Hydra Questions
- Thread starter joelorigo
- Start date
lumberjack
New member
I’m an FV-1 noob and recently built my first couple pedals with that chip, including a Hydra about a week back. Awesome pedal, highly recommend - I’m new to pedals but have been soldering in amps for years, and I’d recommend watching some videos on surface mount soldering techniques first. It’s definitely doable but it’s a totally different approach than I’m used to on huge turrets/eyelets, or even 1/4 watt and 1/8 watt pcb pads.
Can’t overstate this: you need flux, and possibly more than you’d imagine. You can see in this video the legs and pads are practically submerged in the stuff. I tried doing it without flux first and it wasn’t pretty. Plenty of flux and good cleanup after helped a lot.
I found a batch of FV-1 at stompboxparts.com a few weeks back but they seem to be out now. Amplified Parts has them in stock though: https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/integrated-circuit-spin-fv-1-dsp-multi-effect-reverb
Can’t overstate this: you need flux, and possibly more than you’d imagine. You can see in this video the legs and pads are practically submerged in the stuff. I tried doing it without flux first and it wasn’t pretty. Plenty of flux and good cleanup after helped a lot.
I found a batch of FV-1 at stompboxparts.com a few weeks back but they seem to be out now. Amplified Parts has them in stock though: https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/integrated-circuit-spin-fv-1-dsp-multi-effect-reverb
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joelorigo
Well-known member
Thank you!
When you say flux, you mean more than a flux pen can apply? I have this one:
And this is a total FV-1 noob question, but the FV-1combined with the rest of the circuit makes the delay sounds? I was searching the Hydra and came across a post about programming something on a pedal with the FV-1.
EDIT; I see on the Hydra PCB page it says “Includes 24LC32A EEPROM with Hydra algorithm preloaded.” Is this what has the specific delay sounds?
When you say flux, you mean more than a flux pen can apply? I have this one:
And this is a total FV-1 noob question, but the FV-1combined with the rest of the circuit makes the delay sounds? I was searching the Hydra and came across a post about programming something on a pedal with the FV-1.
EDIT; I see on the Hydra PCB page it says “Includes 24LC32A EEPROM with Hydra algorithm preloaded.” Is this what has the specific delay sounds?
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lumberjack
New member
Again, major noob here open to being corrected, but as I understand it the FV-1 is the hardware/processor of the circuit and the EEPROM chips contain the program/software that tells the FV-1 what to do with the signal. EEPROM are a form of memory/storage chip, and they contain the algorithms specific to the effect. That’s why the different effects all need the same FV-1 but come with various different pre-programmed EEPROM chips.
You are correct, I'm no expert but what you describe I know... Another point is the FV-1 does come with local program if you don't feed one to it. That's actually a troubleshooting technic I've seen here to exclude a problem with the EEPROM and confirm the FV-1 works and passes the signal.
EEPROM programing is a very niche hobby... if you're like me you buy the chip pre-loaded as provided by PedalPCB, but an EEPROM is just that a programable chip, so nothing stops you to reprogram it with different patch (Programs) and get different effects out of the FV-1.
I believe the Hydra is only a Delay based on the FV-1, so it may only have one program, though it shows 4 heads options, so might 4 different programs.
The Arachnid platform offers a board with no program, you have to buy a separate EEPROM and load patch/programs on it yourself.
The Modulus 8 is the same as the Arachnid, however it comes with 8 programs pre-loaded on the EEPROM, if you want you can load different programs on it and use it as the Arachnid.
joelorigo
Well-known member
Thanks for all of that. Very interesting.
I guess I’ll buy the board and give it a try. In the meantime I’ll be watching videos on surface mount soldering.
And just to be precise, is the flux pen I already have (linked above) good enough, or should I get a separate container?
I guess I’ll buy the board and give it a try. In the meantime I’ll be watching videos on surface mount soldering.
And just to be precise, is the flux pen I already have (linked above) good enough, or should I get a separate container?
I never soldered SMDs but according to your pen description is good for SMD so...
I also saw videos of people solder surface mount components with a flux pen and it seemed to work just fine.
joelorigo
Well-known member
I am looking at the board and the parts for a Hydra build! Quick question, does the X1 Chrystal Oscillator have polarity? I'm not seeing any thing on the part or on the PCB to indicate polarity.
And hopefully this is the correct part, because it's what I bought:
And hopefully this is the correct part, because it's what I bought:
MichaelW
Well-known member
Nope, non-polarized part. Just mind that you need to leave enough "leg showing" to be able to bend it over horizontally on the board.I am looking at the board and the parts for a Hydra build! Quick question, does the X1 Chrystal Oscillator have polarity? I'm not seeing any thing on the part or on the PCB to indicate polarity.
And hopefully this is the correct part, because it's what I bought:
MichaelW
Well-known member
How are you running it? (Signal chain I mean). Try running a buffered pedal before it and see if that helps. I had the same issue but I would not categorize it as "significant" loss of high end, just a tad for me and I'm not completely sure it's not my imagination. I would up building a dedicated buffered loop box to put the Hydra and Spatialist reverb is and it helps.
MichaelW
Well-known member
I guess it depends on how much "significant amount of high end" loss is. It should not be that way. Does the loss of high end still happen with the MIX knob turned all the way off?
I just double checked my Hydra, heads turned off, engage and disengage and I don't hear the kind of drop you're talking about. Yah, the BOSS GE7 is buffered output, hmmm which has me thinking, have you tried it with the Boss out of the signal chain and see if it makes a difference?
My suspicion is that maybe you might have a couple of wrong value or out of spec caps. What did you use for the 1U caps? MLCC? Ceramic? Hmmm, noticed that there is still no schematic for the Hydra. Might be tough to try to pinpoint the issue.
Can you use a Spdt on off on in place of a on on?
