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Saturday, 24 May 2014

Barber Compact Direct Drive

Request.  Another great sounding, extremely well made and very fairly priced effect from Dave Barber.  As usual with Barber I'd always say buy this or one of his other pedals to support one of the good builders.

Measuring only 2.3” wide, the NEW Compact Direct Drive brings a colossal catalog of vintage British voice to your pedal-board. We packed the most desirable sounds of the Direct Drive, Direct Drive Low Gain (LG) and Super Sport into one clean and compact pedal. If you like the sound of the early UK combos with kt66 tubes, it's in there. If you bleed for the sound of a 4 input head with a wall of 4x12 cabs, it's in there. If you live for the sound of a carefully modified master volume gem from the early 80's, it's in there too. The Compact Direct Drive uses a simple layout of three knobs, a gain toggle and a harmonics toggle to delivery it's wide array from elastic-bells of GZ34-sag, to the hells-bells of a tight EL34-crush. Throw away the clock, tell the family you're taking a solo holiday, there is a Compact Direct Drive on the way. 







Modded version with Mids control



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48 comments:

  1. agung24 May 2014 at 15:26

    oh yeeahh ,,already build barber direct drive with mid pots,and really love it,,and this layout make me sick,,damn,,iviark,u rockk !!

    ReplyDelete
  2. agung24 May 2014 at 15:30

    i think u must be add mid pots in this layout..just like old barber direct drive

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IvIark24 May 2014 at 15:35

      Just swap the 9K1 resistor for a 10K pot or trimmer.

      Delete
  3. Doron Barness24 May 2014 at 16:33

    What a great addition to this blog.
    Definitely one of the great Marshall sounds out there along with the Wampler Plexi-Drive.
    Love the added mod of mid control.
    Adding this to the top of my list.

    ReplyDelete
  4. agung24 May 2014 at 17:51

    waw,thats was really2 fast respons,just like 2 fast and 2 furious :D
    .,and how about bass and presence pot?hehe.,and thanks for your great layout.,

    agung mahendra

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown24 May 2014 at 18:00

      hey man..want build this one. damn man.. :)

      Delete
    2. IvIark24 May 2014 at 18:17

      If you want a Bass pot swap the 27K for a 50K pot. I'm not doing another layout though :o)

      Delete
    3. johnk24 May 2014 at 21:39

      IMO, the presence control doesn't do that much so i'd omit that one, but here's IvIark's layout with the mids and bass pots:

      http://johnkvintageguitars.homestead.com/Effects/Fuzz-ODs/BarberDirectDrive/0003-Barber_Compact_Direct_Drive_with_Mids_and_Bass_controls.png

      Delete
    4. John Sherrill30 May 2014 at 03:28

      So if I wanted to do a bass cut switch instead of a bass pot would I just do a DPDT with a 27K and another valued resistor?

      Delete
    5. IvIark30 May 2014 at 09:31

      Yes

      Delete
    6. John Sherrill30 May 2014 at 15:02

      Thanks! Lower or higher value?

      Delete
    7. IvIark30 May 2014 at 16:01

      Lower

      Delete
    8. John Sherrill3 June 2014 at 18:29

      Thanks! I think I'm going to just put in a trimmer.

      Delete
  5. Jimijam25 May 2014 at 14:34

    Another one added to the list... WOW
    nice one IvIark and Johnk

    ReplyDelete
  6. Juan Manuel Vidal26 May 2014 at 16:37

    Hi, my name is Juan from Mexico. Great blog, i already made 6 or 7 vero proyects taken from here and work great. Here are proyects for every type effect but no a power supply, it would be a nice proyect to make one in vero, i hope you can post one or too. Cheers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IvIark26 May 2014 at 17:18

      You can get lots of great power supply layouts from Paul In The Lab:
      http://www.paulinthelab.com/search/label/Power%20Supply

      Delete
    2. Will Kenworthy28 August 2016 at 11:03

      Tried to access the link & got this:

      Notice: This domain name expired on 08/15/16 and is pending renewal or deletion

      If someone has this on file I hope you would share it with us.

