DRIVE 55 (GrandLaff Di-Anemic overdosin’)

[Feral Feline]

[EDIT: Yeesh, I didn't even realise there's a "Drive 55" PedalPCB project or I would've named this project something else!
Sorry if anyone came here thinking it was something to do with Catalinbread's Formula 55. —FF 12 July,'22]



Friend of mine wanted a Landgraff Dynamic OD to see what the fuss is about. I've had the PCB built up for a couple months now, was planning a dual-circuit build... but then he said he'd prefer the two builds separate.

His birthday came up so I decided to give him this and I'll build him something else in exchange for a pedal he gave me.

GPCB board, 'cause I had it, and then I tried painting the white plastic footswitch washer, which worked and looked good. As suspected, it didn't survive the tightening. I was going to put in an all black footswitch, but I don't have any just yet — so may swap that out later.

The lettering is some old press&scratch thingy-stuff, probably so old that it's brittle now. Painting the road-sign boarder stripes bled through the masking tape. He's a computer-programmer so the font is retro-digital or whatever, not in keeping with highway signs, but then neither is 55, in Canada depending on the highway we drive 100, 110, 120 ... km/h.

The jacks are cockeyed 'cause the enclosure started to walk across the drill press surface, as it turns out my heavy vice-clamp isn't quite flat/square to the world so the motor's vibrations of the drill press, and I couldn't find the bolts to fasten the vice to the drill press... So I wound up eyeballing everything, all the drill holes on the face and the sticker-lettering itself etc. Oh, and the enclosure is a Tayda pre-paint (got chipped up, which partly inspired the highway-sign boarder striping.

I used a super-duper bright white LED with 1k8, but because of the LED bezel, it's not so bad. Oh, and I drilled out the hole for the bezel too big and tried hot glue, but in the end crazy glue seemed to work.

Trouble shooting:
- Soldered the output to the jack's switch instead of tip, didn't take me too long to find that.
- Soldered three wires to the foot-switch middle column, as per the instructions (which works great if you use a bi-colour LED and don't put in a short-to-ground on the circuit input in bypass...) Once I removed the wire from S6 and the board, the effect sprang to life.


No surprise that the LED setting is my favourite clipping-mode.

Build report is half-arsed 'cause I'm rushing to finish it before going over to my friend's place — I was invited over for some roast-pork, his birthday was this past Saturday, but the paint wasn't dry yet... he doesn't know he's getting a gift today.

Thanks for readin'; Later, fellow solder-sniffers!
Cheers, FF

 

[Feral Feline]

Dinner was awesome! Roast potatoes with carrot and Granny Smith apples went well the tenderloin, which more than lived up to the first half of its name, a crazzzzzy-good gravy made out of butter and onion and drippings and Godot knows what else, kinda like Hollandaise almost. Each dish complemented its neighbour extremely well...

Ahh but this is a pedal forum...

Friend was well chuffed with the pedal, he really was amazed at how much more gain is on tap than a regular YATS. All the diodes are socketed, so when he's done exploring the stock options, he can go insane trying every conceivable clipping combo.

I had just checked it was operational with my MicroCubeBass and Squier Jaguar Bass — Naturally it sounded better with a real musician playing his '78 Ibanez Artist through the pedal into his vintage Traynor YGL-3...


As I rattle off this latest missive, it's a bedtime snack-time with wife's home-made soup, home-made sourdough crackers, home-made sourdough bagels and a virgin Caesar to quaff while I also nibble on olives and some extremely old gouda...


Tomorrow, more online parts wrangling for the next build.
Cheers, FF

 

[MichaelW]

Dinner was awesome! Roast potatoes with carrot and Granny Smith apples went well the tenderloin, which more than lived up to the first half of its name, a crazzzzzy-good gravy made out of butter and onion and drippings and Godot knows what else, kinda like Hollandaise almost. Each dish complemented its neighbour extremely well...

Ahh but this is a pedal forum...

Friend was well chuffed with the pedal, he really was amazed at how much more gain is on tap than a regular YATS. All the diodes are socketed, so when he's done exploring the stock options, he can go insane trying every conceivable clipping combo.

I had just checked it was operational with my MicroCubeBass and Squier Jaguar Bass — Naturally it sounded better with a real musician playing his '78 Ibanez Artist through the pedal into his vintage Traynor YGL-3...


As I rattle off this latest missive, it's a bedtime snack-time with wife's home-made soup, home-made sourdough crackers, home-made sourdough bagels and a virgin Caesar to quaff while I also nibble on olives and some extremely old gouda...


Tomorrow, more online parts wrangling for the next build.
Cheers, FF

Man, it's only 6:20am here and all of a sudden I'm hungry for a roast pork tenderloin dinner......

 

[Feral Feline]

My friend wants to know if it can go more than 9v, but I didn't mark down in my build notes which voltage electrolytics I gave it.
IIRC, I did try to give enough headroom but was out of the needed caps and used a few 16v electros...

