Progress on 1st Build: SeanM's B. Blender

[gaussmarkov]

I was going to wait until I was completely finished building SeanM's B. Blender (w/ volume), but I got to a place where I could show some progress and wanted to post.  Besides wanting to build a blender, I also thought Sean's would be fun because there wasn't a layout already posted.  And I am trying to fit everything into a 1590B.     It's ready for pots, jacks, juice, and testing!  

[robotboy]

Nice looking first build! It looks a hell of a lot better than my first build. Is the B. Blender similar to a Fender Blender? I've been considering building a FB in the near future. If you can, you should post some clips when you're done building it.

[dominatrix_volleyball]

Awesome... that's totally looking like a successful build.  

[gaussmarkov]

thanks for the feedback!

Nice looking first build! It looks a hell of a lot better than my first build. Is the B. Blender similar to a Fender Blender? I've been considering building a FB in the near future. If you can, you should post some clips when you're done building it.

the b. blender (link) is for mixing together a clean signal with an effects loop. i think sean named it the b. blender because he wantedt to use it for his bass with regular guitar effects (that tend to suck bass).  my interest in this was to build a generic blender inspired by the voodoo labs sparkle drive, which is a tubescreamer blend.

i hadn't thought of posting clips.  i will definitely do that with different effects to show what parallel mixing can do.

Awesome... that's totally looking like a successful build.  

i'm hopeful.   truth is i made a couple of runs at some cheap soldering projects from the local electronics store before doing this.  i bought a little christmas tree circuit that makes LEDs flash.  first time, only some lights came on and none flashed.  :oops:  so i bought another one and tried again and it worked.  so that was good soldering practice because i knew right away when i was successful.

and i messed up my first run at this project.  with the first perfboard, i cut the right size and then accidentally turned it 90 degrees before putting on the first ic sockets.  so then i tried to take the sockets off but lifted the copper pads on the perfboard and broke a pin.  :shock:  so after cutting a new board, i installed a new socket in the wrong place and had to take that off.  third time was the charm.  :roll: :lol:

[gaussmarkov]

Aw right!!!  Success. That is, I hooked it all up and my B. Blender blended.

Not the first time mind you.  In my excitement I made several noobish mistakes.  First, I forgot to put the ICs in their sockets.  Then I put the ICs in backwards.  :oops:   Fortunately, I still have my old chip pullers from early computer daze.  Man, I haven't punched chips into sockets for years!

I used a pretty lame hookup arrangement, too.  I just wrapped wire leads onto lugs, stuck the 9V hook up on the + battery terminal with a heat sink, and "rested" the ground wire on the other terminal.  :lol: Sometimes when I was adjusting the blend pot the battery connections would fall apart.  :lol:  :lol: But as long as the "connections" were made it worked very nicely.

Does this mean that I can put "verified" on my perfboard layout?  (Sean has given me permission to post it.)  Or does someone else have to build it successfully from the layout?

[seanm]

Congrats! I just started a new job this week so I have been too busy to post.

gaussmarkov is correct about why I named the project B. Blender. I didn't want to call it Bass Blender in case anybody thought it was *only* for bass. Unlike, say the paralooper, the B. Blender does not affect the dry signal.

And get used to the noobish mistakes, they never seem to go away  :shock: Or maybe it is just me.....

[gaussmarkov]

Congrats!

thanks, sean!  the b. blender is a sweet little project.  i figure it will fit into a 1590B, with two jacks over the pots and two between the board and the switch.  i'm going to make a mock-up out of cardboard, just to be sure.

[gaussmarkov]

Well, I tried to fit my layout into a 1590B and I don't think it's going to work as I constructed it.  It can be done but I think I took the wrong strategy.  Here's links to my version of Sean's schem and my perfboard layout.

I think it can be done if I worry less about area and more about height.  In this layout I only tried to keep the footprint small and the upright capacitors are getting in the way of some of the jacks.  It looks to me like four jacks leave plenty of "floor space" in the 1590B if I just lay all the caps on their sides.  Ah well.  Live and learn.

Just thought I would mention this, because I don't recall seeing any layouts with capacitors laid on their sides.  I'm sure they are out there and now I recognize that some pictures I've seen show this kind of layout.  But it just didn't register that I should think about height. :?

[Funk]

Here's links to my version of Sean's schem and my perfboard layout.

Extremely sorry for the 1+ year bump, but maybe I could just get something cleared up.

With the perf layout you did, that is looking at it from the top isn't it? I just get a bit confused with which way to look at layouts with whether it's from the top or from the bottom.

Thanks and sorry again 

[MartyMart]

Looks great , BUT  is this really your "first build"  ??   
( or just the first B-blender )

Marty.

[Funk]

Looks great , BUT  is this really your "first build"  ??   
( or just the first B-blender )

Marty.

I knew I should've just started a new topic haha.

Sorry for the confusion anyone.

[gaussmarkov]

   yep, that was my first build marty!  i took it very slowly and it came
out pretty well. 

funk, layouts are usually drawn from the top, or component side.  but lots of folks
also "mirror" the image so that they can see it from the "bottom" where all the soldering
is done.  i hope this answers your question.

-gm

[gaussmarkov]

  yep, that was my first build marty!  i took it very slowly and it came
out pretty well. 

funk, layouts are usually drawn from the top, or component side.  but lots of folks
also "mirror" the image so that they can see it from the "bottom" where all the soldering
is done.  i hope this answers your question.

-gm

perhaps i should add that it wasn't my first soldering project.  i bought a couple of "kits" from a local electronics store to build
first.  they were PCBs cut in the shape of christmas trees with LEDs that were supposed to blink if you built it correctly.  my first
tree didn't blink and only half the lights came on. 

(since when is there a time limit on editting a post?  it seems reasonable but it caught me by surprise.  i
will have to look around for some discussion of this.)

-gm

[Funk]

Thanks, that's exactly the answer I needed!

[Antero]

Wow, that's only a hundred thousand times neater than my builds.  :p 

[markm]

Looks real good gm!!
I am shocked      that this is your FIRST build with all the work and fine contributions you have made!
Not to mention a fabulous website to boot!
Congratulations!

[$uperpuma]

check the date on the original post   haha... I need a signal blender...how well does this one work, say for bass?

[markm]

check the date on the original post   haha...

Ooops!!

[markm]

Looks real good gm!!
I am shocked      that this is your FIRST build with all the work and fine contributions you have made!
Not to mention a fabulous website to boot!
Congratulations!

I take back what I said.....
except that it looks good and you have a fine website!
well, Congratulations anyway 

[gaussmarkov]

  yeah, i didn't build this one last month--it was more than a year ago.  i started the website as a
kind of first year birthday celebration.     and, mark, thanks anyway!

check the date on the original post   haha... I need a signal blender...how well does this one work, say for bass?

definitely.  seanm's a bass player.