      Thank you for ALL your efforts!
      Will

      Delete
  7. Brownpedals27 May 2014 at 13:11

    Just made the ve John Kallas version with Bass pot. Lugs 1 and 3 of the Gain en Bass pot are reversed. Otherwise you can tag this one!!!!. I had to cheat a little bit (put 2x10K parallel tot make the 5K1, two 180R in parallel for the 91R, an a 47nF + 22nF in parallel to make the 82nF).
    Tone control is there but in this TMB stack not doing that much. I also thing that a log pot for the bass pot would give better control.

    TNKS for the layout! This is a nice "tweak-able" overdrive!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Unknown2 June 2014 at 22:53

    thank boss love this pedal. perpect drive, :)

    https://plus.google.com/app/basic/photos/100315628921526442517/album/6020452175988625873/6020452175441491394?cbp=wo7zdcmksrsv&gl=id&sview=1&cid=5&soc-app=115&soc-platform=1&spath=/app/basic/stream/z135wxgy4nbkefdfn224fr0bnlqlfb04n04&sparm=cbp%3Dmsh7emg7n0l5%26gl%3Did%26sview%3D32%26cid%3D5%26soc-app%3D115%26soc-platform%3D1%26spath%3D/app/basic/photos%26sparm%3Dnopromo%253D1%2526source%253Dmog%2526gl%253Did

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    Replies
    1. Doron Barness3 June 2014 at 08:29

      Do share this with the rest of us. Image can't be seen.

      Delete
  9. Unknown8 June 2014 at 16:39

    Is it based on the Service schematic on direct drive product page?
    I am going to layout myself. Thanks so much.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Unknown13 June 2014 at 22:15

    Somehow I don't get any action from harmonics switch.. Is it necessary to put pins 1&2 together on tone potentiometer?

    Otherwise it sound great! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Unknown24 July 2014 at 07:33

    incredible rip a first attempt.'m not much knowledge of electronics, but this block is great I visit every day. thanks for making this possible, sorry my English is not my mother tongue
    greetings from chile

    ReplyDelete
  12. MAO2 August 2014 at 15:42

    Tried both the MIDs and BASS mods, 1st using a 10kB then a 20kA for the MIDS, and a 50kB then a 50kA the BASS.

    IMO, the liner taper was better for the Mid control and audio for the Bass control. These may be useful to fine tune the pedal to your gear, but I found I was dialing them in at about the original resistor values, so I decided to go with just the stock 3 knob version.

    Sounds excellent, a nice alternative to the Wampler Plexi Drive.

    https://plus.google.com/114192188550255459199/posts/9R3FQJS8P5U

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  13. Unknown31 August 2014 at 20:50

    Finished mine yesterday : great sound, right from the first note. Thank's Mark for this great layout, and tank's to Dave for his great effects.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Unknown15 September 2014 at 22:03

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=538729542925923&l=d6b4fe54fc

    ReplyDelete
  15. jaredmcohen16 December 2014 at 22:05

    Maybe someone smarter than me can give some guidance. No audio from output. Voltages on IC are below. Hooked up the audioprobe and I get audio at pins 1, 2, 3, and 5. Nada on 6 or 7. Audio is fine at the harmonics and gain switches. So I'm thinking there's a short somewhere in the mid/bass stage. I'm going to keep working that spot, and I don't see any bridges, but I'm hoping someone who understands the schematic better than I do can confirm I'm focused on the right area. Thanks.

    1: 3.83
    2: 3.86
    3: 3.7
    4: 0.2 mV
    5: 1.22
    6: 3.58
    7: 1.44
    8: 8.65

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jaredmcohen17 December 2014 at 20:38

      Well I popped in a TL072 because I had one sitting here, and it turns out there isn't "no output" - there's some output, but it's very crackly, and VERY low volume. Not noticeable unless I crank my amp. If I go back to the audioprobe that super low volume still starts at pin 6-7, everything before that in the circuit sounds great.

