Electronic components of an effect pedals

[THOA]

This question is perhaps best answered by the modders and pedal makers of this forum.

I have this curiosity about electronic components that goes into making the different guitar effects and am wondering which component is responsible for the type of sound that the effect gives ie which component causes overdrive/distortion, delay, chorus etc.

If there is a website or a book to recommend, it'll be all the better.

Thanks!

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

theres couple books which can be found online for effect making(either in legal way or thru other means. And the fact that some of those books already been out of print for a long while, it can be hard to find, if wanna go thru the correct way). I got some of those, but it aint presented in a what component make what sound kind of way. Most of the books/notes/forum out there, are full of schematic and breaking the circuit schematic into different stages and talk about what each stage does instead

anyway, imho, forget bout the books. These sites are where all the good info dwell in... Just need lotsa time and patience. As some of the info aint presented in straight forward ways enough.

www.diystompboxes
www.geofex.com
www.muzique.com
http://hammer.ampage.org
www.beavisaudio.com
www.experimentalistsanonymous.com
www.freestompboxes.org
http://www.moosapotamus.net/IDEAS/stompboxology/stompboxology.html (start with vol 13, "going discrete")

Anyway, imho, perhaps can try with beavis audio first. I got lotsa help from his tech notes which talk about the very basic of pedals and also the threads he started in diystompboxes forum when he was just starting out.

For circuit wise, Jack orman(muzique.com) have some useful info on basic booster/buffer circuit which again, is extremly useful plus many other circuit notes which are must read, imho.

after serious stuff, hop over to freestompboxes.org, sign up there and read about the gossip, bullshit, ethic issues among diyers, booteek makers etc. Of course, if wanna more, go over the undressing booteek pedal forums(good info in there as well).

have fun

 

[THOA]

I somehow have a hunch you gonna reply to this one, heh.

I think you are right about beavis audio. Hit a couple of jackpot infos on that one already. :mrgreen:

Thanks, Pathein.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

no prob bro. Just paying forward, for all the help i got from those sites, from goose and edder when i wanting to learn bout pedals working

let me go find the effect book stashed somewhere in my ext harddisk, sent you via pm when its ready

 

[edder]

pathein said it all and also you can read up basic audio electronics books from NLB to give you some ideas. know the difference between transistors, npn, pnp, fets, darlingtons blah blah blah and how to configure preamps, buffers, whether they're inverting or not, opamps, their differences, how to bias opamps without a bipolar power supply etc. tone controls networks, etc.

but most importantly, start with the basics, build em, listen, know how it works, play around with the values, etcetcetc. no end to it.

welcome to late nights and minimal sleep. :mrgreen:

 

[THOA]

let me go find the effect book stashed somewhere in my ext harddisk, sent you via pm when its ready

That would be great! Looking forward to it.

welcome to late nights and minimal sleep. :mrgreen:

Hurhur... I have no idea how I got sucked into this. But heck, I think it's worth the adventure :mrgreen:

 

[dudelove]

let me go find the effect book stashed somewhere in my ext harddisk, sent you via pm when its ready

hey pathein, dont mind could u send it to me via pm too? i'll really appreciate it!

thanks for the links too!

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

found the books(3 on effect and one on guitar pickup winding diy). But having problem trying to use yousendit. Let me try some other sites. Once ok, i send it over.

 

[THOA]

No worries. In the meantime I'll occupy myself with PCB 123 Schematics. Heh.

 

[ShredCow]

You think you'll like... due to your lack of education in electronics, come up with a circuit that was erroneously put together... and... it sounds better than a 1983 TS-808???

 

[THOA]

"If Yan can cook, so can you!" :twisted:

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

be adventurous on breadboard first. At most burnt parts, doesnt work or ended up doing circuit bending

 

[edder]

You think you'll like... due to your lack of education in electronics, come up with a circuit that was erroneously put together... and... it sounds better than a 1983 TS-808???

very ouch. :mrgreen:

 

[THOA]

be adventurous on breadboard first. At most burnt parts, doesnt work or ended up doing circuit bending

Yup. Will definitely take things a step at a time. PCBs are just another league all together. The PCB programme does help, though. For now I'm just plain copying available schematics, and translating it over to circuitry to see how it works. At the end of the day it's purely about the understanding... and perhaps picking up a new skill.

Whether or not I will actually come up with anything it's another matter. Not pushing for that as my goal, but if it happens, well... heh. :mrgreen:

 

[edder]

also don't forget to build em. looking at schematics can only tell you so much. building, troubleshooting and tweaking thats where most part of the education lies.

its like reading tons about DDRX but when on the platform can one DANCE?! hur hur hur...

 

[THOA]

Point taken. :mrgreen: