BAJA Real Tube Drive pedal project  [documentation]

Original effects with schematics, layouts and instructions, freely contributed by members or found in publications. Cannot be used for commercial purposes without the consent of the owners of the copyright.
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DrNomis
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Post by DrNomis »

Mbas974 wrote:In adding a tone-stack to this pedal, what should fit as the best solution ?
A solution like BB-Preamp can be a good option ?

Any suggestion ?
Thanks is advance.

The pedal already has a tone control so you really don't need to add a Tonestack to it, if you do you may find that the output level will drop, Tonestacks tend to be a bit lossy particularly the Fender or Marshall Tonestacks..... :thumbsup
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Post by aarghh »

Thanks Bajaman.
I've made it -and it sounds great. The only changes I've made were potentiometers and one resistor. 20k for tone, 100k for gain, 500k for level and 2.2k instead of 680R near the second stage preamp. It dropped the gain a lot - and I really like it now.
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Mbas974
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Post by Mbas974 »

Hi looking for power supply for this project 16Vac 1.5A...

can I use something like this (it's only 300mA) ?
http://www.ebay.it/itm/AC-85V-265V-to-1 ... SwjVVVyBh2

would yo u mind post the ebay link for a direct purchase ?
Tx

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Xaser
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Post by Xaser »

Hi baja, thanks for the great work!

I was just doing some layouting for your BAJA B K Tube Driver (with biasing), when I came across this thread. Now I skimmed through this thread trying to find the answer to this question I had, but with no luck.. maybe the answer doesn't even exit but well here it goes:

Is there any other difference between your Real Tube Driver and the BK except that yours has better voltage regulation, different voltage input and is missing the HI / LOW Eq stage at the end and it fits in a standard case? Can't make out any other difference looking at the schematics. Oh yeah.. what happened to the diode biasing at the non-inverting input op OP1? What's your reason for calling it a "real" tube driver?

Right now of adding the biasing to this circuit and create some gerber files for this project, as the power supply certainly is much cleaner.

Thanks!

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DrNomis
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Post by DrNomis »

Xaser wrote:Hi baja, thanks for the great work!

I was just doing some layouting for your BAJA B K Tube Driver (with biasing), when I came across this thread. Now I skimmed through this thread trying to find the answer to this question I had, but with no luck.. maybe the answer doesn't even exit but well here it goes:

Is there any other difference between your Real Tube Driver and the BK except that yours has better voltage regulation, different voltage input and is missing the HI / LOW Eq stage at the end and it fits in a standard case? Can't make out any other difference looking at the schematics. Oh yeah.. what happened to the diode biasing at the non-inverting input op OP1? What's your reason for calling it a "real" tube driver?

Right now of adding the biasing to this circuit and create some gerber files for this project, as the power supply certainly is much cleaner.

Thanks!

It's called a real Tube Driver because it uses a real tube which is driven to create the overdrive sound.
Genius is not all about 99% perspiration, and 1% inspiration - sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face.-Frequencycentral.

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Post by Xaser »

hm ok. thought there was more to it, because I somehow got the feeling that he was regarding the BK Butler as "not real".

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Post by bajaman »

so many commercial pedals are marketed as "tube overdrives" , "Tube drivers" , "tube screamers" etc., when clearly they do not contain an actual vacuum tube in them. then there are the pedals marketed with tubes in them although all the overdrive and distortion is realised by diode clipping circuits - i think you can figure out why this is called a REAL tube drive now :wink:
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Xaser
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Post by Xaser »

Hi baja, ok i just thought there was more to it, especially since the bk butler did not have real in the name.

Any comments on my other questions?

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Post by bajaman »

the diode biasing you mentioned is just protection against dc over voltage - peavey use it quite a lot in their designs - feel free to include it if you really think it necessary but the circuit will function perfectly okay without it. Do not underestimate the simple tone control compared to the BK Butler tube driver's more elaborate tone stack - i did not want the low mid range notch that the three section control introduces - this makes a BIG difference to the sound of the pedal :!:
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Xaser
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Post by Xaser »

ok, the schematic is done.. i think.. see below..


right now I'm trying to figure out a proper PCB arrangement to fit everything in a BB case without constraining myself too much on specific potentiometers / TRS sockets etc...

