Aion PCB's
- Thread starter music6000
- Start date
Robert
Reverse Engineer
This is exactly how my descriptions would go....
"This is a printed circuit board. It's black, approximately 1.6mm thick, has rounded corners, and if you build it properly it might sound cool. Hell it might sound cool even if you don't build it properly. It makes a 'plink' sound when dropped on the floor. And it is, most definitely, not a buffer."
Robert
Reverse Engineer
Admit it, you were trying to build a JHS Unicorn, weren't you?
How could/would you build a 125B 2 footswitch pedal with that exclusive Footswitch PCB!???
Robert
Reverse Engineer
Robert
Reverse Engineer
Call me the worst salesman ever, but unless you just want to build all the Muffs I'd suggest waiting a couple weeks.... I have the best 'Muff circuit I've ever used on my bench right this minute.
drgonzo1969
Well-known member
there’s only one thing I love more than rats and ring mods…. And that’s MUFF.
I already want that one... just looked at the video yesterday.
Ale_jellybelly
Well-known member
I just saw the Collector/emitter demo... Dang that's a good sounding muff
comradehoser
Well-known member
Having just finished building a rack of huge Aion boards (L4, L5, "?" Flange, Meatball), here's what I will say.
Generally I skew to PPCB, but Aion has some pretty interesting/unique projects not available elsewhere and interesting takes on others.
Both PPCB and Aion could stand to borrow from each other.
Aion could stand to borrow values printed on board, definitely.
PPCB could stand to borrow more cush pad size, and the Mouser and/or Tayda component BOM. Such a freaking timesaver. The online BOM tool is also pretty great for board population, I have to say.
Great build docs are great and interesting, but not essential, except in the case of possible options, like the capacitor sub in Aion's DZ-4.
The component-populated footswitch thing I'm agnostic on. It could be potentially an issue, but is stays a potential issue for me so far.
Don't care about the color of PCBs, they all live in gray metal boxes (for me).
Generally I skew to PPCB, but Aion has some pretty interesting/unique projects not available elsewhere and interesting takes on others.
Both PPCB and Aion could stand to borrow from each other.
Aion could stand to borrow values printed on board, definitely.
PPCB could stand to borrow more cush pad size, and the Mouser and/or Tayda component BOM. Such a freaking timesaver. The online BOM tool is also pretty great for board population, I have to say.
Great build docs are great and interesting, but not essential, except in the case of possible options, like the capacitor sub in Aion's DZ-4.
The component-populated footswitch thing I'm agnostic on. It could be potentially an issue, but is stays a potential issue for me so far.
Don't care about the color of PCBs, they all live in gray metal boxes (for me).
As far as demos/descriptions go, I think @MichaelW is only a few pedals away from having built and demo'ed the entire PPCB catalog. 
As for tracing journals, head over to Chucks Boneyard and look for the "This Week on the Breadboard..." threads.
I like Aion. I like PPCB. I like Madbean. I like BYOC and EffectsLayout and GGG. I think that's all the ones I've tried.
Though I haven't built a BYOC pedal in a long time, they were my "gateway drug" so will always have a special place in my heart.
I also like making my own PCBs, so when I want something exactly to my personal spec, I design it myself.
I'm just happy there's a lot of boards available, in aggregate, and a vibrant community to share in the joy of building and circuit hacking.
As for tracing journals, head over to Chucks Boneyard and look for the "This Week on the Breadboard..." threads.
I like Aion. I like PPCB. I like Madbean. I like BYOC and EffectsLayout and GGG. I think that's all the ones I've tried.
Though I haven't built a BYOC pedal in a long time, they were my "gateway drug" so will always have a special place in my heart.I also like making my own PCBs, so when I want something exactly to my personal spec, I design it myself.
I'm just happy there's a lot of boards available, in aggregate, and a vibrant community to share in the joy of building and circuit hacking.
bean
Well-known member
Let's definitely not forget Madbean. Considering one of the first two pedals I ever built was on an etched Madbean layout, we might not even be having this conversation if it weren't for the @bean.
You too nice broski.
I can see a good argument for values on the board and obviously a lot of people like that. I build straight off schematics rather than BOMs, etc. I prefer this because it reinforces what I'm building and my familiarity with the circuit design so by the end i know it backward and forward. That helps when things go wrong and you need to debug.
But, that's not a goal all diy'ers may have and that's perfectly fine. To each their own!
sticky1138
Well-known member
I once destroyed some of the pads on an Aion daughterboard while swapping out a switch that was mounted to it. They don't sell replacements, so let me tell you, getting it to function manually without the daughterboard was hell.
I always buy their "legacy" PCBs when I can, which are cheaper and use a conventional In/Out/Gnd/V+ format instead.
I always buy their "legacy" PCBs when I can, which are cheaper and use a conventional In/Out/Gnd/V+ format instead.
They were not called legacy when I built the ODR & Mostortion back in the day, they were'' normal'' pcb's.
So called updated version:
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benny_profane
Well-known member
If you don’t like it, don’t buy it.
If there's nothing available anywhere that meets your needs, make it yourself.
This is a complaint without a problem.
And Aion does in fact sell replacement bypass boards.
If there's nothing available anywhere that meets your needs, make it yourself.
This is a complaint without a problem.
And Aion does in fact sell replacement bypass boards.
That's what they have :
3PDT Bypass PCB
The bypass PCB that normally comes attached to the main PCB, available on its own as a replacement or if you want to use it for your own build.
aionfx.com
18V Voltage Doubler / Bypass
The 18V Voltage Doubler / Bypass PCB is a direct substitute for the bypass boards that are included with Aion FX projects in the standard 125B format. It converts a standard 9V supply into 18V before…
aionfx.com
and one for the refractor.
sticky1138
Well-known member
It was a Cornish PCB, with a buffer/true bypass toggle on the daughterboard.
But I do have nice things to say about Aion. Their pedals always work, sound good (or at least like they are supposed to), their layouts are tidy and the docs are great if you are a beginner. But the daughterboard thing is enough to make me look elsewhere if someone else offers the same circuit.
But I do have nice things to say about Aion. Their pedals always work, sound good (or at least like they are supposed to), their layouts are tidy and the docs are great if you are a beginner. But the daughterboard thing is enough to make me look elsewhere if someone else offers the same circuit.
Yes, they only have the standard one.
