Stereo Memory Man Question

ppatchmods · April 22, 2008, 11:23:07 PM

Is the status light stay on all the time, or does it go off when disengaged? Thanks

Rodgre · April 22, 2008, 11:45:56 PM

It goes on and off when the effect is switched in or out.

I was hoping you were going to ask about how it does that awesome stereo effect. I need to find a schematic for it. What I assume is a 45-degree phase shift between the right and left is amazing sounding.

Roger

ayayay! · April 23, 2008, 05:13:21 PM

I'm going to tag onto this one: I have a customer sending me his SMM, and it too always has the status indicator on. Is this normal? I would think not. I'm thinking about installing a Millenium bypass on it.

Can someone else verify besides Rodgre (thank you!) the LED? I would think it should turn off if the effect is off.

He's also complaining of a high pitched howl/squeal that's not acceptable when the effect is turned on. I'm not sure where to begin there but I'll start with all the filtering caps and make sure the power supply is putting out the proper voltage. I'll be checking mA under load as well. Any other areas I should look at first?

Sorry to tack on my questions ppatchmods.

ppatchmods · April 24, 2008, 12:09:51 AM

I just read in another thread that there is a balance trim pot at the output of the ic that you can adjust for the lowest noise at the highest delay setting. That is really all I know on the subject.

I had my SMM repaired by Josh @ FXDoctor, and the status light stays on all the time...I'm not sure this is right?!

Let me know if you find out.

ayayay! · April 24, 2008, 02:58:50 PM

Yeah, I just saw that on that post too. Thanks! I'm thinking maybe that light IS supposed to stay on all the time.

EHMan, can you comment on the LED? And the "ring/squeal", could that also be the trimpot you're talking about in this thread? http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=67273.0

theehman · April 24, 2008, 03:50:20 PM

Quote from: ayayay! on April 24, 2008, 02:58:50 PM

EHMan, can you comment on the LED? And the "ring/squeal", could that also be the trimpot you're talking about in this thread? http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=67273.0

I'm assuming we're not talking about the newest version w/ Hazarai.
The trimpot on the SMM reissue is a 5K on pins 3 and 4 of the MN3005. You adjust it to where the noise is lowest at the highest delay setting. The correct spot is usually around the center. I just keep hitting the guitar strings and slowly turning it until it's at it's quietest. If you really wanted to tune it out you could probably replace it with one of those 15-turn trimmers. I'd imagine you could really get it quiet with one of those.
The LED is always on according to the schematic I have, but this schematic is dated 2002 and the later versions may have incorporated it as a status indicator.

Rodgre · April 24, 2008, 04:08:35 PM

Mine is an original one, and like I said, the LED goes on and off.

I would trust Ron/EH Man regarding the reissue being on all the time though.

Back to my slight tangent, I was experimenting with mine yesterday and now I'm wondering if the stereo outputs are anything more remarkable than just 180 degrees out of phase (inverted).

I was thinking about it because I was playing through a Bandmaster head and a Twin, through the Vibrato channel. With the effect bypassed, I noticed that the dry guitar sounded out of phase between the amps. I tracked it down to the Twin's Vibrato channel being inverted (never noticed it before).

So with the two amps essentially out of phase, I switched on the delay, and the effect started coming out from the "center," as in being "in phase" between the amps.

So, EH Man, can you tell by the schematic whether the delayed signal is just merely inverted between the outputs, or is it in fact something less than 180 degrees in shift?

Roger

bdrobik · April 24, 2008, 04:15:52 PM

I have a newer model and the LED stays on all the time.

theehman · April 24, 2008, 04:26:39 PM

Quote from: Rodgre on April 24, 2008, 04:08:35 PM

So, EH Man, can you tell by the schematic whether the delayed signal is just merely inverted between the outputs, or is it in fact something less than 180 degrees in shift?

Roger

It looks like it's inverted.

theehman · April 24, 2008, 04:29:04 PM

Quote from: Rodgre on April 24, 2008, 04:08:35 PM
Mine is an original one, and like I said, the LED goes on and off.

If yours is a vintage original unit the LED is used for on/off indication. I don't know why they didn't do that for the reissue.

ayayay! · April 24, 2008, 04:41:46 PM

I'm thinking a Millenium bypass would fix that, assuming there's room for it.

Oh and thank you!

ppatchmods · April 24, 2008, 04:50:16 PM

Mine is a semi-vintage...not sure of the date, but has 3 prong power cable attached. The led is marked status and stays on all the time. Still not sure if this is right?! It is a wonderful pedal, IMO! I have talked to a lot of people, and I have concluded you either love or hate these things. Love is what I am feelin'!

theehman · April 24, 2008, 05:22:40 PM

Quote from: ppatchmods on April 24, 2008, 04:50:16 PM
Mine is a semi-vintage...not sure of the date, but has 3 prong power cable attached. The led is marked status and stays on all the time. Still not sure if this is right?! It is a wonderful pedal, IMO! I have talked to a lot of people, and I have concluded you either love or hate these things. Love is what I am feelin'!

Yours is an early reissue. Original units had a 2-prong cord, early reissues had a 3-prong, and later reissues had a wall wart. The LED should be on all the time.

ppatchmods · April 24, 2008, 05:23:51 PM

Thanks! That helps a lot.

Rodgre · April 24, 2008, 06:10:25 PM

I'm one of those who has a love/hate relationship with mine. I always say that my vintage 5-knob Deluxe Memory Man is my #1 desert-island pedal (provided there's AC power on this island), the Stereo Memory Man's tone is just not as warm and fuzzy as the Deluxe. There's also the issue of it having half the delay time as the Deluxe. I do like the chorus on the Stereo Memory Man in that it can get close to some of the cool Adrian Belew Polychorus effects with runaway feedback on the chorus setting. I do like the sound of it in stereo. Still, I think that if I could get the same stereoness in my Deluxe (and of course there's a way!) I don't think I'd ever shut mine off.

I've played many different Memory Man (Men?) pedals and notice that they all sound very different, from noisy and lo-fi in a bad way (IMO) to clean and clear like my Stereo Memory Man. Still, none approach the supreme awesomeness of the 5-knob Deluxe.

Roger

theehman · April 24, 2008, 06:12:12 PM

Quote from: Rodgre on April 24, 2008, 06:10:25 PM
There's also the issue of it having half the delay time as the Deluxe.

The Deluxe has twice as many delay ICs as the SMM, hence the doubled delay time.

Rodgre · April 24, 2008, 06:26:17 PM

Quote from: theehman on April 24, 2008, 06:12:12 PM
Quote from: Rodgre on April 24, 2008, 06:10:25 PM
There's also the issue of it having half the delay time as the Deluxe.

The Deluxe has twice as many delay ICs as the SMM, hence the doubled delay time.

That certainly makes sense. What is responsible for the Deluxe's more rich (and dark?) tone compared to the SMM? Is it the "noise reduction" filtering? The lower fidelity of pushing the limits of the clocking for a long delay time? Is there something that could be examined in the DMM circuitry that might warm up my SMM?

Not the I need the SMM to sound just like my DMM! Every pedal has a purpose! I'm just curious.

Roger

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Stereo Memory Man Question