TRANSFORMERS, all PPCB projects, in disguise... (& hall-of-infamous inductors)

[Feral Feline]

Made a list of all the transformer-equipped projects here, because when you search the PPCB shop for "Transformer", the only thing that comes up is the Fasel Inductor Adapter.
The Simulcast and Duocast do not come up in the search, not the Mystery Machine, Conquerer nope, nor does the Octanaut... none of the projects.

So here's the list, I've included projects with inductors:

Project	Transformer or Inductor
British Royalty OD	TY-141P
Captain Bit	TM011-R
Chrome Dome Distortion	42TM013
Conquerer Fuzz	Fasel 500mH
Duocast	TY-141P
Duocast Mini	TY-141P
Granger Boost	TL019-R
Mystery Machine	Fasel or 42TM013
Neurocyton Preamp	TY-141P
Octaclave	42TM002
Octanaut	42TL002* (*X 2)
ShamWah!	Inductor 600mH
Simulcast	TY-141P
Station Wah	Fasel Inductor (500mH) or 42TM013
Tactical Fuzz	TL019-R
Tear Jerker Wah	Inductor 500mH
Topographer Distortion	42TM018
Whipped Cream Overdrive	TY-141P

I hope this is helpful in some way to the community here; I'll add to it as newer stuff becomes available.
Let me know if I missed anything.

 

[Dan0h]

This is awesome. I was looking for a similar last year.

 

[MichaelW]

I just received my TY-141P for my Duocast build in the mail yesterday, woohoo!

 

[almondcity]

Coming in here to restate my love for the Neurocyton (Greer Soma 63). Get one

 

[cwsquared]

Coming in here to restate my love for the Neurocyton (Greer Soma 63). Get one

It is in my (ever growing) backlog PCB stack.

 

[Feral Feline]

So here's an interesting tit-bit. Not all the PPCB inductor/transformer projects share the same pinout.

The Conquerer and Station Wah, Fasel pinout for example:

Image from this thread (click through to see Transformer pinout)

And the old PCB silkscreen for the early Conquerer boards:

Here, however, "The Red and Green pads are the only pads that make an electrical connection." on a PPCB Mystery Machine:

Armed with the above info (and info in the links) and a DMM set to *BEEP-like-Batfink* mode, hopefully we should be able to determine for ourselves connectivity for any transformer/inductor PPCB board.

 

[HamishR]

I'd almost forgotten that the Broadcast pedals are supposed to have a transformer in them! I've built a few without transformers and for the life of me can't hear any difference.

 

[GizzWizzKing]

The Whipped Cream Overdrive
has one as well. There may be even more now too.

 

[Feral Feline]

Good call, @GizzWizzKing!

I even have that board, but hadn't added it to the list.

Updated list in the OP.

 

[Feral Feline]

Well it's time to update the list again, I've been trying to get to it for the past week but too damn busy.
[EDIT: List updated to add 4 projects: British Royalty OD, Granger Boost, Octaclave, and Tactical Fuzz]

MEANWHILE...

In search of chemical sundries such as flux cleaner, I popped on one of the few remaining Electronics shops in town, a Sterling example of a mom&pop type shop with the owner basically repairing flat-screen TVs to get by and an assortment of parts gathering dust that no one will buy.

So I bought, on a whim, a small audio transformer:

Packaging says :

Primary: 1k2Ω / Secondary: 8Ω.​

60-282-1​

Made in Taiwan​

Mode Electronics Burnaby BC​

Stamped into the top of the little 5-legged unit is 60-282-0.
The windings are wrapped in Green.


The closest thing to this I can find is:
42TL003 with the same Primary and Secondary, but the 42TL units are 6-legged bugs.
There aren't any circuits I know of that require a 42TL003 (or 42TM003).
Gus Smally's Simple Octave Up lists a Radio Shack transformer, 273-1380 — 1kΩ / 8Ω;
same RS 273-1380 for the Bobtavia.
That's dang close, so maybe I build one of those two, Simple Oct-up or Bobtavia.

A 42TL013 is Primary 1k/ Secondary 8Ω; so I could maybe try PedalPCB projects:
Chrome Dome
Conquerer Supreme
Mystery Machine
Station Wah

Non-PPCB 013 circs, potentially:
Small Bear's I-See-Wah-Wah, and Wild Mouse.
Moonn's "You're Special" (Honey [Shin-Ei] Special Fuzz) takes a 42TL013 .

Next closest thing in the 42TLXXX-SERIES to what I have is a 42TL022: 1k5Ω / 600Ω.
The Octanaut needs 2 x 42TL002 — Primary 10k / Secondary 2k, quite a stretch from the TL003.
The Octaclave needs 1 x 42TL002...


I say "maybe" and "potentially" above for the 42TL013 because the 60-282-1 that I have has 5 legs compared to the 013's bug-like 6 legs.

So, anyone have thoughts/suggestions on how/where I could use this appendage-challenged little transformer?

 

[jcpst]

If anyone else has been waiting for mouser to restock 42TL002 for the Octanaut, I just got the notification that they shipped my backordered ones.

