Building the Echo Base PCB

[claytushaywood]

The PT2399 is inherently noisy in it's longer repeats 300-500ms or so in my experience. If you want a clean delay, digital is the way to go. That said I was really happy with my Echo Base, pcb was great quality, and I had no build issues. I don't really play super clean anyway so unless I drive my EB really hard I don't notice it.

haha.... the pt2399 IS digital... maybe i shouldnt have quoted you on this, but anyways i've had analog delays with MUCH less noise

The demoes I've heard of this pedal definitely dont show the noise that I have experienced with the guitarpcb D'Lay.  It seems there's quite a few PT2399 circuits that aren't obnoxiously noisy like guitarpcb's.  There was another guy on the forum that had the same problem as me (as soon as I posted on the same topic we got edited by big brother barry) I've played the CMAT MODS delay that I am pretty positive (from memory) is based of a pt2399, and it wasnt nearly as bad as guitarpcb.com's delay project. 

The noise from my dlay would easily show up in the type of audio demos (delay time, playing, repeats) done on musicpcb's site.  I mean it's obnoxious... I play vintage style single coils through a bunch of pedals on a cranked old fender, I'm familiar with all types of noisey pedals.  Guitarpcb's D'Lay is absolutely the most obnoxious noisy pedal I've ever dealt with in my life.  I mean it's not noisier than like a high gain fuzz, but then its not as loud and it doesnt get covered up by playing.  it comes through when listening to repeats.  i tried 3 different pt2399's from three different sources, all had the same noise.  I think it's just a bad design.  I wouldnt care if they didnt advertise it as getting "too lo fi for some after 700ms", but again all they do over their is testimonials.  So I'm thinking it's the circuit.

Is anyone else out there completely annoyed by the noise on the repeats of the delay?  I think it could be filtered out... i read about a mod here briefly a while ago, something about sending less signal to the PT2399?  maybe even putting a filter on the repeats to filter out the high pitched noise on the repeats? 

[Taylor]

Yes, if you change the cutoff of the filtering you can definitely filter the noise better, but you would probably get better answers by starting a new thread rather than posting about a different circuit within this thread. It could easily get confusing as to what everyone is talking about.

Also, I once tried to help somebody with a board made by somebody else, and it started a huge war and I got called some nasty names just for trying to help somebody.  So for diplomacy's sake I must recuse myself I'm afraid. But if you start a new thread and link to the circuit you're talking about, I'm positive you will get some good suggestions.

[Vince_b]

Is anyone else out there completely annoyed by the noise on the repeats of the delay?

To be honnest, not at all. Of course it's not as clean as a commercial digital delay but many people see this as a "feature" of the EchoBase.
But maybe for some reasons mine isn't as noisy as yours. Can you record some sound samples so we could hear what kind of noise you are talking about?

Edit: I've just realised that I mixed up guitarpcb with musicpcb, so maybe there is a problem with the delay from guitarpcb. I never tried it so I cannot tell.

[aballen]

So there is no tone sucking, but it adds noise? 

Sounds like a good case for true bypass to me.  If the circuit is noisy, then it must add noise even when turned off correct?

Just looking for more info, as I wait for my last few parts to come in.

[Vince_b]

The repeats might get a little bit noisy but there is no added noise when the effect is bypassed, even if it's not true bypass.

[slacker]

Sounds like a good case for true bypass to me.  If the circuit is noisy, then it must add noise even when turned off correct?

No, like Vince said, any noise being talked about here is on the delayed sound only, the dry sound and therefore the bypassed sound is unaffected. In bypass mode the delayed signal is cut so you don't hear any noise that might be coming from it.
Best thing to do is build the pedal stock and live with it for a while, then if there's things you don't like you can look at modding it.

claytushaywood is talking about problems he's having with a completely different pedal.

[aballen]

I'm doing the diode lift mod right away, that should help with a cleaner signal right?

also the added waveshape mod, and the dub madness will go on a momentary.... humbucker mod will only happen if I need it.

[aballen]

Well, that was a damn fine PCB... my pedal seems to work well.  this pedal with all the mods would have been a lot tougher without the PCB. 

I have to spend some more time with it, and I have a few questions.  Trying to get a better feel for what each knob/switch does, so I'm going to recap what I've observed... but I'm looking for corrections.

• Level - This is the volume knob
• Feedback - This is the number of repeats, adjust from one, to infinite... and even all the way to the right to create feedback
• Time - This is the space between the repeats
• Depth - This alters the pitch
• Speed - This alters the speed of the pitch changes
• LFO Waveshape mod - should affect the shape of the pitch changes on the LFO - Can anyone offer up some good settings for this?  I'm not sure I hear it.
• LFO kill switch - simply disables the two LFO pots, does it disable the LFO mod as well?  (I"m thinking yes)
• Clean kill switch - mutes your guitar, but allows the repeats to sound
• Diode lift switch - should clean up the signal, if it is too dirty when using humbuckers - I don't seem to have the problem so I'm not discerning any effect from this switch... but since its switchable, I figured I would do it right away, I skipped the resistor change, since that is permanent.
• Tails switch - The most badass of all imho, allows you to switch off the pedal, but the repeats will finish
• Dub Madness - well this is just a crazy feedback/distortion button... Seems a lot like turning the feedback/repeats knob to 11

I've noticed with the LFO, I can get a very leslie tremolo sound going.  Some have said chorus, what settings create a chorus sound?

