Maestro Envelope Modifier questions

[gigimarga]

Hello,

I'va just finished a clone of Maestro Envelope Modifier using a homemade combo LED+LDR which has under 1K in the light and over 1M in the dark, BC549C transistors and 1N4148 diodes.

I am disappointed with the result because:

1. the guitar sound it's always present (more clear, the gate function can't mute complete the guitar...maybe the 10K resistor from the output to ground is the cause?)
2. the pots are very sensitive (you can find some good settings very hard...the 1M Attack pot must to be almost to 0 to work...so the attack it's all the time very fast)
3. in the "Percussion" mode it sounds very strange: it gates the sound fast (which I suppose it's OK), but not totally...it adds another 2-3 distorsed chops (like a squarewave tremolo)

Anyone played an original one? This is the way that it works or I made some mistakes?
The optocoupler must have some special properties?

The schematic that I used: http://files.effectsdatabase.com/docs/schematics/maestro_envelopemodifier.jpg

Thank you very much!

[gigimarga]

 

[DiscoFreq]

I have an original and this is not how it sounds IIRC...

I can't help you with the technical part

[gigimarga]

Thank you very much DiscoFreq! Your site is fabulous and very useful!

Can you tell me which optocoupler and transistors are used in it? And which are the values of the pots?

How works your "Attack" pot?

[DiscoFreq]

Next weekend  I have to move a lot of pedals (replacing a few windows the week after) and I think this one is in one of the boxes I have to move, so I'll have a look then, ok?

[gigimarga]

Next weekend  I have to move a lot of pedals (replacing a few windows the week after) and I think this one is in one of the boxes I have to move, so I'll have a look then, ok?

Thank you very much DiscoFreq!
And, to make me an easy heart-attack, how many pedals do you have?

[DiscoFreq]

Several hundreds, but I don't know exactly... mostly cheap stuff, like old Japanese, Polish and Russian pedals

[gigimarga]

Several hundreds, but I don't know exactly... mostly cheap stuff, like old Japanese, Polish and Russian pedals

It's enough for me to make a heartattack...

[gigimarga]

Nobody has other informations about this beast?

[DiscoFreq]

Thank you very much DiscoFreq! Your site is fabulous and very useful!

Can you tell me which optocoupler and transistors are used in it? And which are the values of the pots?

I have the pedal, but I already moved most of my gear so I can't test now.

Transistors: 2N3565

Optocoupler: nothing written on that one...

Pots: only have a date code and an number starting with XS on the back (almost consecutive, serial numbers?), nothing on the sides or on the side of the shaft.

[gigimarga]

Thank you very much DiscoFreq! Your site is fabulous and very useful!

Can you tell me which optocoupler and transistors are used in it? And which are the values of the pots?

I have the pedal, but I already moved most of my gear so I can't test now.

Transistors: 2N3565

Optocoupler: nothing written on that one...

Pots: only have a date code and an number starting with XS on the back (almost consecutive, serial numbers?), nothing on the sides or on the side of the shaft.

Thank you very much Bart for your kindness!
As I've seen in datasheets, 2N3565 has the gain between 150 and 600, so I think that the BC549C that I used (with the gain between 500-600) seems to be close enough.
Most interests me the type of the optocoupler, because it seems to me that my clone doesn't work right because of its reaction speed.
The unlabeled pot from the upper corner of the schematic ("Duration", I think) seems to be a strange value (280K) and the "Attack" pot seems to be too large, so that's why I am interrested about the values.

Best regards,
Radu

[DiscoFreq]

yes, but it seems I can't help you with that optocoupler and those pots...

[gigimarga]

yes, but it seems I can't help you with that optocoupler and those pots...

thank you anyway