TC Electronics - Dark Matter

Post by **Ice-9** » 16 Feb 2012, 21:46

I need to get a pedal tomorrow for a reversing contribution. I have only a couple of choices so I want to ask everyone which of them they would prefer reversed.

Now here's the story, I bought a Boss BD2 today as I was under the impression it was a great blues pedal and as i've been working on a few of my own designs I thought it would be a good pedal to keep as a base for reference sounds in the blues genre. To be honest I find it a pretty naff effect so I'm taking it back to the shop tomorrow to see if i can get something else. After looking on there websibe I see 4 pedals that appeal but it will depend on what they have in stock.

So assuming there all in stock can I get some ideas what you might find the most interesting of the 4, there all dirtboxes.

1. TC Electronic mojo mojo overdrive
2. TC Electronic Dark Matter
3. TC electronic Rottwieller
4. MXR custom badass Modified overdrive.

I know I haven't given you much time to think but i have to get this exchanged tomorrow.

Cheers all.

culturejam · Post by **culturejam** » 16 Feb 2012, 21:53

I'm interested in the Darkmatter.

briggs · Post by **briggs** » 16 Feb 2012, 21:54

The Dark Matter sounds pretty awesome!

Post by **Ice-9** » 16 Feb 2012, 22:38

The shops website says the Darkmatter is in stock

so far it's 2 for the darkmatter

phibes · Post by **phibes** » 16 Feb 2012, 23:33

Dark Matter looks cool.

CHEEZOR · Post by **CHEEZOR** » 17 Feb 2012, 00:02

If you are going for a blues sound, then I would go for the Mojo Mojo or the MXR. To me those sound more like blues pedals. From youtube clips I like the sound of the Mojo Mojo better out of the 2. I thought all the TC pedals were digital, is that not true? Any of them will be welcome to the forum though!

The Darkmatter seems cool too, I just wouldn't consider it a blues pedal. I think Overdrives are more suited to blues.

grrrunge · Post by **grrrunge** » 17 Feb 2012, 05:32

CHEEZOR wrote:I thought all the TC pedals were digital, is that not true?

No, the drives are analog

The toneprint enabled pedals are digital.
I'll be getting the röttweiler in a months time, so if bluesy is what you're up for, go with one of the other two. I'll be posting guts of the röttweiler soon.
For blues, I'd probably pick up the mojo mojo, but i'm more interested in the dark matter

Post by **Ice-9** » 17 Feb 2012, 09:31

The only reason I got the Bluesdrive was just for a comparison for some pedals I was working on as I had heard it was quite talked about as one of the best blues sounds so I was just going to use it as a benchmark, but it's just another mid gain fizzy overdrive so it's going back. I don't really want another bluesy pedal so it looks like the DarkMatter gets the vote. It's pointless getting the röttweiler now as ggrrunge says he's getting that one in a while.
Fingers crossed that the shop will change the BD2 for the TC.

grrrunge · Post by **grrrunge** » 17 Feb 2012, 10:11

Ice-9 wrote:The only reason I got the Bluesdrive was just for a comparison for some pedals I was working on as I had heard it was quite talked about as one of the best blues sounds so I was just going to use it as a benchmark, but it's just another mid gain fizzy overdrive so it's going back. I don't really want another bluesy pedal so it looks like the DarkMatter gets the vote. It's pointless getting the röttweiler now as ggrrunge says he's getting that one in a while.
Fingers crossed that the shop will change the BD2 for the TC.

I've been wanting the röttweiler since it was announced on TC's website last autumn. Just waiting for payday

Post by **Ice-9** » 17 Feb 2012, 12:14

grrrunge wrote:
Ice-9 wrote:The only reason I got the Bluesdrive was just for a comparison for some pedals I was working on as I had heard it was quite talked about as one of the best blues sounds so I was just going to use it as a benchmark, but it's just another mid gain fizzy overdrive so it's going back. I don't really want another bluesy pedal so it looks like the DarkMatter gets the vote. It's pointless getting the röttweiler now as ggrrunge says he's getting that one in a while.
Fingers crossed that the shop will change the BD2 for the TC.
I've been wanting the röttweiler since it was announced on TC's website last autumn. Just waiting for payday

Yeah grrrunge I know you have been waiting on the röttweiler, it was your original post that alerted me to these TC pedals.

