HMP lite PCB & Build Report.

[RDV]

I built the HMP lite version between last night & tonight for the first time ironically(considering it's my design), I'd been concentrating on trying to get the full version happening, but thought there should be a simpler version for for those intimidated by 5 to 8 knobs.

I like it, it sounds very close to the full version, maybe 90% there. One thing it does better however is function a bit more like a regular overdrive if you turn down the Sat pot and lower the gain knob. Quite dynamic, with every note heard in the chord.

I also made the PCB a bit easier to make(than the one in the PDF) without traces sticking together.




RDV

[Paul Marossy]

Do you ever sleep RDV?  :wink:

[RDV]

Do you ever sleep RDV?  :wink:

Not much.

RDV

[crawler486]

Hi RDV.

How would u compare your HMP to blackfire?

[RDV]

Hi RDV.
How would u compare your HMP to blackfire?

Apples & Oranges really(HMP=diode clipping & BF=cascaded gain stages). They sound completely different. The Blackfire has more gain and midrange & a little less high-end complexity. But the Blackfire quite a bit noisier(due to all that gain). I like them both for different reasons. I've built 2 Blackfires for myself, one with a BMP tone control, and 1 without.

RDV

[RDV]

Upon further review, my pedals are a bit fizzy. I'd like to say I jumped the gun in putting them out, but I didn't. I worked for months using the 386 based amp for a reference.

Huge mistake.

My biggest boo-boo was not putting some fizz control after the diode-to- ground stage. I put a .0022uF from where the signal enters the diodes to the Vr on the back of the PCB tonight which seemed to help a great deal. To those of you who've made PCBs and built this thing, I would offer all apologies and suggest this mod. To those who've perfed it should be an easy mod.

I put it on the schematic in Schematics 2. You could try .001 like on a Dist +, or use a .0022 like I did. Hey, it's DIY.

RDV