Aion's Spectron : no sweeping in the modulation

[matopotato]

So, I set up the audio probe again, and there is sound on Pin 2 on 358!
Guess that is good news.
I also see the green LEDs pulsate with the sound. Sort of.
So maybe the resolder of R5 did make a difference after all, even if my feeble attempts at "measuring it" were the same before and after.
Quite strange. Not very much wiser, but will now try it in more full context.

Well now it seems as if the pots have effect, all of them, but as mentioned earlier a bit dependent on other knob settings.
I was struggling with Mode, but with Range at top position, I think I get some effect from Mode.
Several fiddlings are very soft or hard to recognize, but the audio probe in output jack still sounds quite scaled off, should be better in full context. And I assume having the green LEDs in the darkness of the box will make the effects more prominent.

And any tips as to what settings will show the effect of Filter switch?

Will print cover before assembling fully, so might still take a day or so...

[idy]

yes, this:

Update: I guess the DMM connectivity test does not pass through Resistors. So I will check with the audio probe instead.

[idy]

progress.
So the LED is flashing! Congratulations.

Yes, darkness for the Optos! Just cover them, bottle cap, bit of duct tape, whatever you have!

You may want to try a booster pedal so your guitar has enough power to really drive the trigger, you may not need it now that we are using 358.

The filter mode selects highpass, bandpass, lowpass. So treble, mids, lows are emphasized. To the undiscerning they all sound like "wah."

[matopotato]

progress.
So the LED is flashing! Congratulations.

Thanks!
I will make some water decal print before boxing it again.

I resoldered the Filter switch to get some better reading. Might have been or might have not been badly soldered.
But it has only two settings. And is supposed to "applies a Moog-style quality factor to the filter with
frequency-variable Q instead of the constant Q of the Meatball."

I think the Mode switch gave (ever so) slight variation to the "EQ"

To the undiscerning they all sound like "wah."

Yes, now I know which category I begin in... Will aim to work my way to Envelope Filter Nirvana in the future.

[idy]

The "moog mod" it was called when applied to the Meatspere...

It reduces the resonance of the filter for low frequencies. It makes a difference for bass players. Something about starting earthquakes, breaking windows or blowing out speakers... But on guitar you won't notice. Next time I make one of these I will just make it always on; Bass players need it, guitarists can't hear it, do we really need another switch on this thing?

[eh la bas ma]

You may want to try a booster pedal so your guitar has enough power to really drive the trigger, you may not need it now that we are using 358.

I noticed the effect gets much more intensity and presence with a volume boost before it. The trigger is very sensitive to the signal's volume. Which is a good thing in my opinion.

I'm glad you managed to solve your issue, dear potato.

[idy]

And if you do want to make it more sensitive so it works full range with weak pickups, "there's a mod for that..."

[matopotato]

The "moog mod" it was called when applied to the Meatspere...

It reduces the resonance of the filter for low frequencies. It makes a difference for bass players. Something about starting earthquakes, breaking windows or blowing out speakers... But on guitar you won't notice. Next time I make one of these I will just make it always on; Bass players need it, guitarists can't hear it, do we really need another switch on this thing?

Cool, I'll plug it into the bass board and see. Thanks

[matopotato]

You may want to try a booster pedal so your guitar has enough power to really drive the trigger, you may not need it now that we are using 358.

I noticed the effect gets much more intensity and presence with a volume boost before it. The trigger is very sensitive to the signal's volume. Which is a good thing in my opinion.

I'm glad you managed to solve your issue, dear potato.

Merci   
I have yet to box it up first. Sounds promising, but I've felt like that before. So nothing gained yet. Touch wood.

[matopotato]

And if you do want to make it more sensitive so it works full range with weak pickups, "there's a mod for that..."

Nice, how difficult, much effort?

[idy]

100k pot (trimmer) from 9v to pin 3 of 358. Dial it in until LED is just barely off, right at the edge of lighting up the LED. Replace with fixed resistor (next value higher than trimmer.)

