Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde VJH1  [schematic]

All about modern commercial stompbox circuits from Electro Harmonix over MXR, Boss and Ibanez into the nineties.
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himister
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Post by himister »

I've just get this one from a friend and made loads of gut shots. It's a first version old one from 90's.
I've started redrawing original pcb and...... schematic is here.
After I finish original I'll try to do compact one, when my time allows.

If anyone interested in dual TS, Dist, Schreder, Gu'vnor, master blaster bla bla pedal, shoot here. :wink:
Cheers
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Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde VJH1 schematic 1
Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde VJH1 schematic 1
Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde VJH1 schematic 2
Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde VJH1 schematic 2

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CHEEZOR
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Post by CHEEZOR »

Thanks for sharing! I love this pedal! :)

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himister
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Post by himister »

Glad to do it. :thumbsup
Maybe there's nothing special about this one for someone, but anyway, I believe there are fellows like me who like usual and simple stuff. Specially when it's crammed in one box. :lol:
Cheers.

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himister
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Post by himister »

Apparently schematic posted link above is for the version 2 of Jekyll&Hyde.
It would be nice if anyone would compare it from drawings and update here.
Here are some guts photos: VJH1-guts photos slideshow

and redrawn original pcb:
VJH1pl_1.GIF
VJH1pl_2.GIF
VJH1pl_3.GIF
PCB transfer:
PCB.png

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SPeter
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Post by SPeter »

Hey Mister Himister, thanks a lot!!!
As always Great Work!!!
:applause:
:D :horsey:

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CHEEZOR
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Post by CHEEZOR »

Very nice pictures and layout! I just wanted to mention that a great simple mod for me on these pedals is to lower the gain on the overdrive side by lowering the value of the resistor that is in series with the drive pot. This makes it so you get cleaner sounds when you are turned all the way down and the max gain doesn't noticeably lose much (dont worry, there is still plenty of gain). This can make the pedal into more of a clean boost at low gain settings. I think that I have tried values like 10k, 8k, and 6k. I believe that the resistor is originally 20k(ish). I think from your pictures that it is resistor R38, but it has been a long time since I opened mine up.

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himister
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Post by himister »

SPeter wrote:Hey Mister Himister, thanks a lot!!! As always Great Work!!!
Thanks Pete. As Always you are most welcome. :wink:
CHEEZOR wrote:Very nice pictures and layout! I just wanted to mention that a great simple mod for me on these pedals is to lower the gain on the overdrive side by lowering the value of the resistor that is in series with the drive pot. This makes it so you get cleaner sounds when you are turned all the way down and the max gain doesn't noticeably lose much (dont worry, there is still plenty of gain). This can make the pedal into more of a clean boost at low gain settings. I think that I have tried values like 10k, 8k, and 6k. I believe that the resistor is originally 20k(ish). I think from your pictures that it is resistor R38, but it has been a long time since I opened mine up.
Thank you also CHEEZOR. You are very welcome too. I've read somewhere about mods for this one but didn't look further into it.
It would be really nice to document that here too. I'll try to draw some schem for mod you said and if there are more mods it would be most welcome to post it here. :thumbsup
It would be really nice if someone would compare the schematic from ver.2 so we could made one also for ver.1
Cheers.

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Post by CHEEZOR »

I just opened mine up to check it out, and yes, I was right. It was R38 that I changed to affect the minimum gain on the overdrive side. I forgot to put this in the last post, but there are 2 caps that affect the sharp and blunt settings. I never use the pedal on blunt so I decided to change that capacitor. I changed C3A for the blunt setting. I think that C3B affects the sharp setting, but I left that one where it was. Another good mod for me was to change one of the clipping diodes to a germanium diode on the overdrive side (D5 or D6 your choice).

Glad to see some interest in this pedal. I think that it has been sorely neglected because it is based on other circuits (Tubescreamer and Shred Master). To me this pedal sounds much better than a Tubescreamer though. Never tried the Shred Master so I cant comment on that one.

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SandMan84
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Post by SandMan84 »

I have the red V1 Jekyll & Hyde and I'm searching for the schematics (also the V2) to try some mods or update it to the V2 version.
The link on indieguitarist.com above is no more valid...can anyone else help me?
Thanks!

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Post by nexion777 »

I agree with the request of SandMan84. It is possible to re-post the schematic?

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Post by nexion777 »

Okay, I understand that it is not possible repost the schematic ... I'm trying to understand how it evolved the visualsound Jekyll / Hyde, in an attempt to understand how his circuit switching works. The only schematic I found in the net was designed by KHE, and related to the first model (the 1997 gray one). Comparing this scheme with the layout of the red one V1 posted by Himister, the thing that leaps to the eye is the change in the output buffer in the Jekyll side: from a MPSA18voltage follower to a TL07x "buffer". I find that a strange thing, because in reality it is a booster with a gain of 7.7dB. Anybody have any idea of "why" this design choice? I do not think that 4053 will attenuate the signal of 7.7 dB ... :scratch:

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electrosonic
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nexion777
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Post by nexion777 »

Thanx Andrew... but I was searching for the V2 schematic :wink:

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Theraygun
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Post by Theraygun »

How would I add a flat mids switch or a mids mini-pot to the TS side?

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Post by Pedalpusher »

How would any of you change the bass response? I like the Shredmaster side except the bass is too deep for my taste. I just want to raise the cut off point so it is till tight but sounds pretty much the same otherwise. Would lowering the value of the bass cap in the tone stack achieve this?

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Sweetalk
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Post by Sweetalk »

WOW, that's a lot of pictures, thaks a lot!

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IamJon
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Post by IamJon »

This is a decent pedal but something really gets lost on the TS side. If I compare the sound of my TS808 reissue to the TS side of the J/H, the TS808 sounds great but the TS side of the J/H lacks in a serious way. Either the analog switch or the op-amp buffer kills all of the edge. If you could make the TS side of the J/H sound as good as a TS808 (or reissue for that matter). it would be a very versatile pedal. I would be willing to try suggestions and post the results as a friend of mine gave me one so now I have two that sit in a bin.

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guitarj
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Post by guitarj »

I have an older silver j & h. For me, I have coveted most the ts side, using it mainly as a clean boost only. Gain at near zero or 1. To me it adds a little more to whatever channel and dirt level I'm using, and totally transparent. More meaning fuller, and just better grit and harmonics.
Maybe there's a difference between old models and new, don't know. Tone is very subjective too.

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Post by IamJon »

Guitarj,

I must admit there is so much to what each of us considers good tone. I brought the J/H with me to an open mike night and let another guy play through my rig and it sounded great... I had a TS9 that I thought sounded like a total turd until I tried a certain combination of guitar and amplifier. With that combination, the tone was killer. Add to that each of our different playing styles and the combinations are endless.

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