My First DIY pedal from scratch

[spoitras]

Most of my free time last year was spent learning about electronics and building things. After building some MIDI controllers and overdrives, I built a thing from scratch. I call it the abattoir. The orange and purple buttons are in tribute to percussionist Rick Walker, since his description of the "Walker manual glitch pedal" gave me the general idea behind this pedal.

more info: http://no-insects.blogspot.ca/2015/11/hitchhiker-laboratories-abattoir.html

[GibsonGM]

Good work! Thanks for the clip    You're getting some pretty funky sequencer-like stuff out of it!

[ElectricDruid]

Nice! I love the switching between "positive" (trigger makes sound) and "negative" (trigger kills sound)

How did you do the trigger sequence recording? Is that bit digital? Used a microprocessor? You've got me all curious!

Tom

[digi2t]

Abattoir. Slaughterhouse.

Love the name.

[GibsonGM]

"Charnel House" will be the follow-up to this one, right?  Ha ha...

[spoitras]

Thanks for listening!

[spoitras]

Nice! I love the switching between "positive" (trigger makes sound) and "negative" (trigger kills sound)

How did you do the trigger sequence recording? Is that bit digital? Used a microprocessor? You've got me all curious!

Tom

I'm using a $2 arduino pro mini to record and playback the the sequences. Cheap and easy to program... I'd like to learn PIC programming, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

To generate the envelope, I'm using your VCADSR7B chips that you kindly sent me a while back to try out.

I have two vactrols wired in a series/shunt attenuation configuration and the PWM from the VCADSR controls the vactrol LEDS. I tried it first without the filtering you suggest in the datasheet and it works quite well to drive the a vactrol LED.

Next thing I'd like to try is to use this pedal with a +5V control voltage input instead of audio. I think it should work and many of pedals can accept a +5V CV.

Sylvain

[ElectricDruid]

I'm using a $2 arduino pro mini to record and playback the the sequences. Cheap and easy to program... I'd like to learn PIC programming, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

To generate the envelope, I'm using your VCADSR7B chips that you kindly sent me a while back to try out.

I have two vactrols wired in a series/shunt attenuation configuration and the PWM from the VCADSR controls the vactrol LEDS. I tried it first without the filtering you suggest in the datasheet and it works quite well to drive the a vactrol LED.

Next thing I'd like to try is to use this pedal with a +5V control voltage input instead of audio. I think it should work and many of pedals can accept a +5V CV.

Sylvain

Hohoho! So you've built a "simple" glitch pedal with more computing power than the Space Shuttle! Two full uPs in one pedal! I guess that's what happens when they're as cheap as they are.

5V CV is an excellent idea. I keep thinking about pedals with 5V "expression" inputs on them...

And I'm glad the VCADSR worked out well for you, too. Glitch pedal is another use for it that I'd never have imagined when I designed it.

Tom

[spoitras]

Hohoho! So you've built a "simple" glitch pedal with more computing power than the Space Shuttle! Two full uPs in one pedal! I guess that's what happens when they're as cheap as they are.

Yes, it's still easier for me to understand code than electricity... I'm even using another PIC for debouncing! I resisted going this route for a while, but the low cost of the uP and the elegance of the design won in the end (you can debounce 8 switches for ~$1). Still, I know it's overkill.

5V CV is an excellent idea. I keep thinking about pedals with 5V "expression" inputs on them...

Many EHX pedals and all the minifoogers can take 5V CV, so that makes up the majority of my pedals at this time.

And I'm glad the VCADSR worked out well for you, too. Glitch pedal is another use for it that I'd never have imagined when I designed it.

Your VCADSR is great! I'm still not sure if I want to go into the pedal-making business, but in any case I'll soon place an order to make pedals for friends.

[spoitras]

Sending 5V to the input to use the abattoir as a modulation source for pedals that accept 5V CV.
I made the adapter with a 1/4" jack, a power plug, a regulator and too much hot glue. It works.

[spoitras]

I posted more technical info on my GitHub account.

I'm a bit nervous showing the schematic around here as I still consider myself at the "banging rocks together" stage...

https://github.com/spoitras/HHL-abattoir

Sylvain

[strassercaster]

Good job well done. welcome to the club. Be careful Its very very addicting

[Hatredman]

As someone said on yoir page, "looks like a well spent year".