Modding the Melo Verb

Started by VolksWilliam, January 24, 2016, 02:14:33 PM

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VolksWilliam

So I got this VHT Melo-Verb in a trade and it fits my board great as I rarely use tremolo or spring reverb but it's nice to have the option. My only complaint is the reverb decay is just to short.

Do you think I could just swap a pot or resistor or something and get a little more reverb time out of it? I suppose I should just sell or trade it for a Dig or something that I like more but if it's a simple mod I think I might as well keep it.

I don't have a schematic or anything I'm pretty novice but that's where you experts come in!

Thanks.

notnews32

I've never played with or opened up a VHT Melo-Verb, but reading the factory user's manual shows a few things that may provide some insight:

"No artificial modeling simulations here, the Melo-Verb's tremolo and reverb dry signal path are pure analog from input to output, while its spring-voiced digital reverb is mixed in parallel with the dry signal, thus preserving the natural analog texture and dynamic response. "

A spring-voiced "digital" reverb tells me that the reverb is likely generated by an programmable chip. If that's the case, it's going to be difficult, at least in my understanding of digital effects, to modify any aspect of the reverb... Unless VHT calls a belton brick a "digital" effect, in which case it may be easier to modify qualities of the reverb. Belton bricks come in various decay-lengths, so it may be as simple as replacing the stock brick with a longer decay-time brick (about 20 bucks or so, a simple swap most of the time).

The manual also says "The reverb's strength and intensity depend on the input level; a stronger input level, such as an effects loop level, will produce a stronger reverb effect. The Dwell control adjusts the reverb drive level. Set the Dwell control to lower positions when used in an effects loop; set it higher when used with guitar signal levels. To achieve maximum reverb intensity with low-output pickups, a level-boosting pedal, such as a clean boost, can be placed before the Melo-Verb to increase the input signal level."

Have you tried using a boost in front of the reverb to hit the reverb section harder like the manual suggests?

The best way to provide this community the information it needs to address your inquiry would be to provide us with a few gutshots of the circuitboard, front and back...

Here's a link to the manual... was hoping it had a schematic, but alas..
http://www.americanmusical.com/ItemFiles/Manual/VHTMeloVerb_Guitar_Pedal_Manual.pdf

VolksWilliam

Quote from: notnews32 on January 24, 2016, 04:38:44 PM
I've never played with or opened up a VHT Melo-Verb, but reading the factory user's manual shows a few things that may provide some insight:

"No artificial modeling simulations here, the Melo-Verb's tremolo and reverb dry signal path are pure analog from input to output, while its spring-voiced digital reverb is mixed in parallel with the dry signal, thus preserving the natural analog texture and dynamic response. "

A spring-voiced "digital" reverb tells me that the reverb is likely generated by an programmable chip. If that's the case, it's going to be difficult, at least in my understanding of digital effects, to modify any aspect of the reverb... Unless VHT calls a belton brick a "digital" effect, in which case it may be easier to modify qualities of the reverb. Belton bricks come in various decay-lengths, so it may be as simple as replacing the stock brick with a longer decay-time brick (about 20 bucks or so, a simple swap most of the time).

The manual also says "The reverb's strength and intensity depend on the input level; a stronger input level, such as an effects loop level, will produce a stronger reverb effect. The Dwell control adjusts the reverb drive level. Set the Dwell control to lower positions when used in an effects loop; set it higher when used with guitar signal levels. To achieve maximum reverb intensity with low-output pickups, a level-boosting pedal, such as a clean boost, can be placed before the Melo-Verb to increase the input signal level."

Have you tried using a boost in front of the reverb to hit the reverb section harder like the manual suggests?

The best way to provide this community the information it needs to address your inquiry would be to provide us with a few gutshots of the circuitboard, front and back...

Here's a link to the manual... was hoping it had a schematic, but alas..
http://www.americanmusical.com/ItemFiles/Manual/VHTMeloVerb_Guitar_Pedal_Manual.pdf

Thanks! I have it after my comp and boost and dirt pedals. But I use amps old enough that they don't have effects loops so that's not really an option. I looked inside and it is a belton brick! I don't even know what this is. So how would I know what brick would offer a longer decay?


samhay

You can get short, medium and long-decay bricks and that's a medium BTDR-1 brick.
I am not convinced changing this for a long brick will make you happy as the difference between medium and long is 2.5 vs 2.85 s decay:
http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/main/?skin=sub01_05.html

I'm a refugee of the great dropbox purge of '17.
Project details (schematics, layouts, etc) are slowly being added here: http://samdump.wordpress.com

VolksWilliam

Quote from: samhay on January 25, 2016, 08:57:05 AM
You can get short, medium and long-decay bricks and that's a medium BTDR-1 brick.
I am not convinced changing this for a long brick will make you happy as the difference between medium and long is 2.5 vs 2.85 s decay:
http://www.accutronicsreverb.com/main/?skin=sub01_05.html

Well that's basically pointless. I will say that I definitely don't get 2.5s out of it that's for sure. That's why I'm thinking a resistor or pot is killing some of that.

VolksWilliam

Also that brick just basically screws in right? No soldering needed?

samhay

It has 7 pins, which are almost certainly soldered to the PCB.

You could mod the pedal, but without a schematic, you will be throwing darts in the dark.
I'm a refugee of the great dropbox purge of '17.
Project details (schematics, layouts, etc) are slowly being added here: http://samdump.wordpress.com

notnews32

The longer belton brick also has a longer minimum decay time.. if you're into modding and building pedals, it wouldn't hurt to buy the longer brick, replace the installed medium brick with the long one, and then you'll have a spare brick to use for your next reverb project. Check out the datasheet for the brick you have and see if there are any external components that influence the decay time. If you're not experiecing the minimum decay time for the brick that's in there, then it's possible the brick has a malfunction..?