'SPITFIRE' Metal 'n' Blues Pedal...

[deadastronaut]

@wgtp: of course...but you must wear flares when you touch that toggle .... edit:   thanks man,you helped point me in the right direction.....appreciate it!...
and yep its all about EQ...

@mark:glad to oblige .

@anyone: i'm tinkering with getting the layout smaller width wise, ....its a bit of a filing squeeze into a 1590b....it does fit though, i'm just a fussy bugger..

i'm on it....

[slacker]

Preliminary vero layout, looks Ok but might have some errors. The component numbering follows the schematic. Once I've built it I'll tidy it up and add the components values and stuff.

[cab42]

Preliminary vero layout, looks Ok but might have some errors. The component numbering follows the schematic. Once I've built it I'll tidy it up and add the components values and stuff.

Very Nice. I spent an hour or so last night trying to convert Torchys BSIAB II vero to Spitfire specs. I think it will work, but yours are much better. Thanks

Regards

Carsten

[deadastronaut]

good stuff guys... heres spitfire layout #2...fits a 1590b nicer...spaced it out a bit more.....widened the pads for the diode too......

i'm etching this now, will build tommorow.....

@carsten: this was initially based off the bsiab-x russian extreme version....not the standard bsiab..



http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7464107/SPITFIRE%232.pdf

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7464107/SPITFIREPCB%232.pdf

[cab42]

good stuff guys... heres spitfire layout #2...fits a 1590b nicer...spaced it out a bit more.....widened the pads for the diode too......
@carsten: this was initially based off the bsiab-x russian extreme version....not the standard bsiab..

I know, but that was the vero layout i had However, it would propably have been easier to start from scratch, like Slacker.

Carsten

[deadastronaut]

etch , drilled, populated my pcb with exact breadboard components i was using... (layout #2) ...

wiring up today!....

[soupbone]

introducing the 'SPITFIRE' metal 'n' blues pedal....


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7464107/SPITFIRE%20LAYOUT.pdf

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7464107/SPITFIRE%20PCB.pdf

enjoy.....\m/       \m/

its been a lot of late nights, blood, sweat 'n' tantrums and lots of whisky drinking...but its done...(unverified as yet!..)

Nice one Rob!

[petemoore]

  It's what I'd do, I think that's obvious ... lol...
   [redface razz]...if I was as inclined as you to design/build/retweek a dual Mu blues/metal monster !
  I have appreciation for the 'effeciency' of it...basically two kinds of pedals [dirty boost and metal, eq'd] in one !
    I also see you've incorporated the noiseless biasing [also makes neater board]...cool lookin' schematic...I haven't fell into temptation recently [soldering irons and mess put away], but this one's beconing me to drag out the pedalbuilding hardware once again !

[deadastronaut]

^ blow the dust off that iron pete!...

[deadastronaut]

ok i've built it...(layout#2)...it works ....but, i may have a problem with my switching,  its working but seems like its 'sucking', a bit like a fuzz,
it hasn't got the distortion/s punch and clarity like i had on breadboard...

the sustain switch isn't doing anything..that should connect/disconnect the C1 yes?..
modern/classic is doing something , but like i say its not distortion, just a muffled type of fuzz..


A: could someone please confirm which switches i should be using?..

B: here are my voltages: anything weird to you guys?...

Q1:  
G  0.00
S  0.28
D  4.95

Q2
G  4.32
S  4.95
D  9.10

Q3
G  4.14
S  4.95
D  9.10

Q4
G   0.00
S   0.37
D   4.95

Q5
G   4.95
S   5.00
D   9.11

[slacker]

Not much help, but the layout looks correct to me, matches the schematic at any rate, and the voltages look like what I'd expect for the circuit.

For the switches you want a SPDT On/On for the modern/classic, that will give you 2 settings one for each cap.
For the Blues/funk/hicut/fuzz you  want a SPDT On/Off/On. One of the On settings connects C9 and the other connects C2, the middle position connects neither of them. I think that's how you want it to work anyway.

Just waiting for some J201s to arrive before I start mine.

[deadastronaut]

cheers ian, i'll have a poke around...ive triple checked the layout too, all seems ok..

and the switches i have..

i'll resolder a few joints and see how it goes...

it must be something on the pcb i think, as the tone is being weird too.....loud at one end, which i did resolve on the layout/bread etc...

cheers man!.

p.s your c3 is a 1uf electro

[deadastronaut]

VERIFIED!...WHOOOOOHOOOO....!!!!...
(layout #2)


@ian: i sorted it, there was a miniscule line of solder cutting across a trace....the usual @#$%er  eh!..
all working great now...its late now, but i'll do a video demo tomorrow through my amp!!!!....i can go to sleep happy now!..

here she is in all her glory!...(prototype, i used a box i etched ages ago)...

[Suicufnoc]

That enclosure is sick man... Guts!

[deadastronaut]

as promised...sorry no guts at the moment...will do asap...

[pbard]

Rob,

Any thoughts regarding the use of 2n5458 fets instead of yer 2n5457s?  I've got Vgs' ranging from 1.23 - to 1.89.  6 groups of 4 within that spread.

Thanks,

Adam
Albany, Oregon

[paulyy]

as promised...sorry no guts at the moment...will do asap...

Wow! I think you out did your self on this one. Sounds killer Great job Rob.

[deadastronaut]

@adam, i used j201's for all 5 fets..., i guess if you socket them you can try em...!..

@paully, cheers man, yeah a lot of work, but well worth it....i spent nearly 3 months on this @#$%er, trying out various tone controls, all the usual suspects
bmp,bax,endless tsc'ing etc etc...but i didn't like any of em..i wanted something that had that deepness there, but not 'flabby', and taking into account the bass that an actual amp 'n' cab gives too..
i like it better than my boogie now!...i did a comparison test and the spitfire has more sustain, and better feel under your fingers...more versatile too....very
i like the way it makes even an ibanez HSH sound like a fender if you want it too...i love it!..

anyway...glad thats done...i'm off on my next mad project now!...

[WGTP]

I've been messing with the Duncan Tonestack and trying to sim your final design, took me awhile to get my head around it.  If you use the BMP, set the Zsrc (impedance) at 1k, since the input of the stack is set by the output of the Jfet buffer in front of it.  Then set R2 at 100M to effectively be infinity and remove it from the circuit.  IIRC you indicated that C15 in your design rolled off the bass, so let's forget it for now and focus on the midrange and treble.  

It appears at one extreme to act as a low pass filter, removing most of the treble.  On the other extreme it has max treble with a 10db notch centered around 350Hz.  At 50% or 12 O'clock, it reduces the treble around 6db and the notch moves up to around 475Hz.  Does that sound about right?

That is for the Modern setting.  Using the 6.8n cap in the Classic setting produces a notch that is around 8 db and 100Hz lower.

I also used the James version with C15 and it came out the same, but that is more complicated to use.  I need to figure out some real sim software.  

The cap values in the actual distortion also affect the feel and EQ, as well as the tone control settings on your amp.

Great Box.

[WGTP]

Mods.  For around 3db more notch, change C8 to 3.3n and R13 to 12k.

For even more notch change C8 to 2.2n and R13 to 17k.

As Aron always says, use sockets.   

Thanks for the inspirational undertaking.