freestompboxes.org

So as said in my presentation, I'm a little boutique pedal maker from France. As I did learn from DIY (but also engineering school), I wish to return my knowledge...

So here's one of my favourite creation, the glorious basstar is a 3 band overdrive. It's been designed for bass, but it works ok on guitar, I don't like it on guitar but you try and tell me!
The presentation on my website
(It'll be available in kit as soon as I get the batches of boards...)



Looks like that (On final version, volume and gain pots from mid band a reverse for ease of use):


The latest schematic : It's based on a x-tron filter (NO it's not an auto wha!), output of it feeding classic soft clippers and then a mixer.

I made a 7/8 pages document for schematic explanations:
In French: http://www.zorgeffects.com/images/Manue ... ata_Fr.pdf
In English: http://www.zorgeffects.com/images/Manue ... ta_Eng.pdf

A document with how to mount it from my PCB, and thus gut shots, will be available within next week...

Any question, critic, bash, or correction is welcome (I made the explanation doc late at night so it could be a bit messy...). I'll be following this post if you have any request!

Any guts?

The technical documents are very nice, thanks for sharing!

Looks and sounds great man. Good Job!

I absolutely would love to try one. What's the exchange rate in freedom bucks?

Bill_Mountain wrote:I absolutely would love to try one. What's the exchange rate in freedom bucks?

You mean that?
1,00 EUR = 1,06471 USD
10,0 EUR = 10,6471 USD
100 EUR = 106,471 USD

Hi Gabe!
Thanks for the project!
Does it use a deep switch for each 1n4148 diode or one for each couple?
Would you mind if I draw a vero layout for our blog? (Tagboardeffects/Guitar FX Layouts)
We have plenty of users and I can add your website details.

albru80 wrote:Hi Gabe!
Thanks for the project!

You're welcome!

albru80 wrote:Does it use a deep switch for each 1n4148 diode or one for each couple?

I use a deep switch for each 1n4148, so that you can choose between 2x1N4148, 2xled or 1n4148 on one side an led on the other. So you actually have 3 clipping options. (Actually I don't know why but single deep switch costs twice as a dual in all my catalogs...)

albru80 wrote:Would you mind if I draw a vero layout for our blog? (Tagboardeffects/Guitar FX Layouts)
We have plenty of users and I can add your website details.

I don't mind until you add my website! For the lazy ones I'll be able to provide PCBs in mid December...

Of course i will add your website address.
I'm sure people would be interested in your other pedals.
Last question about your schematic:
IC2 pin 3 connects to IC 1 pin 7 (10 to 8 & 12 to 14), correct?

albru80 wrote:Last question about your schematic:
IC2 pin 3 connects to IC 1 pin 7 (10 to 8 & 12 to 14), correct?

I'm not sure about your name but given the schematic:
U2B pin 7 connects to U3A pin 3
U2C pin 8 connects to U3C pin 10
U2D pin 14 connects to U3D pin 12
Black text (on Kicad) are labels, all labels with the same names connects to each others. For example SW10 at U2C pin 9 and R17/R18.

Oh and:

albru80 wrote:I'm sure people would be interested in your other pedals.

I'm going to begin to work on the Metalfe(s)t schematics explanations during the next days! Hope to get that finished next thuesday!

Thanks Gabe!
My name is Alex.
I'll let you know as soon as i'm done with the layout so that you could check the result.
Thanks again

Hi Gabe!
You can now find your pedal on the blog:
http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks again!

Awesome work Alex! Thanks! (I'll share that on my facebook tomorrow!)
(Actually my name's more Gabriel... But people in a hurry call me Gabe!)

albru80 wrote:You can now find your pedal on the blog:
http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.co.uk/

After looking at it, I'd like to make a few corrections:
- Where's out or Vol1?
- the treble and mid switch is the same DPDT on-off-on switch. It's used to move the crossover frequency between 200Hz, 400Hz and 800Hz.

Vol 1, 2 & 3 connections are in the notes under the layout (we usually do that).
I've corrected the switch.
Thanks Gabriel!

Thanks for posting the info on your pedal.

It looks like a really interesting design (as all your pedals do).

Thanks dude

Hey Gabriel,

Demo sounds awesome, great pedal.

One question about the PCB, how big is the board?
Would it be possible to fit it in a 1590b with 9mm pots?

Thanks,
drofmij

The board I made is 93mm x 64mm. I made 1 layer boards with straps, cause it's easier to unsolder parts from them when your doing DIY. You might get something smaller with two or more layers. And also it's made to fit with alpha pots 16mm with legs that you solder directly on the board. I'm under an heavy amount of work but I hope to post pictures by the end of next week.

Ok guys that's the board, with jumpers on: Some important infos:
The board is 93mm x 64mm
Although this is not mandatory, I solder the switch and the pots directly on the PCB (So that it holds the board in the box), but I solder them on the other side than the ones with the components. This makes the soldering of the switch a bit shitty and you should absolutely test your solders before going any further. 100% of my problems on this board came from bad soldering of the switch...

I WANT one of your PCB's!
when are they going to be available?

If you use the crowdfunding, PCBs will be sent at the end of the campaign.
If you use the web site, they're available now.(One might wait for the guts shots though...)

An important info that I missed: all my treble or tone controls acts as "smooth" meaning they're reversed: turning them 100% left allows full treble, 100% right gets you treble cut (and a lot of it!!!). This just because I'm too lazy to buy reverse log pots...