The Chase Bliss Wombtone phaser has more stuff in a 1590B (or perhaps 125C), than most of us can fit into an old school EHX Memory Man box, or maybe even a rack chassis. Can you believe how many features are in that sucker? (note the 16 dipswitches on the underside) I count 10 optoisolators, and even using what appears to be entirely thru-hole parts, you will note there is still room for a battery! My guess is that the design was a whole lot easier than the layout.
Now don't you folks who need an entire 1590BB for a Fuzz Face feel downright embarassed? :icon_redface:
(http://chaseblissaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/WT_Main.jpg)
(http://modezero.com/images0000/wombtone-original-Ex.jpg)
Quote from: Mark Hammer on June 09, 2015, 09:48:06 PM
Now don't you folks who need an entire 1590BB for a Fuzz Face feel downright embarassed? :icon_redface:
Nope - I consider it a major triumph that I get circuits to work at all!
This thing is like the entire audience from a Zeppelin concert packed inside of a double decker bus!
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53299166/DIYstompboxes/wombtonemk22.jpg)
The next generation Chase Bliss Wombtone phaser MK II with the dipswitches on the back instead on the bottom. (probably a good idea when Velcro'd onto a pedal board.
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53299166/DIYstompboxes/wombtonemk3.jpg)
And it comes in a nice box! I wonder if there's a bow on it. :icon_lol:
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/53299166/DIYstompboxes/1410517549-89688400.jpg)
im on Kyle Chase's wait list for a blemished echoplex he calls the secret pre amp..it looks like a thing of beauty so I am purchasing one
this thing looks really cool too. all his products look good
That's impressive!
First pic wow...second very neat...third pic holy crap!
It's waterproof.
Triumph of the FILL
is that done by a human , or is it a CAD machine and robotics ?
Stacked PCBs, 1/8W resistors, mini electrolytics, and MLCCs. The small parts are all pretty standard stuff for 1590As, so considering what we've managed to cram in there (flangers! klones! Pickdropper's tremolo + chorus! GrindCustoms' three-in-one 1590A!), expanding it to a 125B becomes more impressive.
His addition of dip switches on the front of the case was very cool, though, I can't think of anyone else who did something like that.
Death by options... ;D that looks insanely cool.
If that's a commercial build, as a player, I'd say I dislike like it, honestly. The footswitches are silly close, and the toggle between them might not be quite stumpy enough to avoid being destroyed by stomping. Taptempo for a phaser seems silly, just makes for a complicated tap dance and an even more crowded topside. I dislike knobs packed that close as well, although, those are awful handsome knobs. The DIP switches are clumsy and overkill. I dislike decal art on pedals, too. It's off-center and I can see the edges.
Now, if this ain't a commercial build, as a DIY builder, I'd say, "HOLY ----! Bravissimo!!! Very impressive build. Are you insane?! We're not worthy..."
(http://image.slidesharecdn.com/app-ifiyingwordpress-140726174835-phpapp02/95/appifiying-wordpress-practical-tips-for-using-wordpress-as-an-application-platform-15-638.jpg?cb=1406415041)
I agree with the close proximity of the foot switches. That doesn't make it very user friendly...unless you play guitar wearing pointy toe pumps! (I gave that up in the big hair 80s!) :icon_eek:
I have the habit of shrinking down builds to fit them in the smallest enclosure possible.
In my approach, I have often taken a step back to add another footswitch to control something on the fly.
I have then increased the size of the enclosure to put the switches at a more realistic distance so you're not switching off the effect when trying to switch in another option.
Pertinent criticism from garcho, but I don't think this particular unit was built "for the road". How and why would one use a phaser with this many options on stage? And if it offers some unique sounds that you simply must have, you can always use it with a looper and remote tap tempo.
Quote from: FiveseveN on June 11, 2015, 01:52:04 PM
Pertinent criticism from garcho, but I don't think this particular unit was built "for the road".
If this unit was built with the studio in mind....it could have been housed in a 19" rack....with far less work in routing.
The small size, with all of the options available, points to a pedal board unit for someone who likes choice. ;)
The 3 current pedals in the Chase Bliss stable point to a design philosophy that says "Well if I have the stuff on board to actually do it, then why would I hold back?". The pedals are analog-processed, but microcontroller-assisted. And, once you have that sort of marriage, as our friend "Commander" Keen notes, it's just ASMOP.
Perhaps Mr. Korte will eventually opt for a larger chassis to accommodate either more options, or simply yield to consumer pressure for a different control layout. On the other hand, the trend towards effects in 1590A chassis suggests otherwise. That is, more folks are likely to complain about wasting pedalboard real-estate than about the need to space controls farther apart.
