Show us your BIG effects

punkin · February 23, 2009, 09:57:26 PM

Quote from: Taylor on February 23, 2009, 02:21:25 AM
I see a lot of guys around here squeezing tons of stuff into tiny little boxes, and I am amazed at the skill it takes to do this. I really admire those of you who have the know-how to redesign layouts, use SMT components, have every resistor on end packed shoulder to shoulder, doing double-sided boards, etc. Excellent stuff.

And yet, the end result is this tiny little box, which, although neat, just isn't my favored aesthetic. I can see the use in small pedals when you have a board with 20+ effects, but I really only have a use for a few, so a couple of big enclosures with tons of knobs work better for me, and I just like the way they look.

So I want to see your big boxes. Multi-effects, souped up, knob covered monstrosities, unnecessary big empty boxes, whatever. But it must be big and imposing.

My first entry is a Ring Stinger clone.

Measures 9x7x3. I am currently working on a huge analog pitch shifter/guitar synth sort of thing, which will be much bigger, but no pics of that yet.

I like the way you think! I'm wondering if there's gonna be a section here for "DIY Rack Effects" pretty soon?

sjaltenb · February 23, 2009, 10:06:21 PM

Quote from: Taylor on February 23, 2009, 09:33:18 PM

This is what's cool about DIY effects in general, but I like the multis especially because it's cool to me when I see people who have it "figured out". On that note, those of you doing multis, have you had any problems with your tastes/needs changing in the middle of the project? Have you had to abandon ideas or get stuck with anything you no longer think is a good idea?

Well, in my case, I am learning as I go. So i have had to go back and re-do everything that doesnt work (i.e.-power) and learn as much as I possibly can about why that doesnt work and then learn how to make one that DOES work.

The biggest problem with a project like this is that your mind goes wild with ideas the entire time. It just never ends, you keep thinking about ideas and what all you can cram in there and what would make it better, cooler, most interesting and higher quality.

Thats DEFINITELY the biggest problem. You have to be like OK...this is what i'm putting in there, i know it works, and boom, do it. Otherwise you'll never finish

Taylor · February 23, 2009, 10:33:50 PM

Quote from: punkin on February 23, 2009, 09:57:26 PM

I like the way you think! I'm wondering if there's gonna be a section here for "DIY Rack Effects" pretty soon?

I might be doing some rack stuff soon for some people. The reason DIY rack stuff is probably not as popular (other than the forum being called DIYstompboxes) is that rack format is usually a much less efficient use of space. It's good for amps since there is a lot of circuitry and transformers but not many knobs. Effects on the other hand usually are small circuits with a higher ratio of knobs to size.

Plus, it seems like there are a lot less guitarists using rack rigs now than there were in previous decades. Lots of bass players use rackmounted amp rigs, but these guys tend to use few if any effects.

ringworm · February 24, 2009, 07:23:38 AM

Quote from: Derringer on February 23, 2009, 09:00:54 PM
Quote from: Taylor on February 23, 2009, 04:19:52 PM
Mouser. Made by LMB/Heeger. Hammond also has a nice line of slope-front boxes. I like them alot; easier to drill than the cast ones, and they look a lot nicer unpainted (my paint skills are pretty lacking at the moment).

got a part number or link by chance ?

I think I found it
537-MDC973-01
I knew it wouldn't be cheap but £14 for an enclosure... ouch! Looks great though.

dano12 · February 24, 2009, 07:31:11 AM

puretube · February 25, 2009, 07:59:07 AM

12 channel analogue vocoder with phase-linear filterz:

16 channel modular analogue drumset with crashpad-input for each instrument:

(all components "salvaged"/"dumpster diven")

POWAH,
(TUBE-WAH^TM with built-in 10 Watt tube-amp, 12" speaker, and Tube-Envelope-Followah) :

liddokun · February 25, 2009, 08:03:44 AM

Quote from: puretube on February 25, 2009, 07:59:07 AM
12 channel analogue vocoder with phase-linear filterz:

16 channel modular analogue drumset with crashpad-input for each instrument:

(all components "salvaged"/"dumpster diven")

POWAH,
(TUBE-WAH^TM with built-in 10 Watt tube-amp, 12" speaker, and Tube-Envelope-Followah) :

Man, puretube, you're a beast!
Those look great! Especially the drumset.

puretube · February 25, 2009, 08:35:15 AM

Of course, the drumset could also be triggered/played with the full-rhythm digital sequencer including variable-rate drum-roll generator:

(from ~33 years ago, made out of the legendary 74XX chips...)

with diode matrix on home-made double-sided PCBs:

and capacitive touch-pads:

puretube · February 25, 2009, 08:46:06 AM

Front (panel-) side of the analogue drumset:

Backside with trigger-inputs (and powersupply) :

free gutshotz... :

un-gooped:

Andi · February 25, 2009, 08:56:09 AM

Just a 2x6-way remote bypass loop doodah - the modules connect with CAT5 cables for cheapness and ease of replacement.

petemoore · February 25, 2009, 09:37:45 AM

(all components "salvaged"/"dumpster diven")
"Deep"

MikeH · February 25, 2009, 10:41:41 AM

Puretube: I don't know what to say man. That is big.

Taylor · February 25, 2009, 01:54:44 PM

But what are those little black things I see? Transistors? Come back when you have a real 12-channel analog vocoder, using tubes.

Haha, Puretube, your entries put us all to shame. The biggest thing to me is that these were done many years before the internet, so acquiring the knowledge to do this was so much more difficult.

DougH · February 25, 2009, 02:32:56 PM

My newest "big" effect. Well, a stock photo but nevertheless:

Taylor · February 25, 2009, 03:38:19 PM

Eh, did you build that amp and cab?

Rig · February 25, 2009, 04:15:34 PM

Cool Stuff!

I have enough giant parts for a tube screamer--600 volt sized caps and resistors and such. I'm tempted to make something out of those.

If I actually succeed on my present TS project, I might keep going. Right now, it's my second try and no luck yet. Expensive electronics education.

Taylor · February 25, 2009, 04:39:55 PM

Ha, that would be cool: a simple pedal made with huge, over-rated parts. You could use 5w resistors and those big caps you have. Then maybe throw in a submini tube just to make things weird. You could probably rig up an oversized stompswitch using a big bolt and a rubber Boss style switch inside.

trixdropd · February 26, 2009, 04:05:37 AM

Quote from: Andi on February 25, 2009, 08:56:09 AM
Just a 2x6-way remote bypass loop doodah - the modules connect with CAT5 cables for cheapness and ease of replacement.

Very cool Andi. I love your projects. I am trying to conceive many items you seem to have done already. Cool stuff.

Andi · February 26, 2009, 06:40:25 AM

Quote from: trixdropd on February 26, 2009, 04:05:37 AM
Very cool Andi. I love your projects. I am trying to conceive many items you seem to have done already. Cool stuff.

I honestly don't know. I'd guess at 150-200 assorted pedals I've built over the years.

petemoore · February 26, 2009, 08:42:22 AM

The fading on the multicolor pedals is spectacular...eyecatching fade effects and colors like Tropical Fish, makes a pic-present look !

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Show us your BIG effects