 

[Feral Feline]

I've been revisiting the TRANSBOOST, developed by TalkBass brethren Boomertech with @johnk_10, and was wondering how they and @Robert would feel about a PedalPCB version — if there's any interest from the community here. Since it's a DIY project, and an obscure one at that, I'm not sure how many PCBs could be sold to make it worth everybody's while. Then again, a PCB may be just the thing to develop more interest in the circuit.


The circuit uses a very cool little transformer, the TY-250P from Triad Magnetics — the same company that makes the TY-141P used in the Duocast, Simulcast as well as the Neurocyton, and Whipped Cream.

I've mentioned the TY-250P several times before elsewhere. Even if there's no interest in doing the TransBoost, this transformer itself is worth a gander, especially by the Bass-Player in all of us.
The TY-250P is bottom-feeder friendly (Datasheet PDF here), having a broadly better frequency-response than the TY141P and pretty much any other similar transformer out there, as noted in that TalkBass thread.
It covers the full range of human-hearing, with much better lows than ANY of the transformers in the OP — 20Hz to 20kHz.
Shop & Compare.

Alas, a TY-250P is not a drop-in replacement for any of the other aforementioned transformers, which are mere insects while the TY-250P is an arachnid.

 

[Nostradoomus]

right wing pundits are gonna have a field day with that name

 

[matmonster58]

Thats a cool thread that I haven't seen before. Ill add it to the list. The isolated DI using a cheap transformer is also a cool idea

 

[Nostradoomus]

I may or may not be making a board if Robert doesn't wanna do it...just looking at the schematic I'm assuming this is rail to rail power?

 

[LukeFRC]

I've been revisiting the TRANSBOOST, developed by TalkBass brethren Boomertech with @johnk_10, and was wondering how they and @Robert would feel about a PedalPCB version — if there's any interest from the community here. Since it's a DIY project, and an obscure one at that, I'm not sure how many PCBs could be sold to make it worth everybody's while. Then again, a PCB may be just the thing to develop more interest in the circuit.


The circuit uses a very cool little transformer, the TY-250P from Triad Magnetics — the same company that makes the TY-141P used in the Duocast, Simulcast as well as the Neurocyton, and Whipped Cream.

I've mentioned the TY-250P several times before elsewhere. Even if there's no interest in doing the TransBoost, this transformer itself is worth a gander, especially by the Bass-Player in all of us.
The TY-250P is bottom-feeder friendly (Datasheet PDF here), having a broadly better frequency-response than the TY141P and pretty much any other similar transformer out there, as noted in that TalkBass thread.
It covers the full range of human-hearing, with much better lows than ANY of the transformers in the OP — 20Hz to 20kHz.
Shop & Compare.

Alas, a TY-250P is not a drop-in replacement for any of the other aforementioned transformers, which are mere insects while the TY-250P is an arachnid.

Boomertech being the guy behind FEA I think?

 

[Feral Feline]

Yes, Frank Appleton.


@Nostradoomus... Yep. It needs a charge pump to swing from -9V to +9v, so 18v of headroom — at least as I understand it.


I was thinking I might tackle a PCB for this myself if Robert hasn't time or inclination.
Might take me 3–5 years to get around to actually doing it, but you know, Romania wasn't built in a daze...

 

[Nostradoomus]

ah so the usual 1044 set up should do? I'm not super familiar with this power set up but I wanna get a board to my fellow canuck if I can. Maybe @Robert could guide me if he doesn't have the inclination (which i get)

 

[LukeFRC]

@Feral Feline - I used to have a Warwick Helleborg preamp it was an amazing thing and I think the "sound" came from the transformers, I've kept my ears open for pedal preamps that include transformers ever since. I've ended up with a JHS colourbox v2 on my board which is pretty good. - I've had a tab saved for a Bo Hansen di for years now http://www.hansenaudio.se/techpage.htm#active DI-box, my work horse from 1975 and tempted to build to compare, also C2C's Nobelium preamp would be a cool build - some of these transformers cost a fair bit!
I've actually got the schematics for the Helleborg preamp - but the transformers are proprietary builds, and while the maker of them would let me buy some in multiples of 100, they wouldn't tell me what they are spec wise.

 

[Feral Feline]

@Feral Feline - I used to have a Warwick Helleborg preamp it was an amazing thing and I think the "sound" came from the transformers, I've kept my ears open for pedal preamps that include transformers ever since. I've ended up with a JHS colourbox v2 on my board which is pretty good. - I've had a tab saved for a Bo Hansen di for years now http://www.hansenaudio.se/techpage.htm#active DI-box, my work horse from 1975 and tempted to build to compare, also C2C's Nobelium preamp would be a cool build - some of these transformers cost a fair bit!
I've actually got the schematics for the Helleborg preamp - but the transformers are proprietary builds, and while the maker of them would let me buy some in multiples of 100, they wouldn't tell me what they are spec wise.

So we need a sign-up sheet for 100 people, or close to that as I'm sure a few such as myself would be willing to buy two or a few of the 100 Transformers.

Transformer or not, build it or not — I'm a curious cat and would love to see what the Helleborg preamp circuit is made of.


Thanks for the link to the Hansen Audio DI.