Gabriel, its creator, shared its schematic on FSB for everyone to use.
You can find the original thread here
If you want to have a look to his other projects or buy any of his PCBs, you can check his website: www.zorgeffects.com
30/11/2015 - Layout updated!
Reversed pots orientation.
Original info:
How many times have you plugged your
bass into an overdrive pedal and being deceived by the output sound : no
more bass, too compressed, loss of precision, not violent enough, too
muddy... The glorious basstar can fix all these problems.
The Glorious Basstar is a 3 bands overdrive: it cuts the signal in three frequencies bands : bass/mids/trebles. Each band can then be saturated independently and mixed according to your taste. One can get a very large choices of sounds with a bass guitar. By choosing to saturate one band or another and then mix them with cleans band you can get back your bass, attack, precision and grain. It's the ultimate bass overdrive, but it's all up to you:
By saturating the bass, you'll get acid fuzz distortion.
By saturating the mids, you'll get vintage overdrive tones.
By saturating the trebles, you'll get more modern overdrive.
By adding clean bass, you'll get back subs in your tone.
By adding clean mids, you'll get back bite.
By adding clean trebles, you'll get back attack.
But you can choose to overdrive more or less each band, it's up to you to choose what fits you best...
By saturating the mids, you'll get vintage overdrive tones.
By saturating the trebles, you'll get more modern overdrive.
By adding clean bass, you'll get back subs in your tone.
By adding clean mids, you'll get back bite.
By adding clean trebles, you'll get back attack.
But you can choose to overdrive more or less each band, it's up to you to choose what fits you best...
Lastly, the Glorious Basstar can also be used as a 3 bands equalizer or a booster if you don't overdrive any band.
Here is the original video of his pedals (the Glorious Basstar is at 1:50)
Damn, that demo sounds great. I'll have to source the IC's. i haven't built much recently but my que is getting large enough to start ordering soon. I usually like to wait until I have about 8-10 circuits that sound like must haves. This is certainly on the list now.
ReplyDeleteVol 3 to ground ?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI've changed that.
I've also changed the two SPDT switches for a single DPDT as Gabriel pointed out on FSB.
Hi Alex. Just pointing out the cuts under the top right dip on the cuts/link board could maybe be moved to the same column as the bottom right dip switch to allow a bit more room for placement. And the small link to the right of that doesn't match the component board on the right.
DeleteThanks Ciaran.
DeleteI've fixed it.
Also moved the 100R resistor going to Master Treble 3 away from the left DIP just to give more room.
Nice, 3band drive!
ReplyDeleteMaybe next you should do the Rainbows Unicorns Puppies
No schematic for the RUP.
Delete10 ICs and 18 pots?
That would be HUGE!
If I post a layout for that one I'll get banned from the blog! :)
And after you were banned, Javi would post that he'd made the damn thing an fit it in a matchbox cut in half. ;)
DeleteNice work Alex, will be updating my shopping list according to this so I can get back to pedal building at last. :)
Damnit! I thought I had all my dirt options sorted - then you post this beauty and I start to feel the 'itch' again!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, good work guys.
You are not the only one(feeling the itch)!
DeleteOh damn, this looks great. One more for the never-ending queue...
ReplyDeleteJust finished building this and have it on my test board. Unfortunately getting nothing but a high pitch tone when the effect is switched on. Just removed it to double check all components, location and possible bridges and all looks good. Only subs made were I used TL074's and I didn't have 78k resistors so I used 82k's that measured a little lower. Definitely an issue with voltages. Here is what I am seeing.
ReplyDeleteIC1
1) -0.03
2) -0.03
3) 0
4) 9.38
5) -0.36
6) 2.24
7) -0.66
8) -1.26
9) 7.44
10) 0.08
11) -2.73
12) 0.06
13) 7.36
14) -0.81
IC2
1) 9.39
2) 8.67
3) 0
4) 9.38
5) 0.08
6) 1.84
7) -1.42
8) 1.12
9) 1.83
10) -1.26
11) -2.85
12) -0.83
13) 0.04
14) -0.08
IC3
1) 9.43
2) 5.4
3) 0.1
4) -1.42
5) -2.78
6) 5.96
7) 5.67
8) 9.41
Going to take it off the test board and give it a third inspection.
