[MathU41]

Yeah, the best cheap parts I’ve ever bought is a stack of socket strips and a razor saw to cut them neatly.
Unless I’m 100% (and I never am) I socket every spot for diodes or transistors. Both keeps me from overheating them or putting them in backwards (a big possibility for soviet diodes), but means I get to play around with them for different characteristics.

[MathU41]

Put sockets in the pads, then go ahead and try whatever you have!
And remember to use plier to bend the leads, not fingers. I also cracked a 1n34 lately by nudging it around too hard.
I just finished a SWAH, myself. Didn’t try the D9B I have sitting around (remember, soviet diodes are marked backwards), but that Vf is in line with the upper end of 1n34 I’ve seen.
I ended up using a bat42, which is at the lower end of the 1n34 range. Mine read at .324V. Working pretty well. Test a couple bat41s, I’m betting those would work and ones on the lower end of the variance would overlap with 1n34 range.

[MathU41]

I was just expecting to find a way to make it work better with my bass, and blend into a mix a little better.
Giving me more options is like a voucher for a candy store. 😀

[MathU41]

Hmm.
And for the tone control bypass mod… Between the tone control and the mid scoop mod, wouldn’t those be able to at least be close to dialing in a flat tone curve? Or at least mitigate the harshest of the circuit’s effect on it?

[MathU41]

Thanks for clearing that up.
So essentially there wouldn’t really be any benefit for using an on-off-on to get an extra step.

[MathU41]

Good clean build. I love the concept of the triples, but can’t stop fiddling and experimenting with things enough to commit.
Just means I end up paying Barry more, buying three separate boards.

Great shades of orange on there, too. The enclosure matches but lets the panel really pop.

[MathU41]

Pretty basic image search, font search, drop shadow.
My original plan was to make it look like an amp, but with the fabric texture around the sides… I just leaned into the tweed part instead.

[MathU41]

I love good etched metal. Don’t often see it outside of large-production parts.
This pedal isn’t quite that orange in person. It’s on the redder side of red-orange.
It’s enough to differentiate it from the Dirt pedal, at least, which is ‘citrus’.
I do have fun with the technique, though. Came from when I used to help make props for college friends’ movie projects.

I, too, would like decal paper like what comes with model kits. Stuff like this isn’t going to work well on something like a project guitar’s headstock.
I get that it holds up better through a printer, though.

[MathU41]

Curious, what’s the end difference between the Ascension versus something like the PreAmp Boost?
Just a different circuit, or does it work different tonally?

[MathU41]

No problem! I just wanted to confirm since the TL072 seems to be pretty standard in most of your other circuits.
Plus, if anyone else has issues with it and do a search, maybe this will come up. Helping future builders.

[MathU41]

For future reference, and just to confirm along the way, I’ve found this code calculator invaluable:

How to Read ceramic Capacitor value | Capacitor code calculator

[MathU41]

Gain pot measures at 990k max. It does seem to be working properly.
Removing both the mosfets brings the volume back up to what I’d expect. Slightly less volume with both than with 1, completely subjectively.
Not noticing much of a tonal difference on my tiny tabletop test amp. I’ll have to drag over my proper amp to tell, if it’s a relatively subtle one. They could just be overpowering the thing.

[MathU41]

Further poking and prodding while I had a few moments.
Replaced the Tayda 1n60p with a germanium I got here. Now at or slightly above unity volume with the volume pot full-on and the boost switch off. Tone thicker and slightly darker.
Audio probe reveals good signal when applied to C1 in (bottom leg), but nothing but slight hum at C1 out. Continues as such until IC Pin 7. Then signal returns, reduced, and remains until full volume at upper lug of R10.

To me, this says something between C1 and IC Pin5 burnt out. Likely R7.

[MathU41]

Update: Poking, prodding, everything’s reflowed, no change for better or worse.
Will get the probe at it yet again later, and start replacing bits.
Also a note: this ‘no clean’ solder sure leaves a lot of gunk behind.

[MathU41]

Alright, some poking and prodding later…
At no point does it raise above input volume. Working backward, I believe I lose signal at the left leg of C5.
Contact at neither leg of R8 passes sound through, lower leg of R9 is quiet, upper leg seems OK.
Will figure out how to best deal with the pot in the way and start there.

[MathU41]

I’ll test with one of the old germanium 1n60p’s I have. Wasn’t particularly worried about that yet because, like mentioned, it’s mostly for clipping. They’re more Tayda parts, so I figured the same thing–or at least a reliable recreation–in a different package.

I’ll get to reflowing the rest of the connections and testing a bunch of stuff once I can get some time at it.

By ‘quiet’, I meant just under unity volume with the boost switch on and all knobs full-on. Maybe about 5% quieter than bypass, and that’s the most I can get from it.
It gets quieter from there, and is extremely quiet or inaudible under about half, from memory.

[MathU41]

Transistors are 2n7000, from Tayda IIRC, so should be source-gate-drain. Not sure how to verify that outside of datasheets.
D1 is a 1n60p. Or at least labelled as such. I’m getting suspicious of any diodes meant to replace older ones now.
I’ll be doing some more poking and prodding in a bit and will get comparison readings.

I’m not blaming jacks on this one; bypassed is fine. And so far everything sounds good, it’s just quiet. So I expect a faulty pot (I’ll be testing those more) or you’re right and it’s a bridge to something, somewhere.

I’ll be giving it another rundown and testing out my audio probe later.

[Author]

Posts