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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Making your own fx pedals
Making your own fx pedals
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phogi
26 posts
Sep 19, 2009
7:43 AM
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Anybody gotten into this?
www.tonepad.com
I thought about it for a while and keep putting it off.
Looks like fun, but I just know it'd be one of those things you get into thinking it would save you money but ends up costing just as much as buying your stuff retail.
Just the same, I'm still curious.
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jonsparrow
1039 posts
Sep 19, 2009
9:11 AM
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seems cool. i think id rather just buy a pedal though.
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isaacullah
340 posts
Sep 19, 2009
12:50 PM
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Yeah. I've been into this stuff for a little over a year now. Tonepad is a good site, but to be honest, it's not the best. Look up www.runoffgroove.com, www.geofex.com, www.muzique.com, www.beavisaudio.com and if you are really serious, consider becoming a memeber of arons stompbox forum at www.diystompboxes.com. You'll find me on that forum under the handle "darwin_deathcat".
There are tons of cool fx projects that sound pretty good with harp. I've mainly been working on the distortion/overdrive arena, but my next two projects will be an octave down (called the shocktave) and a ring modulator/ovctave up called the green ringer.
Start out with a kit. Try www.generalguitargadgets.com for some of the better kits out there (and for a fairly reasonable price). Once you know that this is a hobby you are going to continue, thne you gotta start buying parts (transistors, resitors, cpacitors, diodes, switches, jacks, etc.). Smallbear electronics (www.smallbearelec.com is a good place to get your stuff (it geared towards fx builders), but you can also get really good deals from surplus and wholsellers like www.goldmine-elec.com, and www.futureelectronics.com, among many others. Try to buy as few parts as possible from places like radioshack (sometimes it's unavoidable) because you are paying WAY too much from those places.
If you want to know some of the circuits I've found to sound good with harp or that I think may sound good with harp, let me know, and I'll point you in the right direction...
Cheers,
Isaac
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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phogi
29 posts
Sep 19, 2009
4:19 PM
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Yes, I am certainly interested in knowing some circuits that sound good with harp. What have your finds been? And how can you tell if it will work good with a mic?
I don't understand impedence yet, but I have heard that has something to do with it.
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isaacullah
342 posts
Sep 19, 2009
5:21 PM
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almost all transistor-based distortion/overdrive fx circuits will interact fine with a microphone signal. You can adjust the input impedance of almost all of these circuits by changing the value of one or two resistors. The output signal level from a microphone will range from 0.05 to 0.2 volts, while that from a an electric guitar pickup hovers around 0.1 volt, so fx circuits designed for guitar signals work well for most microphone signals.
You should do some reading up on basic electronics. there are some really good tutorials at geofex Beavis audio research and at AMZ (muzique.com). Have a read through these. Two overdrives I've built anbd tested that I think sound really good with harp are the professor tweed and the peppermill, both from runoffgroove.com. Those are realtively easy projects, so check them out...
Cheers,
Isaac
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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Bluzdude46
187 posts
Sep 20, 2009
12:48 AM
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Ok y'all are killing me. First I research the hell outta mics and figure out how they work and put together a coupla bullets. Then I research all about amps and how to make guitar amps better harp amps and I do a 5 watter and a big 4x10. Then I learn about Harps and how to work on gapping embossing and tuning and I make my harps better and redo abunch. Now your telling me I can custom make effects pedals.... NO WAY the madness stops here!! :::sitting in the corner clutching my cheap little Danelectro fx pedals rocking slightly:::::
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isaacullah
344 posts
Sep 20, 2009
11:55 AM
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Not only can you MAKE your own fx pedals, you can MODIFY those dano's to make 'em REALLY shine! I modded my cheap fab echo to have adjustable delay time and to let more bass through (and stop sucking tone!). It's a little finicky because the FAB's use surface mount (micro mini) components, but the mod itself is fairly straight forward. I turned my $15 delay into a $50 dollar delay with $1 in parts and ~20minutes of work.... Info on the mod is here: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=64519.0
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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markdc70
7 posts
Sep 23, 2009
9:49 AM
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Hey Isaac, when you make that green ringer, be sure to post some sound samples. I've been wondering how that pedal would sound for harp.
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isaacullah
356 posts
Sep 23, 2009
11:28 AM
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Sure thing! Probably will make the Shocktave first since I think octave down will sound better. I was fooling around with Buddha's HOG (which basically lets you get any type of octave shift), and it's the octave down with a little bit of octave up mixed in that gives you that demonic death organ sound. An analog octaver is never going to sound QUITE like the HOG, but the boss OC-2 has a good sound. I've heard the Shocktave compares with the OC-2, so I think that's a good start. My ideal would be to build a shocktave and green ringer into one enclosure, split the incoming signal to each, and have nice dual control mixer to control the blend of each octave to the dry thru signal. It shouldn't actually be too hard to do this (both circuits are really easy), but it's just a matter of time! Right now, my breadboard is populated with the Peppermill, and I'm still experiemnting with alternative gain controls and added diode clipping. As soon as I get that on perf, I'll start experimenting with the octaves since I have all the parts lying around... I'll definitely make a YouTube vid after I get it together!