We'll see what pressure wins out. In the meantime, just like with synths, it's always nice to see a pedal that could have had a screen and menus/submenus, but elected to go with discrete knobs and switches for more immediate malleability. Daddy like.
Very impressed with the ability to squeeze that many options into such a small box (I throw a little party inside my head every time I get a Rebote 2.5 into a 1590B), but I have to wonder how many of them are legitimate, distinct tonal options as opposed to "I'll bet I can fit more knobs and switches on there."
Nonetheless I think this is remarkably cool but I would never own one.
Quote from: vigilante397 on June 11, 2015, 05:58:26 PM
Nonetheless I think this is remarkably cool but I would never own one.
There goes my idea for your Christmas present! :icon_lol:
Quote from: armdnrdy on June 11, 2015, 06:01:20 PM
There goes my idea for your Christmas present! :icon_lol:
Well then let me rephrase:
I think it's remarkably cool but I would never own one for more than two weeks. The first week would give me time to take pictures, show it to all my friends, and play with it enough to realize that I need $300 a lot more than I need a phaser, so naturally the second week would be waiting for it to sell on eBay :P
The build is excellent , design and layout are beautiful. He really did pack a lot into a small space gotta hand it to em for that. The one you posted is the first one that's discontinued now. They have an MKII version now ($350) that's also sold out. Man that wood box is really nice.
I think this fits the market of today's pedal buyers- Modulation with lots of options. I listened to a sample of one and it sounded great.
It's not for me , I usually play just clean with a compressor. But I bet this is a huge hit with people that are into other styles of music.
The build-density is probably less than in a NLS DMM from 1978.
That unit was built before we had ICs for DMM purposes. Chock-tight with TTL and discrete. So tight they had to grid a corner off the top PCB to fit the custom case. (This may have been a first-batch job I saw.)
And NO computer layout tools used. (Boeing had some, but not NLS.)
QuoteI listened to a sample of one and it sounded great.
the true worth, of course.
i was nitpicking out of shock at the toggle between the foot switches, as i just repaired a few peers' pedals in the last few weeks, all with broken switches. if only round rocker switches were smaller, i'd use those instead of toggle.
Looks cool!
Quote from: garcho on June 11, 2015, 08:30:31 PM
i was nitpicking out of shock at the toggle between the foot switches, as i just repaired a few peers' pedals in the last few weeks, all with broken switches. if only round rocker switches were smaller, i'd use those instead of toggle.
If you haven't tried the toggles with the little stubby handles, you owe it to yourself to do so. Small Bear sells them, although I imagine others do too. They're actualy pretty low profile and don't stick up much farther than many of the LED bezels do. And in the case of the Wombtone, the proximity of the two footswitches provides some protection against accidental foot-crushing of the toggle.
Quote from: Mark Hammer on June 09, 2015, 09:48:06 PM
The Chase Bliss Wombtone phaser has more stuff in a 1590B (or perhaps 125C), than most of us can fit into an old school EHX Memory Man box, or maybe even a rack chassis. Can you believe how many features are in that sucker? (note the 16 dipswitches on the underside) I count 10 optoisolators, and even using what appears to be entirely thru-hole parts, you will note there is still room for a battery! My guess is that the design was a whole lot easier than the layout.
Now don't you folks who need an entire 1590BB for a Fuzz Face feel downright embarassed? :icon_redface:
(http://chaseblissaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/WT_Main.jpg)
(http://modezero.com/images0000/wombtone-original-Ex.jpg)
I'm really happy to have seen this today - it's a bit surreal for me actually. Mark, we've never met or communicated but I feel like I know you. I'm absolutely obsessed with BBD circuits, so naturally I've read your many posts on the subject and have learned a great deal from you. Thank you so much.
Old thread, but when I was looking for a new phasor I came accross this. I chose the Earthquaker Grand Orbiter v2 over it for many of the reasons mentioned.
Quote from: chaseblissaudio on October 07, 2015, 03:36:30 PMI'm really happy to have seen this today - it's a bit surreal for me actually. Mark, we've never met or communicated but I feel like I know you. I'm absolutely obsessed with BBD circuits, so naturally I've read your many posts on the subject and have learned a great deal from you. Thank you so much.
Welcome to the party! Those are some nice looking pedals you've got there. :)
Quote from: chaseblissaudio on October 07, 2015, 03:36:30 PM
I'm really happy to have seen this today - it's a bit surreal for me actually. Mark, we've never met or communicated but I feel like I know you. I'm absolutely obsessed with BBD circuits, so naturally I've read your many posts on the subject and have learned a great deal from you. Thank you so much.
