Tuesday 8 October 2019

Earthquaker Devices Sunn O))) Life Pedal

Verified by MTK. Thanks!

And a demo of MTK's build



104 comments:

  1. Hey very nice!

    Quick couple questions. The Distortion 3PDT footswitch handles the "on/off" function of the effect...correct?

    J201 or 2n5457 can be substituted for the PF5012?

    Has anyone tackled this layout yet??

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    1. Hey! No it's not verified yet, you might want to give it a shot?:-)

      This is basically two circuits in one box, Rat/Green Ringer and MOSFET booster. Distortion switch activates Rat circuit and booster switch activates....yes the booster. When both is engaged, Rat circuit puches booster circuit.

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    2. I'll give it a shot! You think J201 or 2n5457 can be substituted for the PF5012?

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    3. Yes almost any N channel J FET will work in there since they are used as buffers.

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  2. Working on this a little today...just checking on the 100nF cap directly above the 30pF cap. Should that be 100nF or 100pF? The cap icon seems to represent a pF, so I'm just double checking. Thanks!

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    1. It should be 100nF. It runs parallel with 100uF power filter cap and filters high frequencies in case of a bad power supply. I guess you could get away with a film cap but its recommended to use a multilayer ceramic in that spot...don't ask me why but thats whats the audiophiles say :-p

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  3. Hey, man. I decided to climb this mountain today. Only the boost works, I subbed with a 2N7000. When the Rat side is switched on, there's a slight "power hiss" but the pitch doesn't change when adjusting any of the pots and the signal doesn't pass. I don't know if that's helpful at all or not. I figured if the pitch did change with the pots, it'd help track down a possible issue. I tried a metal can 308 and a 5534.

    I thought the G4 took a long time to make, this pedal just nabbed the top spot for time invested.

    https://imgur.com/a/d3TXGqK

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    1. Hey man. Big "oops" from me. I went over the layout and noticed that Q5 needs to be flipped araound. Layout is updated and hopefully it will work now *fingers crossed*.

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    2. Ok, there is a missing resistor in the layout; it should be a 10k resistor connected between emitter of Q3 and top row(9v). I can't spot any other mistakes. Rat section looks ok by now....

      I'll update the layout with the missinf resistor but unfourtnenly I have to shift some components around.

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  4. Getting closer. The Distortion pot is funky. I'm still a noob with making layouts but I *think* I found some things using the schematic from Pedalpcb. Please forgive me if I'm waaaay off. Just trying to be more helpful than simply saying it's not working.

    The 470K right under the 308 should be a 1M. And (bottom left corner) the 4.7uF/560Ω should swap places, then connect Distortion 2/3 to pin 2 between the 30pF and 1K resistor at position 6P.

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    1. Yes! Thats it! You are definitely on the right track. No wonder that the gain pot is funky when its connected to pin 1 when its should be connected to pin 2. 1M resistor to vref should make the op amp work more stable. The order of 4,7uF/560 ohm doesn't matter as long as there isn't a connection between those.

      Thanks for the fresh pair of eyes!

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    2. Updated the layout, had to add a cut and a link to have connections to the gain pot on the edge of the board.

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  5. TAG IT!!

    What a day. This is the longest I've spent working on one pedal so far. It jams, dude. Super quiet too. Everything functions as it should.

    I didn't know that about the 4.7uF/560Ω. I thought it had to be exactly like the schematic. Good to know. I left it the way it is in the layout and just moved my Distortion 2/3 to that spot at P6. Got the 10K on the Emitter of Q3 to 9v and swapped in the 1M too. It's good to go.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS_1jLZpnzA


    Thanks!!

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    1. MKT,

      We're you able to salvage your first build (after the updates)?

      in other words, I've had all the components soldered on this board, but now I see these revisions and was wondering if you started fresh, or salvaged your initial build to reflect the new layout. just trying to decide if i should start from scratch! thanks!

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    2. Yeah, you can save it. I didn't build a new one. I'll take some pictures and get them posted in a few hours.

