First actual PPCB build! Deflector Reverb-bbb-bb

[pricklyrobot]

Yep, I guess this is the first actual PPCB project I’ve had occasion to post on here. There will be more to follow…eventually

It’s the Deflector Reverb. I made it for a friend who used to have the EQD version, so I used the Afterneath control names figuring he’d already be familiar with them.

Went for the pre-soldered FV-1. I’ve a very small bit of SMD soldering before, but it was only a few dollars more than just buying the IC itself, so I decided not to mess with it this time around. My struggle was trying to get the 6 pots to line up with my hand-drilled holes
Frequently, I change (enclosure) layouts for aesthetic reasons, which then necessitates off-board wiring everything. But I kept it stock this time with board-mounted pots. Bit challenging, but I manhandled it all together in the end

Seemed to fire up and work correctly. I noticed there’s always a very slight, but audible, delay before the wall of verb starts to kick in. Can’t seem to dial it out with any of the knobs, so I guess it’s just part of this thing’s sound?
Definitely cool sounds on tap here, but it’s not subtle. I tried sticking it in one of the loops of my Paralyzer, so I could dial in more non-verb, and that allowed me to get out of “Special FX” territory.

The bird is a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak:

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Bursting with black, white, and rose-red, male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are like an exclamation mark at your bird feeder or in your binoculars. Females and immatures are streaked brown and white with a bold face pattern and enormous bill. Look for these birds in forest edges and woodlands...

www.allaboutbirds.org

If you live anywhere in the eastern half of the US, you should be able to spot one at some point during the year. Pretty impressive one to see in person.

 

[rwl]

As always, love the design. It's so hard to make a recognizable bird with limited detail. I'm curious if you've considered adding one additional color to your pedals, for birds with a really distinctive splash of color? For this grosbeak I was thinking a sort of nail polish lacquer red - it would be a bit of a Sin City effect.

 

[pricklyrobot]

I have experimented a little bit with trying to paint after etching. I’ve used Testors Enamel (the stuff for painting models). Problem is it’s on the liquidy side, so I haven’t worked out how to get it in the spots I want without it running over the edge into the etched part.

Also, it’s fairly translucent (in a streaky way, not in a cool way) on aluminum, so I think you’d need multiple coats to look decent.

Thinking maybe I need to find the right primer, or different thicker paint all together, and/or maybe some means to mask off the etch while painting…

It’s not off the table for future experimentation, if I have some brilliant technical epiphany
But I haven’t been able to get any decent results thus far. Shall just have to rely on knob and LED choices to convey a sense of color for now.