[matopotato]

100k pot (trimmer) from 9v to pin 3 of 358. Dial it in until LED is just barely off, right at the edge of lighting up the LED. Replace with fixed resistor (next value higher than trimmer.)

Hey! Found a 100k laying around. Seems straightforward to try out. And easy enough to remove.
There is a 22k (R6) to ground from pin 3, so the 100k (or what it turns out to be) would act as some voltage divider for pin 3 in cooperation with R6?
Thanks for the tip :-)

[matopotato]

Would it run on 12V (think I read that somewhere)? But wouldn't want to chance it.
And would there be much benefit if it did as far as headroom?
(Or I should practice discerning Wah first...)

[idy]

There is a 22k (R6) to ground from pin 3, so the 100k (or what it turns out to be) would act as some voltage divider for pin 3 in cooperation with R6?

precisely.

The Meatball was a "bells and whistles" clone of the Mutron. Mutron ran on bipolar power. Lovetone kept the R to 0v. You are adjusting the bias with a voltage divider.

[idy]

Orignal Meatball Manual says OK up to 12v, says no to more. What voltage electrolytic caps did you use?

Manual also says higher volts will change frequency response. I don't know about that. At higher volts and high resonance (color) you could really blast people. See warning about bass guitar and necessity for moog mode...

[matopotato]

Orignal Meatball Manual says OK up to 12v, says no to more. What voltage electrolytic caps did you use?

Manual also says higher volts will change frequency response. I don't know about that. At higher volts and high resonance (color) you could really blast people. See warning about bass guitar and necessity for moog mode...

25V and one 35V, so that should be fine. 072s I  think are ok even to 18V.
Will not try in the early days, but perhaps later.
Besides electrolyte caps, what other components would you be watchfulnof regarding raising dc input voltage?

[matopotato]

Another question regarding the layout of the switches:
I am assuming the Bandwidth will go (up, mid, down) Half, Full, Off (as meatball) or does it go Full, 1/2, Off (as in some sort of order)? I might be able to hear myself, but plan to print the enclosure decal before assembling it again.
Sweep I have assumed CCW is up and CW is down (as Meatball)
And Range Hi is full CW and Lo is full CCW (as meatball), but come to think of it it might have been more bassy CW and trebly in CCW position... (
Filter I just assume up will mean engaged
Mode I am guessing Hipass is up, Lo pass down and Bandpass in the middle.

[idy]

Check out the docs. Bandwidth is center off spdt, right?

Center is off.

[idy]

You will have to check yourself to see which throw of Bandwidth is half and which is full. Which connects to the larger cap (c6?) That is full.

Range: Schematic shows terminals 2-4 adding bigger caps (lower frequency.) So as you turn clockwise, you get lower range.

It looks like the mode toggle gives 1=BP 2=HP 3=LP,
but better to check. The switch hooks one of three IC (output) pins to pin 3 of the Blend pot.
IC3 pin 1 is BP
IC1 pin 7 is HP
IC3 pin 7 is LP

[matopotato]

You will have to check yourself to see which throw of Bandwidth is half and which is full. Which connects to the larger cap (c6?) That is full.

Ah, now I see. So in middle ot is off as in the rest is out. That was a bigger impact than I understood from the manual an build instruction.
So off is for sure 2. Will measure the others 2.

Range: Schematic shows terminals 2-4 adding bigger caps (lower frequency.) So as you turn clockwise, you get lower range.

Ok, so is range the interval width or more like the centerpoint?
I will guess the latter. So higher cap is bassier tone, and that is the "Lo" one then.

It looks like the mode toggle gives 1=BP 2=HP 3=LP,
but better to check. The switch hooks one of three IC (output) pins to pin 3 of the Blend pot.
IC3 pin 1 is BP
IC1 pin 7 is HP
IC3 pin 7 is LP

That switch is a challenge for me to read, so thanks.
Then I will find from connectivity check.

I am planning to add your mod, but with a switch for on/off. Is there any point in keeping the trimpot in? Or once the position is found, tweaking it around adds little compared with on/off?

Again many thanks for your patience. I am learning lots.