Archive for 2007
Sunday, December 30th, 2007
Op-Amps 3: Between the Rails
Op-amp output hits the rails because op-amps are powerful amplifiers with gains in excess of 200,000. With a 9V single-supply, all it takes is an input voltage difference of 9V/200,000 = 45uV to hit the positive rail. Guitar outputs are around one thousand times that magnitude. So how do you keep the output of an op-amp between the rails? You use feedback.
Photo credit: Mike Malak on WikiMedia Commons
Saturday, December 29th, 2007
Input and Output Impedance
You have probably heard or seen it said that high input impedance and low output impedance are desirable properties for a circuit. Or at least something like that. 😉 Maybe it was the other way round, as in low input impedance and high output impedance? I found it hard to remember before I had some grasp on the concepts. This note describes the understanding that I have so far and a practical way to measure impedance. … more …
Tuesday, December 25th, 2007
Op-Amps 2: Hitting the Rails
A first step in understanding op-amps, and amplification generally, is to see that op-amps are like a water faucet that controls the water pressure in a garden hose. In the simplest setups, the faucet alternates between completely closed and wide open. As a result, the output of the op-amp is either the lowest or the highest available voltage, in analogy with no water pressure or maximum water pressure in the hose. … more …
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007
Op-Amps 1: Description
Appearance
Op-amps (operational amplifiers) come in an integrated circuit, or IC. The one pictured on the right is in a form called DIP-8, which is short for dual in-line package with 8 pins. “Dual in-line” refers to two lines of pins, in this case 4 on each side. Each pin has a special function and they are numbered from 1 to 8. Often, there is a circle on the top of the case to show the location of pin 1. Also the case is usually notched at the same end with half-circle cut-out. At least one of these two markings appear, but not necessarily both. … more …
Thursday, December 13th, 2007
Another PVC Amp Stand
I admit it–this isn’t specifically about stompboxes. But people who need stompboxes also need amp stands. 🙂 I needed several and it occurred to me that PVC pipe would be a good building material. Scouting around on the net, I found one example: PVC guitar amplifier stand. This gave me some good ideas but I decided to try something simpler. This figure above shows an exploded view of what I settled on. … more …
Saturday, December 8th, 2007
LTSpice AC Analysis with the BMP Tone Stack
One useful application of SPICE is to see how a tone stack behaves. Looking at tone stacks is so interesting that Duncan Munro (Duncan Amplification) wrote a now famous computer program, the Tone Stack Calculator (TSC), in 1999 that is still in wide use today. You can download the Windows application from the Duncan Amplification site. This tutorial shows how to use LTSpice to make the same calculations as the TSC for the tone stack of the Big Muff Pi (BMP). … more …
Thursday, December 6th, 2007
A View on DIY Stompboxes
Try to give due credit to others wherever and whenever you can. If you offer something to the public domain, then do so without expecting any compensation or credit. Everything that you receive in return is a gift. … more …
Wednesday, November 28th, 2007
LTSpice Analysis and the DOD Overdrive 250
Here is a run through the kind of calculations one can do with LTSpice using the DOD Overdrive 250 circuit as an example. You can download the LTSpice circuit (schematic) file for the DOD Overdrive 250 and related files … more …
Monday, November 19th, 2007
Using a Fab House
One of the moderators on Aron’s diystompboxes forum, Peter Snowberg, has repeatedly suggested using a “fab house,” or a PCB fabrication company, to make PCBs. There are lots of reasons for doing this, including convenience, accuracy, and less pollution. I have been wanting to give this a try and waiting for the right project to do it. And I was not sure which company to try. Finally, I took the plunge by sending olimex.com a smaller version of markusw’s 9V electric mistress project that I have been working on. … more …
Sunday, November 18th, 2007
An LTSpice Tutorial
Learning how a circuit works or designing a new one requires experimentation. Besides actually building a circuit, many people use a circuit simulation program. LTspice/SwitcherCAD III is a free program (download link) that many forumites use. Here is a brief introduction to using LTspice, illustrating a calculation with Ohm’s law. This tutorial first appeared on February 27, 2007 on the pre-WordPress version of this site. … more …
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
Gator Clone
Slow gear volume swells with a special trigger option made the PAiA Gator a unique gate. This work-alike uses updated and more common components than the original unit, which is no longer available. … more …
Monday, November 12th, 2007
1590B Big Muff Build
So dig this: probably the smallest Big Muff you’ll ever see. Chris Gregory (stobiepole) decided to make an all carbon comp version using the Big Muff Pi (Triangle Version) layout. This is a nice example of putting the PCB over the pots. Look at Krister’s Pearl OC-07 Octaver Clone build for another example. View the image in a new window to see a slightly larger version.
