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
I think thats treble range. But in the pedalpcb schematic which i think this is derived from its 6k8. But again ears. The pedalpcb sounded great with that but i may experiment with this one.
Yes, your ears must decide. The schematic from pedalpcb however has a small mistake. If you take the time to look at the gutshot on FSB from which pedalpcb made the schematic, you will see it is 10k not 6k8. Again, the difference is very small in the operation of the treble knob.
Would it have been easier to use a single channel opamp at the end of this circuit for the EQ section? Does useing a 2 channel opamp make it sound different somehow even though it only uses one channel of the opamp? Sorry if this is a stupid question but i want to try and understand what or if there is a difference in the sound? I'm thinking maybe the empty channel used for Vref does something to power consumption there for causing the audio channel to fluctuate or SAG like a tube amp being pushed as hard as it will go.that is just a guess though.Is there a name for this type of use of the last opamp?sorry so long of questions
Very good question! It is also a matter of taste. It is used to stabalize the voltage output. Here is some reading: http://www.learningaboutelectronics.com/Articles/Buffer-voltage-stabilizer-circuit.php You can argue if it is necessary. Most effectpedals do not use it so it is safe to leave it out and just use a 47u or 100u eleco instead. However, if stability is a must have then please do use it.
...finished this one. works with oscillation problems in some settings even I changed to 5532’s ... and that I wouldn’t use btw. So it’s ok for me. Though ... great sound and feel. I like it very much so far.
... i do not really know if a buffer does prevent it from oscillation for sure .... I reopened it to put the internal wires more clean ... and the oscillation is gone ... probably my mistake while building it ... maybe IN and OUT wires where too close ... ? So now it is perfekt for me. Still a bit noisy to me. Probably because it’s my first Higain Pedal ;-) anyway - I love it very much. Thank you Alex for making this layout. This is already one of my favorites !
It's quite easy to get oscillations in high gain effects. I've been making pcbs for quite a while and I made 3 versions of the triple wreck till I created a nice oscillation free layout. All I can say is, never give up, try new things, keep input as far away from output as possible, and always thank Alex for building this monstrous blog full of inspiration :) hey alex, are you from the UK?
Can someone define oscillation in this context? I understand the fact that on max gain the effect will squeal like a pig even without a signal, but I never heard a rotating/thumping/oscillating sound.
i hope that maybe this info can be helpful for anyone building it ! The first time I started the pedal there was a beeping tone ONLY when I set gain to max and maxed the mids too. the treble control did change the pitch a little bit. After reopening and putting the wires on different locations _ the problem was gone An experienced pedal builder told me that on highgain pedals input and output cables, that are too close can cause that problem ... maybe that was the reason. I am quite sure, that the problem was because I did that mistake not because of the layout. That is great and seems to be fine !
Exactly :) and not just keep the input and output far away, but also if possible, on the board the various stages should not interfere with each other :) after making pcbs for triple wreck, rat, vh4, I had to learn it the hard way :D also trying to pack things into tiny boxes is a huge problem! Alex designs veroboaeds that have the advantage of space, all resistors laying flat. Standing resistors squeeze the size but bring back oscillations and noise :) so a big thanks to Alex once again!
I just finished the PedalPCB fabricated board. I used the 10k resistor as Arnold Dikstaal pointed out above. I have no squeal, no problems. One cool thing about the PCB layout is the separation of input to output. Even the input to output wires from board to stomp are very minimal, and they have the ground wire between them, acting as a little shielding, if you use the daughterboard that he sells there. I know this isn't the place for plugging a PCB manufacturer, but the build was just really easy to box up. I'll post a pic soon.
So, here's the pics of my pedalPCB.com build. I went to the dark side - LOL! But have no fear, I have three veroboard pedals on the bench right now. https://ibb.co/buYtkq https://ibb.co/egDtkq
Hello guys, sorry for asking this in the totally wrong place but Google didn't help much so... I happen to be in London for a couple of days, does anyone know of any good electronics hardware shop around? Thanks!
Hey, you could try RS Components in Southall, Watford or (most centrally) Bermondsey. I've not been to their outlets but their website is great for mail order.
Hey guys, new here...I got a guy to make one of these for me, but it doesn't have enough treble for my liking. Could someone be kind enough to tell me, how would I increase the range of the treble knob by say, around 20-25%? A resistor or cap change?
