DeleteHello,
DeleteI have the same findings as everyone but I have not yet put the circuit in its case. If there is still too much oscillation after its set top box in place, then I will flitercap as Mattt advises. About the volume curve, I use a log pot but I still too early volume curve. What other value could arrange that? Also, are there way to have less acute by changing a resistor for example? thank you
Thanks.
ReplyDeleteCan you post a link a to the schematic for this effect please?
ReplyDeletei want to breadboard it but i dont find any schem
thanks!
http://www.deviever.com/fx/diy-schematics/
Deletenice, built mine tonight, lots of sounds in this quick build, thanks for the layout!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat would happen if I changed the pots for logs..
ReplyDeleteI have just dug out my old melted broken 1993 Carlsbro 150 glx and its got 11 of them..
Sorry 11 100 logs
ReplyDeleteNothing too dramatic. Your sweep would just behave a bit differently. You would have less sweet spot area on the sweep. Here's a nice article on pots with illustrated taper curves:
Deletehttp://sound.westhost.com/pots.htm
So it would work just fine - controls would probably feel a bit wonkier.
+m
The extreme clockwise and counter clockwise positions would sound exactly the same, but the sweep of how they get there would change. Volume will be fine (in fact it will probably work better with a log pot) but with the intensity control you may find that the sweep isn't as even, so the change may happen slowly, all at the end of the pot rotation. You should still be able to get it to sound the same, it's just the sensitivity will be greater with a log pot as you won't have the same resolution that you'd get using linear.
DeleteCheers guys
ReplyDeleteWhats a tl07cn go in...the carlsbro got about 20
Built it and by god it worked first time with none of my signature hiss....
ReplyDeleteOnly thing.. when the Volume gets past about 9.o,clock I get squealing and a sort of thump thump thump sound (oscillation?)
Is this the norm or have invented another signature cock up sound??
Hi Mark
ReplyDeleteA bit further up the list here you suggested putting a filter cap between 9v and ground...How would you go abt this ??
Put something like a 47u cap positive to 9V, negative to ground. The only thing is that the filter caps can tame nasty fuzz sometimes and so it may have an undesirable affect.
DeleteThanks Mark...so if i try some filter caps across the dc jack..( where my board 9v and gnd terminate ) or have i got the wrong idea....by god this things loud !!!!...have the nasty stuff going on as previously noted..might benefit from a huminator also..have you tried one..stuck one in a noisy hissy treble boost...By Jove..it was silent lol
DeleteYes the DC jack is fine, you can attach it to any 9V and ground point in the pedal. I haven't tried the Huminator because that essentially is what the filter cap is doing and I usually include those sort of measures in the effects. It includes a current limiting resistor in series with the supply but many of these layouts include one of those as well, and it has a parallel reverse polarity protection which I always omit because the diode explodes under reverse polarity. It's still a useful little utility box to have and I'm got it in my "quickie" to do list simply because some people will find it useful and it would make good use of those small 2" x 1.5" Hammond boxes.
Deleteyeah ive got one in a small box for myself....but the Treble Booster... ( not one of your layouts...yours are quiet :) was for a friend so i incorporated it in the board via a sister board . This is the one I use from DIY... http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=92731.0
ReplyDeleteBuilt this circuit and it's pretty cool. It responds to my Tele's controls in some interesting ways. Adjusting the tone control can change the noise level and frequency of the noise, and when turned all the way down the fuzz loses its gated character and sounds really nice.
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty intense fuzz
Hey Mark, I built this on a breadboard from the schematic on Devi's site and it sounded awesome! Built this layout which is clearly correct using the same components off of the breadboard and it sounded very weak, still fuzzy with the intensity up but nowhere near how it sounded on the breadboard. Any ideas of things to check? The vero is loose and not in an enclosure yet so it is litterally just as it is here. I originally built one and put it in an enclosure with a few other features and had the same problem so did a bog standard version of your layout, which is the one I'm having trouble with. I must be doing something silly but no idea what!
ReplyDeleteWell due to my disappointment with fuzz face clones I decided to throw some BC108s in this that I had laying around and bang! awesome! cleans up better than a fuzzface but with no background noise etc. The only thing is, it has stripped all the bottom end so I was wondering if it's the input cap that I need to experiment with to let more bass in?