It's me who's humbled here. I just blather on about stuff, and once every thousand posts or so I say something clever - monkeys and typewriters and all that. You, on the other hand, are actually DOING it, and doing it rather well (the world requires no more TS clones or fuzzes). So, I tip my hat. Thanks right back at you.
To feed your obsession, I'll direct your attention to this, which was drawn to my own attention yesterday (so I haven't gotten around to reading it in detail) by another member who happens to live nearby: http://electricdruid.net/investigations-into-what-a-bbd-chorus-unit-really-does/
Enjoy!
Quote from: Mark Hammer on June 09, 2015, 09:48:06 PM
Now don't you folks who need an entire 1590BB for a Fuzz Face feel downright embarassed? :icon_redface:
Next time you're smuggling the band's pills across the Canada-US border you'll thank me for that big hollow space in the Fuzz Face, Mark.
"It's not a fuzzbox, sir, it's a maraca. We're a Bo Diddly cover band. You know, 'Roadrunner", 'Leave it to Lerome', 'Who Do You Love'". :icon_mrgreen: :icon_mrgreen:
You a silly boy Jeremy!
(EDIT: The tune was actually called "Bring it to Jerome". )
Quote from: Mark Hammer on October 07, 2015, 10:56:58 PM
"It's not a fuzzbox, sir, it's a maraca. We're a Bo Diddly cover band. You know, 'Roadrunner", 'Leave it to Lerome', 'Who Do You Love'". :icon_mrgreen: :icon_mrgreen:
Um, you forgot one:
Quote from: Mark Hammer
You a silly boy Jeremy!
Moi?
Quote from: Mark Hammer on October 07, 2015, 07:16:11 PM
To feed your obsession, I'll direct your attention to this, which was drawn to my own attention yesterday (so I haven't gotten around to reading it in detail) by another member who happens to live nearby: http://electricdruid.net/investigations-into-what-a-bbd-chorus-unit-really-does/
Enjoy!
WOW. this is so cool.
I'd really love to send you my through-zero flanger when it's released in the next few months here. I think you'd get a kick out of it. Lots of challenges to overcome, of course. The biggest was eliminating heterodyning with 3 high frequency clocking sources (PIC's PWM and 2 independent BBD lines), I considering giving up a few times. I'd always get excited when I'd see "Mark Hammer" weighed in on some topic I was trying to solve. Now that it's done though I'm pretty proud of it and I think it's my best pedal.
shoot me an email at joel@chaseblissaudio.com if you'd like, I'd really love to send you one. I'm just starting to build them this month.
I'm going to try to hang out here a bit, maybe I can be of some help. I still consider myself a hack though.
Quote from: hymenoptera on October 07, 2015, 07:10:37 PM
Welcome to the party! Those are some nice looking pedals you've got there. :)
Thx!
Quote from: vigilante397 on June 11, 2015, 05:58:26 PM
I throw a little party inside my head every time I get a Rebote 2.5 into a 1590B
Feel free to use my layout (http://rumbust.net/Rebote), it fits nicely into a 1590B. No battery though.
Quote from: chaseblissaudio on October 08, 2015, 10:35:57 AM
I'm going to try to hang out here a bit, maybe I can be of some help. I still consider myself a hack though.
You're more than welcome to hang out with us, few people here are more than hacks and those who are generally don't admit it (but we know who they are).
Quote from: Perrow on October 08, 2015, 03:17:09 PMfew people here are more than hacks and those who are generally don't admit it
I don't think this forum had a motto before today, but now I think it does.
I haven't got a clue what I'm doing, but I'm having a blast doing it. :icon_mrgreen:
Me too....totally clueless, but enjoy my little bits of audio terrorism.. 8)
Quote from: deadastronaut on October 09, 2015, 06:12:46 AM
Me too....totally clueless, but enjoy my little bits of audio terrorism.. 8)
How would you even know if your terror was a success?
In space you can't hear us scream. :-X
Quote from: midwayfair on June 10, 2015, 11:13:56 AM
Stacked PCBs, 1/8W resistors, mini electrolytics, and MLCCs. The small parts are all pretty standard stuff for 1590As, so considering what we've managed to cram in there (flangers! klones! Pickdropper's tremolo + chorus! GrindCustoms' three-in-one 1590A!), expanding it to a 125B becomes more impressive.
His addition of dip switches on the front of the case was very cool, though, I can't think of anyone else who did something like that.
I did dip switches on the top of a rackmount Yamaha E1010 echo I built around mid 1980s!
And of course the original Sans Amp used a dipswitch, mounted to be accessible from the top/front. It's such a good idea. So why don't more folks use them? If I'm not mistaken, you can get DPST dipswitches, in case you have to change two components at once. Although I suppose in some instances, a person could use a single-pole switch to actuate as many switching FETs as they wanted/needed to accomplish some audible change.