You should have between -8 and -9v on pins 11 of both your TL074. Be sure to use a ICL7660SCPAZ, as others devices use frequencies lower than 20KHz and will result in a high pitch tone.
DeleteThe IC I am using is labeled 7660S CPAZ, here is a pic
Deletehttps://app.box.com/s/kdb42tc60wn0q2kia65dpv06vc8t197p
I only have 2, I can try the other one to see if it makes a difference.
Looking at the schematic, http://www.zorgeffects.com/images/Manuels/Schematic_Glorious_Basstar.pdf
DeleteIt looks like the 10uF cap connecting pins 2 and 4 of IC3 is reversed. Looks like the positive side should be going to pin 4. Going to reverse it on my board now.
i don't think so.
Deleteit looks ok to me
Interesting, I wasn't familiar with that capacitor symbol used on the schematic so I found this site that says solid rectangle part is the positive side.
Deletehttp://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/reference/chpt-9/capacitor-types/
The 10uF cap is correct on the layout.
ReplyDeleteThe problem must be laying somewhere else.
Your voltages look dodgy.
IC3 pin 5 should be -9V (same as IC1 pin 11 and IC2 pin 11)
You don't seem to have absolute 0 on grounded points.
Also IC1 pin 7 and IC2 pin 3 should be exactly the same the two being connected.
Hi,
ReplyDeletehow do you look the pots when you count the legs here?
Like this one:
Deletehttp://sound.westhost.com/pots-f5.jpg
Then something is wrong.By looking the original schematic i think you should look at the pots lie this: http://lizarum.com/assignments/physical_computing/images/summer/2011/cigar_box/lugs.png
DeleteAnd then the volume pot should be indeed 3->to ground, not 1.
Pls check and tell me if i'm right...
I've updated the layout.
DeleteI've used the usual pinout and swapped pins 1 & 3.
Thanks for pointing that out!
This is tagged "verifed" so the layout is working now?
DeleteMy mistake. Not verified yet.
DeleteHi, thanks for this, Alex!
ReplyDeleteThe 78k's in the filter are hard to find; any thoughts on using 82k here?
Try 75k + 3k in series
DeleteBingo. Thanks.
Delete82k works well though! It just mooves the filters a few Hz upper which is not dramatical.
DeleteOi! The creator himself! Wicked. I'll boast your stuff in Oslo. Hope to please my bassplayer with this..
Delete68k plus 10k inseries as well
DeleteThis circuit has beat me, I am conceding defeat. I spent more time with it tonight, quadruple checked the component layout, track cuts, links, re-flowed all solder, ran a file between all rows and checked every row, cut and link with my dmm for bridges and although there was some improvement, I am still getting a high pitched tone when engaged. I do get a faint distorted signal behind the high pitched tone and the volume control does make the tone louder or softer. When I touch pin 7 of IC3 with my dmm probe, the high pitch tone goes away, don't know if that means anything.
ReplyDeletecould you post your voltages?
Deletethat could show what's going on and where a problem might be.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteone more thing i've found - the input 1M resistor to ground should be after the 10n capacitor, not before it.
Damn! Fixed! :)
ReplyDeleteI Know with IC 7660 if it doesn't have the "S" at the end, for example 7660SCPA it will whine in some circuits. I had this problem with a Klon and nothing would fix it till I installed the SCPA IC.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for posting.