Monday, November 12th, 2007
Ground Pour
This is a multi-page tutorial about creating ground pour on an Eagle layout. The picture above shows an example. Note that the ground copper fills in space underneath resistors R1, R2, R4, and R6. It also runs up under the stack of components on the right and in between the +9V trace and C1. … more …
Sunday, November 4th, 2007
A Nice Design for 1590B Enclosures
Some time ago, soggybag (on Aron’s forum) designed a PCB for 1590B enclosures that is very clever. Now the PCB and its image are available on his site, Super-Freq. … more …
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007
Octaver Clone
This is the first octaver for gaussmarkov.net. If you have a steady soldering hand, or are seeking a challenge, this is a good one: a Pearl OC-07 clone. … more …
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
Hot Harmonics
I just revised this one, after noticing some needed improvements. It just shows how layout design improves with practice. … more …
Sunday, September 9th, 2007
Hot Tubes
I have revised the Hot Tubes clone. As it turns out, there was a capacitor missing from the factory schematic … more …
Sunday, August 12th, 2007
9V Electric Mistress
This is a meticulous reproduction of the Electric Mistress by markusw on Aron’s forum. See his post. Markus kindly sent his Eagle files for inclusion on gaussmarkov.net. Dig the way Markus converts solder lug pots to PCB mount on his build pictured above. His original project file can be found on diystompboxes.com here. … more …
Saturday, August 11th, 2007
Bipolar 9V Power Supply
R. G. Keen’s MAX1044 circuit is the basis for this project. The project itself is Chris’s brainchild: a daughter board to get ±9V from a +9V power supply. … more …
Friday, August 10th, 2007
Gristleizer
In this project, Chris (stobiepole) and I have put together PCB and vero layouts for the legendary Gristleizer by Roy Gwinn and popularized by Chris Carter and the Throbbing Gristle. We have verified both and have found no ticking problems in our builds from the LFO. We are planning to use this as a starting point into some new territory with this kind of noise maker.
Tuesday, July 24th, 2007
Spring Reverb
G. Forrest Cook designed this spring reverb and his online publication is on solorb.com. Chris/stobiepole wanted to do this one and his prototype appears above.
It sounds really clean and natural…almost too good to be a spring reverb. But when you whack the reverb springs – *POW* – you get dub explosions.
Wednesday, July 18th, 2007
Green Ringer
Once there was a friendly comparison of green ringer layouts on Aron’s forum and I laid out a smaller version than this one. Coming back to it recently, I decided to add some space and show off the symmetry of this circuit. tonepad.com is the source of the schematic.
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007
Capacitors: Math
For some time, I have been working on a description of some of the math behind equations that we use for passive filters. I do this kind of writing to check my own understanding, and then I share it in the hope of finding my own mistakes and possibly helping others. … more …
Thursday, June 21st, 2007
Automatic Punch
Center punches are useful for starting holes to be drilled on a PCB. This one is from Snap On Tools and is automatic in the sense that you press down on the punch once it is in place and an internal, spring-loaded hammer makes the dimple. The Snap On version is more expensive than those at Harbor Freight, but you get what you pay for — even if you get it from Harbor Freight.
Monday, May 21st, 2007
Blues Driver
Stobiepole and I are putting this out for comment. This is a Boss BD-2 clone in two versions. Both versions are verified. The schematic source was freeinfosociety.com.
We used the J201 for the N-channel JFETs and 2N3904 and 2N3906 for the bipolar BJTs and that worked fine. Neither are original in the Boss box.
Saturday, May 5th, 2007
Desolder Pump
Some folks desolder with a braid but I have not mastered that yet. This desolder pump (or “solder sucker”) works well for me.
Saturday, April 7th, 2007
Dr. Boogey
This is electrictab’s pedal emulation of the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head. See his schematic at http://geocities.com/electrictabs/dr.boogey.png. It is a very popular build on Aron’s forum. This layout is a substantial revision of previous ones. It is the product of contributions by many members of the forum.
Wednesday, April 4th, 2007
Thor
Designed by runoffgroove.com! I did this one after helping to debug a layout by Xavier on the forum. Thanks to Will Cote for pointing out a component value error. Stobiepole built the prototype pictured above. Runoffgroove says
The legendary Marshall 100W Super Lead adapted for use as a distortion stompbox. Successor to the Thunderchief project. Schematic and PCB layout.
Wednesday, April 4th, 2007
Big Muff Pi (Op Amp Version)
Chris Gregory <stobiepole@gmail.com> suggested this one. He also verified it and helped improve the layout. His build is pictured. Paul Nelson authored the source schematic: topopiccione.atspace.com.
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007
Rat
I sold my original Rat long ago and had to make another. tonepad.com has great layouts and I have learned from them. I always lay the circuit out from scratch and see how different mine turns out to be. Thanks to Henrik Jakobsen for correcting an error in a previous version. The schematic source is tonepad.com.