Blackout Effectors Whetstone Phaser

" The vintage sound of an analog OTA-based phaser melded with contemporary parameters out the wazoo. From classic and not-so-classic sounds, subtle and over-the-top phase tones, mellow through seasick pitch vibrato, ringmod, glitchy octave effects, and outright strange phased/autowah/tremolo hybrid sounds you won't find anywhere else. No doubt the Whetstone can do things that your current phaser can't "

This was a request.
Original FSB thread and unverified schematic avilable here.
Update! The first link on the right of the bottom 13600 should go from the Base of 2N5087 to the Collector of the 2N5088.

Foxx / Sears Phasing Pedal

Here is a monster layout for a 70s phaser made famous by Brian May.
No many infos/videos around.
You can find the schematic in the original DIY thread here and FSB's here.
To draw a layout for this wasn't easy. To build it would be as difficult.
Double check everything is correct before starting.

There are no great quality videos but I'll add a couple just to give an idea.

 

 

Madbean Tapanator Projects

Here are some great new Tap-Tempo projects by Madbean.
I prefer to add them all in the same post because they are meant to work together.
You could use 1/8" jack & plugs.
You can find all info and his great (and cheap!) PCBs on his website here.
The TapLFO is available from SmallBear here.

Lovetone DoppelGanger (Gigahearts FX Doubel Ganger)

It's been a while since I've uploaded a monster layout. Therefore...
Here is LaceSensor's version of Lovetone DoppelGanger analog phaser.
You can find all info, build doc, bom and manual on Madbean Forum here (free login required)
(http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=19190.0)
You could also buy PCBs when available.
29/11/2016 Layout updated & Verified: removed cut next to bottom right corner TL074 pin 11.
Here is a video of the original pedal (slightly different from this version)

4ms Phaseur Fleur

This was an old request.
Layout came out quite large.
You can find all info and schematic on Commonsound/4ms website here.

Electro Harmonix Small Stone

DOD FX22 Vibro Thang

Here is a layout for the DOD FX22 Vibro Thang (Vibrato / Phasor)

04/05 Layout Updated: LM358 pin 4 and the 18K resistor from the bottom LM13600 pin 9 were connected to V+ instead of ground.

Ross Phaser

This was a request.
The video is for reference only:

Liquid Mercury "Tap Tempo" Phaser

I know this layout size breaks the basic rules of this blog but we don't have many Tap Tempo projects and
this pedal (together with the Twin Peaks Tap Tremolo) sounds incredible.
I think they both would be a great addition to the website's library.
This is a great project by David Rolo from Madbean's forum
(check his website here: http://www.davidrolo.com/)
You can find all infos about this pedal here:
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=18859.0
Thanks to Hozy31 for verifying this one!

Mutron Phasor II

John did a great version of this using vactrols but I wanted a version using simple LDRs so it was available to build for the maximum number of people. 

I would have preferred to have done this with a single LED with all 6 LDRs surrounding it, but it's too awkward to do neatly with vero, so instead opted for 3 LEDs, all with an LDR on each side.  These Tayda LDR's will apparently work extremely well with this circuit and diffuse yellow LEDs and so that is the recommendation, but it is always worth socketing and trying whatever you have to see what will work for you.

Because this is a phaser and as usual certain matched components will give the best results, I would recommend trying to get a good match with the LDRs for light and dark resistance.  This may not be necessary but it can't do any harm.

As usual with these you need to test them in the dark or isolate the LED/LDR combo from the light in some way when testing, it obviously shouldn't be an issue when boxed but I'd still be tempted to make little cardboard box surrounds for each LED group.

The LED+ connection is for the indication LED which will pulse at the rate of the phasing.

