Belton BTSE-16FX Effector Circuit - 16 effects in 1

[chromesphere]

Hi guys,
I mentioned this in Rob's (deadastronaut) Flying Saucer Reverb thread, but thought instead of derailing his thread, I would start a new one! Brilliant idea!

So I was thinking of ordering one of these and giving the example circuit a go.  As im not very circuit smart, just wondering what you guys thought of this circuit and if it will work etc?  Also if anyway can explain to me how you separate (or what the difference is) between digital ground and analogue ground that would be good.  I remember reading something about it a while ago for the pt2399 but cant remember, mainly just don't mix them I think?  

http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/images/File/BTSE-16FX_%20Accutronics%20DIGITAL%20SOUND%20EFFECTOR.pdf

Cheers
Paul

[armdnrdy]

Here is a direct link to the accutronics page with a better image of the schematic.

http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/main/?skin=sub01_07.html

[samhay]

and if 16 effects is not enough, there are these option too:

http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/main/?skin=sub01_07_1.html
http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/main/?skin=sub01_07_2.html

In either case, the example circuits are pretty simple, so if you have a spare € 40(ish) for the brick and a rotary digital switch then it should be quite straight forward getting one of these in a stompbox. No idea what they sound like though.

[deadastronaut]

no adjustment?...that's a bit weird/limiting

[samhay]

If you think about the BTDR bricks, there is no adjstment either - you do that with the external mix/reverb and feedback pots.

Edit - some of these are modulation effects (chorus, flanger etc), so no LFO speed adjustment is probably not ideal. 

[Mark Hammer]

Is that the old Wavefront/Alesis chip used in the Femtoverb?

[chromesphere]

Yeah, no speed control is a bit limiting, but it has an 800ms delay which I assuming could be clean?  Also depending on cost, still might be a fun effect to have around and simple to assemble.  Waiting on the dist to give me a cost for a sample unit to test at this point.
Paul

[PRR]

> this circuit and if it will work etc?  

They are selling it. If the circuit don't work, sales will be disappointing.

Lamborgini doesn't show its sleek cars carrying tons of gravel.

Mack doesn't show its trucks winning the Indy 500.

I would ass-ume the circuit works.

MY question: WTF are the opamps for?? They don't even buffer. Input Z is like 5K!

And WHY is the schematic so blurry (even in Acrobat Reader)? (Kinda like if Lambo or Mack published an ad so blurry you couldn't tell if it was gravel or Indy...., or Toyota.)

Sure it works, somehow. But the target may be karaoke machines, where "any" effect is a bonus, and users may not have the time, know-how, or sobriety to dink with speed etc parameters. Or for $39 "student guitar amps".

[chromesphere]

Yeah that's what I was thinking (cheap amp or keyboard or karaoke machine etc).  If only you could adjust that delay time....800ms of clean delay...
Paul

[Jdansti]

I wonder if the guts are smd or just one chip, and whether they are potted.  In other words, could it be opened and hacked? 

[chromesphere]

I wonder if the guts are smd or just one chip, and whether they are potted.  In other words, could it be opened and hacked? 

That would be so cool!  Don't know the first thing about digital though.
Unfortunately the supplier has gone quiet on me as well so I cant even get my hands on a sample to test it.

[samhay]

Unfortunately the supplier has gone quiet on me as well so I cant even get my hands on a sample to test it.

Not sure what the postage to the Antipodes would be like, but you can get the -32 and -99 from here:
http://www.tubeampdoctor.com/en/shop_Reverb_Cans_Effects_Accutronics_Belton_digital/

The -16 is out of stock, which makes me wonder if they are still making them. In any case, none of them are especially cheap.

I wonder if the guts are smd or just one chip, and whether they are potted.  In other words, could it be opened and hacked? 

Someone has dissected one of the older Belton reverb bricks. Sorry, can't remember where I came across it. It was essentially just 3 SMD PT2399s. The BTSE bricks must have some DSP uC(s) all bound up in plastic and goop. I can't imagine it would be very easy to reprogram them.

[deadastronaut]

hmmm...

spin fv-1 might be a better option....probably cheaper too.

[chromesphere]

The retailer suggested a price that was much cheaper then the prices on Tubeampdoctor.  ($15 approx.).  For 15 bucks iw ould definitely give it a crack...

Problem is, he's not responding...so there goes that idea...
Paul

[R O Tiree]

Looking at the (sparse) info on the Accutronics website, it looks as if they use connectors 2 and 4 (CN2, CN4) to hard-program the brick to only do certain things. As PRR says, it's probably aimed at entry level karaoke machines, etc. I'm with Rob... FV-1 would be a more flexible option for our purposes.

[MetalGuy]

and if 16 effects is not enough, there are these option too:

http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/main/?skin=sub01_07_1.html
http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/main/?skin=sub01_07_2.html

In either case, the example circuits are pretty simple, so if you have a spare € 40(ish) for the brick and a rotary digital switch then it should be quite straight forward getting one of these in a stompbox. No idea what they sound like though.

These are repacked ACE32 and ACE99 digital effects modules manufactured by THK Japan. How do I know? Well, compare presets from Belton pages to ACE99 presets:

http://www.thk-japan.com/THK/D%20Products/Frame%20Left.htm

For many connection details check out the original ACE99 datasheet from here:

www.fk-industrie.de/downloads/ACE99ens.pdf‎

For more ACE datasheets:

http://www.cliffuk.co.uk/products/digital/

I've used an ACE8 in the past and I liked it. The specs are also very good.

[chromesphere]

That ace-drv chip has delay time and repeat control up to 1 sec!   Where can you get on from?

[MetalGuy]

AFAIK Cliff UK is a whole sale company but I guess Steve can get some and sell them retail.
Other ACE versions also have adjustable controls.

[chromesphere]

Ive message cliff for a sample.  This all may be pointless though as the ground work has been laid with the spin fv-1 like rob said....

[mth5044]

That 99 brick looks dope. I've had/seen tons of rack units that just have input/mix/ouput and an up/down selector then a little bank of presets to remember a few effect numbers. No parameter alterations. Great to just plug into and add that one extra dimension of sound instead of going through a dozen stompboxes and twiddling a bunch of knobs.

Could be a fun little unit.