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    3. All right, man. Here's what I did. D5 is correct in this layout, btw.

      https://i.imgur.com/qZtoktK.png

      For that 10K, I made a little hook and grabbed the emitter with it. I accidentally bumped that 100nF with the iron.

      https://i.imgur.com/3O501DT.jpg

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  6. Thanks! Looks like the the top leg of the 1M resistor on the right of the board was moved up one row too.

    As far as D5, was it incorrect in a previous layout? I can't notice a difference with that.

    Thanks again my friend!

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  7. Yeah, Q5 was flipped around on the first layout.

    Which 1M resistor are you talking about, row 14 or 15? I didn't have to move any of those.

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    1. MKT,

      So, the 1M resistor in row 15 (on the original layout) top leg is at "J". In your revised layout top leg of that same resistor moved to "I". Is this correct?

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    2. Unfortunately, I don't have the original layout anymore, it got overwritten with one of the updated layouts. This is how my resistors are placed. Is yours different? Can you link the layout you're using?

      https://i.imgur.com/DgzVN8Z.jpg

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    3. Here is the layout I was working off of:

      https://drive.google.com/open?id=1D71vF5mRe3xhYJQ62Jps6FBNX48SU2EH

      I think I'm good, but if you can put eyes on it and let me know if I'm good to go with your revisions (and moving that 1M resistor), that would be awesome. Thanks a million!

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    4. That's weird. I don't think I had that layout, mine had all the other differences, just not that 1M. Maybe Anders updated it from whenever you downloaded the layout and when I downloaded it? Or maybe I just made a good mistake? lol

      But, yeah, looks like if you move the top of that 1M in row 15 up 1 spot and you've already made sure Q5 is flipped the right way around, the 470K under the 308 is changed to a 1M, added the 10K to the Emitter of Q3 and 9v, and moved your Distortion 2&3 to position P6, you should be right where I am.

      https://i.imgur.com/0WTcQCL.jpg

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    5. You rule! Thanks for the direction and patience!

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    6. You're welcome, dude. If there's anything else I can help with, lemme know.

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  8. It says "Amplitude to Distortion Sw 7". I take it this means Amplitude 2?

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  10. So, what kind of wizardry is need to throw the octave on a footswitch?

    Is this close?

    Sw1 - Octave lug 2
    Sw2 - T1 on the board
    Sw3 - B2 on the board, leave Octave 1 in the same spot

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    1. Did you found out a way to add a octave switch? seems logical to me the thing you wrote but did you try it?

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    2. well shit except i guess itd need to change so dist input goes to 22nf t1 on board also etc.. hm

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  11. New layout is good, if anyone was concerned. A friend of mine asked me to make him one after I finished the first one.
    https://i.imgur.com/mZyRAsa.jpg

    I got mine all boxed up the other day. Went with an Alien theme from the original movie. LV-426

    https://i.imgur.com/MMip7HX.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/p9Fi3h7.jpg

    Cheers!

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  12. Hi Guys.

    What are you using for D1 and D2?

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    1. I used 1N60's in the first one and 1N270's for the second.

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    2. Any difference between the two?

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    4. ... I wish this blog interface would let you edit posts. lol

      Anyway, I tested them side by side and couldn't tell a difference. The Octave was still octavey. You don't need much, IMO. I have it set to around 10 o'clock.

      I made another clip yesterday. I crank it at the 3 minute mark.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3H5llSlrI4

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    5. Great, cheers, sounds great. What did you use for your IC, an LM308AH?

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    6. http://smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com/ic-ua308hc/

      I ordered 4 earlier this year with plans to build some Rats. I actually got 3 UA308HC's and 1 LM308HZ. They all sound great. I've got 5 more on the way now.

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    7. Thanks for all the replies MTK, I will get all the parts ordered and put one together.

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    8. Earthquaker mentions "Russian" diodes in their Life Pedal manual, and Deadend FX recommend Russian D9V diodes for their clone PCB. I'm using 1N270 in one build and D9B in the other. Apparently it's important that the two Ge diodes are matched.