ReplyDelete*coughs.... ;o)
DeleteHee hee, I've just noticed the two caps on the right should be 100n, so that would be a good place to start! :o) You could up all the 10n caps to 100n though
DeleteAhh that's done the job...Cheers mate.
DeleteI did not understand. How will this affect the sound if I replace all caps by 100n?
DeleteHmmmmm..
ReplyDeleteCheck this:
http://www.deviever.com/fx/devi-ever-diy-schematics/
It says on the Ruby schematic, that both 10n caps connected to Q2 should be 100n and not 10n. you could try that first... And if that doesn't help enough, double the input cap to 22n...
Those caps may be the reason why my build sounded so bad. Due to that i scrapped it.
+m
Plus there seems to be a bunch of new schematics available...
Delete+m
Maybe not a "bunch", but i haven't seen a layout for LP/EB nor Impropability drive yet... :)
Delete+m
Cheers Miro, I decided to stop being so lazy and experiment myself.. I swapped the input and output caps for 220n .. and even that is only a slight difference. But a far better one though. Then settled on BC107b's and it sound great (for me).. Stil on the thin side but it cleans up brilliantly with the guitar vol.. I'll go back to it later and replace the remaining 10nf's with 100's and see what happens.
DeleteYup. The output cap doesn't help much if the cap between intensity pot and Q2 base eat up all your bottom end. I would figure that upping this cap alone would fix it to some degree.
DeleteI recall messing with input cap as well. But still ended up scrapping it, before i even checked the schem.
I guess i'll have to try this with some really low gain transistors and huge caps :)
+m
Morning all,which are better, carbon film resistors or metal film resistors?
ReplyDeleteAnd can they be mixed or better to stick to one type?
Cheers,
Mark L
Dear mother of Fuzz God!
ReplyDeleteI started to experiment a bit. Ended up trying all kinds of different combinations, but i think i made up something that i really like. First of all.. The input cap. That 10n eats up your signal. 1µ there. Rest of the circuit is perfect as it is, but for the transistors.. :) I tried on my new favourite silicon ones, BC301, all measuring around 80-120 hFE. Boring. Went through many combinations, but ended up with MPSA12 for Q1. These darlington mosters are rated 20 000 hFE and up. Then i went through my bag of MP35 soviet germaniums and picked up one that had hFE of 28. The basic idea behind those transistors is that Q1 gives out way too much and Q2 just smoothens it out with super low gain. With 9V to Q2 collector via 10K resistor, you really don't have worry about biasing :)
Oh the smoothness of crush. It's a short/low sustained cross between tonebender 3, merkin and a bit crusher. Just beautiful for those little mindfuck sounds for you to hide in the mix. Solos and leads are just awesome. I've never heard this smooth crushed fuzz before. Such a simple thing, but mean. It reacts very nicely to all guitar controls. Different pickups change the tonality completely due to 1µ input cap. Volume cleans it up reasonably well and tone knobs also change it's character a lot.
Now i'm thinking about breadboarding this. I'd like to add one more stage that would light up the sustain..
By the way, i'd recommend logarithmic taper for volume pot as it shoots through the roof after first 5% of the sweep on linear pot. Power filter shouldn't hurt this one either, although i didn't try it on...
+m
See, told you those low gain germaniums would come in handy! :o)
DeleteI never believed that they would be this good when driven massively with something like MPSA12. Now i feel like have a urge to buy more, lots more, of MP35s and other low gain germs :)
DeleteLooking at the schem, i think i might try to up that 1K on the int-pot for something like 10K or 22K. That should, in theory, add even more crush, and make more of the sweep usable. Other thing i might experiment with, would be to add 1-5K pot between Q1 emitter and ground. That should add nice little "gate" control.
I'm still not sure how to achieve more sustain though. Though about commom emitter amplifier at the output, but i don't think that would work.. That could work after the volume if it were maxed, but the unwanted noise levels.. Or maybe not...