My notes do mention:

47p subbed for GPCB 51p

220n CERAMICs — ran out of 220n FILM CAPS grrr


Then I had in my notes in red:
SWAP C4 R7 — GPCB BACKASSWARDS
SWAP DRIVE & R6 — GPCB BACKASSWARDS
GPCB JRC4558, LANDGRAFF Burr Brown OPA2134
GPCB 1N914, LANDGRAFF 1N4148

But, apart from the obvious 4558 in it, I didn't noter whether I made those changes in red or not... Grrrrr.

So, some checking to do, some fiddling to do.


Speak of the devil, this just in: Friend checked the lectros, they're good for him to run 18v into the pedal.

Still, those ceramics need replacing and try the OPA2134 op-amp...

 

[MichaelW]

My friend wants to know if it can go more than 9v, but I didn't mark down in my build notes which voltage electrolytics I gave it.
IIRC, I did try to give enough headroom but was out of the needed caps and used a few 16v electros...

My notes do mention:

47p subbed for GPCB 51p

220n CERAMICs — ran out of 220n FILM CAPS grrr


Then I had in my notes in red:
SWAP C4 R7 — GPCB BACKASSWARDS
SWAP DRIVE & R6 — GPCB BACKASSWARDS
GPCB JRC4558, LANDGRAFF Burr Brown OPA2134
GPCB 1N914, LANDGRAFF 1N4148

But, apart from the obvious 4558 in it, I didn't noter whether I made those changes in red or not... Grrrrr.

So, some checking to do, some fiddling to do.


Speak of the devil, this just in: Friend checked the lectros, they're good for him to run 18v into the pedal.

Still, those ceramics need replacing and try the OPA2134 op-amp...

Silly question but why would one use an OPA2134 in a TS style pedal? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around why any overdrive pedal would call for an ultra high bandwidth op-amp. Partly because I've been moving the same couple of OPA2134's that I have from pedal to pedal when I build something new that calls for one because I haven't been able to buy any due to stock unavailability. I've been replacing them with NE5532's in most of the pedals I've built that spec'd a OPA2134 and hear no difference. I just put a JRC4560D in my Mach 1 and it sounds really awesome (sounds best of the 4 different op-amps I've tried).

Maybe you can 'splain from the circuit design view of using an OPA2134 in pedal styles that are designed INTRODUCE distortion and clipping as their main function. I'm just not getting it. (I did manage to free up a 2134 for my Delegate Boneyard build now

 

[Feral Feline]

Silly question but why would one use an OPA2134 in a TS style pedal? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around why any overdrive pedal would call for an ultra high bandwidth op-amp. Partly because I've been moving the same couple of OPA2134's that I have from pedal to pedal when I build something new that calls for one because I haven't been able to buy any due to stock unavailability. I've been replacing them with NE5532's in most of the pedals I've built that spec'd a OPA2134 and hear no difference. I just put a JRC4560D in my Mach 1 and it sounds really awesome (sounds best of the 4 different op-amps I've tried).

Maybe you can 'splain from the circuit design view of using an OPA2134 in pedal styles that are designed INTRODUCE distortion and clipping as their main function. I'm just not getting it. (I did manage to free up a 2134 for my Delegate Boneyard build now

I don't get it either, that's why I want to try it. Never tried it yet. I have the chip but it's still OG Virgin never been in a socket.

I thought the Landgraff came with the Burr Brown, but I just looked at the Rev Deux schematic again and it's a 4558, so I guess I was thinking of something else — Claye Jonez, probably.

 

[fig]

I've been replacing them with NE5532's in most of the pedals I've built that spec'd a OPA2134 and hear no difference.

A cork-sniffer might quip that it is obvious your ears are in need of biasing.

From what I’ve learned, it’s (OPA2134) probably just what was on-hand when the thing was first designed. Either that, or the designer wanted a cleaner dirt.

 

[MichaelW]

A cork-sniffer might quip that it is obvious your ears are in need of biasing.

From what I’ve learned, it’s (OPA2134) probably just what was on-hand when the thing was first designed. Either that, or the designer wanted a cleaner dirt.

I guess my ears aren't golden enough......lemme go listen to some more battery brands in my pedals......

 

[fig]

I guess my ears aren't golden enough......lemme go listen to some more battery brands in my pedals......

I have to have the right balance of wax and hair to get the right tone.

 

[Feral Feline]

Ear-candles, that's the best way to adjust that wax/hair ratio as you can control the candle-burn...


It's a fine-line for sure, but the cleaner your op-amp the more pure of clipping-diodes dirt you'll get — I mean, who wants their op-amp distortion mucking up their diode clipping, like some kinda Rat. Rats are sssso passé.

 

[Feral Feline]

Got to hear it used properly this past Friday night at my friend’s gig.


Order is pretty much as you see it, starting with VolPed, tuner etc. Phaser is before dirt to tame highs (placed after it generates some shrillness in his set up). PRS and a Mockingbird were feeding the pedalboard, which goes direct to the PA.

