EIGHTH-WATT BUILDS, WHAT? Which projects require 1/8w resistors?

Feral Feline

Feral Feline

Well-known member
I've been doing some 1/8w stuff and need to order some more specific values which got me thinkering about thingerings...

I couldn't resist making a list.

Now the following list isn't exhaustive, Henry the Eighth I am NOT, Watt? Ohm, that would be revolting — so I don't ampere every Build Doc under the Sun HD as farad as I know; Please do charge in if you see one I'm missing and I'll positively induct it into the list.

You could argue that just about any PPCB build could be made with 1/8w resistors, and as Keeley notes, that may even help lower your noise floor, but I've come across at least one instance where changing from 1/8w to 1/4w lowered the noise in a build (I think it was the MadBean Bryan his own good self);
What I'm lookin' at are builds that necessitate or spec 1/8w...


PEDALPCB


ABYSS


BETTY BOOST


CATACLYSM DELAY


COBALT DRIVE


DERAILER OD


DIRTY SANCHEZ


HYDRA


HYPED FUZZ


LAMB CHOP


LITTLE DEBBIE


MESMERIZER


NUDRIVE


OBSIDIUS

PHASE II

PHOTON VIBE


POLYHOG


SEA HORSE


THERMIONIC (Old layout, new layout uses 1/4w)


WRECTIFIER
 
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PedalPCB gets pride of place, above, but wait!

There's MORE from my HD...


AION
REFRACTOR BYPASS klon

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

AMZ (“all resistors 1/8w or greater”)
Electra Distortion
Q&D Comp

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

BURR SETTLES
SIREN (MBP GLAM variant)

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

COMMON SOUND
BEND MATRIX (1/8w required, but also: resistor-arrays can use discrete 1/8W or 1/4W resistors instead)

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

FUZZ DOG
FUZZPUP RODENT

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

GALLIEN-KRUEGER
DIEZEL DOG

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

HAMMER AMPAGE
De-TICKING ZOMBIE CHORUS (1/8w recommended)

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

KASSUTRONICS
KS-20 [KORG MS-20 FILTER]

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

KEELEY
FUZZHEAD “I would even recommend using 1/8-watt resistors because the noise level is theoretically less as the size of the resistor decreases.” — Robert Keeley. [*see Alan W's post #10 below]

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

LECTRIC-FX
ALTERED-STATE PHASER
KARAOKE CHORUS
OLD CHAP

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

MADBEAN
AQUABABY
BABY BOARD GUIDE (1590A)
BLOVIATOR
DEGENERATOR
DIGDUG2 (optional, see build doc)
DREAMTIME
FATPANTS JR (optional, see build doc)
FLUNKEE
GLAM
GLASSHOLE
HEADTRIP2
IMP
KEZUROUKAI
MANOWAR DLX
MIMIK
NAUGHTY FISH
POLYTROG
RABBITHOLE2020
RUNT
SPLUNKER
TAPANATOR
TAPPY
TOURBUS PGE
WAVELORD
WIGGLE
WINDBAG
ZEROPOINT (recommended, see build doc)
ZEROPOINT MICRO2

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

MAKE
BASS BUMP HEADPHONE AMP

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

MAS EFFECTS
BELL (optional 1/8w or 1/4w)
DARK COMMOTION
DC METER DRIVER (optional 1/8w or 1/4w)
ORNAMENT GUITAR BOOST OD [CHRISTMAS TREE] (optional 1/8w or 1/4w)
VU METER (optional 1/8w or 1/4w)

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑
to reiterate...
PEDALPCB
ABYSS
BETTY BOOST
CATACLYSM DELAY
COBALT DRIVE
DERAILER OD
DIRTY SANCHEZ
HYDRA
HYPED FUZZ
LAMB CHOP
LITTLE DEBBIE
MESMERIZER
NUDRIVE
OBSIDIUS
PHASE II
PHOTON VIBE
POLYHOG
SEA HORSE
THERMIONIC (Old layout, new layout uses 1/4w)
WRECTIFIER

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

QUANTUM EFFECTS
STRONTIUM SCREAMER

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

RARE WAVES
HYDRONIUM
MIDI-NARRATOR

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

TANGENTSOFT
CMOY POCKET AMPLIFIER

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

TORNADOVALLEYFX
BOSS DS-1 MOD

𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑𝄐𝄑

VFE (Whether direct from VFE or through Madbean)
BLUEPRINT
CHORAL REEF
DRAGON
FIERY RED HORSE
ICESCREAM
KLEIN BOTTLE V2
MERMAN
MINIMU
MOBIUS STRIP
OLD SCHOOL
PINBALL
SPRINGBOARD
STANDOUT
SWITCHING BOARD (v1 but not v2)
TRIPLET
TRACTOR BEAM
YODELLER
 
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Interesting. So besides the obvious smaller footprint, you're saying possible lower noise floor using the smaller resistors?
At 1/8 watt these builds can run 9 or 18v?
Or just 9 at that point?
 
The 16mm pots most of us use are .1 watt power rating. I don’t think there’s a problem using 1/8 watt resistors. I’d be surprised if there’s a noise difference, but others would know better than me. I always thought it was just a footprint vs ease of soldering issue.
 
I've built a lot of 1/8watt projects over the years and I have really come to enjoy them. I have noticed no sound difference and the projects have taken 18+ volts with no issue. In a high voltage/amperage build it's not gonna be great but for most pedal projects it's fine. Being able to condense larger projects is great and I think it's a great primer for smd. If I did design my own stuff I would totally go the 1/8 watt route and possibly even 9mm pots.
 
In terms of noise, while power rating does affect this, the type of resistor, and the tolerances that it’s made to, etc., can have even greater impact. If you’re working with a really high gain circuit (like a mic preamp) where you want to keep noise as low as possible, you can generally pick resistors that have lower noise specs—and pay for it. Given the typically poor s/n performance of amplified guitars and basses, it’s never been a great concern of mine in those circuits. I’ve also spent $$ for naked foil Vishay or Caddock resistors in certain projects, where it seemed worth it. And only in selective places.
 
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