+m
Sounds good Miro.. Not sure why you're not getting the sustain as mine sings out for quite a while and dies off naturally.. Maybe something to do with the BC107b's.. Or maybe it's just luck of the build as I think that has a lot to do with things.. Like my Fuzz face attempts.. I've built four and they've all sounded 'wrong'.. Thats just a gremlin circuit to me now ;o)
DeleteWell it dies naturally without premature gating, but it's nowhere near Fuzz Face/Tonebender/DAM sustains. hFE of 28 for Q2 is definitely the cause for shorter singing.
DeleteYou still have the FF boards? Try it with 2N2222s. I've built a few silicon FFs in the past with those, and while they are not germanium FFs, they are still nice little fuzzes. BC107Bs should be around 150 hFE, so they should sound ok in there...
+m
No I binned but It's a strange one as I seen to keep wanting to nail it properly. It sounded really nice but I got a crackle/buzzy kind of noise that got louder as the notes died out and it was present when rolling off the volume to clean up. It wasn't a huge issue but once I noticed it, thats all I could hear. It's only a small circuit so I may try another at a later date.
DeleteSounds to me like your bias was just plain off. If the 10K trimmer couldn't fix that, then there must be something else wrong... You could try 20K next time..
Delete+m
I think the full bias sweep was ok.. I got terrible to terrible at each end of the sweep. I may just get bad interference with this particular circuit. could try a bettery next time too. I scored a second hand MXR classic 108 so that should fill the gap, I remember that being exactly what I'm looking for
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehttp://mirosol.kapsi.fi/varasto/boxes/krushfuzz.JPG
ReplyDeleteI have somewhat contradicting feelings about A-boxes. They are no fun to do, but they offer a challenge like no other.
This is the one which is with modified cap values and MPSA12+MP38A as transistors. Super mean, yet versatile - Offering basically two sounds: Volume at min + control maxed = super 8-bit soft krushing. Control at min + volume maxed = basic 60's style fuzzer.
Me likes.
+m
Cool, I love the compactness but hate building in a 1590A. I wish I could get over myself about it because it would be so cool to have a whole range of effects in 1590A size
DeleteWell then. Get over it :D Start with the colorsound one-knobber, then off to green ringer, blue clipper and then any devi board. This baby will fit too:
Deletehttp://mirosol.kapsi.fi/varasto/layouts/VOX-Distortion-Booster+.png
Those boxes are pretty cheap to source. Plus you could drill them as you go along instead of planning it first. That gives much more freedom to do those.
+m
i like this one a lot, and i dont even play guitar.
Deletehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/tomkogut/photo1_zpse3c4139c.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/tomkogut/photo-3_zps0965485e.jpg
Thanks for the pics Tom
DeleteBuilt this over the weekend, sounds great with the standard mpsa18's and all 100n caps. I dont seem to be getting the oscillation others mentioned though. Interestingly, the circuit seems to work with both trannies reversed in orientation, still fuzz but weird.
ReplyDeleteDevi designs tend to have that feature :)
Delete+m
Hi! i noticed, i had to check the youtube demos to see what it was meant to sound like so i could get the trannies the right way. Prefer the hyperion to this though.
DeleteWhen I ordered parts for this and a couple more pedals I ordered 2PDT DPDT latching foot switches
ReplyDeletehttp://www.taydaelectronics.com/2pdt-stomp-foot-pedal-switch-solder-lugs.html
Will these work or am I going to run into problems?
Thanks a lot
Those will work just fine - but it's not that easy to get the indicator LED hooked uo with those. Here's 2PDT switch wiring at it's simplest: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nsvZ1rXQwes/TGiBRyyKIlI/AAAAAAAAAl0/kbfXTeendkY/s1600/2pdt.JPG
DeleteI've seen some ways to get the LED with that type of switch with true bypass too. Not as simple, but worth checking out:
http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7130/6905948688_de3ffc3859.jpg
+m
Thanks, I'm just gonna order the 3PDT so I can have an LED.
DeleteDon't worry. You'll find use for those 2 poled ones in the future for sure.
Delete+m
ok another noob question.
ReplyDeleteI'm using this layout for the ruby in conjunction with the offboard wiring
pic as well http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html
in the ruby layout it says Volume 2 to output, is that the output jack itself or the output lug on the 3pdt switch?
