Pictures!

[Slade]

@~arph: Impressive! Congrats for that fantastic piece of work!!

[mth5044]

~arph! It's done, looks great man! I've been following the pictures on your twitpic thing. Excellent!

[Brymus]

Even though you are using an arduino, will you be posting more info on it? Schematics?

Yes will happily answer all questions. Schematics still are a bit of a mess. Perhaps we should start a separate thread for it.

The arduino is purely there for the switching indeed. Could be done with ordinary DPDT switches too.
I use a MAX395 for switching, that's basically two serial controlled 4066's in one package ( dip 24 )
The button pads are available at www.sparkfun.com

thanks for the kind words.. just wait untill you hear it  ;. I'm getting a good friend of mine to do the demo

last but not least. the current, still messy, but improved guts:

The front is amazing too !!!
I cant agree enough that is some serious coolness that you did.
I have been thinking about the echorec ever since that thread on it,I never knew that was the early Floyd sound.
But yeah if you have captured that far out echo effect I want to build one too,I love old Floyd tunes.That alone would be worth the cost of a half dozen ICs.
But man that pedal looks so freakin pro and high tech,great build.

[studiostud]

I'll be honest.... I really wish Zero hadn't mentioned the Nintendo idea....   *rushes off to search all local goodwills for old nintendo and games cartridges to gut out*


This could actually be a completely feasible idea.  You could even use the cartridge's original pins.  I was thinking about the potentiometer issue.  Maybe since the old nintendo enclosures are so big, you could put a couple rows of potentiometers so you have most of the common values.  Then maybe setup some sort of relay system that would select which pots to use when a particular "circuit cartridge" is inserted.  If you were really smart, you might even be able to have a 3mm LED under each pot and have the relay system activate the LEDs under the pots that the inserted cartridge uses..... 

thoughts? 

[trad3mark]

holy god... 658!! 666 is getting pretty close now. fingers out lads and ladettes!

[Zero]

I thought about the "nintendo" style a bit, but I decided to just stick with this way. One problem is the potentiometers - you need different potentiometers for every effect, so they have to be switched out as well. Designing each effect around the potentiometers is a possibility, but it would be limiting and annoying. Integrating them into the effects units PCB mount solved that problem (and also allowed me to make those face plates interchangeable) but also complicates the exchange process a little, since you need to remove the pot nuts. You'd need a way to connect the PCB to the base unit cartidge style but stably enough to have the potentiometers poke out of the effect and not be sensitive to pressure on them.

The external box idea is limited to the cartridge style for the same reason - pots. Closest I will come to that is a large box where 5-6 of these modules fit in - sort of like some of the multi-effects pedal boards that people make every now and then.

I'll be honest.... I really wish Zero hadn't mentioned the Nintendo idea....   *rushes off to search all local goodwills for old nintendo and games cartridges to gut out*

This could actually be a completely feasible idea.  You could even use the cartridge's original pins.  I was thinking about the potentiometer issue.  Maybe since the old nintendo enclosures are so big, you could put a couple rows of potentiometers so you have most of the common values.  Then maybe setup some sort of relay system that would select which pots to use when a particular "circuit cartridge" is inserted.  If you were really smart, you might even be able to have a 3mm LED under each pot and have the relay system activate the LEDs under the pots that the inserted cartridge uses..... 
thoughts? 

I agree with you there, Chris. The pots have to go together with the effect...

I'm assuming you're both familiar with the Line 6 ToneCore series... That seems like exactly the solution we need.
But those are digital, and the Dock contains the DSP itself, the module some sort of PROM with the algorithm and the controls. In that scenario it makes absolute sense and if offers the perfect separation between effect-specific and common "stuff".

The beauty of Chris' solution IMO is that you don't need an additional enclosure. That saves both costs and especially build time.

Another approach would be to have 1 box with the effect PCB & pots ("module") and one box with the footswitch, audio and power jacks plus LED ("dock"). You could then connect any module to a dock using a small-ish multicore cable. DE-9 (PC serial port) should do it. This would be just like the ToneCore concept, but for analog effects.

The concept could probably easily be extended to have "through" connector, so you could chain several effect modules and turn them on all at the same time with the switch on the dock. There could also be some boxes with just a switch that "click" straight into the DE-9 connector on the module, allowing to bypass just that module.. This would make the wiring between the two connectors on each module a bit complicated though.

But in the end, I guess it's easiest to stick with the "one box per effect and connect via jack cables" approach 

[Zero]

Arnoud, that's awesome!