He has a LOT of gear, so it’s cool this little Drive 55 has earned a spot over several commercial pedals including a Tiki, Flux, Elements and several more.

Must build more!

 

[eh là bas ma]

So this is the one and only Feral Feline's build report.

I came here with high expectations and I must say i am not disappointed. I hope we'll see more of these in the future.

There are a few points that caught my interest :

A plastic ring on the outside, but just for the pictures. This ring is in fact broken, as mentioned in the post. No idea if this ring counts, i never saw this kind of situation before. I guess it's the intention that matters...

The build report is named after a different popular project. Never ever seen that before. There probably is a reason for this bold move, but i couldn't see any obvious clue.
At some point it looks like this ambiguous title is going to be explained, but at the last second it got discretly swept under the rug.

Our distinguished fellow member informs us that he rushed the whole "half-arsed" build report, because he needs to be somewhere else, and it's a big party with his friends, eating some delicious meal.

After a few side notes about canadian roads, we learn that at some point during the drilling process, the enclosure suddenly started walking.

To conclude his original and quite singular post, Feral Feline called every PedalPCB forum members and the whole diy community "solder-sniffers".

The next post is a very detailed description about two different meals, shared with friends or family.

Then, we are wasting a perfectly good and expensive OPA2134 because of Claye Jonez (?).

Finally, Feral Feline and Fig are ganging up on MichaelW, mocking his ears because he gently asked why would we waste an OPA2134.

Obviously i am a big fan now, what a lively report, almost poetic. Can't wait to read the next one !

 

[Feral Feline]

Busted!

My little secret is out. I'll have to build a DLS for penance now, and include a build report.

...The build report is named after a different popular project. Never ever seen that before. There probably is a reason for this bold move, but i couldn't see any obvious clue.
At some point it looks like this ambiguous title is going to be explained, but at the last second it got discretly swept under the rug.

...

Obviously i am a big fan now, what a lively report, almost poetic. Can't wait to read the next one !

C'est pour l'anniversaire du mon ami, 55 ans... comme appeller "Drive 55".
J'ai desire il conduire lui 55-annee tres fort.

Je m'excuse mon Française tres mauvais... Did not use translation programme, can you tell?

 

[eh là bas ma]

Did not use translation programme, can you tell?

What ! All these years you were using google trad ?

I always thought that when i'm writing some french word in my comments, at least one of us would get it... Now i am truly alone.

Thanks for these clarifications !

Edit : It's been decided that you should build an Aion's Xenotron as a penance. A DLS is too easy.

 

[Feral Feline]

Penser: "Je me souviens"

Tu n'es pas seul...

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

What ! All these years you were using google trad ?

I always thought that when i'm writing some french word in my comments, at least one of us would get it... Now i am truly alone.

Thanks for these clarifications !

Edit : It's been decided that you should build an Aion's Xenotron as a penance. A DLS is too easy.

Do the French actually say Il pleut comme vache qui pisse or was my high school French teacher just messing with us?

 

[Feral Feline]

The Google translation is hilarious. No mention of cows urinating at all, just cats & dogs... The literal translation is so much more fun.

 

[eh là bas ma]

Do the French actually say Il pleut comme vache qui pisse or was my high school French teacher just messing with us?

No, it's quite common really. But it's a bit familiar, the kind of expression that can be a social marker. Refined and sophisticated people wouldn't say it everywhere, only in private. It's an old and popular expression. The way the sentence is built, it feels like XIXth century.

Edit : if you want to impress your teacher, tell her : "il va nous choir une renâpée", wich is an old expression from normandy, meaning "it's going to rain". The verb "choir" meaning "to fall" is really unusual and out of date, but it sounds cool, popular, XIXth century. "Renâpée" isn't in the dictionnary, it's a regional word from Alençon and its surroundings, meaning "rain". Someone from Paris wouldn't get it, it's from the countryside but it's perfectly correct.

This the proof, all the regional words for "rain" :

https://i.redd.it/18dtwahxj7jb1.jpg

Some of these sound quite funny... il va nous choir une chawée ? Hilarious.

Edit 2 : according to local sources, "chawée" is written "châouée", and it does feel better that way. Chawée looks a bit english, we wouldn't want that....

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

No, it's quite common really. But it's a bit familiar, the kind of expression that can be a social marker. Refined and sophisticated people wouldn't say it everywhere, only in private. It's an old and popular expression. The way the sentence is built, it feels like XIXth century.

Edit : if you want to impress your teacher, tell her : "il va nous choir une renapée", wich is an old expression from normandy, meaning "it's going to rain". The verb "choir" meaning "to fall" is really unusual and out of date, but it sounds cool and popular, like XIXth century.

My grandfather used to say "it's raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock." It was not the only saying he employed that revealed his social status. He was definitely the only person I ever heard say it so when something similar came up in French class it flipped some switches in my brain.