And Volume 1 to ground, Do I ground 1 wire to dc power and one wire to volume 1 lug?
The output marked on the board (or in this case lug 2 of the volume pot) always goes to the switch first unless you're building a switchless always-on effect like a buffer maybe.
DeleteI finished this pedal per this layout and this sites offboard wiring diagram. only difference is I added another ground wire right next to the existing one on the veroboard and connected it to volume 1.
ReplyDeleteIn bypass my bass sounds fine and unaffected. I engage the pedal, the led lights but I get no sound at all to my amp.
offboard wiring diagram http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html
on that foot switch 4 to 9 connection I used a resistor lead not a wrapped wire. I just now noticed I can touch that wire with a screwdriver and I get sound, but it's perfectly clean.
If I solder in a wrapped wire should I get sound?
would it be the ruby affected sound?
Or is there more than 1 problem?
I just built this myself last night and worked out my own errors, just got it working today.
ReplyDeleteI added several ground connections other than just the one on there. That will work just fine as long as it is connected the "ground strip" with an exception to the ground lug on the DC jack.
The resistor lead just by itself is fine, I do that all the time. It works, a connection is a connection. As long as it isn't touching anything else.
Make sure there's nothing else touching anything it shouldn't also Transistor orientation. Recheck your solder points. Re-solder them if needed.
I made the mistake of swapping the circuit input/output leads on the switch, so I'd check the wiring again just to be sure. I tape the solder-side of the circuit to prevent shorting also.
Good luck man.
Here's mine painted and etched with Mega Man, One more Ruby to verify the layout!
Deletehttp://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r518/shorty65mustang/megafuzz013_zps58b74b62.jpg
http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r518/shorty65mustang/megafuzz011_zpsf643deba.jpg
http://i1169.photobucket.com/albums/r518/shorty65mustang/megafuzz019_zpsb1d3cca2.jpg
Is that a 2.2 megaohm resistor? (New to reading vero layouts).
ReplyDeleteyes
ReplyDeleteI made mine girlie in a way haha, used ME4003 trannies:
ReplyDeletehttp://instagram.com/p/cIPuIRxWLz/
Where did you find that all caps are 100n ?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFirst pedal I made from this site -- a Christmas present for my lady to fuzz-out her cello. It has a switchable Karaoke Party stage after it.
ReplyDeletehttp://postimg.org/image/h8494fl7b/
Can't comment on what the originals used, but I agree that the 10n caps make it sound too small. Replaced them all with 100n. Will need to try the rest of Mirosol's mods...
Hello ,
ReplyDeleteI built it for a friend : https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SQ0EaSCtTtw/VIcrtkUiHGI/AAAAAAAAA3I/ez6n4lmk4_s/w967-h580-no/20141208_175436.jpg
I just changed the input capacitor for a sprague orange 0.68 n . It's a really nice circuit and sounds great.
Cheers.
Because it is a nice treble booster too, i try the Ruby with my Big Muff. Therefore the sustain is almost all the way down at the Big Muff and i compress the signal with a comon compressor. I use russian metal can transistors with Hfe 280.
ReplyDeleteLater i used to make a hybrid of silicone and germanium. As you noticed each pot dials one transistor, i can now easily blend between both charakteristics.
ReplyDeleteIt is a 2N2369A (hfe 40) and a 2N388 (hfe 60). The first transistor has lower gain as in the Fuzz Face or Tonebender circuits.
DeleteBuilt it and wow, it is LOUD. In fact, way too loud. Using a 100ka pot I can't go past the first 5% without the risking blowing up my amp. I should probably add a resistor between Vol 2 and Vol 1 (ground) to tame the volume. Is this a good idea? Any suggestions on resistor values?
ReplyDeleteHeh, I must have done something wrong when testing because after a I boxed it is fine. Even most of the background noise is gone, except when the 2nd knob is full up, but that's expected. Really good effect! Sounds to me closer to my boss ds-1 than a big muff or my other fuzzes, actually
DeleteThis sounds very good with BC550C transistors.
ReplyDelete