What kind of battery life can I expect with this pedal?

Oh and some pics of course.  I'll post again once I figure out what knobs I'll be using, and paint it up.  This is definitely my favorite DIY pedal yet!!!

[StereoKills]

I get a light chorusy sound with the depth pot low (8-9 o'clock) and the rate pot high (3-4 o'clock)

[slacker]

Looks great. Your descriptions are pretty much correct. The LFO kill switch stops the LFO so yes it disables the LFO mod. The waveshape gives a triangle wave at one extreme and square at the other. If you set the depth quite high you should be able to hear what it does. On the triangle side you should hear smooth changes in pitch, if you set the delay time very short it should sound like vibrato. On the square side it should sound like it's jumping between pitches instead of moving smoothly.
The dubmadness does exactly what you said it puts the feedback on maximum. This is probably most useful as momentary stomp switch, then you can punch the madness in and out.
To get a chorus sound set the delay short almost on zero. Turn level up most of the way up, feedback on zero. Then adjust speed and depth to taste.

[aballen]

Awesome pedal slacker... I was thinking about a PT-80... but this one is just sooo cool.  I'm glad I chose this one.

I wonder if I will find something wrong the more I play with it.  I'm kind of amazed I got it, and all the mods working on my first try.

[bassesofdeath]

Well, that was a damn fine PCB... my pedal seems to work well.  this pedal with all the mods would have been a lot tougher without the PCB. 

I have to spend some more time with it, and I have a few questions.  Trying to get a better feel for what each knob/switch does, so I'm going to recap what I've observed... but I'm looking for corrections.

• Level - This is the volume knob
• Feedback - This is the number of repeats, adjust from one, to infinite... and even all the way to the right to create feedback
• Time - This is the space between the repeats
• Depth - This alters the pitch
• Speed - This alters the speed of the pitch changes
• LFO Waveshape mod - should affect the shape of the pitch changes on the LFO - Can anyone offer up some good settings for this?  I'm not sure I hear it.
• LFO kill switch - simply disables the two LFO pots, does it disable the LFO mod as well?  (I"m thinking yes)
• Clean kill switch - mutes your guitar, but allows the repeats to sound
• Diode lift switch - should clean up the signal, if it is too dirty when using humbuckers - I don't seem to have the problem so I'm not discerning any effect from this switch... but since its switchable, I figured I would do it right away, I skipped the resistor change, since that is permanent.
• Tails switch - The most badass of all imho, allows you to switch off the pedal, but the repeats will finish
• Dub Madness - well this is just a crazy feedback/distortion button... Seems a lot like turning the feedback/repeats knob to 11

I've noticed with the LFO, I can get a very leslie tremolo sound going.  Some have said chorus, what settings create a chorus sound?

What kind of battery life can I expect with this pedal?

Oh and some pics of course.  I'll post again once I figure out what knobs I'll be using, and paint it up.  This is definitely my favorite DIY pedal yet!!!

Beautiful looking build. Do you have any pics of the inside?

[aballen]

Yeah, I'' try to post them when I get home... its not bad, but I would not call it tidy.... all the mods were a bit of an afterthought....  I had to use some dpdts where I only needed spdts... and it is tight in there.

[aballen]

There you go.  Not bad, but you can tell the mods were an afterthought.

Awesome PCB.

[Taylor]

Nice build! I bet it was tricky getting all of that into a BB box.

[aballen]

That it was, but I'll tell you it is an awesome pedal.  Well worth the trouble. 

I really wish I was better at case design, a pedal this cool should look badass too.  I'll do what I can to label it up... (its real function is audio not visual)

[snarblinge]

where did you get all blue box cap? I'm trying to colour coordinate my latest build of this. nice layout BTW

[aballen]

Got them here

http://www.mouser.com/EPCOS/Passive-Components/Capacitors/Film-Capacitors/Polyester-Film-Capacitors/_/N-5g7wZ1z13ya8Zscv7?Ns=Pricing|0

if you are lookign to color coordinate you can get red ones here

http://www.mouser.com/WIMA/Passive-Components/Capacitors/Film-Capacitors/Polyester-Film-Capacitors/_/N-5g7wZ1z0zldhZscv7?Keyword=polyester+film+capacitors&FS=True

[claytushaywood]

Anyone confused by my previous posts- Let me clarify- anything I was saying about the sound of a delay pedal was me referencing guitarpcb's D'Lay circuit... all the stuff about the noise on the repeats was about that circuit NOT the echobase.  I recently built a clone of the mad professor deep blue delay and it sounds awesome (it's based on the pt2399 chip too)!  found that NOT ALL pt2399 delays have annoying hiss on the repeats!!!  the guitarpcb circuit is just crap.  and the echobase is probably much better, like the mad professor... but with more cool controls...

on another note--
are there any mods for darkening the repeats on the echobase?  I'd like to have switchable darkened, cave like repeats...

[aballen]

You might want to check out the cave dweller over at mad beans