DryBell Unit67

[MightySmallElectrons]

Aloha! I’ve been out of pedal building for about 5 years and I’m so stoked to come back to find this site where it seems just about every build I was ready to vero is offered on PCB’s with fantastic layouts.
Anyhow, something like the Unit67 would be an addition I would be interested in and thank you for all the great choices already offered.

 

[bowanderror]

I'd never seen this before but it looks pretty damn cool. There is more info on their "Unit67 Story" page, including a signal flow diagram. They have some PCB assembly pics on their site, but I'm not sure if any of them are the Unit76 rather than the Vibe Machine. Either way, it looks like they use quite densely populated SMD construction:




With all of these cool 1176-type compressors coming out, I'm really interested to see if anyone can come up with a feasible DIY solution. I'm still interested, so if anybody has one with some gut shots, that would be a great start!

 

[MightySmallElectrons]

Lol! Well I guess I should have navigated the website a bit more before that request.
I had wondered how they managed to squeeze the 1176 into that size.
Thanks for the sleuthing Bowanderror...name made me laugh too.

 

[bowanderror]

Haha no problem man, I’m glad somebody finally got it!

 

[Devoureddeth]

I would love a 1176 in any size I know there are DIY rack mounted units. I would shell out cash for a good PCB. I have considered buy one of the DIY rack mounted PCB but meh.

 

[bowanderror]

Yeah the cost of building rackmount stuff adds up when you consider the case, transformers, PSU, etc. I think an 1176-type comp in stompbox form would really fill a gap in the DIY world.

I'm not overly familiar with the 1176, but it seems like the key features are the super fast Attack & it being FET-based (vs. Opto/VCA/etc.). For FET comp pedals, the only one I've run in to on the DIY side is Jon Patton's Bearhug Compressor (video link). It's actually pretty simple & there are PCBs available as well. If you're not familiar with Jon, it's worth checking out his contributions to various forums (under the name "midwayfair") as he's got a unique style & tends to create simple, high quality DIY designs.

I don't know how much of "that 1176 sound" is due to the transformer, but I definitely haven't seen any DIY comps with a transformer, although I think some of the Origin stuff does use one.

 

[bowanderror]

Oh and if you haven't taken a look at Ovnilab's page before, you're missing out! Not only does he review basically every reputable compressor, but he's got pages in in his FAQ section on the different types of comps, compression techniques, and unique features like sidechaining & variable mu.

 

[MightySmallElectrons]

Thank you for the direction bowanderror. The only experience I have with an 1176 is through recording plug-ins.
I’ll check out that site...sounds interesting.

 

[Feral Feline]

I bumped into the Drybell Unit67 again recently...

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

Yeah the cost of building rackmount stuff adds up when you consider the case, transformers, PSU, etc. I think an 1176-type comp in stompbox form would really fill a gap in the DIY world.

I'm not overly familiar with the 1176, but it seems like the key features are the super fast Attack & it being FET-based (vs. Opto/VCA/etc.). For FET comp pedals, the only one I've run in to on the DIY side is Jon Patton's Bearhug Compressor (video link). It's actually pretty simple & there are PCBs available as well. If you're not familiar with Jon, it's worth checking out his contributions to various forums (under the name "midwayfair") as he's got a unique style & tends to create simple, high quality DIY designs.

I don't know how much of "that 1176 sound" is due to the transformer, but I definitely haven't seen any DIY comps with a transformer, although I think some of the Origin stuff does use one.

Yeah, I was thinking of building a few rack mount effects a while back, but just the cost of the 1u enclosures for the 3 effects I had planned wound up being over $400

I’m trying to get a bit of a sheet metal fabrication setup going in my workshop though, so maybe I can build them then