Hi, First off, thanks for an excellent resource here - Im fairly new to this site. Second, I wonder if you might be able to cast some light on a minor issue with my Platypus build. After failing a couple of times with an alternative layout, I have tried this one, and it works nicely for a brutal fuzzy tone. However, I have found that there's very little dynamic range to the volume - and at times it drops off very rapidly as the signal fades. I have the Ge diodes socketed, so will try alternate types, but I wondered if you have an idea why this may be so? Or is it just how this pedal behaves normally? Cheers, Adam
Hi Adam. I have not built this myself but the behaviour you describes sounds odd. You might have a tiny solder bridge and/or a too narrow cut somewhere.
Try another pot for volume. Do you get octave up? If so, the ge diodes don't seem to be the problem. / FH
Hi, Thanks for your reply - I would have replied earlier but I hadnt noticed! Sorry! I was expecting an a notification through my google account, that didnt appear so I'll check my settings. Anyway, I'm pretty sure there is an octave effect coming through and whilst I can't guarantee it (every single solder join and track + track cut was checked for appropriate continuity with a DMM following the soldering of a lead), I don't think there are solder bridges, plus each track was gone over with a fine sawblade. But I shall check again. It's a bit late tonight, but I'll try and do a quick yt video of how the pedal is working. It may well be that I am imagining things, and this is how it is supposed to sound. The fact that I've built this a few times (initially from the tagboardeffects layout) and have had similar 'issues' suggests to me that there is either an issue with my components (bad batch of 4049 IC's for instance) or I have a consistent error! Thanks again for your reply, and the work you have put into this site. Adam
Hey there - pretty sure this layout is verified as drawn. I've built it successfully, as have a few other commenters on this post. Not meaning to sound condescending here, but one of the things that building on stripboard has taught me is patience. I've stared at non-functioning builds for literal hours before finally discovering the misplaced component or tiny solder bridge. And sometimes, I don't figure out the error and start all over again only to have the circuit fire up fine on the second or third try. Check your semiconductors (I go through A LOT of sockets), swap them out, and, as I said before, sometimes you have to just start over. Best of luck to you!
Verified! Just finished and it sounds damn close to the demos. Ring mod at low gain, and crazy octave as you dial it up.
ReplyDeleteI used a 470u in place of the 330u, just because I didn't have that value... Worked like a charm.
Thanks for another great layout!
Excellent! Tagged.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, thanks for an excellent resource here - Im fairly new to this site.
Second, I wonder if you might be able to cast some light on a minor issue with my Platypus build.
After failing a couple of times with an alternative layout, I have tried this one, and it works nicely for a brutal fuzzy tone.
However, I have found that there's very little dynamic range to the volume - and at times it drops off very rapidly as the signal fades.
I have the Ge diodes socketed, so will try alternate types, but I wondered if you have an idea why this may be so? Or is it just how this pedal behaves normally?
Cheers,
Adam
Hi Adam.
DeleteI have not built this myself but the behaviour you describes sounds odd. You might have a tiny solder bridge and/or a too narrow cut somewhere.
Try another pot for volume.
Do you get octave up? If so, the ge diodes don't seem to be the problem.
/
FH
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reply - I would have replied earlier but I hadnt noticed! Sorry! I was expecting an a notification through my google account, that didnt appear so I'll check my settings.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure there is an octave effect coming through and whilst I can't guarantee it (every single solder join and track + track cut was checked for appropriate continuity with a DMM following the soldering of a lead), I don't think there are solder bridges, plus each track was gone over with a fine sawblade. But I shall check again.
It's a bit late tonight, but I'll try and do a quick yt video of how the pedal is working.
It may well be that I am imagining things, and this is how it is supposed to sound. The fact that I've built this a few times (initially from the tagboardeffects layout) and have had similar 'issues' suggests to me that there is either an issue with my components (bad batch of 4049 IC's for instance) or I have a consistent error!
Thanks again for your reply, and the work you have put into this site.
Adam
Hey there - pretty sure this layout is verified as drawn. I've built it successfully, as have a few other commenters on this post. Not meaning to sound condescending here, but one of the things that building on stripboard has taught me is patience. I've stared at non-functioning builds for literal hours before finally discovering the misplaced component or tiny solder bridge. And sometimes, I don't figure out the error and start all over again only to have the circuit fire up fine on the second or third try. Check your semiconductors (I go through A LOT of sockets), swap them out, and, as I said before, sometimes you have to just start over. Best of luck to you!
DeleteTurns out that my q1 transistor needs the opposite orientation of whats pictured. Coincidentally its sounds great the wrong way just not correct.
DeleteThis thing is mental, really brutal fuzz - play around with your guitar pickup selection and tone controls to get some really cool sounds
ReplyDelete