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
Original Info: The Warden is an optical compressor with a feature set usually
reserved for studio grade units. Built with high grade components and
internally powered by 18v, The Warden has loads of gain and sustain on
tap. With complete control over attack, release, sustain and ratio, The
Warden will allow everything from a heavy squash with fast attack and
release to “barely there” subtle compression. Optical compression has a
reputation for having more character than a VCA or FET based compression
and The Warden is no exception.
There was already an old post for this pedal that had been put on hold. It was easier to start a new one to avoid confusion I've used the schematic from pedalpcb for this layout.
A vintage pedal from the 80s.
I've removed the flip flop switching system and buffers (thanks Zach for the help).
Hopefully it will fit in a 125B box.
You can find original thread and schematic here.
Updated schematic is available in our Forum section.
Thanks Dino for his explanatory video.
12/11 Layout Updated! Readded the input buffer as Aion's suggested.
A modified Ross Compressor. Two simple controls sustain and level. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a video for the MKI, but as we all know if it's been modified by Mr. Huge it's going to sound great.
Note: There's a cut under D3 to the left of the 1nF cap that's hard to see.
Not much info on this one, but basically it was a compressor made by Univox in the 70's as part of their "foot" series. Seems to be loved by many and was recently requested. In addition to the schematic posted in the request section I found another schematic posted over at FSB, so I made 2 different layouts.
One thing to note is that the original didn't use an LED & LDR, but used a Vactrol labeled MCD527. I'm not quite sure what color LED and LDR range you should use. I would start with try a red LED and socket the LDR and try different ones to get a good range. If you were to try a vactrol maybe a NSL32 or VTL5C3 which have bee used on many different optical compressors.
Don't forget if you're using an LED & LDR to cover them in shrink wrap to block out any light and increase their efficiency and effect.
Layout 1: Based on the Schematic in the Request Section
Layout 2: Based on the Trace ad FSB of a Uni-Comp Model CO-105
Here is a layout for the older version of EH Black Finger.
You can find the original FSB thread here.
I've used Pedalgrinder slightly modified schematic on page 3.
Some suggested high gain, some low gain transistors.
Should test them both.
I seem to have gotten a bad CA3080 and noticed another poster did as well, so I decided to modify Mark's Janglebox layout to accommodate the cheaper and easier to find LM13700. I have built this and it works, but I moved a few things around. So I'll call this unverified for now but it should be good to go.
Here is a DIY project similar to the Carl Martin Compressor Limiter.
There are 2 layouts: a large one that works at 9V and a smaller one where you need to decide a way to feed +/- 12V to the circuit (just a charge pump with regulators wouldn't work with this circuit).
You should read the original threads from FSB here and here before building this effect.
Good luck!
Drew this one up some time ago and thought i'd post it up. It's basically Mark's layout for Keeley 4-knob style compressor with slight tweaks and more notably, an addition of mix/blend/ratio knob. As some of you already know, the basic CA3080 compressors like Ross, MXR and derivatives reverse the signal polarity and thus, the simple blend circuit additions won't work with it. So here's the Ross compressor with tons of usable mods on it. I've built a number of these already, so consider it verified.
2017/05/08 - One cap was reversed on the layout. Now fixed, but i had to redraw this completely due to lost source files. Anyway. Here's the "V2".
I'll add a Diamond Compressor layout at some point, but this one was a must for me and I'm surprised it's taken me this long to do the layout. This is Fred Brigg's stripped down version of the Diamond, which is essentially the same but without the Tilt EQ section of the circuit or the (admittedly funky) colour changing LED depth indication part. As someone who tends to leave EQ around the middle default setting anyway this made perfect sense for me, and as the omitted sections added a lot to the circuit size, and now with only two pots, it means it will be an easy one for a 1590B. My rack tray thanks you Fred :o)
The other thing Fred changed was the input buffer which is now opamp instead of BJT, but the main compression part and envelope detector is as per the original and so should be comparable.