Maybe a newbe question: what are "green diff. led" compare to regular green led... and why led and not diodes ?
thanks
'Diff" means "diffused", which means that the lens of the LED is kind of frosty-looking and the same color as the color of the emitted light; this is in contrast with the "water-clear" LEDs which are just transparent when not energized and then emit some color of light. LED's are in fact diodes (LED = Light Emitting Diode) and thus just work like any other diode when you don't consider the emission of light. The reason LEDs are used is because they have a much higher forward voltage than any small signal or rectifier diode (typical values are about 0.7 for the standard 1N4148, 0.2-0.4 for germanium diodes, 0.2-0.6 for Schottkies, and 1.0-3.7 for LEDs depending on the type of LED and the color). The higher forward voltage gives a different clipping characteristic (less compression and tighter drive because the input signal is clipped at a higher threshold).
DeleteWhat are the DIP switches for?
ReplyDeleteSwap led clipping to 1n diode clipping for each "channel"
DeleteYou can now tag this as vero! :)
ReplyDeleteVerified?
ReplyDeleteThanks Stani! :)
After brief test i say - my new main pedal!I used to split my signal trough the tuner, then preamp and overdrive on the other channel, then mix it again, then to the DI.Cant wait to test this baby live in sunday...many thanks to Zorg for sharing it and Alex for the layout!
ReplyDeleteBy the way you can usr less than 1MOhm pot for gain, plenty of it already on 200K, i used A500K.And the freq switch is a bliss, it makes 3 different pedals in one wow...
DeleteHa!!! You're welcome Stani! I hope you'll blow the audience ears sunday!
DeleteAs for the 1M Pots, this was because the pedal was meant to seduce hardcore bass players from my area... If you see what I mean...
Just a thought,is there any reason why the dip switches cant be replaced with dpdt on/off/on wired like I once saw on a variant of the Timmy overdrive?
ReplyDeletethe problem is you would only have three combinations and not four someone correct me if i am wrong thanks
DeleteThe dip switches confuse me. They were hard to find so im using dpdt so I can choose the diodes from the outside of the enclosure. To me it looks as if the dip switches let you choose between using 1n diodes and using 1n diodes AND leds. It dosnt look exclusive to me by looking at the circuit. Could anyone clarify this? Thanks
ReplyDeleteYep, the dip switch adds and removes the 1n4148.
DeleteAs the green led have a 1.6v threshold (forward voltage), and the 1n4148 a threshold of 1v, the 1n threshold is reach first at clipping, making the green led useless: the signal will always clip at 1v, making the 1.6v threshold unreachable.
If you were to replace the 1n by a blue ultrabright led with threshold at 3.2v, that led would be useless because the green led would clip first at 1.6v...
The Dip Switches add and remove diodes.
ReplyDeleteIt's all explained on Gabriel's website:
http://www.zorgeffects.com/images/Manuels/Glorious_Basstar_Technical_Data_Eng.pdf
With 8 pots and a DPDT switch he used Dips to avoid having another 6 SPST external switches.
But you could use those if you prefer.
Can I use these: http://uk-electronic.de/onlineshop/product_info.php?cPath=39_327&products_id=2645&osCsid=a5a5ff7272bd1f99c716950d44e35b78
ReplyDeleteor these: http://uk-electronic.de/onlineshop/product_info.php?cPath=39_327&products_id=2647&osCsid=a5a5ff7272bd1f99c716950d44e35b78
I'm "little" confused about those poles...
Both pictures shows 4 poles dip switches. But the right one is the first one in your list.
DeleteThanks!
Deletethis may be a stupid question.. where do lugs 3 of the gain pots go?
ReplyDeletenowhere.you just leave them empty.
DeleteI built this and it works well. My only concern is that on minimum gain settings the opamp is still distorting. It's not that bad but anybody know how to maybe clean it up a bit when the gain is all the way off?
ReplyDeleteThis is strange... Does it still distorts with the led clipping? Are you using an active bass guitar? Would you know which opamp is distorting (Bass/mid/treble/Output stage)?
DeleteI get quite a bit of distortion when all the knobs are at 0. The volume isnt completely gone one 0 volume either. everything else works. Any idea where the problem is?
