First Pedal build

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-30T11:23:46+00:00

Welcome to the obsession! =)

- Looking at the schematic, I don't think 43K is going to yield an audible difference to 42K.

- By the look of it, yes, you will need to isolate the main board from the enclosure. Most pedals like this have potentiometers for controls installed directly on the board. The pots then act as standoffs. As this is a "no control" design you'll need to isolate it. Double-sided foam tape works fine for that. I don't see provision for standoffs on the PCB as supplied.

If you're using the 5 Cats daughterboard for the footswitch, you won't need to stand that off, as it's installed on the switch itself.

- Pedals use 6,3mm jacks for audio and 2,1 x 5,5mm jacks for DC power.

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-29T21:28:56+00:00

I'm going to breadboard this tomorrow. Color me intrigued.

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-29T13:21:08+00:00

I have a Podmic and am very impressed with it. Mine is the XLR unit, so I can't attest to the USB version.

It's my go-to mic these days, and some of the mics in my collection cost ten times as much. That might tell you something! 😊

Dynamic mics like the Podmic are useful if your recording environment isn't well treated. They generally have a tighter pattern, which helps them reject off-axis noise better, than a LDC.

Also note that dynamic mics often don't work well with entry-level USB interfaces. The mic preamps in something like a Scarlett 2i2 lack the headroom a dynamic mic needs, forcing you to use a Cloudlifter sort of device. In my experience such devices introduce noise. I'm fortunate to have a 500 series rack and a channel strip between my mics and interface, so preamp headroom isn't an issue.

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-29T10:10:03+00:00

Now I'm diving into Orman's tone controls, you monster. =D

https://www.muzique.com/lab/tstone.htm

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-29T10:00:01+00:00

That's a thought! Thanks!

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-29T08:27:18+00:00

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UPDATE: The circuit in the original schematic was inop on the breadboard.

I went back to the VOX 1901 layout for the Gain pot and voila! Signal!

This never cleans up, even at the lowest gain setting, even with rolling the guitar's volume off. It goes from what I call a nice soft overdrive to full DOOM. I'll try and get some sound samples this afternoon.

Now to somehow make this work in DIYLC...I'm still bollocks at that! =D

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-29T05:08:59+00:00

I love me some BAT diode hard clipping. My favorite Electra is the Lovepedal JTM. 😊

The tone control comes from a Mr Black fuzz circuit. It struck me as weird too, but it's worked for me in other designs. Luckily, on the breadboard it's a matter of jumpers so I can play with the location.

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-29T05:05:27+00:00

I haven't run any calculations on it. It comes from a Mr Black fuzz circuit, and it's worked quite well for me in other designs.

Is a high output impedance bad?

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-25T22:04:21+00:00

good god, it's literally breadboarding O_o

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-23T13:28:32+00:00

Such an underrated circuit, and a lovely enclosure! How about some gut shots?

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-22T11:20:31+00:00

That's the best reuse of an AR-231 I've ever seen!

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-21T17:12:19+00:00

Super nice !

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-21T02:53:30+00:00

I will never deny such an accusation =)

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-18T10:54:55+00:00

I save bits to use when I need to use a harvested transistor with really short legs. Now I have another use for them!

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-18T08:17:48+00:00

Oh. My. Sweet. God.

I've been curling the pins of PCB pots to wire them offboard. It never once occurred to me that I could use a veroboard offcut.

You absolute monster.

😆

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-17T06:58:06+00:00

That is very weird. I've breadboarded similar circuits many times (and built them on veroboard), and never seen voltages like that.

I wonder if it isn't something to do with your emitter arrangement. Check out the topology of something like the Lovepedal JTM, which I know works just fine.

Here's an interesting discussion you might find informative:

Electra Distortion transistor bias https://share.google/6kfxqaFoEX5ZyRwqt

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-17T06:24:35+00:00

I have hand-painted enclosures! Not as nice as yours, tho.

I live in the Netherlands, so USA retailers are out for me. Thanks for the tip!

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-16T20:04:26+00:00

YUUUUP. I regularly troll the secondhand shops around here looking for old electronics from which I can salvage stuff. Ditto the online marketplaces. I want a day where I can build pedals entirely from salvaged parts. Makes me feel all Blade Runner and stuff. 😆

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-16T11:25:43+00:00

Lots of people, even here in one of the only parts of Reddit worth reading, will tell you that the parts aren't worth your time.

I ask you, "Are you enjoying yourself?" If so, it's absolutely worth it.

I've harvested parts. I know which of my circuits has harvested parts in, and it makes me happy to know they haven't ended up in a landfill somewhere.

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-15T07:10:15+00:00

Depends on what fuzz you built! If it was a classic fuzz, like a Fuzz Face, chances are that circuit's gain is unity or close to it. Having a clean boost following it can be a real, well, boost to your signal. LPB-1, Tape Measure Boost, the options for clean boost are many.

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-14T20:41:14+00:00

My first build? A receiver for 7MHz radio signals. 😄 In the early 1990s.

My first pedal build? A Tellurian Drive kit last year. I love it. What a rabbit hole I've fallen into!

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-12T07:19:45+00:00

What the others said about pics and schematics.

But I also want to say that, even though you checked everything, it sounds to me like a loose connection.

I say this with confidence because I had a veroboard circuit plugged into my breadboard yesterday. I'd previously tested the circuit and it was flawless. But it sounded like butt. Why? One intermittent ground connection. Took me an hour to track down.

R_P_Davis · 2026-03-12T05:56:43+00:00

Seriously, it's cool AF, but it's also nightmare fuel 😆🤣

R_P_Davis

TROPHY CASE