      Delete
  16. Unknown15 April 2016 at 00:57

    schematic please!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Will Kenworthy28 August 2016 at 11:25

      You can find the schematic on the Barber product web page:

      http://www.barberelectronics.com/compactDD.html

      The schematic link:

      http://www.barberelectronics.com/Compact_Direct_Drive_service_schematic.pdf

      Hope this helps & I'm not breaking the rules.
      Will

      Delete
  17. Unknown31 October 2016 at 02:52

    I have oscillations problems at high gain values, a kind of feedback that is everywhere in the circuit when I audio probe it... Anybody have an idea of what the peoblem might come from

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IvIark31 October 2016 at 22:12

      Have you boxed it yet?

      Delete
    2. oshun3 December 2017 at 18:02

      Hello. I have the same problem. The whistle on the max. Tuning Volume pot down on guitar and on pedal helps with it, but what is the best way to reduse that noise "by default"?

      Delete
    3. mirosol3 December 2017 at 18:41

      Usually having a grounded enclosure around the circuit tames oscillation issues. If this doesn't help, try takin a smallish cap (something like 470p - 4n7) from circuit input to ground. This'll take inaudible highs out before the circuit. For example, Tonebender II has a 10n cap to tame the shrilling treble. Ths may be a better option than upping the feedback loop's 100p. This usually throws a blanket over the tone if one ups it too much. 120-150p shuold be ok though.
      +m

      Delete
    4. oshun4 December 2017 at 11:48

      Thank you! 2.2 nF capacitor (between ground and input) helps. That whistle problem begins when you turn on harmonics and use Mid pot. I think there is no problem for original scheme with 9.1 K resistor.

      Delete
    5. MAO18 December 2017 at 22:01

      FWIW I just finished another and I too had whistling with gain sw on hi,gain and vol past 2 o'clock . I also had a gurgling oscillation just before the whistling with those settings.

      I reflowed all solder joints and moved input wire away from gain switch wires.

      All good now

      Delete
  18. DvDam14 December 2016 at 12:19

    Built this one and it sounds great! (like all Barber's stuff really...) Does anyone know how to make this into the Dual Channel version? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Unknown5 September 2018 at 13:51

    Will this build fit a in a 1590B enclosure?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BlondinLux5 October 2018 at 20:01

      Yes it fits easily in a 1590B
      Even with the fourth mids pot ;)

      Delete
  20. BlondinLux5 October 2018 at 20:00

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  21. DC28 April 2020 at 02:15

    Built last week and boxed into a 125B. This is a great overdrive. So far I have found everything from an almost clean boost for sparkling fingerpicking to roaring plexi (don't need to build a Guv'nor now). In hindsight I think a great mod would be to put the gain switch on a footswitch with a second indicator LED. This would let me go from sweet to nasty in a quick stomp.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Bucksears18 June 2020 at 15:06

    Is this the V2 or V3 Direct Drive?

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    Replies
    1. IvIark18 June 2020 at 23:37

      Not sure, it was based on a schematic by Dave Barber from 2013 here

      Delete
    2. Bucksears20 June 2020 at 13:52

      Thx - I have all ideas that's the V2, which is what I'm looking for.

      Delete
  23. Boukman20 April 2022 at 17:55

    Hi!!Does anyone have a clue how to make V4??Cheers!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bucksears9 November 2023 at 19:18

      Would love to know as well. Some guy over at DIYStompboxes ID'd the caps/resistors to (theoretically) modify a regular Gain Changer to the SR version. Wondering if it's just a matter of changing a few values to make the CDD a V4.

      Delete
  24. j-pee30 May 2022 at 18:10

    David Barber really is an exceptional mind...
    these two interviews are awesome...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVwATOzWvNY

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gbI5vPGlBY

    ReplyDelete