Build Shit - DIY - What's On Your Bench?

[Indeterminacy]

Finishing up a build that will be bound for Germany (IIRC, I'll confirm beforehand of course)

What is it and what does it do?

[crochambeau]

Finishing up a build that will be bound for Germany (IIRC, I'll confirm beforehand of course)

What is it and what does it do?

It's a noise generator with external input and separate output jacks for the stages. RMA crustacean with a request list placing it pretty close to a 1v4. I'm guessing these words have little meaning, I'll upload some video.

[FAP]

I’m guessing these words have little meaning, I'll upload some video.

Yes and yes, please.

[Indeterminacy]

I’m guessing these words have little meaning, I'll upload some video.

Yes and yes, please.

+1

[FAP]

Halfway there:

[crochambeau]

That looks good!

I once ordered everything by the leading numbers as opposed to actual value as well. I've shifted my thinking to ranging everything from low values to high values. Six of one, half dozen of another.

Here is some video of that build. I would have gotten to it sooner, but I was chasing a phantom problem (my bench amp was losing the plot and I was thinking it was the build being problematic).

[FAP]

Honestly, the reason I’m organizing by leading numbers is down to space. I originally bought a bunch of “cheap” tackle boxes with five compartments each; the plan was to have two boxes per leading number e.g. box “A” would be for 1.0-10k ohms while box “B” would be for 100k-1G ohms… then I realized how rare and frankly useless those higher values can be, so I narrowed it down to six values per leading number, though of course that didn’t work out too well with the tackle boxes’ five compartment setup. Eventually I stumbled upon the current setup and a lot of the organization decisions made during the previous one carried-over: it just so happens that having six values for each of the 24 leading numbers fits fairly well on what is essentially a 5*20 grid. Then I have plenty of space left over for M+ values or other weird non-E24 series stuff if I need it.

Regarding the RMA: with all due respect, why are there so many outputs? And why no labels? I like how it sounds, but it sounds like one of those effects you really have to play with to understand: I still don’t quite get it myself. It’d be helpful to have at least a one or two-word descriptor for every mechanical component for the user’s sake. Similarly, while I get that it’s not really a guitar pedal in the conventional sense, I have never in my life seen a pedal with that many jacks; I’d understand if it were in/outputting a stereo signal, but I don’t think that’s what you’re going for. You’re not really a pedal guy from what I’ve seen, so tell me, from your perspective, where would each of these jacks go to and why?

[crochambeau]

Regarding the RMA: with all due respect, why are there so many outputs?

Because this is a customer directed build and the outputs were on the menu.

And why no labels?

The control layout is fairly logical/functionally ergonomic once you mess with it a bit. I have labelled in the past, in my opinion unless you're slapping DYMO labels on it (something the owner can do) every method I have tried (etching knobs, painting, punching metal) either erodes the aesthetic of my work or gets lost in the finish.

I like how it sounds, but it sounds like one of those effects you really have to play with to understand: I still don’t quite get it myself.

It is a complex circuit. There is a noise generator circuit which natively outputs a white noise, a rumble, and a variable crackle. There is also a booster circuit with gain and level control, and a high gain mode switch. By and large, the root functionality is as a background noise generator the can mix in an external input. The feedback implementation can, of course, break that - but if it's not employed the build remains fairly rooted and very straightforward. (I realize I'm saying this as a person with a fairly thorough understanding of the breed, and that it's not as simple as eating cheese, but - I generally take great lengths in plotting my interface layout, as feature order on the user interface can absolutely destroy end experience... ...especially on marking shy construction.)

It’d be helpful to have at least a one or two-word descriptor for every mechanical component for the user’s sake.

I typically whip up a map, like these:

Viewed 1764 times

Viewed 1764 times

And for something that can be considered a standard build, greater lengths are taken on composition:

I expect I have something like two weeks to jot down a roadmap while this device is en route to Germany.

Similarly, while I get that it’s not really a guitar pedal in the conventional sense, I have never in my life seen a pedal with that many jacks; I’d understand if it were in/outputting a stereo signal, but I don’t think that’s what you’re going for. You’re not really a pedal guy from what I’ve seen, so tell me, from your perspective, where would each of these jacks go to and why?

The jacks, when the circuit is not pushed into feedback mode, output simple white noise, rumble, variable crackle, a mix of everything, and a "clean" reflection of what is on input. These sources are all quite dissimilar and can then be mixed together after additional effects and what have you. When the circuit is tilted into feedback, that feedback path is directed to one of two places, either the root source of noise, in which the feedback signal becomes a component at the output of each stage - albeit after being processed through the circuitry that makes each stage different, meaning each output is going to have a different presentation of the signal that can be panned around in the stereo field; or the feedback routes to the crackle stage which affects the other stages less but still manages to bleed through because of how it pulls on the power rails.

If I built this for myself, I would like using it to splay a monophonic signal across the stereo field while running the low pass rumble tap through massive distortion, maybe another tap into a reverb or light delay, some panning and a thick regurgitation of feedback to lend some weight on a signal. I don't know, there are plenty of other uses I'd probably settle on as well.

You are correct in saying that I'm not really a pedal guy, but that does not mean I don't use pedals, I'm just typically using them as support for other things. I do like to be able to perform on one as an instrument in a pinch though, and being able to isolate an output and fold that back into the input (bypassing the baked in secondary feedback path which pulls the total summed mix as source) is another application. Really, this is little different conceptually to some circuit bent device with a ton of points. It's just packaged in a manner that pulls that matrix away from a single source and plants it in signal path/set-up realm.

Have I successfully defended my PhD?

[FAP]

Almost done…

[logorok]