have you built or played with the beavis optochopto?

[tabbycat]

am thinking of using this, or elements of it, to somehow integrate into a feedback pedal, to make a stuttery-phasery-wahy fuzz-n-feedback racket every time i hit it.

it looks fun. i just wondered whether anyone here has built or experimented with it, taken it to any interesting extremes or along a curious tangent.


http://beavisaudio.com/Projects/Colorso ... ic_big.gif
http://beavisaudio.com/Projects/ColorsoundWah/index.htm

i also have a couple of questions re the specified components:

is the vtl5c9 was essential or could a ntl32 vactrol (with maybe a tweak of a resistor R1 or addition of a pot there to fine tune resistance) be used to function as effectively. or would any of the other easier to find and cheaper vtl5xx series be useable?
i found this post here by floris (re a dod noise gate) which explains the different sensitivities of various vactrols but not sure if the 50ms release is a deal breaker for this circuit.

"The VTL5C1 (35ms), VTL5C3 (35ms) and VTL5C9 (50ms) have a much faster release that the VTL5C2 (500ms)."
https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic ... 5c9#p75562

re the schmitt, beavis states "I use just one gate of a 40106 Quad Schmitt Trigger". would a hex schmitt 40106 do as well in this role? i have not used one before.

many thanks for your opinions or suggestions.

tabbycat.

[Nocentelli]

Any vactrol would probably work, including a DIY LED/LDR shrink-tubed together (much cheaper). I've only ever come across hex 40106, should work fine, just tie unused inputs to ground. You might want to play around with the resonance pot (will act like a depth pot), maybe add a small resistor in series to set a minimum resistance above zero ohms, or it will squeal when turned to minimum resistance/max resonance.

[tabbycat]

Any vactrol would probably work, including a DIY LED/LDR shrink-tubed together (much cheaper). I've only ever come across hex 40106, should work fine, just tie unused inputs to ground. You might want to play around with the resonance pot (will act like a depth pot), maybe add a small resistor in series to set a minimum resistance above zero ohms, or it will squeal when turned to minimum resistance/max resonance.

thanks nocentelli, much appreciated.

ordered the schmitt you suggested last night as was the only bit i didn't have. this looks an interesting circuit. nothing much on it here (fsb) and a half-hearted attempt at diysb that peters out after a page. the 'gristleiser' is a relative mutant that has pushed it around a bit.

the diy vactrol led/ldr route is something else i ought to try too. from what i've read varying the colour of the led and adding a little series resistance can produce some subtle but useful changes in response. the vtl5c9 seems to be the most expensive stomp-related vactrol so for 'playing' and experimenting i'd rather blow a pocketful of cheapies than pay big just to pop it.

will post any interesting results here as and when i have some...

tabbycat.