Is it more or less safe to operate the play/regenerate buttons with your feet?

last but not least. the current, still messy, but improved guts:

Very nice cleanup job on those guts!

[~arph]

Arnoud, that's awesome!
Is it more or less safe to operate the play/regenerate buttons with your feet?

Thanks!

I would not recommend that.. it will not break it, but selecting more then one feedback head will start self oscillation. (depends on where swell is set)
You'll need impossible precision or a very longtoe to tap the righ button..

[jacobyjd]

Arnoud, I've been wanting to check out those button matrices that Sparkfun sells--I was a bit confused on what exactly is needed, since there are several items that seem to go together, but are sold separately.

Would you be able to take a pic of the buttons separate from the enclosure (or another set you happen to have)? It would be great to see it in perspective--the product photo a SF isn't the greatest.

That's a fantastic-looking project--I'm a little jealous Mine won't be even close to being that good-looking.

[JKowalski]

I thought about the "nintendo" style a bit, but I decided to just stick with this way. One problem is the potentiometers - you need different potentiometers for every effect, so they have to be switched out as well. Designing each effect around the potentiometers is a possibility, but it would be limiting and annoying. Integrating them into the effects units PCB mount solved that problem (and also allowed me to make those face plates interchangeable) but also complicates the exchange process a little, since you need to remove the pot nuts. You'd need a way to connect the PCB to the base unit cartidge style but stably enough to have the potentiometers poke out of the effect and not be sensitive to pressure on them.

The external box idea is limited to the cartridge style for the same reason - pots. Closest I will come to that is a large box where 5-6 of these modules fit in - sort of like some of the multi-effects pedal boards that people make every now and then.

I'll be honest.... I really wish Zero hadn't mentioned the Nintendo idea....   *rushes off to search all local goodwills for old nintendo and games cartridges to gut out*

This could actually be a completely feasible idea.  You could even use the cartridge's original pins.  I was thinking about the potentiometer issue.  Maybe since the old nintendo enclosures are so big, you could put a couple rows of potentiometers so you have most of the common values.  Then maybe setup some sort of relay system that would select which pots to use when a particular "circuit cartridge" is inserted.  If you were really smart, you might even be able to have a 3mm LED under each pot and have the relay system activate the LEDs under the pots that the inserted cartridge uses..... 
thoughts? 

I agree with you there, Chris. The pots have to go together with the effect...

I'm assuming you're both familiar with the Line 6 ToneCore series... That seems like exactly the solution we need.
But those are digital, and the Dock contains the DSP itself, the module some sort of PROM with the algorithm and the controls. In that scenario it makes absolute sense and if offers the perfect separation between effect-specific and common "stuff".

The beauty of Chris' solution IMO is that you don't need an additional enclosure. That saves both costs and especially build time.

Another approach would be to have 1 box with the effect PCB & pots ("module") and one box with the footswitch, audio and power jacks plus LED ("dock"). You could then connect any module to a dock using a small-ish multicore cable. DE-9 (PC serial port) should do it. This would be just like the ToneCore concept, but for analog effects.

The concept could probably easily be extended to have "through" connector, so you could chain several effect modules and turn them on all at the same time with the switch on the dock. There could also be some boxes with just a switch that "click" straight into the DE-9 connector on the module, allowing to bypass just that module.. This would make the wiring between the two connectors on each module a bit complicated though.

But in the end, I guess it's easiest to stick with the "one box per effect and connect via jack cables" approach 

That's another thought - I did consider designs vaguely like that at one point but decided against it because one of the main goals I had for it was to have the ability to make a lot of effects very very very cheaply. Right now, the whole cost of making a gig-usable effect that looks nice to boot is in the components, PCB, and 1-3 pots. That's dirt cheap. I estimate that with the prices I pay for my components the BMP for example cost $3-4... and the labor isn't much, just your average PCB construction. If I were to make each "module" in a special docking enclosure, the work and price of the design would peak pretty sharply. That's for someone with a different goal in mind.

If someone had access to methods to make complex encosures then you could work out a system much like the tonecore series I suppose - a docking enclosure with a space for a "module" box to mechanically link to (not just a cable) with the pots on top.

[~arph]

Would you be able to take a pic of the buttons separate from the enclosure (or another set you happen to have)? It would be great to see it in perspective--the product photo a SF isn't the greatest.

