Auto wah

[Kipper4]

Hi guys
If you think i'm ready for it. Please reccomend a qaulity Auto wah circuit for me to try.
I liked the mad proffesor pedal on you tubes.

[Mark Hammer]

The EHX Bass Balls is a very simply unit to build, that uses common parts, and is open to a wealth of simple but interesting mods.  The Dr. Quack and Nurse Quacky are variations on the original EHX Dr. Q.  Decent circuits but the Bass Balls will cover all that territory and more.  The Topopiccione layout is one I find to be  very friendly.  Do a search for Bass Balls here and you'll find more than enough info for your needs.

Of course, the benchmark is the Mutron, and all variations.  The use ofoptoisolators and up/down drive starts to complicate the build a bit.  Make a Bass Balls, get used to it, and THEN make yourself a MUtron or Meatball/shpere.

[jimilee]

The mad professor clones are truly awesome,but +1 to the bass balls for sure.

[Kimster]

+1 for the mad professor, I really like it!

[Kipper4]

Thanks guys. Time for me to get googling.
I've never heard of the bass balls.
I did see a Dr Q on you tube during preliminary search yesterday.
i'll have a look for those and Mark did you make this "ofoptoisolators " word up ?

[nocentelli]

Are you planning to perf, vero or pcb it? The bassballs is an odd one, since it has two filters sweeping, and so gives a more complex vowel-y sound, not what one would call a straight autowah sound. Dr Q, Nurse Quacky etc are morer straight autowah, but a bit limited. I've built the Snow White autowah, and the four controls allow a really good amount of tweaking to get the triggering, filter range and decay just right, plus it doesn't require optoisolators. The circuit is on the more complex side, but pcbs are available. I just recently finished a veroboard Meatball, which is probably the most tweakable of any envelope filterr: Whilst the circuit is pretty simple (relatively), the huge number of off-board pots and switches can be a headache. Taylor's Meatsphere pcb has these parts all board-mounted, which makes it easier, but then you have to source some specific parts to fit the layout.

[Kipper4]

it doesnt require an opto thing?
Any chance i could see the schematic please.
I'm working on stripboard. not vero or pcb.

[nocentelli]

It uses two npn transistors, a JFET, a 5volt regulator, a 13700 OTA and four opamps (two duals or a quad):

Schematic - Using LM324 quad opamp

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--dV3lzyt4Zw/T_xAYx1DuYI/AAAAAAAABuw/gfMLjzLKOV0/s1600/mpswaw.gif

Verified vero - Using two duals opamps instead

http://www.sabrotone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/SnowWhiteAutoWah.gif

I don't think the JFET or transistor types are critical: I've got a 2N5457 and 2 x BC109c in mine.

[Kipper4]

Ok the schematics a little confusing but i think i can work it out. with the help of the vero layout
Thanks.
bassballs will probably come first. I need the practice.

[nocentelli]

There are several other schematics for the SWAW available, I posted that one because I could link directly: Most of the others are hosted at "the other place" so the links don't work.

[Mark Hammer]

Ok the schematics a little confusing but i think i can work it out. with the help of the vero layout
Thanks.
bassballs will probably come first. I need the practice.

My reasoning, exactly.

[Jdansti]

PinkJimi's got some good ones that have some bow wow yoy sounds. I'll try to find them.

[Kipper4]

yep defo bassballs first.
Yet another pedal that sounds a bit like a broken toy.
I like how its differant and yet i feel i've heard it somewhere before.
A schematic for future referance and build for the snow white would go down a treat though, to my curious mind.
cheers guys

[Jdansti]

Check these out:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=96858.0

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=98023.0

[Kipper4]

Nice one matey i'm loving the honeydripper. nice and qaucky

[stevie1556]

I've mostly built up a Super White Auto Wah using the PCB layout from Madbean. Hoping to finish it tomorrow or Tuesday. I chose that one as it does sound very nice and relatively easy to build apart from the offboard wiring.

[Kipper4]

To be honest its not the easiest of things to make from scratch the snow white so i might wait a good while. Its good to know it do able though.
The bass balls still sounds fun and much more on my level for now.

[Kimster]

I built the snow white from sabrotones vero and it worked perfect and fits in a 1590b (but it was tight...). Can´t be more happy with the outcome! It´s really a useful autowah.

[alexander.x]

hi there, just caught your post.
I have aquired a Memphis Auto Wah and I took some good inside pics of it.
links are on forum here somewhere in the "building your own stompbox"
I hope it helps in your quest.

[garcho]

What's your goal? If it's to learn, then breadboard all of them and tweak away.  Start simple, and cheap.
If your goal is to own an autowah that you built yourself, then buy a meat sphere PCB from musicpcb.com. They're high quality, and really easy to solder. Worth the effort it takes to source the exact parts to fit the layout.
If you have a breadboard, you can 'roll your own' opto-vactrol-thingy with LDRs and LEDs and adjust as needed. They're not a 'proper' solution but sometimes you don't need one.
There are tons of threads here on envelope follower filter autowah yoy BPF VCF etc. but it's much easier to search this forum on google then the native search bar.