Now this sounds bloody great to me

Bill of Materials

Opamp	JRC4558	6
Transistor	2N4401	1
Resistors	120R	1
Resistors	330R	1
Resistors	560R	2
Resistors	1K	1
Resistors	2K2	2
Resistors	3K9	2
Resistors	4K7	15
Resistors	8K2	3
Resistors	10K	3
Resistors	18K	1
Resistors	39K	1
Resistors	47K	2
Resistors	68K	3
Resistors	220K	7
Resistors	390K	2
Capacitors	47p	1
Capacitors	820p	1
Capacitors	1n	1
Capacitors	3n3	1
Capacitors	6n8	6
Capacitors	100n	2
Capacitors	470n	2
Capacitors	1u	1
Capacitors	10u	2
Capacitors	47u	1
Capacitors	220u	1
Diodes	1N4148	3
LEDs	5mm Yellow diffuse	3
LDR	10K/500K	6
Potentiometer	10K Lin	1
Potentiometer	10K Log	1
Potentiometer	25K Log	1
Trimmer	1K	1
Trimmer	10K	1

MXR Phase 90 - 4 / 8 Stage

I was going to just add this to the bottom of the Phase 90 post, but on reflection thought it better to start a new one to keep discussion about this build in one place.

A few people have requested a layout for the Phase 100 and I thought this could be a happy medium until I start on the circuits that are currently a low priority due to my preference for PCBs when it comes to larger circuits to keep the box dimensions down.

I was happy with the size of the Phase 90 layout and so I thought it would make sense to make this modular rather than using a large single board as it will then allow you to add more daughterboards if you want to, maybe two to make a 12 stage phaser if you like, or three for 16 stages.

The standard Phase 90 layout was used as an example in this layout, but you could do exactly the same thing with the modded version with the depth pot if you prefer.  This inserts the new stages in between stages 2 and 3 of the main Phase 90 board which means that all other components of the Phase 90 can remain exactly the same, making it easy to add this to an existing build if you want to.  All you need to do is add a cut and make the switch connections shown at the top of the Phase 90 layout and the daughterboard, daisy chain the supply and ground and link the sources and gates as shown.  Voila, you have a Phase 90 with 4 or 8 stages selected by the Stage Switch.

I haven't done this from a verified schematic and so it's all just theory at this stage, so it's definitely one for the experimenters out there.  And of course the people who don't mind matching at least 8 JFETs :o)

Univox Micro Fazer

I can't find any information on this one in terms of marketing spiel, but it should be obvious what it's based on :o)

MXR Phase 90 with Script Switch

A few people have requested this so I thought I'd better do it.  This one includes the Script mod on a switch so you can choose either mode.  Don't forget that you really need to match the JFETs for this.  You may get lucky with an unmatched set but the better the match the better the effect, so it's worth a bit of effort.  Use something like a Peak DCA75 if you have one, or this simple build will also allow you to choose the 4 best matches.

Info about the original:
This device has found its way into many of Eddie Van Halen's recordings, adding a shimmery velocity to lead passages or a more dramatic swoosh to muted strumming. Not just for guitars; it works well with bass, keyboards and even vocals. Vary the speed from a subtle, long cycle to a fast, watery warble...and myriad vintage vibrations in between.

[Updated 21st May 2014 - re-jigged to make better use of space but all connections as per the original verified layout]

Modified version with added depth control.  The Depth 1 wire needs to connect in the hole under the link, so it's probably advisable to raise that link slightly to give you room.

Maestro MPS-2 Mini Phase - ON HOLD

Not the most compact layout (as expected with most phasers) but should fit comfortably in a 125B mounted sideways, and maybe even a 1590B if someone has the patience.

One thing I will say is that until this is verified I wouldn't recommend it being built by anyone who may not be prepared to do a little tweaking.  The effect is slightly different from similar phasers in that it has no resistors between the drain and source of the JFETs and this may be a benefit of the 2N4303 JFETs used in the original.  If you substitute these for 2N5952 or similar as mentioned on the layout, then there is a chance that the circuit will need tweaking to get it working as intended.  I have left a space to add resistors if necessary just to make this easier to tweak for anyone who would like to give it a go.  As usual with these phasers, a matched quad is recommended.

The original BJT transistors were TIS97's which are NPN and around 300 hfe and so I have suggested a 2N3904 or similar as an alternative to those.  Maybe a BC547-550 or 2N5088 would get you in the ballpark a bit better than the 2N3904 so I'll leave that selection up to you.

The original also used 6 x 741 single opamps and so to save space I have opted for doubles.  I'd make sure you socket these as you may want to audition a few to see which double hits the sweet spot for you.

One obvious mod recommendation is leaving out the Oscillator Amplitude trimmer (top) and adding an external pot to control the depth.  If you do want to do that just take the wires for the pot from the holes on the board that the trimmer is connected. 