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    9. Did you notice a difference between the 1N270 and D9 builds?

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    10. I opened an EQD Life Pedal, and the diodes look very much like D9K.

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    11. @A2K I finally finished the build (after extensive troubleshooting :P) and found that the D9K sound minimally smoother than the 1N270. Not much of a difference though. I stuck with the D9K because that's what's in the original pedal.

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  13. I put sockets in mine, gonna try D311 and also D9K diodes...i'll report back after it's wired up and tested.

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  14. Look at the schematic. D1 & D2 are reversed!

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    1. I think D1 is suppose to go up to A-16. Based off the board of the person who completed it: https://m.imgur.com/a/d3TXGqK

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    6. D1 and D2 are backwards, the schematic I've looked at definitely indicates that the cathodes should be connected to the base of Q4.

      http://effectslayouts.blogspot.com/2019/10/earthquaker-devices-life-pedal.html

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    8. All right, man. I swapped it around and it's pretty much the same, a little less raspy. I like it more the way I had it before. But anyway, I looked at the schematic that was used for this layout, at the time, and the anodes are connected to the base of Q4. Even PedalPCB's current schematics are conflicting. They don't have the original version of the schematic anymore since the update but I've got it here. I just inverted the color to make it easier to look at. So, I don't know which is right.

      https://i.imgur.com/bvEdte3.png

      https://www.pedalpcb.com/docs/Parentheses.pdf

      https://www.pedalpcb.com/docs/ParenthesesMini.pdf

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    9. Apparently it doesn't matter. lol

      https://forum.pedalpcb.com/threads/parentheses-fuzz-ge-diode.814/#post-4883

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    10. Interesting, I wish my build was working in either orientation but no such luck. At this point I'm afraid that I may have damaged the IC but I'm not sure how to determine if this is true. If you've got three of these working already maybe you can help spot my error? Trying to work through my issues here:

      https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=123772.msg1171962

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    11. I replied in your thread, man.

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    12. Actually, if you use the same Russian diodes as in the original Life Pedal (D9K, as far as I can tell), then they should be inserted as on this schematic because the red ring on the D9K diodes marks the anode rather than the cathode. I guess this had several people confused.

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    13. Final word on the germanium diodes: I finally managed to open an original EQD Life Pedal again, and it has the diode anodes (red ring) connected to the 100K resistors and the diode cathodes (white rings) connected to the transistor base.

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  16. Hey , I'm new here and it looks great.
    Just wanted to confirm.
    Is the layout here is the final one and the working one?
    Thanks for your help.

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  17. hey guys something is wrong with mine. the boost alone doesnt work. so does the distortion. they have to both be on. and octave doesnt work either. when octave is all the way up all i get is a hiss and the distortion disappears. ill be troubleshooting it when i get the time but if anyone has any clues or ideas on why its acting this way feel free to say

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    1. I built this and I have the exact same problem

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    2. I just built it according to the schematic, and it works fine.

      Note that two of the capacitors (a 1µF and a 22nF) span an additional row on the stripboard. I recently overlooked this on another pedal build and it drove me crazy.

      If you notice that both effects have to be on for this to work, then make sure you have the offboard wiring correct; it is really very complex.

      As some have noted, the two Germanium diodes (D1 and D2) appear on this schematic the wrong way round. While this does not necessarily matter, I have used diodes with which it did matter, so just try the circuit with both cathodes pointing towards the transistor.

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    3. MKT and h-pr are the only two of us built it with success?
      You can confirm the layout we can see at the moment is that you used and 100% verified?

      Then, the only spot to verify is the polarity of the diode. I advice to check the polarity of our diodes, any we want to use, with the multimeter to be sure.

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    4. @Elijah-Baley I built it exactly as shown on the schematic above (version of 12/17/2019) and it works.

      Mind you, it's not the easiest of schematics. There are certain things that can be easily overlooked. Make sure you have all 37 cuts and all 11 links. Double-check the offboard wiring; it's among the most complex I've encountered so far.