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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fishbone
4 posts
Sep 24, 2009
12:19 PM
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phogi, unless you have a real 'bone' to make something yourself, there is a lot of satisfaction in it, I would stick to 'store bought' boxes and look into the different mods that are available.
Most of the kits are clones of stomp boxes easily available costing around the same money, or less.
I just started with harmonica, but the GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) infected me for guitar and I got wrapped up in that pretty heavy!!! (Guitars, pickups, amps, tubes, speakers... AHAHAHA the insanity!!)
Constant therapy keeps me from going down that long and dark road!!
(But the harmonica needs a new mic!! SHUT UUUUP!!)
But as I found right here, the Marshall BluesBreaker kit from www.generalguitargadgets.com,(thanks isaacullah) which is a REALLY good effects pedal for guitar, although I can't afford it, (an original is around $100 eBay)..... because I need a mic!
The kit is only $60!!
I've yet to try them with the harmonica, but I would try an over drive pedal like BOSS Blues Driver, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and a DOD delay.
ALL of my effects I bought from either pawn shops or Craig's List, or eBay and then modded them.
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bluedogg
18 posts
Sep 24, 2009
12:55 PM
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Fishbone,
I know that pain with my collection of Bass Guitars, and amps. when my wife asks how many I need the standard answer is "just one more" I know have a 14 foot cargo trailer packed full of PA gear and lights because i got tired of spending hours looking for sound companys for gigs. now with harp amps...hmm..up to 4. repeat after me....Just one more! I also work for a global electronics manufacturer. many of the techs here are musicians. im trying to fight that addiction.
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walterharp
63 posts
Sep 24, 2009
1:21 PM
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phogi,
if you don't understand impedance yet, probably not best to go into trying to build electronics. it is a lot more difficult than you might think.
just my 2 cents....
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fishbone
5 posts
Sep 24, 2009
2:06 PM
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bluedogg
I think it's a guy thing, women have trouble understanding stuff like that.
It's not so much about the money, it's the TIME.
That's what I hope to get to phogi with.
I spent hours upon hours tearing my stuff apart, it got to the point I was keeping note books filled each mod I did, undoing, redoing, a different value cap here, "Oh you use that value cap?" undo mine, try his mod.
Try this neck that neck...ended up my favorite strat style neck comes from a cheap Squire Strat!
Rip all the 'custom' guts out of the other guitar put it in the Squire.
Some of the mods done to amps REALLY improve the tone, but where's the 'end of the road'?
5 amps 10? (I'm down to 4)
Practice night turned out to be 'let's see how far I can tear it down, change it and get back together' night!
If I spent more time practicing...I would be a lot better!!!!
Then I found an old Tesco Del Ray at a pawn shop, a similar model I learned on. What a POS those old Jap guitars were. I couldn't believe I ever played out with that piece of junk.
Then it dawned on me...I used to spend hours... ..........PRACTICING!
I learned Jimi Hendrix Star Spangled Banner on that piece of junk. It sounded good with an old tube amp Marshall. Feed backs, bombs bursting everything.... I still have a 6" reel to reel with recording of me.
Now I focus on practice, reading/listening/learning better technique, articulations, same as with harmonica, that's very important. I'll find the tone...later.
I read Lil Walter was known use house vocal mics, did that hurt his 'tone'?
Keep it simple phogi, tone and effects will help, but it ain't all that important.
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markdc70
8 posts
Sep 25, 2009
9:48 AM
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One thing to keep in mind when it is stated that some of the old players like Little Walter played through whatever was at the gig is this: What was at the house was gear that is coveted today by many players, vintage bullet mics and tube pa systems!
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Bluzdude46
215 posts
Sep 25, 2009
10:20 AM
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Yea Tube PA Amps like The Bogen I have for sale :::laughing:::::
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isaacullah
363 posts
Sep 25, 2009
10:31 AM
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fishbone: It is certainly true that fx and amp building/modding will take up a chunk of your time. But I gain satisfaction from building audio electronics, just the same as I get it from playing harp. What's cool about having those two things as hobbies is that they compliment each other really well. When I make a new effect, mic,or amp, I can't wait to try it out to see how it sounds and how my harp sounds through it. EVERY time I use a new effect, mic, or amp, I get inspired on the harp and come up with new riffs that work with that effect, sometimes even whole new sounds. Like wise, after a while, I'll be playing harp and be like "man this riff needs a new sound!", and I'll get inspired to build a new gizmo. I don't see electronics-time as stealing from harp-time. I don't see them as separate-but-equal either. I see them as a sort of dynamic, feedback oriented, symbiosis. Each does better because of the other, and I am happier because of it.
Now not everyone will feel that way, I recognize this. So you have to try it on for yourself, and see how you feel....
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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