Maestro Sustainer

[col]

In my copy of the book "Stompbox" there is a picture of a Maestro pedal called "The Sustainer" in what looks like an EH type box. I have been unable to find very much info on this unit. Does anyone have any and if so did it use a circuit similar to any other compessor/sustainer pedal?

Col

[Dan N]

Good question. I have never seen the schematic. I do know that the circuit board is encased in a blob of gunk so you can't see what makes it work.

[jmusser]

If you're planning to make one, the best DIY sample I have heard is the Walco Chord and Note Sustainer. If you go on Search, you should be able to find it OK. If not and your interested, I have the schematic off of that post. Of course if you want to make the Maestro, disregard. I just know that one of the guys here had just built the Suppa Sustain, and almost cried in disappointment, after he compared it to the Walco sound sample!

[col]

Thanks for the link. I have found the info and will trace it onto a stripboard layout so I can try it out. I will socket all the transistors as I have a few different types to try. First ideas after reading the build report will be 2N3904s for the 2SC871s and a BC109C or BC184C for the 2SC644. I have a few different FETs to try but will use a J201 or a 2N5457 first.

Col

[col]

I built aWalco last night and tried a few different transistors but there is always Hissssssssss whatever I try. When I looked back at the previous posts on this they had had the same problem. I have minimised it and the sustain is very good but I will try some differnet transistors and post the results here. Did anyone ever find a fix for the hiss? It is too noticable to use the pedal for recording. I think the FET I used in the end was a 2N5459 although a J201 worked quite well. The 2N5457 just added distortion. With the wrong transistors this circuit acts as a strange sounding tremelo.

[jmusser]

I have never built this circuit before, but I really liked it based on it's sound sample. On that sample, I don't remember there being hiss, so you may want to PM the guy that sort of brought this circuit to light, and made the sample. He may have the secrets for getting the noise out.

[jmusser]

I have never built this circuit before, but I really liked it based on it's sound sample. On that sample, I don't remember there being hiss, so you may want to PM the guy that sort of brought this circuit to light, and made the sample. He may have the secrets for getting the noise out.

[David]

I built aWalco last night and tried a few different transistors but there is always Hissssssssss whatever I try. When I looked back at the previous posts on this they had had the same problem. I have minimised it and the sustain is very good but I will try some differnet transistors and post the results here. Did anyone ever find a fix for the hiss? It is too noticable to use the pedal for recording. I think the FET I used in the end was a 2N5459 although a J201 worked quite well. The 2N5457 just added distortion. With the wrong transistors this circuit acts as a strange sounding tremelo.

Did you try replacing the 3904 with a 2N5088 or a 2N5089?  Either one is lower noise than the 3904.  The 5088 is R.G.'s preferred general-purpose substitution transistor.

[col]

Does anyone know a UK supplier for 2N5088 or 2N5089 transistors as I hae not been able to find one.

Col

[jmusser]

PM Marty Mart or Lightning Fingers. If anyone knows sources over there, they would!

[David]

Col?  Anything further on the Walco?

[Fret Wire]

I have version's 1 & 2 (6/5/04) of the Walco schematic, and I believe Dan N drew them up.

Tonefrenzy's sound clip does kill.
http://www.tonefrenzy.com/effects/walco_chord_note_sustainer.html

[David]

I have version's 1 & 2 (6/5/04) of the Walco schematic, and I believe Dan N drew them up.

Tonefrenzy's sound clip does kill.
http://www.tonefrenzy.com/effects/walco_chord_note_sustainer.html

Col was going to try some transistor subbing.  I was wondering if anything had happened with the 2N5088 or 89.  That dual-gate JFET has me concerned.  I could only find the dreaded NTE equivalent and Mouser wants something like nine dollars US for it!  Nine bucks for a single stinking transistor!

[Fret Wire]

Yes, it's not too fun on the wallet when NTE is the only game in town.   Does anyone else have a workalike or a source for the 3SK30 (b)?

[Dan N]

I have version's 1 & 2 (6/5/04) of the Walco schematic, and I believe Dan N drew them up.

Tonefrenzy's sound clip does kill.
http://www.tonefrenzy.com/effects/walco_chord_note_sustainer.html

Is version 1 the one with to input and output switched around?

If so, I would not recommend using it...

[Fret Wire]

Version 1 (4/24/04) has only one gate on the 3sk30b. Looks the same otherwise.

[col]

I replaced all the transistors with BC549Cs which I can get hold of easily and are sold as a replacement for 2N5088 and 2N5089. They did cut the hiss down but not get rid of it completely. The best results were with these transistors and a 2N5459 FET. A J201 also works well. The sustain is incredible but the hiss builds up when a note is not played, it must be being generated somewhere early in the circuit and then boosted and sustained in the rest of the path.
Last week I built Torchy's Dynacomp clone on stripboard which works as well and has none of the hiss that the Walco unit has. I have used this at a practice and I'm completely happy with it.
My Walco board is still not in a box and so is not shielded, it has only been tested on my test rig so it is possible that it is picking up electrical interference from somewhere but the Dynacomp didn't suffer from this. I have kept all wires as short as possible and tested it with a number of different batteries as I have known some batteries to produce hiss in some circuits.
Another possibility is the layout I used in case some components are too near others but I don't think that this is the case.