Ok I have been back to the shop and got the BD2 changed and for an extra bit of dosh walked out with the Darkmatter. I've had 10 minutes jam through it and it is quite a nice pedal with a good range of sound. It's not a plexi though.

I'm just wondering if i should start a new thread for reversing it and link this one to it. Does it belong in the boutique or the modern stompbox area?

Post by **Ice-9** » 17 Feb 2012, 12:20

Here is a couple of pictures to wet your appetite.

As soon as i removed the bottom case and saw the bottom of the pcb it was faily obvious there was going to be some SMD parts on the component side.
I got a surprise to see an H11F1 chip in there, its on the input and is a photo fet optocoupler.

http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/datashe ... /H11F1.pdf

There are also three 8 pin dual low noise op amps marked 33178

http://www.alldatasheet.com/datasheet-p ... 3178D.html

Bottom pcb

Top pcb

briggs · Post by **briggs** » 17 Feb 2012, 12:29

I wonder what that optocoupler is doing there?

Post by **Ice-9** » 17 Feb 2012, 12:32

briggs wrote:I wonder what that optocoupler is doing there?

I've just had a very quick look over it, the optocoupler is connected directly to the input jack. It could just be isolating the input from the circuit or it might have something to do with the bypass function of the circuit. When I start to trace it out I will start at the input and the optocoupler.

briggs · Post by **briggs** » 17 Feb 2012, 13:19

I reckon it'll be part of the bypass network. Quite interesting though, I don't think I've seen a bypass network that uses optocouplers yet although I have heard them mentioned...

Post by **Ice-9** » 17 Feb 2012, 13:40

briggs wrote:I reckon it'll be part of the bypass network. Quite interesting though, I don't think I've seen a bypass network that uses optocouplers yet although I have heard them mentioned...

Yes it's definately part of there True bypass circuit which is allowin for the use of a 2PDT footswitch. I'm just trying to remove the footswitch and jack sockets so I can trace properly underneith them but that lead free solder there using is the hottest melting i've come across. Even tryed soldering in my own leaded to soften it up but i'm now out of desolder braid. Why don't most soldering irons go higher than 450 degree these days, it's a necessity i think now.

Chugs · Post by **Chugs** » 17 Feb 2012, 13:49

I believe some of the Voodoo labs pedals used an optopcoupler as part of the switching. Check out the link.

http://stinkfoot.se/archives/1005

Post by **Ice-9** » 17 Feb 2012, 13:53

Chugs wrote:I believe some of the Voodoo labs pedals used an optopcoupler as part of the switching. Check out the link.

http://stinkfoot.se/archives/1005

Just had a quick look at this link and the Darkmatter is very similar, i am just starting to trace this out now but need to go and get some bits and pieces from RS components so will read that bypass article fully when i get back.

Thanks Chugs

culturejam · Post by **culturejam** » 17 Feb 2012, 15:02

Moved this to Modern Stompboxes, and changed the thread title.

Post by **Ice-9** » 17 Feb 2012, 18:24

I have removed a few of the components that make life difficult for tracing. It's getting a bit dark now so taking decent pictures are difficult and working on the pcb is blurring my vision now so I give up until day time.
Anyway here is a (poor) picture of the part of the pcb i will be tracing out first. This is not going to be a very quick trace as the PCB design is pretty crap, there are far too many vias that just are not necessary on a circuit like this, it has been made over complex by the pcb designer and it looks very autorouted. Bad boys at TC Electronicnext time hire some decent pcb people

I did start the tracing of the input side and the NOT so True Bypass of the effect but what I have schematic wise is not worth posting yet.

ppluis0 · Post by **ppluis0** » 17 Feb 2012, 19:55

[quote="Ice-9]...there are far too many vias that just are not necessary on a circuit like this...[/quote]

I think that mostly of the vias are intended to create all the test points that can bee seen in your first photograph, and also a bunch of them are to connect the solder side ground plane with the component side ground plane.

Perhaps if you mark with a coloured sharpie the vias that really connect the few solder side active traces we seen in the first photo, and with another colours those used for GND and for test points, you can faster the process.

Cheers,
Jose

TC Electronics - Dark Matter [schematic]