      As for the germanium diodes on this schematic, I'm not sure: Are these supposed to be like the original Russian diodes that have a red ring marking the anode? If so, insert them as shown here, with the red ring to the left/bottom. If you are using regular diodes with a ring marking the cathode, I would suggest inserting them the other way round. The cathodes should point right/up towards the transistor.

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    5. PS. There is a picture of my build at https://i.redd.it/lr7ux7eb6tl41.jpg
      As you can see, it's exactly the same as on the schematic.

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    6. Yeah, man. This current layout is solid. I've made 3 so far without problems. The first build was made from the original layout that had some mistakes, but Anders and I worked it out. It's been good to go since. If you're worried about the octave diodes, socket them.

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  19. Thank you guys! I think I'll build it one day. I'm not afraid, I built other thing complicated at least as this or even more. ;)
    Just sometimes I saw some layouts around in the web "Verified" though some issues.

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  20. This one is verified for sure..definitely alot of small stuff that's easy to over look

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  21. Built this from a layout I printed out a while back, spent a lot of time and it didn't work so I came back and saw the updated layout, started from fresh as when I compared the two there were some major changes!
    This is for sure a count your cuts and triple check then four times board haha!
    100% confirmed that this works and it sounds amazing! Take your time for sure on this one and it'll turn out great! Will be posting a demo video soon on YouTube!

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  22. I’m about to start this build. Curious what the + is to represent on the row for IC pin 5? Left there by mistake?

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    1. D7 - the LED's positive orientation.

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    2. Thanks for the response! I realized this shortly after asking while I was marking the cuts. Thanks again!

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  23. So does the lead go in the hole the + is located above?

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  24. hey guys built this a while ago but the octave knob doesnt work at all up to about 2 oclock. after that it practically goes clean. any ideas what the problem could be? everything else works fine though. subbed the pf5102s with j201s.

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    1. also, when octave is at max signal barely gets through

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    2. I'd be happy to take a look at it, man. Can you upload clear shots of the top and bottom of your board as well as the off-board wiring?

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    3. ok man here it is. i must warn you its not the prettiest looking thing
      https://imgur.com/gallery/MMno1CI

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    4. ordered that big ass switch by mistake. decided to use it anyway.

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    5. I meant more like this. https://i.imgur.com/nHbuRpE.jpg

      I can't see clearly with it in the enclosure. I know it sucks to have to pull it all back out but you can't work on it while it's boxed up either so might as well rip the bandaid off. Having all the same color wires also makes this more... fun, from my end, visually. lol At least it's just the octave part. Let's see if we can get this worked out.

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    6. https://imgur.com/TXSIV9W
      https://imgur.com/VwTGjmw
      sorry that took a while man. but i feel pretty confident about the circuit. i couldve sworn the octave was working fine when i tested it the first time. i should have double checked but i was too excited to get it boxed up. lol.
      also, sorry for the bad picture quality i have a shitty phone.

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    7. and ive gone through the wiring a hundred times by now. everything is where it should be.

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    8. Here's the signal path for the clean/octave.

      https://i.imgur.com/V9h4Iqq.png

      The guitar signal starts at the J1 point on the board, where Distortion Sw. 1&6 connects. When the Octave pot is fully CCW/Off the signal follows the green path down into the beginning of the Rat section, T1. When the Octave pot is fully CW/On the signal follows the yellow path through the octave section, then into the Rat section.


      I noticed this weird looking solder connection on the 1uF cap that the clean path follows. Is that something you had an issue with? Also, let's clarify what you mean by the Octave knob not working then going clean.

      Do you mean there's distortion up until the Octave knob is at 2 o'clock and then it's clean as in no distortion or there's distortion, then a little octave comes through until it's at the 2 o'clock point then the octave drops out but the distortion is still going?

      https://i.imgur.com/EPiCEz1.png

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  25. The 1uf cap. I used a polarized tantulum cap at first. My friend told me tantulums are not as reliable as electrolytics so I swapped it out. I'm pretty sure it's not the one causing the problem though.