I kinda wonder how you got you PCB placed in the Hammond case at all. and i don't mean the tube but rather actually fitting the fixed sockets / pots / switch in their holes.
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Baja Real Tube Driver - B K Butler Driver.png

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Post by vmaxvmax »

It is all explained earlier in the thread. Amazing though it might seem, Baja's board and hardware arrangements are a very neat fit!

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DrNomis
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Post by DrNomis »

Xaser wrote:ok, the schematic is done.. i think.. see below..


right now I'm trying to figure out a proper PCB arrangement to fit everything in a BB case without constraining myself too much on specific potentiometers / TRS sockets etc...

I kinda wonder how you got you PCB placed in the Hammond case at all. and i don't mean the tube but rather actually fitting the fixed sockets / pots / switch in their holes.


In the schematic you posted R1 should be 100 ohms not 1M.
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Post by bajaman »

and C1 should be 100n :roll: - really what exactly are youy trying to achieve - this is not the thread for this schematic - this is the Baja Real Tube Drive project NOT the BK Butler Tube Driver :slap:
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Xaser
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Post by Xaser »

yep thanks for pointing that out, was a copy and paste error..

what I'm trying to achieve here? well first of all I need proper CAD files so I can order proper PCBs, I'm not a fan of etching PCBs, its not very clean in my opinion.. but then again audio is DC really, I'm used to work with much more high frequency signals. The next thing is, because the BK Butler and your Tube Driver are almost identical really for the main signal path, I don't see why I shouldn't make my PCB in a way that allows me to build both versions on the same PCB. So the schematic can be posted here or over in the BK driver thread. In fact due to the power section, it's more closely related to your Driver :)

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Post by josepqr »

Hello,

can anybody help me??

I think I have good voltages.
but the pedal sounds really bad. very devil, no "body" or presence, sounds tinny iron.

What should be the voltages of the IC 4558?
I have in legs 4 and 8;
+ 13v and -16v

but the rest of legs (leg 1,2,3,5,6,7 = 0V) It is correct???
that function then makes this operational ???

I have changed 3 times and it is the same value.

anyone know if everything is OK ??
or if something goes wrong ???

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Post by modman »

joseprq is now banned for three weeks for posting this exact same message in four (4) threads.
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Post by CarolinaTech »

Is the strip board layout verified from page 3?

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Post by DavidRavenMoon »

DrNomis wrote:
Mbas974 wrote:In adding a tone-stack to this pedal, what should fit as the best solution ?
A solution like BB-Preamp can be a good option ?

Any suggestion ?
Thanks is advance.

The pedal already has a tone control so you really don't need to add a Tonestack to it, if you do you may find that the output level will drop, Tonestacks tend to be a bit lossy particularly the Fender or Marshall Tonestacks..... :thumbsup
The BK Butler BlueTube has a tone stack. I own one of those. Nice pedal but... with a 12AX7 is breaks up too much just getting it to unity gain (probably because of the tone stack). So I replaced it with a 12AU7. The other two issues are; the pedal hums a bit, and the output impedance is high, so you have to be careful what you plug it into. It could really use an output buffer. The tone stack is very useful, especially using it with bass.
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Post by deltafred »

Mbas974 wrote:Hi looking for power supply for this project 16Vac 1.5A...

can I use something like this (it's only 300mA) ?
http://www.ebay.it/itm/AC-85V-265V-to-1 ... SwjVVVyBh2

would yo u mind post the ebay link for a direct purchase ?
Tx
No that is an AC (in) to DC (out) convertor for driving LEDs (which require DC).

You need to search for 'transformer 16vac'. not sure where in the world you are but best to find one locally if you can (because transformers being full of steel and copper are heavy).
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Post by robinbowes »

bajaman wrote:latest OSH park boards available now :wink:
Woohoo - can I get a set please? Do they come pre-cut?

I'll PM you.

R.

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