Paranormal Compressor Schematic - Guitar Magazine

axeman010 · January 02, 2007, 04:45:27 AM

Hi

A friend has asked me to fix a Paranormal Compressor which he bought on E-bay. The kit for this pedal was originally put out by Guitar Magazine but I can find a schematic for it any where on the net or in this forum.

If anybody has this schematic please could they let me know.

Kind regards

Axeman.

gez · January 02, 2007, 08:36:21 AM

I think I'm right in saying that they never publish schematics for their projects, just paint by number instructions on how to assemble them.

In light of the fact it was designed as a DIY project, it would probably be a trivial matter to trace it. Might even be an idea comparing it with the most popular DIY compressors (Dyna/Ross/Orange) just in case it's a blatant copy.

axeman010 · January 02, 2007, 08:45:56 AM

Thanks Gez for the info.

Was just trying to avoid a long drawn out debug as I prefer building to mending !

Regards

Axeman.

R.G. · January 02, 2007, 08:49:10 AM

QuoteI prefer building to mending

We all do, but in most cases those are just two phases of the same process.

gez · January 02, 2007, 08:50:56 AM

Quote from: axeman010 on January 02, 2007, 08:45:56 AM
Was just trying to avoid a long drawn out debug as I prefer building to mending !

I know the feeling! The last time I had to trace a circuit was for a delay someone wanted modding. Thankfully, delays are pretty generic circuits so I was able to use the schematic for another pedal as a guide (there were more similarities than differences). You can usually tell pretty quickly if something's a clone/variant, so it is worth checking.

analogguru · January 02, 2007, 10:46:52 AM

your searching skills can be improved:

Maybe you try this link:
www.guitarmagazine.co.uk/DIYguitarpedal_15_11_5.pdf

analogguru

axeman010 · January 02, 2007, 11:51:57 AM

Thanks Analogguru

I found this and there is no schematic on this page.

Axeman.

analogguru · January 02, 2007, 12:03:08 PM

Maybe you can make some nice pictures - especially of the track side - and tell what is written on the transistors Q1 - Q6 and you will get a nice schematic.

As far as i can say now, it seems to be a Fet-based Compressor like the "orange squeezer" or the "soul-preacher".

analogguru

markm · January 02, 2007, 01:01:48 PM

Of course, If you end up with a nice schematic, I could make a nice layout for said schematic and then build the thing!
I am a compressor junkie afterall!

Paul Perry (Frostwave) · January 02, 2007, 09:44:28 PM

The problem with repairing a 'kit' is that you don't know whether it EVER worked!
could be wrong components, transistor wrong way round, anythng & everything!!
but, if the circuit were traced out, I suspect someone here would recognise it.

seedseed · November 19, 2011, 11:09:09 PM

so how is this one moving along has anyone actually got hold of the schematic for it. Looks like it wouldn't be a bad compressor. Has anyone built this from a a kit cause if so they could kindly scan the schematic in that came with it. Cheers

tiges_ tendres · November 20, 2011, 12:23:24 AM

forum member Col worked out a schematic for this one. It's all discreet if I remember rightly, although I can't find my copy of the pencil scheme he'd drawn.

slacker · November 20, 2011, 05:06:02 AM

If you do a forum search for paranormal you'll find Cols schematic.

rankot · December 05, 2018, 02:18:06 AM

Just to refresh link to the magazine article: https://docdro.id/5wTjGIL. Currently out of time to trace this, but maybe after Christmas.

iefes · December 05, 2018, 02:40:12 PM

I just thought: "Well, I have some free time right now why not trace this thing from the pictures to help the community?" - Fail.

From the input pad I can follow through the first filter cap (10n), but then I have no clue where the trace is going. Apart from that I would assume it goes to Q1, but I can't find a trace for that. They state Q1 is a FET. If it was a JFET the gate would likely be one of the outer lugs, but then it wouldn't be possible to substitute it with a BC549, so is it a MOSFET? Or another type of JFET I didn't come across yet?

The Input circuitry seems odd, so if anybody figures it out, please let me know.

Unfortunately the pictures of the offboard wiring are just showing a spaghetti-mess, so not really helpful as well.

rankot · December 05, 2018, 03:58:32 PM

Is this better? I've transformed PCB bottom from the article and put it near PCB top which was photographed straight from above. However, it will be a little complicated to understand pot wiring

anotherjim · December 05, 2018, 04:48:30 PM

QuoteIs this better?

That is helpful.
Does it look like the "input" wire goes to a 10n polybox and then.... nowhere? A broken track in the etch? Maybe a "bad" one was used to provide an assembly example. Should it really go to the middle pin of what looks like Q3?
I'm not familiar with many discrete FET comps, but we can see it has a full-wave bridge rectifier made with the 4 diodes, which might help the search for an original.

rankot · December 06, 2018, 01:49:03 AM

It's definitely a broken trace, but I believe it goes straight down to Q1 base.

iefes · December 06, 2018, 02:05:06 AM

Yep, it's probably supposed to go down to Q1B. Looks like they really wanted people to buy their kits.

rankot · December 06, 2018, 03:43:27 AM

OK, I took my time and traced this:

I just must ask someone to try to figure out potentiometer wiring. Also, there is 1 Ohm resistor (R14) going to ground, I believe it's a mistake.

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Paranormal Compressor Schematic - Guitar Magazine