The circuit uses a VTL5C3 Vactrol which is 10M off resistance. I'm not sure whether you will get a low enough on resistance with a 10M LDR and LED combo, but by all means give it a shot and let us know how you get on. If you do want to try an LED/LDR instead, just use the points shown where the Vactrol is connecting. Right hand side is LED with cathode at the lower connection, left side LDR.
Read more about it on Fred's page here. I can't find a video of the Diamante, so here's the Diamond to give you an idea what to expect
[15th July 2014 addition]
And this is a modified version to include the tilt eq. I have kept it true to Fred's Diamante philosophy and swapped the BJT buffer used in the original for an opamp buffer, using the second channel of the opamp added for the eq. Because the tilt eq is inverting I made the buffer inverting too so that the output will be back in phase. This won't matter to most people but thought that if maybe a bass player wanted to use this with a blend circuit, then having the output out of phase could cause cancellation issues. I noticed before that the original tilt scheme from the 70s preamp also has an inverting buffer, so this is also in keeping with that.
So this one is basically an all opamp Diamond Compressor, just omitting the funky LED
A few people have asked for this. It's pretty obvious what it's based on but I definitely think it's worth a build even if you already have a Dyna Comp or Keeley (etc) type compressor. The tone switch does give you a lot of variation and I must say I was impressed by the demo vid.
Info about the original:
The original JangleBox compressor/sustainer is the pedal
that captured the clean, bright ringing chime popularized by the
Beatles, enhanced by the Byrds, and integrated into the sonic palettes
of so many contemporary groups.
Ten years and thousands of satisfied customers
later, there was no reason to reinvent the wheel, but we did add some
subtle tweaks that make this unique pedal even better: a more stable IC
chip, a more standardized power polarity and an enclosure that sits a
bit closer to your pedal board.
Best of all, we brought the JangleBox home.
Handmade in the USA once again, this simple plug-in/play compression
pedal creates a bold sustain that will give your Ric, Tele, Gretsch,
Strat — whatever the guitar — remarkable presence. Unlike pedals that
clip or distort the original signal, the JangleBox expands the
compression “sweet spot” to maintain a clean, even tone, with true
bypass.
Compact and powerful, the JangleBox is ruggedly
constructed for demanding pros and aspiring artists alike. Whether
you’re looking to get that Beatles/Byrds chime and jangle, never-ending
slide sustain, Nashville “squish,” or just a big, clean boost, the
JangleBox delivers the distinctive compression edge.
I'm slowly recovering from some sort of an drawer's block. Simply couldn't get any layout to look decent enough to publish. Our friend Myrkky Nuoli requested this after i wrote a piece about the original unit. So i drew it and it turned out nice. It could probably be a lot more compact, but with 21x21 it's still fairly easy fit for 1590B. Built one myself and it sounds very good. It may not offer a lot of boost, but you'll notice if it's not on. For some reason this was the only youtube demo i could find:
This compressor captures the natural feel of your amp and speakers compressing as they are pushed.The PGC really shines in a live situation with a band where the heavier handed compressors, that sound good at home in a room, often sound thick and lifeless against other real instruments… … The PGC is already famous for its nearly transparent compression and dead quiet operation. You will also wonder if its on at all ~ until you turn it off to make sure and then turn it back on as quickly as possible.
Jon Patton's Bearhug FET Compressor (Yeah! That's the same cool dude who demoed Valvewizard's Engineer's Thumb a while back!) As requested.
From Jon: The Bearhug is a (fairly) low-parts-count, quiet, tonally transparent compressor using only transistors. It can do subtle peak limiting or squishy sustaining, with a decent amount of boost (probably ~6-12db). Notes & mods: - The hold cap is the reversed 4.7uF. This sets the overall compression and decay. The 10K + 47K in parallel with the hold cap set the decay. Larger values may be used, but these were the most natural sounding overall. - The High/Low switch is there for "more." A 100K instead of the 47K would provide a much more dramatic change. - You can use substitute Schotkey, germanium, or other diode with forward voltage under ~.35v for the 1N60Ps. - The best tone control for this circuit, if you want to add one, is Jack Orman's version 2 of Mark Hammer's SWTC. - The 100pF cap is primarily to eliminate noise and can be adjusted to change the overall brightness.