(http://www.sonicscoop.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Tech21_SansAmp_Classic.jpg)
damn............
Quote from: Mark Hammer on October 09, 2015, 02:29:05 PM
And of course the original Sans Amp used a dipswitch, mounted to be accessible from the top/front. It's such a good idea. So why don't more folks use them? If I'm not mistaken, you can get DPST dipswitches, in case you have to change two components at once. Although I suppose in some instances, a person could use a single-pole switch to actuate as many switching FETs as they wanted/needed to accomplish some audible change.
That is totally cool! It seems people just generally have a fascination with dip switches too... I'm not sure what it is exactly. Either way, I'm surprised more mfgs don't use them.
Quote from: Perrow on October 08, 2015, 03:17:09 PM
You're more than welcome to hang out with us, few people here are more than hacks and those who are generally don't admit it (but we know who they are).
And then there is R.G. Keen.... who will forget more about electronics than I would amass in 10 lifetimes. There's someone else who I've never met or communicated with. Yet, I've learned more from him than anyone else on the planet.
Quote from: chaseblissaudio on October 09, 2015, 02:40:41 PM
It seems people just generally have a fascination with dip switches too... I'm not sure what it is exactly.
They can be pretty handy on the ol' breadboard too! 8)
Quote from: hymenoptera on October 09, 2015, 09:24:30 PM
Quote from: chaseblissaudio on October 09, 2015, 02:40:41 PM
It seems people just generally have a fascination with dip switches too... I'm not sure what it is exactly.
They can be pretty handy on the ol' breadboard too! 8)
I quite agree, no dangling cables!
Quote from: Mark Hammer on October 09, 2015, 02:29:05 PM
And of course the original Sans Amp used a dipswitch, mounted to be accessible from the top/front. It's such a good idea. So why don't more folks use them?
because:
1) they are annoying to use - even more so on a floor box when playing an instrument
2) if you are playing an instrument without a pick and have fat fingers good luck
3) hard to see which way the switch is set in stage light from 5+ feet away (floor to eyes; assuming you're not a little person).
4) ugly
Personally, I would only use dip switches for internal (or side/underside) set and forget type stuff, and not for things that I might actually want to change regularly; like trim pots. As regards that Sansamp example, it looks like that dip array controls the modelling mode (glorified tone networks; varitone type thing but probably active or even digital). I'd find it much more useful on a multi-way rotary; though the dip bank would appear to allow multiple selections at a time (even though some of the options do not appear to be useful in tandem), so maybe 2 rotaries or even 3 3 way toggles; "low drive" could be a push pull on the drive pot etc; there's room for control options that provide better usability (but probably cost more).
DIP switches are awesome but require more than a drill bit to fit into an enclosure. anything that isn't round is much less popular 'round here it seems; i understand why. i've cut squares into enclosures with a dremel but it ain't no fun.
EDIT:
somehow missed this wasn't a current topic, sorry to resurrect for sideline comment
Does anyone else have one of these yet? I somehow found a great deal on a used one and should have it soon. He's putting out a flanger soon, the demos for that sound amazing!
Also, I think the dip switches on this are a great idea, especially for the parameters they control. The pedal allows saved presets so you wouldn't need to try to flip dip switches between songs.
Well, as the topic is again resurected from the dead, MK2 of the pedals is out and tested by Pro Gutar Shop's Andy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaSYLBKmNXQ
Quote from: Hatredman on December 01, 2015, 11:56:28 AM
Well, as the topic is again resurected from the dead, MK2 of the pelas is out and tested by Pro Gutar Shop's Andy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaSYLBKmNXQ
Yeah, I think that is how I got the MK1 at a pretty reasonable price. It just showed up! Much experimenting will be happening this evening!
Here's a really cool video with some background and the assembly process of these pedals.
Greetings
Does anyone know this is an optical phaser?
I do not see transistors and ota, but many wactrols.
Perhaps they are responsible for the effect, but maybe the main circuit is located on the second board.
Someone knows how this phaser works.
It's optical. Joel uses a PIC for all of the control aspects. He told me which ones were his favorites, but it was 5 years ago, and I'm not sure I still have the e-mail. What I do recall is that he uses their PWM outputs for controlling the vactrols.
Quote from: Mark Hammer on May 10, 2020, 08:02:04 PM
It's optical. Joel uses a PIC for all of the control aspects. He told me which ones were his favorites, but it was 5 years ago, and I'm not sure I still have the e-mail. What I do recall is that he uses their PWM outputs for controlling the vactrols.
Thanks for the info Mark.