ReplyDeleteHard to say... You might actually be saturating the output stage. But setting the bands volumes at 12o'clock and putting more output volume would have solved the problem...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteEverything is fine. I made this for a bass player friend of mine. I was testing it through the clean on my 1977 jmp marshall and I thought it had some issues. When I decided to go ahead and take it to my friend and test it through a killer ampeg bass amp it was more than fine. My bass player friend has about 20 bass pedals including some fuzz and eq pedals. He said this is the best pedal for bass he has ever seen heard or tried. He said its "supremely extremely bad ass". I like it with the dip switches on. I plan on making a couple more one for me and one for another bass player friend. I will post a couple videos next week for demoing this pedal. It really should have a 5 minute video on you tube showing the versatility of this pedal .Thanks once again Alex great call on doing this layout and of course great design Mr Zorg effects . Ill try to get me friend to help with the video and show off what this fantastic effect can do!!!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS!!!
DeleteI'd pretty much like to see that video! (I actually have to do one myself, but... so much to do, so little time!)
Right, so I finally got around finishing this up. I've been working on this pedal on and off for too long and finally it's been boxed today. Now, I have a few issues with it but besides them, holy cow what a versatile pedal! I just spent a whole hour just messing with it and you can really get some interesting sounds.
ReplyDeleteNow, the problems I have... The master tone control seems to act very weird. I think I might have wired something wrong but having it fully CCW, gives me some sort of a weird feedback. Kind of like Stability knob in Fuzz Factory. It only oscillates with the Treble band. And it's kind of very trebly too. Both ends of the pot seem identical except one of them makes the pedal roaring. Bizzare but I love it!
Second, from what I can see, the DIP switches 'off' position go into the cuts underneath them. Unfortunately, I bought slightly longer DIP switches so I simply cut off the lugs on the OFF position and only wired the 'ON' lugs into the board. Now, I might be crazy, but they seem to do absolutely nothing in my board. I can't even tell if it's the diodes clipping or the LED's (even though they light up).
There are some weird oscillations going on with some particular settings of the pedal, but I love the gating in this pedal so it's not a biggie.
Definitely worth building even if it is a huge PITA wiring up 8 pots... Probably gonna make another one of them then hehehe
For that high freq: The ICL7660SCPAZ must be fully SCPAZ otherwise it'll create a high frequency in the audible range. But I just witness this afternoon that it happens that some labelled CPAZ are still creating the high frequency. I just swapped it for another one: gone.
DeleteBut still there's something wrong with your treble knob, it should remove the treble normally...
Dip switch on OFF position => with gains at 100% you may see the led flashing.
Dip switch on ON position => with gains at 100% you may see the led flashing. Leds stop flashing, less volume, diodes should be working.
And, sorry for the bad advertisement, but for lazy people who don't like wiring knobs, I do sell board you know... :D
Next time I'm definitely buying a board from you instead of making spaghetti of wires again! I just wanted to see how it sounds first and I must say it sounds absolutely rad! I gave the pedal away already to one band for some feedback even though my build was a little problematic. But I just felt the need to show it to my local bassists and see if they like it at all. I'll try swapping the IC once I receive the pedal and hopefully it should fix the oscillation issue :)
DeleteBTW, I just changed my name from KOLIZIJA.
ha ha dead eye. Ya this is an offboard wiring challenge. I did use shielded cable for the ins and it did help a tad.For future builders testing through a regular guitar and guitar amp may cause some oscillation and a few strange things . This is a solid build and incredible bass effect!!. This would be a good candidate for a pcb
DeleteInstead of doing this offboard challenge I used the board Gabriel sells on www.zorgeffects.com. First I had the high frequency squealing, then swapped the ICL7660SCPAZ for another one and: Wow! This thing is absolute amazing! Never played anything like this before. Great Work! Thanks.
DeleteThanks Veit!
DeleteI took the time to make a little demo, with some of my favorite presets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovy-p5kO5r8