Ok, i got it. I had that issue, when you turn controls too high or too low, some instability occurs. Specially when i set Gain, Bass and Treble to maximum, and Middle to minimum. I observed that the 4.5V Vref won't work well in this circuit with a TL072, but i achieved the maximum control range (without losing volume or sound starting to sound like white noise) making VRef 2.85v. To do this, simply change the 22K resistor that goes from Ground to TL072 Pin 3 for a 11k resistor (actually i added a 22k in parallel with the existing one, gave me a more precise Vref that i wanted to achiev). You can probably change it for a 10k resistor too, and it will work fine (Vref will be around 2.8V). After that, the problem is gone! I hope this help other people who had this kind of issue!
Hey! I've made some changes to the layout so the Vref can be adjusted by a trimpot. Alex, if you want to add this image to the post, fell free for that! Here it is: https://i.imgur.com/J4ugBgN.png
Nothing under 1k. It will fizzle out. Try 4k7 for a coloured led. I use 10k on white one so the don't burn my eyeballs out. To bright, higher value resistor.
Can I ask?On other layout versions of the pedal I see a diode just right after the CLR that is connected to the LED.I cant seem to see it in this version.Can you help me out?Is the diode necessary?
When using a 3PDT and a mono True Bypass wiring, nothing is needed between the resistor and the led. So, you don't need this diode. By the way, a LED is a diode. Could this be the reason of the misunderstood? Maybe the diode you are talking about is the LED itself.
http://effectslayouts.blogspot.com/2018/08/jhs-angry-charlie-v3.html?m=1 On this layout I see a diode (5817)connected right after the 4.7k resistor(CLR).It is then connected to one of the pins of the TL072.I’m guessing this is not necessary?What is this 5817 diode doing?Thanks for the reply Leonardo Halfeld!
Hi again, Blues! Please, take a better look at the layout. You'll see that the +9v is connected directly to the 4k7 resistor, nothing between them. The 5817 in this layout is a circuit protection. By the way, if you add a low resistance resistor (like 33 ~ 100 Ohms) in series with this diode, and add a second diode with it's anode connected to the ground, and it's cathode connected to the +V , the protection will be even better, and protected against plugging in reverse polarity power supply.
Ok I think a sorta get it.So you’re saying that I dont really need this diode for the circuit to work.I will finish up the wiring and see how it works.Thanks for your help Leonardo!
By the way, if you have oscillation or instability on this circuit, try this modification wich allows you to set the Vref using a trimpot: https://i.imgur.com/J4ugBgN.png
O já circuito está abrigado numa caixa metálica? caso, sim, reveja como a fiação (offboard wiring) está feita, pode ser problema com o aterramento.
I'm working on this pedal and I don't know what's wrong. I've resoldering everything, tinkering it for 2 days with no result. The only thing I changed is the red led 3mm with green one, cause I don't have any red led. The problem is the sound kinda unstable. It does distort, no squeal, no white noise etc. Its sound perfect, but unstable like no sustain at all. At some point when I strum it hard, its just sound a while and gone. But I can still see my guitar string moving. Does anybody has the same problem?
I build the pedal and it sounds amazing, but I would like to change the bass control, I only can see the difference when the control is next to maximum, in this case, Is there some mod to it?
Awesome,Thank you Alex
ReplyDeleteGreat work Alex! Looks like it should read 20 x 18 though.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gavin. Changed the 6K8 resistor to 10K
Deletethe 6k8 at the bottom right (to 2n2 to treble 2) should be a 10k btw if you look at the original pictures.
ReplyDeleteI would socket that resistor and then let your EARS decide what sounds best for that one :-p
DeleteWhat does that control?
DeleteI think thats treble range. But in the pedalpcb schematic which i think this is derived from its 6k8. But again ears. The pedalpcb sounded great with that but i may experiment with this one.
DeleteYes, your ears must decide. The schematic from pedalpcb however has a small mistake. If you take the time to look at the gutshot on FSB from which pedalpcb made the schematic, you will see it is 10k not 6k8. Again, the difference is very small in the operation of the treble knob.
