Chicago Iron - Octavian [gut shot]

Sweetalk · Post by **Sweetalk** » 20 Aug 2010, 19:28

A friend of mine bought this a few days ago, it has a loosen cable on the volume pot, one solder and voilà!

Sorry for the crappy pictures

SPeter · Post by **SPeter** » 20 Aug 2010, 19:54

http://www.chicagoiron.com/

"Our offer to you: To introduce this pedal to you, the Chicago Iron Octavian™ LED octave pedal is now available for only $289.99

. This includes a 60 hour listening period. If the Octavian pedal is not as described, just return it to us within 3 days in it's original new condition, for a full refund. Refunds do not include shipping costs or payment fees like Paypal."

atreidesheir · Post by **atreidesheir** » 22 Aug 2010, 00:42

I have looked at the website.
I cannot think of anything to say.....

squrl · Post by **squrl** » 22 Aug 2010, 07:11

needs more hot glue

Sweetalk · Post by **Sweetalk** » 23 Aug 2010, 18:18

It's all hot glued!!. One thing to mention... the warranty if for 90 days!!!, WTF??. $290 and 90 days? even $80 pedals have more warranty.

Crumbchildz · Post by **Crumbchildz** » 23 Aug 2010, 19:29

That layout looks an awful lot like the older GGG layout

. I'll have to check mine when I get home.

Sweetalk · Post by **Sweetalk** » 24 Aug 2010, 12:53

Crumbchildz wrote:That layout looks an awful lot like the older GGG layout . I'll have to check mine when I get home.

I saw on eBay an original Tycobrahe and the layout is the same

noelgrassy · Post by **noelgrassy** » 24 Aug 2010, 16:35

Is this worth getting the tracing side pics? Is the schematic already on one of the DIY FX sites and that's
why this is a half-assed submission?

Has anyone placed a small voltage on the Xfmr's Primary to calculate what is being used here? Is it just an
impedance matching Xfmr typically 300Ω to 600Ω or there abouts? Whatevahs!

Noel Grassy.

jrod · Post by **jrod** » 24 Aug 2010, 17:18

noelgrassy wrote:Is the schematic already on one of the DIY FX sites and that's
why this is a half-assed submission?

This should be the exact same thing: http://analogguru.an.ohost.de/001/schem ... ctavia.gif

devastator · Post by **devastator** » 24 Aug 2010, 17:55

why so many glue on it ? the solder isn't strong enough ?

Camphausen · Post by **Camphausen** » 24 Aug 2010, 21:13

It makes the pedal more transparent in lower gain settings

ppluis0 · Post by **ppluis0** » 24 Aug 2010, 22:09

devastator wrote:why so many glue on it ? the solder isn't strong enough ?

I think that tihs can be done in order to reduce labor costs: you put all the component at same time, fix all with hot glue (including wires), and a time later turn the board upside down and solder al the stuff in just one run. The hot glue helps to prevent broken pins, tracks, or componenet leads due vibration, shocks etc., but is only valid for bigger components, not transistor, poly caps, resistors, o Ge diodes.

The only place not covered with hot glue appears to be the bad solder at the potentiometer lug...

Camphausen wrote:It makes the pedal more transparent in lower gain settings

Maybe ??

Best Regards,
José

B Tremblay · Post by **B Tremblay** » 24 Aug 2010, 22:25

devastator wrote:why so many glue on it ? the solder isn't strong enough ?

Maybe hot glue is used because Chicago is so very windy.

noelgrassy · Post by **noelgrassy** » 26 Aug 2010, 04:23

jrod,

Thanks man. Leave it to Analogguru to suss the thing out (and reveal design flaws) unerringly.

I've never heard one so maybe I should put this on the list of future builds. Is it 8va Up or 8va Down?

Noel Grassy.

ppluis0 · Post by **ppluis0** » 26 Aug 2010, 05:34

noelgrassy wrote:Is this worth getting the tracing side pics? Is the schematic already on one of the DIY FX sites and that's
why this is a half-assed submission?

Hi Noel,

Appears to be, buried under innecesary amounts of hot glue, that this is exactly the same Tycobrahe Octavia, that can be found easily in several places in the web.

Has anyone placed a small voltage on the Xfmr's Primary to calculate what is being used here? Is it just an
impedance matching Xfmr typically 300Ω to 600Ω or there abouts? Whatevahs!

One side of this transformer must have center tap, but the exact impedance ratio is not so critical, so any generic audio interstage transformer available at Mouser, Radio Shack, or other stores can be used with no inconvenient, I think.

Best Regards,
Jose

atreidesheir · Post by **atreidesheir** » 26 Aug 2010, 15:11

noelgrassy wrote:Is this worth getting the tracing side pics? Is the schematic already on one of the DIY FX sites and that's
why this is a half-assed submission?

We should not discourage posting guts of any kind. There could have been something important or new in there. It is useful just to know if someone is selling pedals based on diy boards and schemes.

That is my opinion.

noelgrassy · Post by **noelgrassy** » 26 Aug 2010, 23:34

atreidesheir wrote:
noelgrassy wrote:Is this worth getting the tracing side pics? Is the schematic already on one of the DIY FX sites and that's
why this is a half-assed submission?
We should not discourage posting guts of any kind. There could have been something important or new in there. It is useful just to know if someone is selling pedals based on diy boards and schemes.

That is my opinion.

Yeah you're attitude is more conducive to sharing and the spread of knowledge.

I came off as a pushy dickhead and I'm not really like that. Hell, I've got more time
than money. Thanks for the nudge atreidesheir,

Jose, Thanks for the info. Interstage audio xfmr is the name for those little puppies.

...continue rocking gentlemen...

Dick Wiewy aka Noel Grassy.

Greg · Post by **Greg** » 26 Aug 2010, 23:45

ppluis0 wrote:I think that tihs can be done in order to reduce labor costs: you put all the component at same time, fix all with hot glue (including wires), and a time later turn the board upside down and solder al the stuff in just one run.

I'll bet that's why it's there.. one neat run across every component.. makes a lot of sense.

Whoismarykelly · Post by **Whoismarykelly** » 27 Aug 2010, 00:56

atreidesheir wrote:
noelgrassy wrote:Is this worth getting the tracing side pics? Is the schematic already on one of the DIY FX sites and that's
why this is a half-assed submission?
We should not discourage posting guts of any kind. There could have been something important or new in there. It is useful just to know if someone is selling pedals based on diy boards and schemes.

That is my opinion.

CI is sort of the standard for Tychobrahe Octavia clones. Their stuff is as accurate as it gets AFAIK so I wouldn't say they are just selling pedals based on DIY info. More likely a reasonable amount of DIY info exists because of companies like this. They do like to protect some of their stuff to a greater extent. I have their pedalflanger and the PCB looks like a cornish board. Completely dipped in red paint.

atreidesheir · Post by **atreidesheir** » 27 Aug 2010, 01:29

Noel,
The only thing you ever did I considered really terrible is what you did to Inigo Montoya's father.

You should be killed for that.

You are one of the good guys and we all know it from your posts.
My typing is often more sarcastic than I feel.

Does anyone else use the hot glue? It is either screwy or ingenius, I am not sure which. I considered something similar with masking tape, but decided it was too ghetto. Maybe I should reconsider...

The price of this pedal makes this product feel tainted to me. That should be a FSB penalty.
Fulltone and Voodoo Labs both make nice versions of the Octavia for 60-80% less. Anybody on this website can build a fine sounding version for $40 and some encouragement. I am just sayin' is all...