Barber Electronics - Direct Drive  [traced]

General documentation, gut shot, schematic links, ongoing circuit tracing, deep thoughts ... all about boutique stompboxes.

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analogguru
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Post by analogguru »

There´s a sucker born every minute - and too many of them end up in the bootweak pedal biz.

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mr. mierda
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Post by mr. mierda »

I had one of those once. To my ears, it was similar to the old Menatone Blue Collar. But with the trim pots, it offered more tweakability. I'd be curious how the circuits compare.

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JHS
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Post by JHS »

The BC has a circuit similar to Jack's SoS, the DDSS has a circuit similar to the ProCo BRAT.

Since you can mod a RAT with ease to sound like a TS, a different circuit layout does not mean in general that it will produce a complete different sound.

JHS

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PurplePeopleEater
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Post by PurplePeopleEater »

IMO, Barber is one of the best of the "Booteekers". GREAT build quality, great sounding fx, and VERY reasonable prices.

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Lovepedal Detective
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Post by Lovepedal Detective »

Barber makes great stuff. Quality builds at affordable prices.

That said, I don't think the DDSS is Rat based. I think it's closer to the TS family.

LPD

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teller
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Post by teller »

Lovepedal Detective wrote:Barber makes great stuff. Quality builds at affordable prices.

That said, I don't think the DDSS is Rat based. I think it's closer to the TS family.

LPD
DDSS is feedback loop and shunt to ground clippers, take your pick as what you need to call it, but they don't sound like a Rat or TS. There is a "adjustable riaa" phono style preamp that Barber detailed on diystomboxes to recover the OD circuit, so no smoke and mirrors there.

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madbean
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Post by madbean »

I owned an SS for a while and I would say it sounded very TSish to me. I AB'd it with my 808 and it was very similar. That's weird though, if it actually uses hard clipping. I never traced it.

Anyway, it was a great pedal, I just had no use for it. His skills are top-notch!!

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tuemmueh
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Post by tuemmueh »

The informations I have are, that it uses soft-clipping (symmetrical) and a pot to add harclipping, called "harmonics".

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indyguitarist
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Post by indyguitarist »

tuemmueh wrote:The informations I have are, that it uses soft-clipping (symmetrical) and a pot to add harclipping, called "harmonics".
I haven't played one for a while, but I thought it had a switch for the hard clipping...

regardless, I really like the barber stuff... and Dave's a heck of a nice guy too. :)

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coldcraft
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Post by coldcraft »

seems like this one got dropped/forgotten. has anyone had luck making a schematic from the gut-shots?
Black Dynamite wrote:you need to shut the fuck up when grown folks is talkin.

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JHS
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Post by JHS »

The newer DD has basicly the same circuit layout as the LTD. Take the LTD-schem and replace the section between the opamps halfs with a hardclipper wired to Vref and a tone control similar to the RAT and you have 98% of the DD.

Some Rs and Cs have slightly different values, but with those gutshots that should be no problem.

JHS

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coldcraft
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Post by coldcraft »

JHS wrote: Take the LTD-schem and replace the section between the opamps halfs with a hardclipper wired to Vref and a tone control similar to the RAT and you have 98% of the DD.
are you 100% positive this is the correct changes, or just throwing info that will get me close?

I'll hack together a schematic if ppl are willing to help with values.

the LTD Schematic is here - http://www.barberelectronics.com/Barber_silver_LTD.pdf

and the Rat Tone Control, in the BYOC version is dead simple - http://www.barberelectronics.com/Barber_silver_LTD.pdf - are you sure that's all that's going on? I've heard the clips of this thing and its not harsh at all at high tone settings. In my experience the Rat-type controls are good for cutting out the harsh clipping harmonics, and so things are harsh at high gain/tone settings.
Black Dynamite wrote:you need to shut the fuck up when grown folks is talkin.

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ebuprofen
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Post by ebuprofen »

I will make some photos in couple of days and maybe trace the board :D

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coldcraft
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Post by coldcraft »

i don't remember making the above post at all. and I have no real interested in this circuit anymore
Black Dynamite wrote:you need to shut the fuck up when grown folks is talkin.

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Post by chi_boy »

This seems to be one that people have lost interest in, but I was wondering if anyone had tried this schematic:

https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic ... ve#p105545

The site he linked to is in Potuguese, but it seems those guys tore the heck out of this one and have had successful builds. The thread was several years long and about 15 pages. I found an old thread there and downloaded a bunch of goodies. The schematics all look to be the same from what I have seen. I can't promise anything because it's not my work, of course.

I'm attaching some of thier files to stir the pot a little. There are schematics, eagle files, and layouts.

I don't know if anyone here speaks Portuguese, or knows that site, but it would be cool to give them a shout-out and a thanks.

Cheers,
George
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batteryacidtea
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Post by batteryacidtea »

Well, I'm Brazilian, and I am an active member from the mentioned forum. I've made a Direct Drive with that schematics/layout, and works great. I know other members there that are somewhat regular posters here, and all off you guys are welcome to join and post there. It's a great forum, with members with great electronics wisdom, and any contribuitions are really welcome there. Just remember that it's a brazilian forum, and by the rules, just posts in portuguese are accepted, but we are ok with google translations :lol:

I just think it would be nice to give the credits to the folks at http://www.handmades.com.br

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batteryacidtea
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Post by batteryacidtea »

Crap, where is the edit button? By wisdom, i mean knowledge. But you guys got it...

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chi_boy
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Post by chi_boy »

batteryacidtea wrote:
I just think it would be nice to give the credits to the folks at http://www.handmades.com.br

I should have been more clear in my post and should have posted a direct link to handmades.com. I apologize for the oversight and I hope I haven't offended any of our contributing freinds. I can assure you there was no disrespect intended.

It is indeed a very comprehensive site and Google translations does seem to do quite well. From the little bit of lurking I have done, they appear to have a very talented membership.

Thanks again,

George

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Post by atreidesheir »

Does anyone have a sematic or layout for the barber direct drive? There was a schem but does not exist anymore. Thanks everyone.
"Contemplate it - on the tree of woe." :Thulsa Doom

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