Searching for a builder

[alienroaming]

Hi,

So there was this pedal made by the Japanese company S3N, called the Micro Flutter. Its a momentary looper, with the speed controlled by a main knob and pitch by a knob on the side, and a momentary switch to activate it. Unfortunately they were discontinued before I could snap one up. I was thinking to getting a clone of it built. They made a demo here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta586eFJqoA.

Is this something anyone here could make?

[MaxPower]

How much are you willing to pay?

[alienroaming]

If you can make a perfect replica, I'll pay up to the cost of what it would be from S3N. So between $200-250 AUD (thats really the max I'll pay)

[Brisance]

Expect to pay more, since for a builder not a mass producer component and labor costs are much higher per pedal.

[alienroaming]

I thought $250 seemed reasonable, I'm getting another custom pedal built (granted not as complex as this) from another builder for $150. Whats a reasonable price point then?

[CodeMonk]

If you can produce a schematic of it, maybe someone could clone it.
At the very least, detail pictures of both sides of the circuit board with part numbers clearly visible.
Without that, your are highly unlikely to get one made for the price you are willing to pay.
And if it uses a microprocessor with propreitary code, you are unlikely to see it cloned for any price.
ebay would be your best bet.

[samhay]

And if it uses a microprocessor with propreitary code, you are unlikely to see it cloned for any price.
ebay would be your best bet.

This is almost certainly a digital effect.
+1 for a second hand buy on ebay IF you want a 'perfect replica'

If you can live similar features in a workalike then DIY becomes a lot more tractible.

[add4]

In general, asking for a custom build at this price point is pretty much ensuring the builder will not get payed for his hours, except the circuit is a variation of a pretty well known pedal. The builder has to make a PCB/layout for it. A PCB cannot be easily manufactured for just one piece. There could be errors in the design, testing, manual work in the design of the pedal and I'm not even counting the tracing of the circuit. You're pretty much using the passion of someone else to get a cheap(er) object for yourself. I understand your price point but as a builder I find this almost insulting (as in  supposed to work for free And invest money for you just because I happen to like building). This sounds like these venue asking bands to play for free because 'they like to play music after all'.
That's certainly not what you are trying to achieve. But I think it's interesting to explain how it can interpreted.

[FUZZZZzzzz]

reminds me a bit of some of these pedals.. Maybe worth checking them out..

The Teaspoon by squarewave parade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM90C_9IFJw

The Glitch from MWfx
http://www.mwfx.co.uk/product/glitch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1VroPx5Eoo

Revolver or Revolver II from HEXE electronics
http://www.hexeguitar.com/pedals/rv2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x2wDIaSCOE

[CodeMonk]

In general, asking for a custom build at this price point is pretty much ensuring the builder will not get payed for his hours, except the circuit is a variation of a pretty well known pedal. The builder has to make a PCB/layout for it. A PCB cannot be easily manufactured for just one piece. There could be errors in the design, testing, manual work in the design of the pedal and I'm not even counting the tracing of the circuit. You're pretty much using the passion of someone else to get a cheap(er) object for yourself. I understand your price point but as a builder I find this almost insulting (as in  supposed to work for free And invest money for you just because I happen to like building). This sounds like these venue asking bands to play for free because 'they like to play music after all'.
That's certainly not what you are trying to achieve. But I think it's interesting to explain how it can interpreted.

I hear ya there.
I felt the same way.
And even wth a schematic, and if it uses off the shelf parts, being digital, that adds another kink into designing a layout.
And given the size of the pedal, its probably all SMD inside. Theres another kink, at least in tracing it.
To my ears and tastes, this seems like an effect that I myself would have little use for. of course, I can't speak for the tastes of others who may think its the greatest thing since sliced bread.

IMO, even given easy parts availability, the only way someone would want to take on this type of project would be if there were circuit fragments in this pedal that could be used for several other projects that aren't easily built by other methods.

Oh, and...

venue asking bands to play for free because 'they like to play music

I've told venue owners "We play for free, but charge for hauling the equipment here, unloading it, setting it all up, taking it all down afterwards, and hauling at all back".

[samhay]

p.s. Don't start the same thread in multiple places on the same forum - it is neither helpful, not good etiquette.

[cloudscapes]

There is no "open" project that does this, as in no available schematic or layout ready to be printed and assembled. And judging by the sound quality/characteristics, it's not using a pt2399 (which degenerates the sound with every repeat) or an ISD voice recorder chip (which just sounds bad). It's almost certainly using a microcontroller. Sound buffer seems short, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's using the micro's own ram instead of external memory.

Program seems straightforward enough, in theory. Continuously sample, when button press, play back sample buffer while increasing/decreasing the clock rate/sample timer. I once built an effect that had this feature. Unpolished source code here, also.

Unfortunately in my case I don't have the time to do a variant of this more like the micro flutter. It would still require R&D to adapt an older design and stuff. And as others have said, $250 isn't much for something this involved (programming, SMD, etc). If it were a fuzz or delay based on existing design, then for sure! But then ature of sampling/looping effects certainly requires extra time and prototyping.

[FUZZZZzzzz]

maybe contact this guy.. there's a good chance he already build something like this. He also sells pcbs for most of his builds.
http://gieskes.nl/

[newperson]

Have you done the easiest thing first and contacted the original builder?  They might make you a 1 off since you are willing to pay full price.  They might have one sitting on their shelf, or they might be able to send you to a local shop that might still have some old stock.    

Looking for someone to clone something like this seems to be the hardest route.  And lastly, I am guessing there is a foreign pedal forum that would have people on it willing to sell there used pedals.  There are so many US forums like this I would think there would be plenty of them from the makers own country.  

EDIT:
I took a look at their website and it seems they make two larger versions of the same thing.  And it states they will not sell the micro version.

[Ben79]

http://www.mwfx.co.uk/product/mini-judder-metal-case

This guy will build you what you what I think.