Interfax - Harmonic Percolator  [schematic]

Discussion regarding early stompbox technology: 1960-1975 Please keep discussion focused and contribute what info you have...
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astrobass
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Post by astrobass »

Oh, and Harmonics isn't an A50K, I think it's B100K. Page 9 or 10 of the thread should say definitively. I forgot to re-label that.

The lack of an Edit button is kind of a drag.

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Alex Frias
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Post by Alex Frias »

My Percolator Colective! From left to right ->
Albinator, exact replica respecting the values and materials used on Mr Steve Albini unit
Collins unit
My own receipt and beloved champion HP-X 2.0

Image

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Post by pinkjimiphoton »

someone on facebook posted these pics today
191213873-10224480954828051-2160975459894285331-n.jpg
190551787-10224480955388065-6998780447430839591-n.jpg
190476666-10224480953868027-1031267692928278717-n.jpg
190230532-10224480954068032-1037203230760261347-n.jpg
190229876-10224480955068057-5537709624227342937-n.jpg
188109418-10224480954348039-8409356874782713116-n.jpg
187146169-10224480954588045-8638966387680971574-n.jpg
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Post by CheapPedalCollector »

I saw these, the schematics on the internet are totally wrong, as expected. Transistors are still unknown, they appear to be 2 of the same, not 2 different as suggested by others. The resistor values are wrong in others, and there is a diode missing. Hopefully the volume control is 100K, can't see the value of it. The Fuzz control is 60K on that unit. The ancient resistors would need measuring though and that 3rd gooped part could be a cap or a diode, not sure.

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gigelmargel
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Post by gigelmargel »

The diode from input to ground appears in a schematic of Alfonso Hermida: https://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/Percolator.gif. As far as I remember, I tested it long time ago, using a switch, and didn't seem to me to make a big difference.

Anyway, these gutshots are very good. Maybe, with some luck, we will get all the values of the components :hmmm:

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Post by Manicstrat2112 »

CheapPedalCollector wrote: 24 May 2021, 18:27 I saw these, the schematics on the internet are totally wrong, as expected. Transistors are still unknown, they appear to be 2 of the same, not 2 different as suggested by others.
They do almost look the same. The one on the right seems to have a bigger case though...at least in the second photo.
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Post by monkeyxx »

pinkjimiphoton wrote: 23 May 2021, 23:58 someone on facebook posted these pics today

191213873-10224480954828051-2160975459894285331-n.jpg190551787-10224480955388065-6998780447430839591-n.jpg190476666-10224480953868027-1031267692928278717-n.jpg190230532-10224480954068032-1037203230760261347-n.jpg190229876-10224480955068057-5537709624227342937-n.jpg188109418-10224480954348039-8409356874782713116-n.jpg187146169-10224480954588045-8638966387680971574-n.jpg
I traced this pedal based on your photos, and found that it's the "dual silicon" variant. There's a hand-drawn schematic posted probably earlier in this thread from S. Weingartner that has all the details.

It was a fun Sherlock Holmes exercise!

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Post by monkeyxx »

CheapPedalCollector wrote: 24 May 2021, 18:27 I saw these, the schematics on the internet are totally wrong, as expected. Transistors are still unknown, they appear to be 2 of the same, not 2 different as suggested by others. The resistor values are wrong in others, and there is a diode missing. Hopefully the volume control is 100K, can't see the value of it. The Fuzz control is 60K on that unit. The ancient resistors would need measuring though and that 3rd gooped part could be a cap or a diode, not sure.
There are 5 or more "original" variants of this pedal. As documented by Chuck Collins.

At least two, maybe three or four of them have been "exposed" on this very thread! many years ago by now.

But you are also wrong, the input potentiometer is indeed A100K and the output pot is indeed A50K. And the dual silicon pedal is "known." It's not the only version.

But you are right. Sadly, googling "harmonic percolator schematic/layout" brings up a bunch of error laden layouts. The BIGGEST THING missing is the 1nF cap (sometimes 1.5nF) from the transistors to ground in parallel with the 20K resistor (sometimes 91K.) I think this would have been on the bottom of the board, at least it is in the Chuck Collins pedals. But you add this capacitor and the circuit suddenly "comes to life." And stops being demented. I wish these informations could be deleted but it's too far gone, they're out there now. This has been called the "Collective Effort" schematic and it's horrible. It's missing C5 (1nF to ground in parallel with 20K resistor.) Although somebody did post a Collins build of this version. I just don't think it sounds good at all.

JJ Gabor got it right waaaaaaaay back in this very thread on the first few pages, and Brian at MadBean Pedals has got it right also in his PepperSpray pdf files, if anyone wants to reference "GOOD" schematics to build from. And of course Alex Frias has got it right in this very thread as well with Mr. Bill's "real albini" values/components. And there's the dual Si schematic from S. Weingartner to reference as well.

Harald Sabro Bolstad has a "GOOD" stripboard layout of the Albini values. Iviark's layouts are all wrong, missing the 1nF cap. I just really don't like that "Giblet schematic" and it unfortunately seems to be very disseminated.

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Post by pinkjimiphoton »

i still say my juergulator sounds better, and it gets all the same sounds and then some. ;)
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Post by monkeyxx »

pinkjimiphoton wrote: 15 Feb 2022, 20:27 i still say my juergulator sounds better, and it gets all the same sounds and then some. ;)
Never heard of it LOL, just teasing, I'm sure your build sounds good. :troll:

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Post by pinkjimiphoton »

here ya go, 10 years after, i built a second run of them



and the original


Resized_20210927_193147.png
Resized_20210927_192502.png
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photonic juergulator schem.png
photonic juergulator FINAL verified.png
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Post by monkeyxx »

pinkjimiphoton, good stuff! I always love when people come up with new ideas rather than being stuck on old ones. As much as it's tempting to chase the originals in this case. But you never know when your new idea might be the next big thing!

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