    Octave knob. No octave until 2oclock, just distortion. After 2oclock it just gets cleaner, distortion fading and at max it's pretty much clean. But when I strum really hard I get some distortion for like a fraction of a second and it goes clean.

    Could it be components? I've been going through the schematic and focusing on the octave part and I can't find anything wrong.

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  26. Replying from different account man. jameso))) here.

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    1. Ok, that tells me your octave section, the yellow path, isn't passing signal at all. So, as you're increasing the Octave, you're decreasing the Clean that's going to the Rat section and it's becoming less distorted then off the same was it would if you rolled your guitar volume back until it was off. Triple check the octave section and make sure that stuff is right.

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  27. Ok man. Thanks for all the help. Really appreciate it. Will get back to you with results. Hopefully I can get it to work.

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    1. Yeah, you'll get it working, it's 2/3 finished.

      Here are the components that make up the octave section.

      https://i.imgur.com/1Hnw1yd.png

      If your cuts and links are right and these parts are where they're supposed to be, you should be good to go.

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  28. holy shit man im literally the stupidest guy ever. i had this same problem with the fuzz war clone. but it never occured to me. it was the battery. im testing it with a battery snap and the battery was about 4 volts. sorry for wasting your time man i feel like an idiot. is it just fuzz circuits that do this? i used the battery on other overdrives and distortions and they work fine.

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    1. Ha! Well, at least now you know a little more about the circuit. Lots of pedals react differently to low voltage, it's actually a feature on some effects. It's typically called Voltage Sag, or Starve, etc... I haven't used batteries for pedals in about 21 years. lol

      Funny thing about the Life Pedal is that it's not actually a fuzz. It's just a Green Ringer/Tentacle(octave)going into a Rat(distortion) going into a boost. The Rat just isn't a very tight distortion.

      Anyway, glad it's working. Make some cool tunes with it. Have a good one.

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    2. deffo. thanks again for all the help man. much appreciated. also merry christmas to you and everyone else in this cool community.

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  29. Do you know what resistors/capacitors are in the original one ? Metalfilm or carbon resistors ? And what are ceramic or elektrolytic caps ?

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    1. Here is some guts of the first edition....
      https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30082&p=276679&hilit=life+pedal#p276679

      Metal film resisors. Tantalum caps in Rat section (2,2uf and 4,7 uF caps) electrolyctic for the rest. Ceramaics for the pF caps.

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  30. Do you know the 3. capacitor that is a Tantalum ? On the pedalpcb forum there is told its C14 with 100pf... but 100pf is knowhere manufactured.

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  31. Having some issues with this one. Boost works fine. I think the distortion works fine. Octave is where I’m having issues though. Seems like ccw on the octave let’s signal pass with no octave effect. Cw however is the same. Still no octave effect. As the pot sweeps to the middle, that’s when it sort of a dies in sound. Becomes thin but not effect. Voltages seems okay traced it W an audio probe and the octave section seems to have to effect. I also matched the diodes top for the octave section. Kinda stumped if anyone can lend a hand!

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    1. Which diodes are you using. Most russian D9x diodes have the band at the anode...
      Other than that, check component placement that connects to Q2, Q3 and Q4 which is the octave up section.

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    2. cheers for the reply mate! hope youre doing well. took some voltages. reversed the diodes as mines were russian and changed the pot to a new 50K just incase. still the same and not as much distortion this time.

      d8

      8.7

      d1 + d2: 3.2

      q1

      d: 8.7 s: 8.2 g: 8.7

      q2

      c: 7 b: 0.75 e: 0.23

      q3

      c: 0.85 b: 7 e: 7.5

      q4

      c: 8.8 b: 8.7 e: 3.7

      q5

      d: 8.8 s: 1.0 g: 0

      q6

      d: 5.8 s: 0.7 g: 0.1

      ic

      1: 8.6
      2: 4.4
      3: 2.2
      4: 0
      5: 0
      6: 4.4
      7: 8.7
      8: 8.6

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  32. Yep, this layout defo works. Sounds good but prefer Katzenkonig

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  33. anyone knows how would I make a footswitch for the octave in this version?

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