Tremshifter by Dead Astronaut - Verified!

[rocket88]

freppo, what happened to the layout? it's gone.

[dbat69]

Its still there for me - just it is BIG and I have to scroll across the page

[Freppo]

Yes, it's there. Sorry about the size..
I put up a smaller version insted and a link to the fullsize one :)
/ Freppo

[dbat69]

No problem Freppo and thanks

Big is good for old eyes and alcohol

[rocket88]

how did i miss that?

i'm thinking about putting this in a box in front of a delay, like the deep blue delay to get some really nice spacey sounds. maybe even put a small clone or phase 90 in front just to see how crazy it can get.

[Synsound]

It has been solved! It toned out to be a poor joint on a switch wire at the board. Some of the insulation made its way through the hole to the soldering surface. It is now working. The tayda LDRs work great.
This is a fantastic effect with HUGE speed ranges. I put my Dwarfcraft Great Destroyer clone in front of it and was blown away yet again.

This should be up on the main site.
Thanks for posting it and helping me out.

[Freppo]

Awesome! I'm glad you got it working

[cylens]

I'm still waiting for my vactrols (yeah, i'm a bit lazy with rolling my own LDR/LED combo)...

circuit is done somewhere with its friends waiting for "the last part":

[cylens]

yay! works great! thanks a lot for the layout!

I thought it was abit disappointing on the filter side so i changed the VTL5C3 for a Tayda LDR/waterclear green LED: it is MUCH better!!

I think some of the pot wirings are reversed, I'll double check tomorrow

[Freppo]

I have not boxed mine yet so I will try a LDR+LED combo for the filter. :)

I think that in the original thread, Dead Astronaut writes that the rate pots works "backwards" by purpose. So that is reflected on my layout aswell since it follows the schematic pot numberings.

btw, that's alot of unboxed boards you have there.
You should see my pile.. I probably only box 1 or 2 out of every 10 boards I build :P

[rocket88]

wow. i feel like i nut then, cause if i build it i box it. well that is unless i can't get the board to work.

[Synsound]

I'm the same way now. I have a ton of boards going commando.
It's getting to the point that it has to be pretty damn special to earn a box. I have roughly ten that I'll be working on over the coming weeks but on my next parts order I plan to do a Flawed Logic.

[cylens]

aaaah, sorry for the "Rate" pots, yes, I've just watched the videos... everything AOK, then!

and I must say that the layouts you make are really great: all the pot connections and components are well sorted, thanks so much for that! I'm always a bit worried when it comes to connecting 5 pots/3switches (if anyone has buit sabro's layout for the Toneczar Openhaus, you'll know what I mean...) and it went smoothly

I had to troubleshoot the board before it worked ok and, correct me if I'm wrong, you NEED the rate LEDs in order to complete the circuit, right? Just a remark if someone fails at building it but didn't use the rate LEDs...

[Freppo]

Synsound wrote

I'm the same way now. I have a ton of boards going commando.
It's getting to the point that it has to be pretty damn special to earn a box. I have roughly ten that I'll be working on over the coming weeks but on my next parts order I plan to do a Flawed Logic.

Yes.. I used to box everything but now i've gotten very picky. Especially regarding distortions and fuzzes. After 40+ of those I rarley feel the urge to build another one unless it's something special. Pushing myself to do harder builds, always learn more and doing my own stuff keeps this hobby fresh and interesting for me, not building distortion pedal #76.. :P Anyway, glad to hear that you consider building the Flawed Logic. :)

Here's a few unboxed ones.. and this is an old picture.. There's lots more now.. lol

cylens wrote

and I must say that the layouts you make are really great: all the pot connections and components are well sorted, thanks so much for that! I'm always a bit worried when it comes to connecting 5 pots/3switches (if anyone has buit sabro's layout for the Toneczar Openhaus, you'll know what I mean...) and it went smoothly

I had to troubleshoot the board before it worked ok and, correct me if I'm wrong, you NEED the rate LEDs in order to complete the circuit, right? Just a remark if someone fails at building it but didn't use the rate LEDs...

Thanks! :)
Yup, the rate LED is needed to complete the circuit.

[cylens]

hahaha, jesus f*** christ!!! now we're talking!!!

