Dr Tony Balls wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 11:04 am
VaticanShotglass wrote: Wed Oct 13, 2021 7:18 pm
numberthirty wrote: Wed Oct 13, 2021 5:33 pm
Back in the "Classic Coke..." days, I'm pretty sure that I brought up that I can practically break new EHX pedals by looking at them.
I feel like I could break that one simply by walking into the room it is in without actually making eye contact.
Even still, I'm very interested in what is going on inside that thing. Dr. Balls posted a build not long ago of an analog (BBD) memory man clone that is about as close as you can get with available DIY tech. It's a helluva circuit, but I imagine smd parts could shrink it down a lot. Despite the old delay chips being reissued, the build is fairly expensive when not scaled to mass production.
So if the guts are good, it might be worth using it from a pillowed box.
1. It will break almost instantly AND be unrepairable due to SMD parts. Win Win!
2. That one I posted is about 100% faithful to the originals. There's a DIY guy (Madbean) that started a company selling PCBs for builds. This comes from one of his PCBs. Well designed and they fit into a 1590B sized footprint, though it needs to be a taller unit. I've built a few for people that specifically want one of those, but its mostly like a contract builder type of roll. If I had my druthers i'd make it bigger, offboard wire the pots, and all that.
1. What usually breaks on these EHX boxes? I hear the worst things about them, but I don't know what happens specifically. I was thinking it was mechanical stuff, but if it is components, that is game over for complicated teensy stuff.
I haven't had one of their pedals except for an early 00s Small Clone reissue and a beat to shit Double Muff (from this here board). However, I don't play them much (Small Clone sounds huge on an old Casio) my friend has been playing that Double Muff for ages. I briefly had a Freeze, but I modded it with a nice soft switch.
2. Yes, Madbean is great! I just don't have the time to design layouts anymore, so I like a good PCB, which MB are. The most complex build I did was their EH Attack Delay clone, which was very well documented, but it absolutely benefitted from stepping up to the next larger box size and mounting everything off board. There's even room to comfortably add mods there. I'm a big fan of the guy's little 1590A PCBs. I've got a handful of them that I need to finish the housing on. If I had the time, space, and spare change, I'd love to try the Memory Man project.
tommy wrote:
Dr Tony Balls wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 11:04 am
2. That one I posted is about 100% faithful to the originals. There's a DIY guy (Madbean) that started a company selling PCBs for builds. This comes from one of his PCBs. Well designed and they fit into a 1590B sized footprint, though it needs to be a taller unit. I've built a few for people that specifically want one of those, but its mostly like a contract builder type of roll. If I had my druthers i'd make it bigger, offboard wire the pots, and all that.
That sure is pretty.
Someone really needs to design a version of this with an output volume (externally or a trim pot would be fine too).
Here's why: if it isn't true bypass your signal is always going through the preamp. Some people like that. I don't. If it IS true bypass, when I set the input level where I want it (i.e. nice and clean) you get volume drop when the effect is engaged. I've gotten around this for years using an LS-2 and setting the DMM for 100% wet, but that adds an entire additional pedal on top of one that is already huge to begin with.
Better yet, design one that your dry signal is the same no matter what and the foot toggle adds or disengages the all wet part in parallel. And turn the blend knob into a wet volume. That won't make anyone happy that wants only wet signal though.
I think the Mad Bean project is true bypass. You might be able to get the output level you want without overdriving the preamp if you put a clean boost circuit at the end of the effect. I've not looked at the circuit though.