I can't find any info about the original, or any clips, so the first person to build it and post a vid on youtube will have their vid added to the post! :o)

.. and the schematic:

Colorsound Phazex

This is a great sounding phaser so I thought I'd still do it even though it probably doesn't fit with my philosophy of when I would and wouldn't use vero.  Similar in some ways to the Phase 90 but I haven't seen a layout for this one and so decided it would be a good addition.  Like the Phase 90 this is going to work best with 4 matched JFETs and so it may be worth buying 4 matched rather than buying in a greater quantity and having to mess around.   The internal trimmer sets the bias point and so tweak that until you get the sound you want.  The original also had the Depth control as an internal trimmer but I thought it made much more sense to have that control external to make it a bit more versatile.

If you mount this one sideways it should fit in a 125B but a 1590BB may be the order of the day if you don't want to have to squeeze everything in. Thanks to Analogguru for the schematic.




Image from effectsdatabase:

And a revised layout making better use of the space so it could fit more easily in a 1590B, and based on 2N5457 JFETs for their availability.

Bill of Materials:

Group	Value	Qty
Resistors	6K8	2
Resistors	10K	10
Resistors	22K	4
Resistors	47K	3
Resistors	100K	1
Resistors	150K	3
Resistors	470K	2
Resistors	680K	1
Capacitors	180p	1
Capacitors	10n	2
Capacitors	47n	6
Capacitors	2u2	1
Capacitors	10u	1
Capacitors	33u	1
Diodes	1N5817	1
Diodes	4V7 Zener	1
IC	LM1458	3
JFET	BF244A or 2N5457	4
Trimmer	1M multi-turn	1
Pot	10KLog	1
Pot	470K Rev Log	1
Pot	1MLin	1

MXR Phase 45 modded

Now Miro has verified the original, here's a modded version of the Phase 45 and offering a few useful addition such as external Bias and a Mix control, Phase 45 / Univibe 10:1 Ratio switch and a Rate LED.  The switch is 2 position 4PDT but you could also split it and use 2 x 2 position DPDT which will then allow you to select the caps individually offering a little bit more versatility.

I actually managed to get this 2 columns smaller because of the removal of some components and others going on the switch instead of the board, so it will easily fit in a 1590B.

MXR Phase 45

I thought a small and simple phaser would be another good addition and so the Phase 45 is the automatic choice to remain 1590B friendly.  For the best results the JFETs need to be matched so you can either swap and change to select the pair that give the best sound, or measure them using a method like this one so you know they are a close match. 

Info from MXR about their currently available 75 Vintage Phase 45:

The '75 Vintage Phase 45 reissue from the MXR Custom Shop reproduces the rare little brother of the Phase 90 to exacting specifications. With two stages of phasing, the Phase 45 offers up its subtle and musical voice via hand-matched FETs and hand-wired circuit board. Authentic tried and true components and hardware such as a Carling switch, CTS pot and Switchcraft jacks. Texture your tone without over powering your sound with the limited-edition '75 Vintage Phase 45.

Geiri's video of his build:

Causality 4 Phaser MkII - Rick Holt (frequencycentral)

I usually opt for PCBs for larger circuits because I don't think vero lends itself particularly well to overly complicated schematics, but wanted to put a phaser layout together that was something other than a Phase 45 or Phase 90, and this one looked like a fantastic option as it is a great sounding and versatile phaser designed by Rick Holt (frequencycentral).  I went straight to the MkII version for the extra controls and this should fit in a 1590B if you can squeeze it in with 5 pots, but it may make more sense in a 1590BB or at least a 125B which has slightly larger dimensions than the 1590B (which would no doubt come in handy).  Get making links! :o)

Info from Rick:

Here's the latest design out of the frequencycentral fun factory. Designed to be an easy build, so no FET matching or hard to source parts - just build and phase! It's a four stage OTA based phaser with two fixed stages and two swept stages.

MKII Changes:
Width pot added, this defines how broad an LFO sweep the OTA's see
Shape pot added, waveform now continuously variable from upward sawtooth through triangle to downward sawtooth
The original Depth pot has been re-named as Range, and defines where in the audio spectrum the phasing happens

Here's a comprehensive demonstration video from keto:

Modification: Optional "wet only" switch detail added.

Modification: Optional "Speed" switch: