Mods for ARION Tube Mania ??

[siaoguitar]

Hi, just got an old pedal - Arion MDI-1 Tube Mania from a friend, tried it out, the tone is simply fuzzy, thin & trebly, so I solder a 0.1uf cap across one of the diode - D5 . It did help a bit.

Was wondering anyone here tried modding it? I hope to make it warmer, more tube-like. Looking at it's board, I found that it has a opamp - C157C, and a TC4027BP chip on it.

Thanks in advance!!

[analogguru]

I always thought the Tube-Mania and the Tubulator are the same inside.  The Tubulator is basically a tubescreamer-clone and uses a 4558 dual op-amp.

The TC4027 is only for the switching.

Any inside-guts poosible ?

analogguru

[siaoguitar]

I always thought the Tube-Mania and the Tubulator are the same inside.  The Tubulator is basically a tubescreamer-clone and uses a 4558 dual op-amp.

The TC4027 is only for the switching.

Any inside-guts poosible ?

analogguru

Hi, how about the C157C? any other alternative chip? Meanwhile I will try to upload some pic.

[analogguru]

If it is really a C157C than this would be a µPC157C from NEC which would be a LM301 equivalent in a TO-99 Metal-can.  But this I can`t believe.  These chips were produced in the 70´s and in this time Arion didn´t exist.  So I like to see pictures before I can make a judgement.

analogguru

[siaoguitar]

If it is really a C157C than this would be a µPC157C from NEC which would be a LM301 equivalent in a TO-99 Metal-can.  But this I can`t believe.  These chips were produced in the 70´s and in this time Arion didn´t exist.  So I like to see pictures before I can make a judgement.

analogguru

Hi analogguru, here are the pic of the guts....

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/559322236MJJjNI?track_pagetag=/page/photo/goodtimes/friendsfun&track_action=/Owner/ViewActions/FullAlbum

Please take a look

[analogguru]

It is definitely different to the Arion Tubulator (MTE-1).  I would suspect, it could be a Proco Rat clone.

Can you make (a) picture(s) of the track side ?

analogguru

[siaoguitar]

It is definitely different to the Arion Tubulator (MTE-1).  I would suspect, it could be a Proco Rat clone.

Can you make (a) picture(s) of the track side ?

analogguru

What you meant by track side?

[analogguru]

With track-side (or solder side) I mean something like this:


(This one is from an Arion SCH-1 Stereo Chorus)

analogguru

[siaoguitar]

With track-side (or solder side) I mean something like this:


(This one is from an Arion SCH-1 Stereo Chorus)

analogguru

Hi, here it is:



Guru, Please enlighten me

[analogguru]

So it is indeed a µPC 157 C which is the same as an LM 301 AN.

I traced the schematic and it is a Proco RAT-clone with an uncommon tone-control (the same as in the Arion SDI-1).

To complete the schematic I would need as the next the component values.  On the PCB near every component is a number (e.g. R1, R2, R3... C1, C2, C3..... )
Have a look at the components what is written there. The resistors have color-bands (e.g. red-red-brown-gold). Pleae report what you find there. also whats written on the potis.

You can remove the plastic over the pots without damaging anything.

How much exyperience do you have in modifying and how is your acess to components ?
can cou drill 1mm holes ?

analogguru

[siaoguitar]

So it is indeed a µPC 157 C which is the same as an LM 301 AN.

I traced the schematic and it is a Proco RAT-clone with an uncommon tone-control (the same as in the Arion SDI-1).

To complete the schematic I would need as the next the component values.  On the PCB near every component is a number (e.g. R1, R2, R3... C1, C2, C3..... )
Have a look at the components what is written there. The resistors have color-bands (e.g. red-red-brown-gold). Pleae report what you find there. also whats written on the potis.

You can remove the plastic over the pots without damaging anything.

How much exyperience do you have in modifying and how is your acess to components ?
can cou drill 1mm holes ?

analogguru

Hi guru, I have done the npn booster aka Aron's booster twice,....haha, did some mod on my SD-1, BD-2. Changed LED...etc....simple stuffs only really. So should I change the 157 or something? I want a warmer pedal, more tubey tone......

[WGTP]

I have an SDI-1 that I can't figure out.  i thought the tone control might be a variant of the BMP.  What is it?   

[siaoguitar]

So it is indeed a µPC 157 C which is the same as an LM 301 AN.

I traced the schematic and it is a Proco RAT-clone with an uncommon tone-control (the same as in the Arion SDI-1).

To complete the schematic I would need as the next the component values.  On the PCB near every component is a number (e.g. R1, R2, R3... C1, C2, C3..... )
Have a look at the components what is written there. The resistors have color-bands (e.g. red-red-brown-gold). Pleae report what you find there. also whats written on the potis.

You can remove the plastic over the pots without damaging anything.

How much exyperience do you have in modifying and how is your acess to components ?
can cou drill 1mm holes ?

analogguru

Hi guru, I have done the npn booster aka Aron's booster twice,....haha, did some mod on my SD-1, BD-2. Changed LED...etc....simple stuffs only really. So should I change the 157 or something? I want a warmer pedal, more tubey tone......

How guru, any ideas for mods???

[analogguru]

To complete the schematic I would need as next the component values.  On the PCB near every component is a number (e.g. R1, R2, R3... C1, C2, C3..... )
Have a look at the components what is written there. The resistors have color-bands (e.g. red-red-brown-gold). Pleae report what you find there. also whats written on the potis.

You can remove the plastic over the pots without damaging anything.

analogguru