DeleteWould it have been easier to use a single channel opamp at the end of this circuit for the EQ section? Does useing a 2 channel opamp make it sound different somehow even though it only uses one channel of the opamp? Sorry if this is a stupid question but i want to try and understand what or if there is a difference in the sound? I'm thinking maybe the empty channel used for Vref does something to power consumption there for causing the audio channel to fluctuate or SAG like a tube amp being pushed as hard as it will go.that is just a guess though.Is there a name for this type of use of the last opamp?sorry so long of questions
ReplyDeleteVery good question! It is also a matter of taste. It is used to stabalize the voltage output. Here is some reading:
Deletehttp://www.learningaboutelectronics.com/Articles/Buffer-voltage-stabilizer-circuit.php
You can argue if it is necessary. Most effectpedals do not use it so it is safe to leave it out and just use a 47u or 100u eleco instead. However, if stability is a must have then please do use it.
PS Sound wise: no difference
Deleteand also here some more info on the voltage follower:
Deletehttp://www.learningaboutelectronics.com/Articles/Voltage-follower
On the pedal pcb edition, i had much better results with 2 5532’s or a 5532 and a 2604 for the lm833. Incase anyone gets oscollation at cranked gains.
ReplyDeleteThank you Arnold for the info I book marked both for future reference.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete...finished this one. works with oscillation problems in some settings even I changed to 5532’s ... and that I wouldn’t use btw. So it’s ok for me.
ReplyDeleteThough ... great sound and feel. I like it very much so far.
... i meant that oscillating problem is with mid maxed ... never use that ;-)
DeleteDoes putting a buffer in front of this one stop the oscillation issue?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete... i do not really know if a buffer does prevent it from oscillation for sure .... I reopened it to put the internal wires more clean ... and the oscillation is gone ... probably my mistake while building it ... maybe IN and OUT wires where too close ... ? So now it is perfekt for me. Still a bit noisy to me. Probably because it’s my first Higain Pedal ;-)
Deleteanyway - I love it very much. Thank you Alex for making this layout. This is already one of my favorites !
Thanks Frank!
ReplyDeletethank you Alex for this layout ... and al the other ones you made before !!!
DeleteIt's quite easy to get oscillations in high gain effects. I've been making pcbs for quite a while and I made 3 versions of the triple wreck till I created a nice oscillation free layout. All I can say is, never give up, try new things, keep input as far away from output as possible, and always thank Alex for building this monstrous blog full of inspiration :) hey alex, are you from the UK?
ReplyDeleteCan someone define oscillation in this context? I understand the fact that on max gain the effect will squeal like a pig even without a signal, but I never heard a rotating/thumping/oscillating sound.
ReplyDeletei hope that maybe this info can be helpful for anyone building it !
ReplyDeleteThe first time I started the pedal there was a beeping tone ONLY when I set gain to max and maxed the mids too. the treble control did change the pitch a little bit.
After reopening and putting the wires on different locations _ the problem was gone
An experienced pedal builder told me that on highgain pedals input and output cables, that are too close can cause that problem ... maybe that was the reason.
I am quite sure, that the problem was because I did that mistake not because of the layout. That is great and seems to be fine !
yes. The pedal did „squeal like a pig“ :-D
DeleteExactly :) and not just keep the input and output far away, but also if possible, on the board the various stages should not interfere with each other :) after making pcbs for triple wreck, rat, vh4, I had to learn it the hard way :D also trying to pack things into tiny boxes is a huge problem! Alex designs veroboaeds that have the advantage of space, all resistors laying flat. Standing resistors squeeze the size but bring back oscillations and noise :) so a big thanks to Alex once again!
DeleteYes. Big Thank You ! Alex.
DeleteI just finished the PedalPCB fabricated board. I used the 10k resistor as Arnold Dikstaal pointed out above. I have no squeal, no problems. One cool thing about the PCB layout is the separation of input to output. Even the input to output wires from board to stomp are very minimal, and they have the ground wire between them, acting as a little shielding, if you use the daughterboard that he sells there. I know this isn't the place for plugging a PCB manufacturer, but the build was just really easy to box up. I'll post a pic soon.
ReplyDeleteSo, here's the pics of my pedalPCB.com build. I went to the dark side - LOL! But have no fear, I have three veroboard pedals on the bench right now.
ReplyDeletehttps://ibb.co/buYtkq
https://ibb.co/egDtkq
Hello guys, sorry for asking this in the totally wrong place but Google didn't help much so... I happen to be in London for a couple of days, does anyone know of any good electronics hardware shop around? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHey, you could try RS Components in Southall, Watford or (most centrally) Bermondsey. I've not been to their outlets but their website is great for mail order.
