Maestro RM-1 Ring modulator build finally done, Pics and sound clips...

Started by John Lyons, July 28, 2006, 10:29:35 PM

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John Lyons

I finally finished The Maestro RM-1 build I started on a while ago. 
I had planned on boxing it up in a wooden enclosure as usual but the original box I had made was a bit too small.
This build takes a pretty large box, hence the 1590D hammond (found two in a dumpster!!!)
I may rehouse it later and I still need a better coat of paint on this one.

It's a complicated build but Alex Petrini at Topiconne has done all the hard work with the PCB and power supply layout and copious notes.

Check out the files here
http://topopiccione.atspace.com/PJ01MaestroMR.html




The hole will be the LED status indicator. The Orange neon light is the AC  power "On" indicator




There is a good amount of off board wiring and a separate power supply board.
I had to make another PCB latoyt for the power supply because the one given didn't fit the 1000 caps.
The caps are much larger that the original board will fit. I didn't have any problems other thna wiring a few things backwards at first.
I was able to get all the parts at mouser and the hard to find MC1495 chip is available at smeallbear!

Tuning this thing with the 4 trimpots is a bit of a nighmare but I think i'm pretty close to where it should be set.
MAKE SURE TO USE MULTI TURN TRIMMERS ON THIS BUILD!!!!




Here's my PCB layout in case you need it.
The parts layout is the same as the original one linked above.



Here are some sound clips. Excuse the lame playing.
The Signal chain was: 73 strat>Jack Orman's "Fat Gnat" distortion box>Maestro RM-1 ring mod>74 Fender Twin reverb (Converted to blackface specs)>Shure SM58>Royer Tube Mic pre>TascaM CD burner>Cool Edit Pro

http://www.mrdwab.com/john/Maestrodistchoppy.mp3

http://www.mrdwab.com/john/Maestro5.mp3

http://www.mrdwab.com/john/Maestrocleanchord.mp3

http://www.mrdwab.com/john/Maestrostutter.mp3

http://mrdwab.com/john/Maestro4.mp3

http://mrdwab.com/john/Maestro3.mp3



Thanks for looking.

John

Basic Audio Pedals
www.basicaudio.net/

Cliff Schecht


John Lyons

The unit is self contained. There is an onboard oscillator. See the schematic. There are ins and outs for carrier, oscilator etc etc but I just built it with standard guitar in and out. It's a tough build anyway! (for me at least) A foot controlled modulation pedal would be cool as they offered in the 70's.  Maybe next time...

John

Basic Audio Pedals
www.basicaudio.net/

Cliff Schecht

Just get a pitch shifting effect and use the wet as the input and dry as the carrier. I've found this to give the most versatile sounds. I was thinking about including a built in oscillator, but I'm too happy with the sounds produced just with the Digitech Whammy I've been using. Yours definetly sounded great too though. How did you get that warbly effect?

There's a few soundclips of my build as well as other stuff here (toward the bottom): http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=47132.40

I want to be able to run my dry(Or wet) signal through all of my other effects and then into the carrier/input (depending on what makes just the ring mod bypassable) so that I can put a bunch of effects on just one of the signals before entering the modulator. This might take some more planning.

John Lyons

The switch toggles between two frequency ranges, low and high. With the low range selected you get the vibrato and stutter type sounds. At the higher range of the low setting you get that warble type sound with the modulation midway up. For most playing where you need to be in tune and want to resemble aything like what the actual guitar note sounds like you need to have the modulation at about half way up or lower. Otherwise it's just robot city! and hard to have any control over pitch. Pretty much all the samples I recorded are with the modulation set at half or lower.  The higher Modulation setting at cool for sound effects and total freakout stuff. Should have recorded some of those as well...
Basic Audio Pedals
www.basicaudio.net/

John Lyons

One Thing I noticed is that when I use the ring mod before a dist pedal I get some bleed through of the carrier even when it's bypassed. Maybe a matter of needing to wire it grounded input? but that would be the input and the carrier is what is coming through. Anyone else build this yet? Did you notice the problem? I also have shielded the input an outputs from the jacks and to the bypass switch. There is a fet switch which cuts out the carrier signal when you play and it does a very good job, just that on the high pitched notes the carrie come through when bypassed. Hmmm

John

Basic Audio Pedals
www.basicaudio.net/

jimbob

Very impressive! After listening I can't help but wonder where that type of sound would be useful. Im sure Ill probably build it anyways even if i never do fond a use.
"I think somebody should come up with a way to breed a very large shrimp. That way, you could ride him, then after you camped at night, you could eat him. How about it, science?"

Cliff Schecht

Quote from: Basicaudio on July 29, 2006, 09:52:16 PM
One Thing I noticed is that when I use the ring mod before a dist pedal I get some bleed through of the carrier even when it's bypassed. Maybe a matter of needing to wire it grounded input? but that would be the input and the carrier is what is coming through. Anyone else build this yet? Did you notice the problem? I also have shielded the input an outputs from the jacks and to the bypass switch. There is a fet switch which cuts out the carrier signal when you play and it does a very good job, just that on the high pitched notes the carrie come through when bypassed. Hmmm

John



Defiently do grounded bypass, I had the same problem with mine.

Jimbob: I haven't gotten to jam with this thing yet, but I'm going to try to record some when I jam tomorrow. It does great ambience with a delay and an arsenal of effets after it.

John Lyons

Well, I see what your saying...The usuability is really within the context of the band/recording etc etc. Depending on where you set the level of the effect you can get a full blown crazyness or just a bit of ring and or octave harmonic content behind the straight sound. There are a lot of variables to setting a mix and frequency to the overall tone of this one. Like I was saying, I had the modulation (mix) level at around 50% or less most of the time with the samples here. If you mix it lower you can add just the right amount of weirdness and octave up/down and harmonic strangeness to give your tone a lot of complexity. Those extra ins and outs I omitted on this build start to sound better and better now. Just a mater of removing some jumpers and bringing them out to jacks.
It would be cool to modulate the ring mod with a chorus or a Univibe type sound, maybe a tremolo as well.

Cliff

I'll try the grounded input wiring..thanks

John

Basic Audio Pedals
www.basicaudio.net/