Well it's a bit confusing indeed, but you need the rubber pads and then the red pcb's that go under it. They are sold separately. The PCB's are for 2x2 buttons, so I needed two.

[JKowalski]

Would you be able to take a pic of the buttons separate from the enclosure (or another set you happen to have)? It would be great to see it in perspective--the product photo a SF isn't the greatest.

Well it's a bit confusing indeed, but you need the rubber pads and then the red pcb's that go under it. They are sold separately. The PCB's are for 2x2 buttons, so I needed two.

Thought they were microswitches at first but now I see that they are a button pad with a conductive circle ring around the base. The PCB has two ring things on it under each button where the traces interlock like gears (but don't actually touch each other) and when you push on the button, the conductive ring rests on the two "interlocking" traces and connects them completing the circuit. The buttons also have a hollow inside where the LED goes. The whole thing comes together in layers,





These types of button systems are fairly easy to DIY though, with a little ingenuity. For example, build a PCB with a row of micro switches that is rigidly affixed to the enclosure lid and about 1/8" below the top... Carve the button holes, make top-hat shapes for the buttons (they fall out into the enclosure but not out of the enclosure), put a spring over each micro switch and sandwich the buttons in. Voila! Microswitches are used on everything nowadays, it makes it easy to build a switch integrated aesthetically into the appliance/whatnot since you can build the whole switch bank out of plastic or whatever at the factory really easily and engineer the plastic button bank to poke microswitches behind them. Same principle.


~arph, when are you going to start the separate thread? I was wanting to ask a few questions, namely a general idea of what you decided on for the final PT2399 "modules" as far as filtering, etc. Did you use an existing design or shrink it down to bare necessity?

All these posts about your build are going to bring the 666 competition around in no time, though  

[jacobyjd]

Ah, that makes sense--thanks for the explanation.

They sell faceplates for all their button matrices, so I wasn't sure if you could get away without purchasing a faceplate and just make your own, or if it was a major structural piece. That clears it up

[sinner]

Here's my new BC183L FF replica

[~arph]

Ah, that makes sense--thanks for the explanation.

They sell faceplates for all their button matrices, so I wasn't sure if you could get away without purchasing a faceplate and just make your own, or if it was a major structural piece. That clears it up

I'll make a separate thread today..  I'm not using the black ones from sparkfun. I designed the top black one and that together with the enclosure hold the buttons fine

HERE:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=85946.0

[Magnus]

Hello together,
impressive builds!

@sinner:
WOW - this is really extreme good work - beautyfull  

Here's my take on the Fuzz Face (B-Enclosure, authentic pcb-clone too):
http://forum.musikding.de/cpg/thumbnails.php?album=363&page=1&sort=pa


Greetings
Magnus

[Zero]

Is it more or less safe to operate the play/regenerate buttons with your feet?

I would not recommend that.. it will not break it, but selecting more then one feedback head will start self oscillation. (depends on where swell is set)
You'll need impossible precision or a very longtoe to tap the righ button..

... or start wearing fingerpicks on your toes and control the unit barefoot 

[Nikolay]

One small box for splitting the guitar signal.

[Perrow]

I'll be honest.... I really wish Zero hadn't mentioned the Nintendo idea....   *rushes off to search all local goodwills for old nintendo and games cartridges to gut out*


This could actually be a completely feasible idea.  You could even use the cartridge's original pins.  I was thinking about the potentiometer issue.  Maybe since the old nintendo enclosures are so big, you could put a couple rows of potentiometers so you have most of the common values.  Then maybe setup some sort of relay system that would select which pots to use when a particular "circuit cartridge" is inserted.  If you were really smart, you might even be able to have a 3mm LED under each pot and have the relay system activate the LEDs under the pots that the inserted cartridge uses..... 

thoughts? 

Not that this is exactly what you're after, but with all this talk about interchangable effects I'll have to post my sketch for a stompbox rack, much like a (computer) server rack the thought is to have a standard unit width and the effects can be 1 to N units wide. My sketch (made in Google Sketchup) shows a Boss effect and a Hammond enclosure dropped in there, mostly for size reference, but you could certainly do that too.

You'd probably wanna make the faces of the effects U shaped for stability (unless you make them out of stainless steel), you could make them from square tubes split down the middle, Should keep cost down.

I do like your idea for connections, those small white pcb-mount thingies is certainly a size improvement over 6.3mm jacks

[tuckster]

someone alreday build a board like this but with the jacks on top. I don't know where the pics are... not in the pedalboard thread but maybe here.