DeleteHey guys, new here...I got a guy to make one of these for me, but it doesn't have enough treble for my liking. Could someone be kind enough to tell me, how would I increase the range of the treble knob by say, around 20-25%? A resistor or cap change?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Phil
Quickest I think would be trying a 250K potentiometer for the treble.
DeleteOk, i got it. I had that issue, when you turn controls too high or too low, some instability occurs. Specially when i set Gain, Bass and Treble to maximum, and Middle to minimum. I observed that the 4.5V Vref won't work well in this circuit with a TL072, but i achieved the maximum control range (without losing volume or sound starting to sound like white noise) making VRef 2.85v. To do this, simply change the 22K resistor that goes from Ground to TL072 Pin 3 for a 11k resistor (actually i added a 22k in parallel with the existing one, gave me a more precise Vref that i wanted to achiev). You can probably change it for a 10k resistor too, and it will work fine (Vref will be around 2.8V). After that, the problem is gone! I hope this help other people who had this kind of issue!
ReplyDeleteThis was very helpful mate, thanks a lot!
DeleteYou had that problem too? The Vref calibration worked for you? If yes, i am very happy It helped you! (:
DeleteOr maybe the tl072 is fake?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey! I've made some changes to the layout so the Vref can be adjusted by a trimpot. Alex, if you want to add this image to the post, fell free for that!
ReplyDeleteHere it is:
https://i.imgur.com/J4ugBgN.png
Can anybody tell me what the CLR resistor value is? Is it to limit the led current?
ReplyDeleteyes its a led limiting resistor.
DeleteNothing under 1k. It will fizzle out. Try 4k7 for a coloured led. I use 10k on white one so the don't burn my eyeballs out.
ReplyDeleteTo bright, higher value resistor.
Can I ask?On other layout versions of the pedal I see a diode just right after the CLR that is connected to the LED.I cant seem to see it in this version.Can you help me out?Is the diode necessary?
ReplyDeleteWhen using a 3PDT and a mono True Bypass wiring, nothing is needed between the resistor and the led. So, you don't need this diode.
DeleteBy the way, a LED is a diode. Could this be the reason of the misunderstood? Maybe the diode you are talking about is the LED itself.
http://effectslayouts.blogspot.com/2018/08/jhs-angry-charlie-v3.html?m=1 On this layout I see a diode (5817)connected right after the 4.7k resistor(CLR).It is then connected to one of the pins of the TL072.I’m guessing this is not necessary?What is this 5817 diode doing?Thanks for the reply Leonardo Halfeld!
ReplyDeleteHi again, Blues! Please, take a better look at the layout. You'll see that the +9v is connected directly to the 4k7 resistor, nothing between them. The 5817 in this layout is a circuit protection. By the way, if you add a low resistance resistor (like 33 ~ 100 Ohms) in series with this diode, and add a second diode with it's anode connected to the ground, and it's cathode connected to the +V , the protection will be even better, and protected against plugging in reverse polarity power supply.
DeleteBoth 1N5817 and 4k7 are connected directly to the +9v, nothing between them.
DeleteOk I think a sorta get it.So you’re saying that I dont really need this diode for the circuit to work.I will finish up the wiring and see how it works.Thanks for your help Leonardo!
ReplyDeleteYep, it's not mandatory for the circuit to work, it's just a protection!
DeleteBy the way, if you have oscillation or instability on this circuit, try this modification wich allows you to set the Vref using a trimpot:
Deletehttps://i.imgur.com/J4ugBgN.png
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBom dia. Funcionou, mas ta com um ruÃdo alto.
ReplyDeleteO já circuito está abrigado numa caixa metálica? caso, sim, reveja como a fiação (offboard wiring) está feita, pode ser problema com o aterramento.
DeleteBoa tarde. Tudo normal. Quando os controles estão no máximo aparece um apito.
DeleteI'm working on this pedal and I don't know what's wrong. I've resoldering everything, tinkering it for 2 days with no result. The only thing I changed is the red led 3mm with green one, cause I don't have any red led. The problem is the sound kinda unstable. It does distort, no squeal, no white noise etc. Its sound perfect, but unstable like no sustain at all. At some point when I strum it hard, its just sound a while and gone. But I can still see my guitar string moving. Does anybody has the same problem?
ReplyDeleteUpdate, always double check veroboard especially bought from chine. Check continuity between strip, I've mine connected between them
DeleteI build the pedal and it sounds amazing, but I would like to change the bass control, I only can see the difference when the control is next to maximum, in this case, Is there some mod to it?
ReplyDelete