Desire to build but not totally clear on how

[billboneys]

I am wanting to build a Retro Channel the Fuzz using this layout.
Retro Channel The Fuzz
I think I understand populating the board but I can't find anything on wiring power, pots and switches. I've found several links on populating but not the final wiring. My only knowledge to this point has been building several BYOC kits. Can someone point me to where I can learn how to do these builds? I also do not know how to read a schematic. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

[mug]

Hi billboneys,
welcome - you're about to start an addictive hobby ;-)
First of all, theres a guide here that guides you through a build using an example layout.
Also, here there's all the info you need for offboard wiring!
You don't necessarily need to understand the schematic in detail to build a vero thanks to the layouts on this site, but it's a good practice to have the schematic at hand and compare it to the vero layout to understand what's going on.
For specific questions there are many wizards around here that can help - especially when it comes to trouble shooting (and this will be necessart sooner or later)

[Ronnie]

Thanks Mug, I'll take a look at the links. I appreciate it.

[Ronnie]

On the Retro Channel layout there is no indicator for the output wire. Also it says level 2 to output but I don't see a level 2 on the layout. Am I missing something?

[induction]

Level 2 is the 2nd lug of the Level pot. It's not attached to the board. Level 3 is the board output.

[Ronnie]

Thank you. That gives me a little more clarity. It may make sense for me to populate the board and then ask the wiring questions. I think I understand that part. Thanks.

[induction]

Feel free to ask questions whenever you think of them. We're all happy to help around here.

[Ronnie]

Thank you. On the layout I see the purple are the electrolytic capacitors. The light blue are resistors. I see the two diodes and the 100p ceramic capacitor I'm guessing, are the maroon ovals film capacitors? And when I'm searching for them do I look for 10nf? Thank you.

[induction]

All of that is correct. 10nF and 100nF for film. They may be labeled with pF or uF also (1n = 1000p = .001u)

Generally, large values of caps (roughly, uF and up) will be electros (or tantalum, though I never put tantalum in the signal path, only use it for power filtering). Mid-values (roughly, nF) are film, and pF are ceramic).

This just describes what's generally available. You can usually use whatever cap has the right value, physical size, and polarity.  They don't generally sound different to me, but some people claim they can hear a difference. This topic can quickly turn into a religious war, so I will stop here, other than to say that the value is what's important in the circuit, not the material.

[billboneys]

Super helpful. Thanks induction.

[Ronnie]

So on the Film Capacitors
100n is .1uf
10n is .01uf?

Thanks.

[induction]

Yes. The layouts are fairly consistent in their labelling. If you assume it's just like the metric system, you'll be right most of the time.

Some manufacturers use weird labelling sometimes on the parts themselves, on factory schematics, and in simulation software. The most common exception I've seen is "m" which rarely if ever means 1/1000. Usually, when stamped on a component, it means 1 million, even if it's lower case. Context is important. milli- is not a commonly used prefix in pedal components since caps in pedals rarely go above the uF range, but I've seen people get confused about it in the past.

[billboneys]

Anyone interested in confirming these parts for the Retro Channel?

[img]https://i.imgur.com/ZtVvJSz.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/0DenEuv.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/wFRMq74.png[/img]

[Ronnie]

Not looking for a part count just whether these are the right components to use. Thanks.

[induction]

Looks good. Let us know how it goes.

[Ronnie]

Thanks.

[Ronnie]

On Small Bear they offer 16v, 25v, 35v and 50v Electrolytic Capacitors. Is there a correct one for pedals?

[induction]

The two issues with electrolytics are max voltage and physical size.

Max voltage:
The rule is that you want the cap rated for at least 2x the voltage you expect it to see. Filter caps on the V+ rail will see the V+ voltage, everything else will be lower.

Physical size:
For the most part, the higher the voltage rating, the larger the cap, but this can be very hard to predict unless the vendor supplies measurements. I've never bought anything from Small Bear, so I can't comment about them in particular.

For this build in particular, the 16V caps you selected are fine.

In case you plan to collect a backstock at some point:
If you strictly expect to use 9V power supplies on your pedals and no charge pumps, you can probably get away with 16V for everything. I don't use anything under 50V for filter caps, but I like the option of using higher supply voltage for some pedals, and I have a lot of physically small filter caps in stock.

If smaller voltage ratings are not cheaper or smaller, go with bigger. Anything over 50V is probably overkill.

[Ronnie]

Thanks again sir.

[Ronnie]

I got all of the parts for the build except the CA3046 and the socket. I saw that some people were saying that some chips sounded better than others. Any brand in particular or can I just order a 10 pack from China off of Ebay. Small bear has an LM3046 but one chip was close to the price for the 10 pack. Thanks.