I ended up using the same green waterclear LED (can't remember where I got those...) for the tremolo side.

[Luke51411]

Haha ok now I don't feel so bad about all my unboxed circuits... I got sick of all the circuits I wanted to use but weren't boxed so I resorted to boxing multiples in cookie tins with mixed results. So far I've got one tin with 3 circuits and one with 6. I use toggle switches for bypass. It gives me a chance to have an extended audition for the circuits

[motterpaul]

Yes, LDRS do vary a lot. Mine go from 500R to 60k in brightest light - and I used them in a compressor with just minimal shrinkwrap and they worked great. Of course, once I boxed it they were in complete darkness, but the difference in compression level was not really even audible.

Mine are 5mm - model# GL5539  -- $.99 for 20 pieces.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/20Pcs-Photoresistor-GL5539-LDR-Photo-Light-Dependen-t-Resistors-/181416501545?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160

Of course, phasing is different from compression and I believe the working range is tighter, but what you say about them varying is true.

This circuit's spec of 2k to 24k seems to be at the very low range for LDRs (as I said, mine go from 500R to 60k), so more darkness would definitely make a difference. A small and darker LED could also possibly help, or some kind of trimpot to dial in the brightness of the LED (like a CLR, but variable) would probably really help people dial in the right brightness.

For you folks not wanting to try LDR/LEDS, I did it and no problems, which was very cool. I recommend it, especially for cost reasons.

[motterpaul]

Edit $.99 = 99-cents

As far as boxed circuits, the only reason I am starting to box the ones I feel are worth listening to is that they kind of fall apart if I don't box them. Plus it is a hassle to listen to them.

Here are pics of some of the things I have done here. This represents about half the work - not showing my "bin" of rejected circuits ;-)

http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/Paul_Motter/library/Pedal%20Builds?sort=6&page=1

[tabbycat]

Freppo wrote

Synsound wrote

I'm the same way now. I have a ton of boards going commando.
It's getting to the point that it has to be pretty damn special to earn a box. I have roughly ten that I'll be working on over the coming weeks but on my next parts order I plan to do a Flawed Logic.

Yes.. I used to box everything but now i've gotten very picky. Especially regarding distortions and fuzzes. After 40+ of those I rarley feel the urge to build another one unless it's something special. Pushing myself to do harder builds, always learn more and doing my own stuff keeps this hobby fresh and interesting for me, not building distortion pedal #76.. :P

i am totally ruthless re boxing. like emperor ming out of flash gordon. merciless with effects. and i think hating boxing up helps me a lot with the decision making. since offboard wiring always gives me such a headache if it's anything half-complicated, i will only put myself through that ordeal if a build is absolutely must-have. otherwise 'just ok' builds (even ones i quite like but don't improve on anything i already have) tend to sit around on my desk for a while while i make up my mind whether to tweak them to better or abandon them. and if i abandon them they just get recycled. anything worth saving gets plucked off and the rest goes in the bin. and i put the experience down to learning, since i learn something from every build i think.
sometimes i wonder if i should maybe offer them on here for free. maybe that could be a new thread. 'builds you thought would sound better than they did (and didn't) going unboxed and free to anyone who wants to play with them...'
but then again, i am not sure my soldering skills are anything i'd be prepared to inflict on anyone else atm. my private shame.

so am with synsound and freppo re being super-selective. even if the strictness of my boxing criteria is, in part, influenced by a shortcoming they don't suffer from. boxophobia.

but at the same time i'm all too aware that i have my weak points, eg anything superfuzz related.
i keep trying to be strict with myself and say 'i have the perfect superfuzz, modded beyond imaginable perfection, and i really don't need another one. it would be a waste of time and bits. don't even think about building another one...'

and then beaker will say 'have you tried...?' or anders will post something species-related that i hadn't even considered and i have to build it.
i'm compelled by a strange force i neither understand or can control.

coming back to the tremshifter, that is on my desk right now awaiting firing up and testing. am going with vactrols (nsl32 i think) but have socketed the led/ldr to give me some margin for experimentation before committing to anything. all suggestions welcome.

am dreading boxing it though. five pots plus lots of switches will be my biggest to date. am anticipating a full-on mission.