hey dudes

[yoyoyoni]

im building that http://www.rabbathrecordings.com/DistPrototype.JPG
thing and i have 3 questions for you:)

1) im gonna use rc4558 instead of ic4558, is it ok?
2) someone can please tell me waht leg numbers is(the 4558) in the schematic?
3) i cant understand how im soldering the input and the output, in the connector there is two sides, and in the schematic its only one line, can you tell me where to solder each side of the connectors?
thank you very very much!!!!
yoni:)

[yoyoyoni]

do i need to solder the two sides on the connector toghether and then send out one wire?

[Mark Hammer]

As one "dude" to another, welcome.

Based on the questions you asked, this project might be a little too complicated for you at the moment.  It might be a good 2nd or 3rd project, but for now there seem to be too many places for something to go wrong.  Ideally, when you start debugging a project that doesn't work right away, it should be possible to say "Well, it could be this or it could be that".  In this instance, I'm just concerned that you might find yourself having to say "It could be this, that, that, THAT, or the 7 other things", which will simply give you frustration, rather than pleasure.

The basic design itself is VERY similar to the MXR Distortion+ and the DOD250.  It has a slightly more complex approach to clipping, and certainly more tone control, but there are too many similarities to ignore.  In which case, I will suggest that you build either the Dist+ or 250 first, on a piece of perfboard, with lots of room for adding or changing things.  Then, once you have that successfully built, you can transform it from the basic circuit into what is shown in the circuit you link to.  Does that sound reasonable?

[yoyoyoni]

sure it is, thanks,
but still.. i need to know that mono jacks stuff for all the dist's so can you please tell me what should i do?
thanks.

[nelson]

I wont tell you exact answers to your questions but I think you will benefit from reading everything on these links.

It will answer yoru questions and many of your future questions.


http://www.diystompboxes.com/cnews/FAQ.html


http://www.geofex.com/effxfaq/fxfaq.htm

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/debug.html

http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=2

http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=35

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=970.0


Read, read, read and then ask.

I hope to see you answering similar questions on the forum in future, and beware, this is one addictive and potentially expensive hobby.

[Mark Hammer]

Ah.....so THAT is what you mean by "connector".

The wiring of the lines labelled input and output will be exactly like the way they are shown here: http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=74

The "input" line will go to a switch and then to the tip contact of the jack.  The "output" line will also go to the switch and the tip contact on the other jack.  That wiring is shown here too: http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/dist_250_lo.gif

Unless you want to use a switch to turn the battery/power on and off, you will need a stereo phone jack for the input and a mono phone jack for the output.  The wiring for all of this, and many illustrations, are provided in the FAQ on this site: http://www.diystompboxes.com/cnews/FAQ.html

Alternatively, Brian Wampler's recent book (http://www.guitartone.net/build-effects.htm), and Craig Anderton's now classic books (http://www.jklutherie.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=63160 and http://www.jklutherie.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=63264) ^provide lots of clear illustrations and step-by-step advice which can make your first few projects much less of a painful experience.

[petemoore]

  Getting a DATA Sheet for the chip you're using is always a great idea, especially to help clear any 'vagueness' of pinout wiring.
  Mark, as usaul is right, and simply studying and verifying a circuit's layout [Dist+ has every kinda layout imaginable] to the schematic also may help in 'verifying your identifications' of wiring areas...looking at two different 'notational techniques' [like layout/schematic]  has helped me clarify how wirings 'go'.
  Once your mostly familiarized with what goes where with an Opamp, and you can identify the +/- inputs from the schematic...everything else...laying out on perf or other board the components and wiring from the schematic becomes a matter of 'referencing'...ie you gain experience you can refer to.

[yoyoyoni]

thanks for all of you!
you helped me!

[Mark Hammer]

WE may have helped YOU, but if we have put a working fuzz box in the hands of a dangerous man have we helped the world?

pete is also correct.  You can almost always find a lot of useful information if you enter the part number and "pdf" into a search engine.  So, to find out about the LM741, you would enter "LM741 pdf" or "LM741 datasheet' into whatever search you use.  Most datasheets will be in pdf form.

You can usually ignore the suffix to a part.  So, enter "LM741" not "LM741CN", "JRC4558" not "JRC4558DD", "BC108" not "BC108C", and so on.  Make yourself a collection of datasheets for all the chips and transistors that get used often in projects here, and organize them on your hard-drive.  You will find it extremely helpful.