Echo Base - a new PT2399 delay

[Colonel Angus]

Neat. What's the orangeish hookup wire? Looks classy!

[slacker]

Very clever Dave, I take it your little mod board gives you the non inverting input buffer off version 2?

Some people reported ticking from the LFO, the 2.2uF cap is to combat that.

[davent]

^Yes the  non-inverting buffer from version 2. No detectable LFO ticking so will leave well-enough alone.

The shiny orange wire is Teflon/Kapton sleeved coax. Great to work with, to prep the shield for connecting i just take off ½˝ or so of insulation, wrap the base of the braided shield with hook-up wire, solder the hook-up to the shield, trim off the excess shield and cover up with heatshrink. Never have to worry about creating a short between the shield and main conductor.

Nice small ×-section, bought a few years ago from John's Silver Teflon Shop,ebay.  http://stores.ebay.com/Johns-Silver-Teflon-Wire-Shop

[drummer4gc]

too. many. pages.

can someone verify that this perfboard layout is up to date with any and all improvements/updates to this project? http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb292/frequencycentral/EB01.gif

thanks!

[slacker]

No that layout is for the original version, wouldn't be too hard to modify it into the latest version, it's mostly changes around IC3. I might have a go, but I haven't got much time at the moment, maybe someone else could have a look.

As far as I know the only layout for the latest version is this vero one http://www.sabrotone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/EchoBase.gif

[drummer4gc]

Thanks a lot!

In that layout, though, I notice there are extra features. I'm fine with building one that just has the 5 knobs, a bypass and a tails switch. Are there many more differences between the perf layout and the one you posted besides the added features?

[slacker]

The main differences are that the new version uses a different input section that is much quieter than the original one, and the LED flashes in time with the modulation. The rest of the extra stuff on the layout are mods, they are explained here.

If you want to build it without any of the mods then just ignore Mod SW1 and Mod SW2, feedback SW1 and feedback SW2, just don't connect anything to them. Then use jumper wires to connect Dry SW1 to Dry SW2 and Humbucker SW1 to Feedback 2.

[drummer4gc]

Awesome, thanks so much!

I just read the entire thread, and now am interested in a few of the mods. But let me ask just a couple final questions to clarify. When comparing that vero layout to the pdf you just linked too, I think all of the mods are the same but with different names. Can you verify for me that I'm reading this right?

"Dry SW" on your vero = "clean signal kill mod"

"Feedback SW" = dub madness mod

"Humbucker SW" = diode lift mod (BTW, what was determined to work better for hotter pickups, lifting diodes or changing the 47k resistors to 22k?)

"Mod SW" = "LFO sw"


I just want to make sure I've matched up these two documents correctly so I can decide which ones I want to incorporate into my build. Thanks so much, this is an awesome project!

[slacker]

Yes those are correct. Personally, I think for hot pickups changing the resistors to 22k is the best solution or the one to try first. The diode lift mod is more of a personal taste thing, some people like the bit of distortion they add at higher feedback settings some don't, the switch lets you have both options.

[drummer4gc]

awesome. final question. where are you guys buying veroboard?

the store on this site seems to be out, mouser sells it for a ridiculous price, most of what comes up on ebay isn't actually stripboard, futurelec appears to be out, and my standby tayda electronics sells it but it is like two rows and 5 columns too small! 

i'd gladly paypal a forum member if someone has extra they would like to get rid of for a reasonable price...

[elflicho87]

Hi everyone,
just one question: can I use a tantalum cap instead of film for the 1uF ? if so, polarity doesn't matter right?

thanks
nic

[slacker]

I have not tried it, but I think it should work, polarity does not matter. A ceramic capacitor would be better if you can't find a film.

[elflicho87]

ok, thank you!

[drummer4gc]

i've seen some demos of this delay, and was looking for one to see if i should do the dry cut mod. i've had the thing built for a couple weeks and it is a blast, so i added the dry cut switch and got it to do some weird stuff, but i dont understand why people say you can use this to get a nice tremolo effect...without the dry signal, you get lag time between playing a note and hearing it, even on the lowest time setting. This totally throws me off and i can't see it being that practical. does anyone use this? someone want to do a demo of how to make it sound good?

thanks!

[slacker]

I've got no idea how you'd get a tremolo effect, never seen that talked about before. Very short times with no dry signal will give vibrato or pitch bending sounds. There will always be some delay between what you play and what you hear, same as any delay that has a wet only setting.

[drummer4gc]

thanks, i always get vibrato and tremolo mixed up. i fooled around some more, its definitely interesting with the dry cut. however, i also notice that cutting the dry signal also affects it when the effect is not engaged, so no sound comes out with the pedal off and the dry cut on. any way around this?

[R O Tiree]

Hi everyone,
just one question: can I use a tantalum cap instead of film for the 1uF ? if so, polarity doesn't matter right?

thanks
nic

Tantalum caps are polarised. 

[vacuumdust]

Hi,,,best diy echo ever IMO.  Second one i've built but I still can't get any difference in delay saturation with diode lift mod.  I've even gone overboard with the diodes adding more for asymetrical but regardless I can hear no difference when toggled even when the echoes are wildly running away.  Not a big deal just wondering if anyone else has noticed this.  Should the diodes be across the entire feedback pot?? (lugs 1 and 3) and not wiper to ground??  Only other thing is has anyone come up with a solution to slow down the dub madness rise to oscillation?  I've tried replacing the 27k mod resistor to a 100k pot and it's always the same.  These are not big issues I know just looking for solutions to my finicky probs.  THANKS!

[garcho]

has anyone come up with a solution to slow down the dub madness rise to oscillation?  I've tried replacing the 27k mod resistor to a 100k pot and it's always the same.

I'd like to know that also.

[lizardking]

I just finished this...with problems.

1.  The delay time I get goes from way too long to painfully long.  Is there not short dealy, like 100 - 200 ms delay?
2.  I can't hear anything happening in the Mod section at all.  I pretty much get a straight delay no matter how I set the Mod controls.
3.  If I cut clean I get NO ouput on bypass.  Is that normal?
4.  Can't hear anything happening when I switch in Dub Madness.

Thanks.