New builds: Tycobrahe, Ross Compressor, Brown Sound

[snorky]

Tycobrahe Octavia - I built this a while ago, but reboxed it and added the no-octave option.  I'm really happy with the sound - the ring mod sounds are really interesting.  About the finish - I just started painting, sanding, and experimenting.   I think there's alot of potential there for interesting, unique boxes.  My skills don't really match my enthusiasm, but at least it doesn't look like anybody else's pedal!



Ross Compressor - This thing sounds great now with the proper cap values.  (I posted about this already.)  It's just primer and dymo, but I needed it for a gig.



Bennett Brown Sound - This was built around a PCB I bought from a forum member.  It sounds really good!  The reverse log pot really helps with evening out the distortion setting.  I tried using a ruling pen and stencils, but clearly more practice is needed.  I'm curious to see how it sounds compared to some ROG projects I'm anticipating.

My next project will be to box an Escobedo UglyFace.  (These are super cool, BTW!) And then, when I can gather the mental fortitude (and a bipolor power supply), I'm gonna build a Maestro S&H.

Thanks to everyone on this forum.  I've learned so much!

- Mark

[cd]

Snorky, do you have a complete Brown Sound schem to post?

[snorky]

I don't have a schem.  The Brown Sound is a modded Dist+.  If you dig around a bit here, you can find the difference - it's only 1 or 2 component changes.

- Mark

[phillip]

Snorky, do you have a complete Brown Sound schem to post?

The Brown Sound is the same circuit as the MXR Distortion +...the IC is a LM741 and the clipping diodes are 1N270 Germanium.  There are only a couple or three small changes made to the circuit:

-The 4K7 resistor that's attached to the Gain pot is changed to 5K6, which seems kind of strange since that would reduce the maximum distortion level, but I guess he was trying to mellow it out.  The 0.047uF capacitor on the other side of the 5K6 resistor isn't changed.

-There's a 10pF tant. capacitor in the feedback look in parallel with the 1M resistor to prevent oscillation

-The two 1uF capacitors are 50V tant.

Phillip

[jayp5150]

Dude, I disagree--the look of that Brown Sound is the perfect compliment for it.  That looks killer!

[cd]

Snorky, do you have a complete Brown Sound schem to post?

The Brown Sound is the same circuit as the MXR Distortion +...the IC is a LM741 and the clipping diodes are 1N270 Germanium.  There are only a couple or three small changes made to the circuit:

-The 4K7 resistor that's attached to the Gain pot is changed to 5K6, which seems kind of strange since that would reduce the maximum distortion level, but I guess he was trying to mellow it out.  The 0.047uF capacitor on the other side of the 5K6 resistor isn't changed.

-There's a 10pF tant. capacitor in the feedback look in parallel with the 1M resistor to prevent oscillation

-The two 1uF capacitors are 50V tant.

Phillip

Interesting since I have always heard conflicting reports on what's inside the Brown Sound.  If you do a search, a bunch of different component differences will pop up.  The main ones that I have gathered together (well, I made note of it on a D+ schematic) are:

- some BSs had both pots 1M
- others had 1M on VOL, 500k on GAIN
- box caps

[MartyMart]

Nice builds snorky, I like the "Dymo" look, looks great on RDV's work too!

Cheers,
Marty.

[bruce bennett]

yes. I'm afraid it's true, I have used several different componant changes over the 8 years I've been building this pedal.

Currently I use a pair of 250K pots and (2) 1n34 and (1) 4148 diodes and the 4.7 K drive resistor is back. along with a change in the clipping circuit cap to a .0015.


I can say for sure that i have NEVER used ANY tantalum caps in ANY of my pedals. ( hate'em)  the 1Uf @ 50V are electrolytics and always have been, and the 15pf cap across the 741 is a dipped mylar. currently I use a ceramic.
I also currently use all carbon composition resistors.

bear in mind that the circuit topography is the same as the DOD 250 pre-amp and with only a few value changes the brown sound board can be used to build a DOD 250 which I do for folks from time to time.

[jrc4558]

Now that's something I appreciate. No "conspiracy theory", no paranoia, no hype. A man that builds a pedal enters the forum and clearly explains to us DIYers what exactly did he change-upgrade in his rework of a popular design. I think that many boutiquers should learn and use this attitude.
Thanx Bruce.

[EdJ]

Hear Hear!
Ed

[Gilles C]

.... Currently I use a pair of 250K pots and (2) 1n34 and (1) 4148 diodes and the 4.7 K drive resistor is back. along with a change in the clipping circuit cap to a .0015.