Turned out pretty compact. I've been through it a few times, but you should still grab the schematic for reference from DIYSB...
Here we go with another classic optical compressor. Original unit uses VTL5C2, so could get away with using any LDR with 1M dark resistance. So the LDR resistor would be resistor leads of VTL5C2 and that green LED acts as LED leads of the vactrol. Positive/anode to strip four and negative/cathode to strip one. Haven't built it myself yet..
Request, with CA3080 instead of LM13700 (but you can use the conversion daughterboard to allow you to use the LM13700 if you prefer).
Designed my Merlin Blencowe and posted on the various DIY sites, this is how he described it:
For a long time I've felt guilty that my pedal board didn't include a compressor. Finally, after about a year of breadboarding, I have produced a circuit that can take on a Dynacomp and win, boasting:
Up to five times more headroom than a Dynacomp Less noise than a Dynacomp Same available sustain as a Dynacomp Fewer parts than a Dynacomp Cheaper than a Dynacomp Feedforward side chain Possibility for all five controls Fits in 1590B Millennium bypass
Despite its final simplicity, I went though just about every possible configuration of OTA while chasing acceptable performance. As you can see from the schem, the OTA is working as a current-controlled resistor in the feedback loop of an opamp. This reduces the contribution of OTA noise.
The input signal is also coupled directly to the side chain, which consists of a precision rectifier (U1b) and precision current source (U2a) that dumps more current into the OTA control pin as the audio signal gets larger.
The ratio control blends compressed and uncompressed signals, so its variable from zero to infinite ratio (limiting)!
A compressor pedal incorporating the best attributes of classic pedals while simultaneously eliminating the shortcomings common to such vintage designs.
Included are controls for the adjustment of Attack, Release, and Ratio that allow the user precise and continuous variation to their sound. These controls offer the ability to custom tailor the effect to match the job at hand. No matter what style or instrument, the perfect amount of compression is easily dialed in with minimal coloration to the original signal.
Note: The CA3080 is a discontinued IC, and although it is still available from a number of sources it will get more difficult to obtain as time goes by. After the discussions below, the circuit was tested by G5120fx with an LM13700 replacing the discontinued IC and it worked fine. Unfortunately this IC is 16 pin instead of 8 because it is 2 channel and includes buffers, but if you find that you can get the LM13700 cheaper or more readily then you can use the following daughterboard to allow you to use that IC. Just solder the wires to where the CA3080 pins would be on the main board.
This daughterboard can be used with any of the effects in this blog which use the CA3080, including the MXR DynaComp, Ross Compressor and Keeley Compressor.
So close to the Ross Compressor that the 2-knob versions seems to be essentially verbatim, but I thought the 4 knob version was worth adding for the additional Clip and Attack controls. In the original the onboard trimmer isn't used and instead two 1K resistors were used between the bottom lug of the (top left) 220K and IC pins 2 and 3. Rather than adding fixed resistors I thought it made more sense to leave the 2K trimmer and suggest leaving it in the dead centre position for the stock setting, and so allowing the Clip pot to perform that task, which would mean that you will have some additional tweaking capability to set the base input level using the trimmer which you wouldn't get from the Keeley. So maybe this can be the 4½-Knob Compressor! :o)
Info from RK about the original:
The Keeley Compressor is the award winning industry standard for stomp box compression. The 4 Knob adds Input Clipping and Attack controls to the top of the the original Keeley compressor for easy adjustment. Perfect for those that often switch live between single coils and humbuckers. The sound alone will inspire your creativity.
All of our Compressors are hand built in the USA. Unlike any other compressor, the Keeley Compressor was given the Editor’s Pick Award from Guitar Player’s Magazine and recently awarded Reader’s Choice for Stomp Box. It is a true audiophile and studio grade compressor with an exotic rack mount quality in a stomp box form.
After a few people mentioned wanting to use resistors instead of the trimmer and so mean that it's one less "special item" you have to get in, here's a rejigged revision with the 1K resistors. I still think I'll build it with the trimmer because I like the idea of that fine tuning ability, but you can build whichever version you prefer.
