EHX Hot Tubes Layout

[RaceDriver205]

Did up a layout for the EHX Hot Tubes schematic. Must be an older version, because the Hot Tubes on the ehx.com site actually has real tubes, and sounds so bad I couldn't believe it!

This distortion sounds good. Thats all I can really say because the only way to explain it would be with a clip. Doesn't sound exactly like other distortions, it has characteristics that set it apart. Not a high-gain distortion, one would likely use it for a real nice rythm sound rather than for a solo.

www.tothemax.web1000.com - In 'information'

[RaceDriver205]

Oh, just forgot - its tested and it works!    

[Mark Hammer]

I came into one of these sometime around 1979 or early 1980, when a buddy working in the same teaching hospital made me a clone board from the one he had.  Unfortunately it didn't have the tone control, so I went for 25 years with it in tone-bypass mode.  Not a great hardship, though.

You are quite right.  There is a certain sort of "grunt" it produces which is NOT like other sorts of "tube sounding" units.  I've run mine off a 9v battery all this time, even though the original came in the big (Memory Man size) chassis, with an onboard transformer.  That's not to say it doesn't need a more substantial current supply.  Rather, if you're like me and you tend not to use your pedals for hours at a time day after day, a 9v battery will do fine.  My guess is that the unit probably draws in excess of 15ma.  So, more current than you want a battery to have to provide constantly, but not so much that it couldn't do the job.  Certainly, battery drain is nowhere near what you get with a digital pedal.

Just as a point of information, the 2M gain/distortion pot can be easily replaced with a 1M pot without ANY audible loss of tonal possibilities.

[Bernardduur]

I love that unit; I used it a long time as my main bass OD unit (just like Kim Gordon still does)..........

[A.S.P.]

www.tothemax.web1000.com - In 'information'

that link is so bad, I can`t believe it...

[The Tone God]

that link is so bad, I can`t believe it...

Whats bad about it ? It works for me.

Andrew

[A.S.P.]

it immediately turns into this one: http://www.chamberecommerce.com/404/

[The Tone God]

it immediately turns into this one: http://www.chamberecommerce.com/404/

I just checked again and I didn't get anything like that mind you I am using Firefox with Adblock plus and popups disabled so I maybe missing something. Are you using IE ?

Andrew

[zpyder]

A.S.P.:

The link works fine for me as well.  I'm running Firefox also

zpyder

[d95err]

Doesn't work for me either. I'm using IE.

[RaceDriver205]

Yeah, I really don't understand my site. The chambercommerce thing happens for a lot of people, so its very unacceptable.
Its almost as if web1000 sends some people to the correct address, and sends others to their big ad page.
At some stage Ill get round to transferring it all to another decent free site, but until then:
www.geocities.com/race_driver205/hottubesfull.jpg

[9 volts]

I've just had a bash at building this one and it seems to work ok, but when I have the tone control pot up full I get a high pitch screech in the background. In the bypass tone control mode it seems ok.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks

[reverberation66]

  I'm using firefox and worked fine for me as well...hmmm...

[9 volts]

I use safari and it worked ( I suppose as I wouldn't be able to build it otherwise)
Has anyone else had a go at building this one. I've been reading post posts and high pitch whining seems like a common problem which can be caused by many different issues yes?
I'm going to check all my soldering again etc today.

[9 volts]

This may seem weird but if I plug a 9 volt power pack into it it buzzes, if I use a new 9 volt battery it has a high pitch sound (as mentioned above) and sort of gates at the end of the note, and if I uses a flat 9 volt battery with a reading of 4.5 volts it sounds ok though not as loud. Is a direct 9 volts too much power for this ic?

Other 4049 pedals seem to use 4.5 volts (eg hot harmonics)

I'm going to buy some more 4049's today to try as well.

[9 volts]

I downloaded a schematic for this pedal an it turns out that c14 is actually a 4.7uf not a 47uf. I replaced it and the pedal is working  fine.

RaceDriver205 you may want to check this out, thanks.

[9 volts]

Um.....My problem sound wasn't caused by this capacitor.....the is that when I put the input wire near the output wire I get a high pitched sound. I'm wiring it it with a standard bypass which enhances the problem. I've never had this problem before. Does anyone have any suggestions.
Much appreciated

[RaceDriver205]

Ok, Im back.
Ill fix up that capacitor on mine. The high pitched sound is quite odd, perhaps there is something about my layout that encourages it. Oh well I dont know, I just hammer my layouts out as fast a possible so I don't pay much attention to where I put tracks.

To fix it, im guessing bringing the wires close together is allowing Hi-Frequency feedback, and to fix this you should use shielded wires from the board to your input/output jacks.

[Rafa]

I CANT BELIVE HOW STUPID I AM
JAJAJAJJA
YESTERDAY I POSTED ASKING FOR THIS LAYOUT
THANKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[RaceDriver205]

Im not sure about the voltage its supposed to run at. The original unit used a transformer for power, so I had to make a guess what the regulating circuit produced.
I found you need to keep the wires to the switch away from the input wire as well.