I can say for sure that i have NEVER used ANY tantalum caps in ANY of my pedals. ( hate'em)  the 1Uf @ 50V are electrolytics and always have been, and the 15pf cap across the 741 is a dipped mylar. currently I use a ceramic.
I also currently use all carbon composition resistors.

bear in mind that the circuit topography is the same as the DOD 250 pre-amp and with only a few value changes the brown sound board can be used to build a DOD 250 which I do for folks from time to time.

I welcome your positive attitude and thank you for that.

I can easily understand why some boutiquers are affraid of loosing some hard earned money by protecting their circuit. But everything has a good and a bad side.

The bad side of letting DIYer build a copy FOR HIMSELF with the wrong components is that if it sound bad, sometimes people will think of the original the same way.

The good side of helping people like you do is that when the same DIYer makes it sound good, it can help spread the word that YOUR PEDAL sounds good, and that can result in a sale or two.

And another good side is that you earned people respect here on the forum. Building efffects is not only a way of getting efffects at a cheaper price. Anyway, it's not cheaper.

It costs me more to build my gadgets than the price of of what I would buy in stores to get the sound I need.

It's also a way of living, to exchange ideas, and make friends on the net. That's something you don't get when you just go to the store and buy a Boss (or Ibanez, etc...) pedal.

I build a lot of pedals and effects, and I still buy commercial effects.

Cheers,

Gilles C

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Hey, while I was writing this post, which I wanted to be positive and cheerfull, I received a XMas gift: an update of the program I use to work on my web site.

It is OT, but I wanted to add this as an example of what I just wrote before.

This guy makes a program free to use, but you can send him a donation if you like his program.

http://www.crystalfibers.com/

I liked his program so much that after a few weeks of use, I prefered to send him a donation than buy a commercial program like C** Cup HTML or another one that still wasn't perfect for me anyway.

See my point?  

[bruce bennett]

I welcome your positive attitude and thank you for that.

I can easily understand why some boutiquers are affraid of loosing some hard earned money by protecting their circuit. But everything has a good and a bad side.

The bad side of letting DIYer build a copy FOR HIMSELF with the wrong components is that if it sound bad, sometimes people will think of the original the same way.

The good side of helping people like you do is that when the same DIYer makes it sound good, it can help spread the word that YOUR PEDAL sounds good, and that can result in a sale or two.

And another good side is that you earned people respect here on the forum. Building efffects is not only a way of getting efffects at a cheaper price. Anyway, it's not cheaper.

It costs me more to build my gadgets than the price of of what I would buy in stores to get the sound I need.

It's also a way of living, to exchange ideas, and make friends on the net. That's something you don't get when you just go to the store and buy a Boss (or Ibanez, etc...) pedal.

I build a lot of pedals and effects, and I still buy commercial effects.

Cheers,

Gilles C

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey, while I was writing this post, which I wanted to be positive and cheerfull, I received a XMas gift: an update of the program I use to work on my web site.

It is OT, but I wanted to add this as an example of what I just wrote before.

This guy makes a program free to use, but you can send him a donation if you like his program.

http://www.crystalfibers.com/

I liked his program so much that after a few weeks of use, I prefered to send him a donation than buy a commercial program like C** Cup HTML or another one that still wasn't perfect for me anyway.

See my point?  

I agree with you wholeheartedly..

  DIYers have NEVER been the folks I sell my pedals to, folks that BUY my products, are the ones that are not ABLE to DIY. not that that is a bad thing, It's just that there will always be some of us that CAN do something and others that CAN'T. thats how ALL of us DIYers can beome the next pedal master of the world!  :twisted:  :wink:

Anyway, Anyone that wants to build that circuit is welcome to ask as  many questions as he wants. I always help whenever I can.  also if you wnat boards, I'll sell'em like i said they can be used to make a perfect copy of the DOD 250 as well as a perfect copy of the Dist+

[David]

  DIYers have NEVER been the folks I sell my pedals to, folks that BUY my products, are the ones that are not ABLE to DIY. not that that is a bad thing, It's just that there will always be some of us that CAN do something and others that CAN'T. thats how ALL of us DIYers can beome the next pedal master of the world!  :twisted:  :wink:

Anyway, Anyone that wants to build that circuit is welcome to ask as  many questions as he wants. I always help whenever I can.  also if you wnat boards, I'll sell'em like i said they can be used to make a perfect copy of the DOD 250 as well as a perfect copy of the Dist+

Man, do I like the way this dude thinks!  I can think of at least three or four boo-teekers who shall remain nameless (Zack, you're NOT one of them!) who could take a page from Bruce's book!