Cetus Charge Pump noise

[Electrostasy]

Hi folks,

First time caller, Long time listener here.

Im hoping to get a little help with a Cetus build I made this past week.

The pedal fired up first time for me and sounded great through my own rig. However, the guy I built it for is having a terrible time with signal noise once the gain control goes over 50%.

As per some previous threads, it seems to be related to the charge pump.

His rig is all controlled through a gigrig loop switcher, with isolated power for all of his pedals. The Cetus plays fine solo he says, but once placed in to his loop switcher, the issues begin. After some testing, he notices that the noise disappears once he removes his Revv G8 noise gate. Once he adds the G8 back in, the noise returns. He also has a 1981 clone (with a charge pump) but this doesnt replicate the problem with the G8.

I understand this isnt a fault with the build or circuit as such and that the charge pump is just reacting to another circuit. But it seems a huge shame he has to choose one or the other. His pedalboard is great and I would be really disappointed If I were in the same situation.

So, aside from trying a different IC chip and hoping that works, im wondering if there is a way to bypass the charge pump and run the pedal at 9v?

 

[music6000]

Did you use the TC1044SCPA?
I personally don't use the TC.........
If Yes, Try using a 7660SCPAZ, it will probably fix the issue!?

 

[Electrostasy]

Did you use the TC1044SCPA?
I personally don't use the TC.........
If Yes, Try using a 7660SCPAZ, it will probably fix the issue!?

I did use a TC1044. Ordering a 7660CPAZ is likely the next step to try. Thanks for the suggestion.

Can I ask, what makes the 7660 more preferable here?

 

[music6000]

I did use a TC1044. Ordering a 7660CPAZ is likely the next step to try. Thanks for the suggestion.

Can I ask, what makes the 7660 more preferable here?

It seems less prone to cause a whine than the TC1044SCPA
Quite a few Members have built PCB's with the TC with issues & swapped it out for the 7660SCPAZ & it has fixed the problem
Must have the ''S'' in the part number!

 

[micmac]

With the Cetus I also get a whine when I go into the Muzzle noise gate. My Cetus has a 7660S charge pump. The Muzzle has a LT1054 charge bump. When I pull the power on the Muzzle (or the Cetus) and keep it in bypass then the whine disappears. I think this is what people call heterodyning.

Luckily the Cetus is not my favorite distortion pedal

 

[Electrostasy]

With the Cetus I also get a whine when I go into the Muzzle noise gate. My Cetus has a 7660S charge pump. The Muzzle has a LT1054 charge bump. When I pull the power on the Muzzle (or the Cetus) and keep it in bypass then the whine disappears. I think this is what people call heterodyning.

Luckily the Cetus is not my favorite distortion pedal

I had read a little on heterodyning before I built it and, naively, assumed it would be fine.

Im not sure if the G8 has a charge pump or why it is reacting this way, but I am going to try the two pedals together in my rig and see if the problem replicates in a different setting.

Im still open for suggestions on how I may bypass the charge pump, as a last resort.

 

[music6000]

Im still open for suggestions on how I may bypass the charge pump, as a last resort.

I can confirm that it's a split polarity power supply so it wouldn't work without some modifications if the charge pump is removed.

 

[ErickPulido]

With the Cetus I also get a whine when I go into the Muzzle noise gate. My Cetus has a 7660S charge pump. The Muzzle has a LT1054 charge bump. When I pull the power on the Muzzle (or the Cetus) and keep it in bypass then the whine disappears. I think this is what people call heterodyning.

Luckily the Cetus is not my favorite distortion pedal

what distortion pedals would you recomend to build, I am searcing for my next one

 

[micmac]

Personally I like the Pineapple. Because the Pineapple and the Monarch clean up very nicely (on the Pineapple the Boost needs to be off for that, on the Monarch I can't remember right now, I think it might clean up fine with the Boost on). I do like to drive them with a Dragons Breath up front for more punch. Without it they're a bit tame for my taste.

The Pathogen Distortion I like as well. Doesn't clean up as nicely as the first two, though. It's a bit dryer in sound, but still I think it's pretty cool. Also use it with treble booster up front.

I also like the Solid Metal. It packs so much distortion that I don't need to boost it. Also, its voicing is very metal, but it comes with a switch for rock tones, then it sounds more like the distortion pedals above. There's also the Aion Ember, but that one can use a charge pump, so one might run into the charge pump noise issue again. I ran the Solid Metal at 18V but can't say that I heard a difference. But it's hard for me to compare because I can't switch between 9V and 18V while playing. Doesn't clean up nicely neither, but yes, as a distortion it does very well.

But this is just my opinion. Others might disagree of course Lots of people like the Thermionic Distortion(s), the Tyrian and the Sanguine. I built them and they're not for me. But yes, maybe you would like them, lots of people seem to fancy them.

I built 11 distortion pedals in the past months. I guess that sounds a bit wacky, but really I enjoyed building each one of them and it's nice to be able to compare them in person.

I apologize to Electrostasy for this long post as it doesn't relate to the original topic of this thread!

 

[Electrostasy]

Personally I like the Pineapple. Because the Pineapple and the Monarch clean up very nicely (on the Pineapple the Boost needs to be off for that, on the Monarch I can't remember right now, I think it might clean up fine with the Boost on). I do like to drive them with a Dragons Breath up front for more punch. Without it they're a bit tame for my taste.

The Pathogen Distortion I like as well. Doesn't clean up as nicely as the first two, though. It's a bit dryer in sound, but still I think it's pretty cool. Also use it with treble booster up front.

I also like the Solid Metal. It packs so much distortion that I don't need to boost it. Also, its voicing is very metal, but it comes with a switch for rock tones, then it sounds more like the distortion pedals above. There's also the Aion Ember, but that one can use a charge pump, so one might run into the charge pump noise issue again. I ran the Solid Metal at 18V but can't say that I heard a difference. But it's hard for me to compare because I can't switch between 9V and 18V while playing. Doesn't clean up nicely neither, but yes, as a distortion it does very well.

But this is just my opinion. Others might disagree of course Lots of people like the Thermionic Distortion(s), the Tyrian and the Sanguine. I built them and they're not for me. But yes, maybe you would like them, lots of people seem to fancy them.

I built 11 distortion pedals in the past months. I guess that sounds a bit wacky, but really I enjoyed building each one of them and it's nice to be able to compare them in person.

I apologize to Electrostasy for this long post as it doesn't relate to the original topic of this thread!

No need to apologise.

I got into pedal building primarily for drive pedals. Seeing the price for one pedal I had always wanted to try compared with the cost of learning to make my own. I realised after some time that its not hugely important which pedal you buy or build, more that you know how to get what you want from it and that it fits with what you already have. As always, your guitar, amp and how you actually play have huge importance in what a drive pedal does.

There are a lot of great circuits out there, and whilst I dont have a lot of experience with pedalpcb, I do with Godcity Instruments. Almost everything they make is drive or distortion based and all of them ’bring the goods’. The Brutalist Jr, Hannibal and Face Fuzz are particular favourites.