Debugging UVICS-3 (Uni Vibe in Crybaby Shell)

[Kevin Mitchell]

That's quite a process lol.

But I've got it blinking. Cleaned up a couple pads/wire connections as well as adjusting the trimpots and we're good. Although I think it's flashing a little too quick -or rather not allot of depth. With my old neovibe build (never got it working) the light had more depth. I understand 17.5v can only do so much. Should I measure and report the 3 transistors and voltage regulator?

Also not getting as much speed as I'd want. About half the speed pot is unusable (way too slow). Any way I can fix this? Still using the 100k dual pot.

Tomorrow night I'll get to swapping out the rest of the pnp transistors with npn so we can start debugging the audio path.

[R.G.]

That's quite a process lol.

Only needed if it's still not working!  

But I've got it blinking. Cleaned up a couple pads/wire connections as well as adjusting the trimpots and we're good.

The process may have *scared* it into working.

Although I think it's flashing a little too quick -or rather not allot of depth. With my old neovibe build (never got it working) the light had more depth. I understand 17.5v can only do so much. Should I measure and report the 3 transistors and voltage regulator?

Not yet. Do a listen. Each set of lights/photocells is different.

Also not getting as much speed as I'd want. About half the speed pot is unusable (way too slow). Any way I can fix this? Still using the 100k dual pot.

Is that linear taper? Also remember that crybaby mechanisms don't give you full travel. You may have to mess with it a bit to use the best part of the travel you do have.

[Kevin Mitchell]

My way of learning how to make a stompbox is by learning all the ways how not to make one  

I'll keep messing with the controls until the lamp pulsates the way I desire. Might have to dig back into it later.

I threw in some scrapped 2n5088npn for the 9 signal transistors. There's sound through both chorus and vibe setting but there's a bad transistor and/or a short somewhere. Low notes get heavily distorted and cut down. Sounds like a busted fuzz pedal right now with a little tremelo action lol. Very happy that this debugging session is moving along.

Thanks R.G. I'll report tomorrow night. Hopefully with a finished UVICS and sound samples  .

It is a linear speed pot. Was considering log for a wider toe down range (longer high speed pan)? But I guess I didn't take that route. I would like to get the speed just a little faster.