PT-80 delay build report

[WildMountain]

Built the PT-80 delay today. Used the ready-for-transfer PCB layout and parts-layout from GGG. Worked like a charm.
I must be getting better at this stuff , because this is the most complicated pedal I've made sofar, but I managed to etch the PCB and build the entire board in half a day.
Sounds fantastic, I can easily use this in place of some of my analog delays and needn't be ashamed of my rockabilly slapback echo. Although digital, it has a real analog feel to the sound. It's said to closely resemble the sound of an AD-80.
Highly recommended for analog delay fans.

[RaceDriver205]

I found I needed to modify mine to have a higher delay volume - especially for use with distortion (oh yeah steve vai sounds).
Did you find this?

[Mark Hammer]

Yep, a big part of the "mojo" of analog delays, and scorn heaped upon digital delays, stems from the differences intheir filtering.  Analog delays always needed to have substantial lowpass filtering to keep the clock demons at bay.  Digital delays always involved much higher clocking ratesand sampling rates so the filtering was different.  More critically, the audiophile mentality (i.e., more bandwidth is always better) led people astray in the design of digital delays, and distracted them from the simple-but-effective insight that in the "real world" echoes have much less high end than the original and lose high end with later reflections.  As a result, analog always seemed to sound more natural and "warmer" than digital units serving the same delay range.  There ARE certain benefits to analog sampling over modest word-size (14-bit and less) digital delay, but allof that aside, one of the big differences was always in how the filtering used by default in the one improved the sound.

So, there is no reason why your PT-80, with accompanying lowpass filtering and companding ought not to sound as pleasing as any analog unit.

[WildMountain]

I'm not really a Steve Vai kind of player, I mostly play rockabilly. The PT-80 seems to suit that need fine, although I have to play with it some more to be able to give a full review. First impressions are excellent though.
Mark, the text by Scott Swartz indeed explains (in somewhat more words) what you are saying here. Who would have thought that digital could be made to sound analog . Not only a nice sounding build, but an eye-opener as well.

[markm]

I have yet to build the PT80 but all of the discussion about it lately makes me want to do it.
I have gotten similar, good sounding analog-type delay from the Rebote 2.5 delay as well.
I think the PT-80 build is in my not too distant future though.
How is it on 9volts??
   MarkM

[redeffect]

Sounds great on 9V. Just use a well regulated, clean supply. BTW; batteries really don't cut it with this unit; it eats then up.
Happy building!

[markm]

Oh, I'll bet it eats batteries REAL quick!
The Rebote 2.5 seems to be okay with a battery though.

[redeffect]

I tried it w/a 9V battery one time, "just because".  With a fresh battery, the sound started to degrade badly after 30 mins, or so. Read the PT80 article at GGG. Mr.Swartz explains how to reduce power consumption a bit.

[markm]

I did read that article about 9V operation.....jumper across the 12V reg pads etc.
Interesting unit that PT80

[redeffect]

If you like delays; you're gonna love this one. I can't say enough positive things about it

[Roobin]

I found I needed to modify mine to have a higher delay volume - especially for use with distortion (oh yeah steve vai sounds).
Did you find this?

When you say SV, which era/album are you reffering to? I was thining of buiding one, esp for Floyd sounds and possibly Vai.
How well does it compare to album?

[swt]

i've built that one and have the problem that at longer delays, there's a high pitched oscillation in it. You'l hearit also because the delays fades thinner than the previous, do you also have this problem?