Sunday, 25 April 2021

Klon Centaur

 


49 comments:

  1. One of the few classics that was missing in this monumenal library of yours! I've got one, with the magical diodes and all, but I may give a try on your layout, just to compare. You're top notch, now!

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    1. Cool. I can upload the "Silver" edition as well. You might want to try out that one to compare to your earlier build. It is the same layout as above but with some resistor and value changes...

      And what IS the "magical fairy dust" diodes anyway?. NOS 1N34A? D9D?

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    2. Finnegan revealed the secret some time ago: 1N34A ;-)

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  3. I've been also looking at your Blues Driver, another classic... I thing it would be of public interess if you add, as you do with many others, a layout with mods - the Keeley Fat mod, most of all!... I've never seen one anywere. And I would build it in the minute.

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    1. I can do that. You don't happen to have a link for the mods? I can just find some snippets here and there.

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    3. Well, from what this guy shows it's not very dificult:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqxdckEh1XI

      It's more about upgrading parts (I heard also about tantalum instead of electrolits), change some values and adding a switch to choose between mod and standart.

      I think I even can do that myself based on your layout.

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  4. Mods, there's a number you can do. Here's mine (it is a vero not from here). Added an extra TL072 for the boost and added switches for gain boost, disable buffer, change input cap, add diodes on board ones (which are 1N34A), and bass hump for EQ.

    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=966115184160609

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  5. Build it, and... it works! How does it sounds? Well, sounds good, very good, indeed. Used ICL7660S, tantalos and some niponic GEs (really old). Small problems: I don't have now 100 KB pot, and only one 10KB. Have to fire the thing with 100 KA, and definitely it needs Linears on all the pots.
    Two words about the "fairy dust" ones: I allways socket ICs, trans and GE diodes. This is my seconde Klon Centaur. IN the first one (Mark's layout) I tried 1N34A, 1N60, D9D, OA91 and a couple of others. Ended with one of the "others". Same on this one. :O)
    Anyway, great work again, Mr. Fuzzhead! Thank you very much! I'm boxing and keeping!...

    PS: tomorrow, with proper pots, I'll make a final report

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    1. Dragao. You rock big time.
      Tagged.

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    2. You'll be fine with a log on the output. I've built a few klons with either lin and log for that, originals lin but tbf I've preferred log. Def need dual lin for gain though.

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    3. Yeah, in the output, no problem.

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  7. Very happy with the thing. Linear on gain makes a diference. Meanwhile, tunning it, on tone zone, and checking schematic, found the resistors are inverted: if I'm not seeing wrong, 1.8k should be on top to Tone 3, and 4.7k below, to Tone 1. I've change it that way and get less dark and less hiss.
    Cheers! And thanks again!

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    1. Glad someone else finally agrees! That BYOC one has alot to answer for with its "silver" soecs, despite the original schematic actually being done with a silver klon....

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  8. Does anyone have a klon schematic with Treble, Mid & Bass Control? I know treble and bass exist... but i need that Mids lol

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  9. I don't think it would do much do tbh. I built one with bass and it's barely noticeable. Ended up turning it into a switch instead of a knob.

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  10. Hi, apologies for asking as my query is based on an alternative layout (with Fat Switch and diode DPDT switch), but Im having a little difficulty with the Gain pot. It is behaving very oddly - starts loud and clean, goes quiet and muffled as it's turned up then gets a bit louder again as overdrive is introduced. Volume and tone seem to work normally.
    Any thoughts happily received,
    Adam

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    1. Sounds like you've got the dual pot wired wrong somewhere.... Double check the connections.

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    2. Guessing it's the tagboard one? Check your gain 1 (overdrive) connections, gain 2 (clean) sound ok as they should decrease as the pots turned. Double check it's def a 2k resistor before gain 1-1 wire too, bigger values will reduce the amount of gain...

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    3. There is also a mistake with IC3 PIN 3 & 4. On schematic they are both connected to 1uF.

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    4. Profuse apologies for the delay in replying. Yes, i realise its nearly a year! Thank you so much for your advice, which ive only just seen. I shall check over the vero again and hipefully get a working layout.
      Cheers,
      Adam

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  11. If you dont connect pin 3 and 4 sound is thin. Nevertheless I learned a lot in a day of checking where is the error 😀 thx for the layout...its excellent. This pedal is must!

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    1. Are we talking about the tagboard layout or this one?
      According to pedal PCB schematic, pin 3 is grounded while pin 4 is connected to 1uF.
      https://www.pedalpcb.com/docs/Kliche.pdf

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  12. I checked your layout with this schematic:
    https://www.coda-effects.com/p/klon-centaur-circuit-analysis.html

    And beleive me...if you dont connect pin 3 & 4 sound is thin. I also replaced resistors 1.8K with 4.7K on the right side of IC2. Other traces are all OK.

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  13. I managed to fit this in plastic box 120x70x30mm.

    https://imgur.com/a/4VY01NY

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    1. Good job on fitting it into that box!

      Very interesting schematic you linked to. If it is correct, it means that all other schematics I've seen on the web has a bug! I think I need to try this out.

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  17. Sorry for fuss...I found bad joint...

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  18. I also found out that i'm probably using fake 7660s that is causing high frequency noise. Chip is probably older 7660 so I'll try to connect pin 1 to ground and put 10uf capacitors.

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    1. No worries! You kicked me in the butt and made me start building a Klon. Finally...:-)

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  19. Out of interest what implications do the changes on the BYOC silver have over this one?

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  20. Ok it was time. I've build a Klon a few years ago but I sold it due to high pitch noise. So, I gave one a try having MAX1044 in hand. Again high pitch! Tried 1044, 7660, 7660S, so whats happening??Fake all of them?

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  21. It could be your power supply. Is it isolated?

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    1. Even with the battery. I show somewhere with similar issue, the problem was fixed with TC7662B, did anyone tried this?

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  22. Charge pump fix below.
    So I read the datasheet for max1044/icl7660 and I tried a few things to fix the known problem. What we hear is the clock of the chip which can be changed. My initial thought was to change the frequency, out of our hearing range. That can be done by lifting the first pin for higher frequencies or leave it connected for lower frequencies and use a cap on pin 7. Didn't have good luck there. I had a lot on my list to try but what worked was connecting pin 6 to ground. Doesn't work for 7660S. Works to a point with max1044. Works 100% with 7660. There.

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  23. Was the order of the tone resistors and the other mentions in the comments confirmed? Do they need switching?

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    1. No, the order of the components doesn't matter as long as there isn't another component between them.

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    2. Cool, thanks for that.
      Cheers
      Ben

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  24. Again with the stupid questions!
    I was thinking I would have a go at this but all the dpdt footswitches I've found are on/on. Is this ok?

    Thank you in advance (and sorry for the endless questions about my confusion with switches)

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    1. Hey Ian - you would use a DPDT on/on - and you can actually just use a standard 3PDT footswitch too - you would just leave one of the rows unused

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    2. Using a standard 3PDT switch connect as so: hold so the lugs face horizontal like -- and number as

      1 X 4
      2 X 5
      3 X 6

      Just leave the center row empty, No special parts needed!

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  25. That's awesome! Thank you ☺️☺️☺️

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  26. Hi! I'm having a bit of popping everytime I engaged the pedal, this is the third one I do an always have that problem, seeing the layout I saw that in the schematics and other layouts the Switch 1 is taken from the junction with the "magic" diodes. Maybe I can take the Switch 1 one file high. Can it be this the cause of the popping?

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