DEMO Lectric-FX Polychorus

[jwyles90]

Build Rating

4.00 star(s)

So I was commissioned to make this Polychorus for someone on Reddit a while back and FINALLY got it finished. I actually finished the build back in like, November, however I just could not get it to work properly once it was all done. The signal would die right around IC3 (the second BBD chip), and despite my best efforts I could not for the life of me figure out what was going wrong. While it was a relatively straightforward build (despite the high part count and multi-step biasing process), it's got one pretty glaring omission in the build docs that I found to be the culprit. The build docs list either MN3007s or v3207s as the two BBD chip options for the build. Next to the v3207s, however, there's a little note that says "v3207s has not been tested". I had 3207s already, so decided to go with those and figured they should still theoretically work since they were included on the docs. Turns out, 3207s don't work with the build. The way the jumpers for the 3207s are set up actually throw the signal to ground, so nothing goes past them. Once I figured that out, I was able to clip the jumpers underneath the sockets, reorient them and solder them together, pop a couple 3007s in there and it fired up right away. I'd say it's more on me to have gone with the untested chips first, but also am a little confused as to why untested chips would be included on the build docs in the first place? Oh well.

Overall I think it sounds pretty killer on the Flanger and Chorus modes. Double track and Filter matrix are cool but might not really be for me, except in specific use cases. I recorded a few clips of the different modes; Chorus, Flange, and Double-Track. I found this weird, resonant echo setting on the double track mode with the feedback up and the Tune down a bit.

Chorus
Flange
Double-Track

I've also started messing around with different ways of recording things. Up until recently I was just using my phone to record it from my amp. A friend gifted me a Focusrite 2i2 recently. I've been having lots of fun messing around with recording through that, while also simultaneously having no idea what I'm doing . If anyone has any tips on recording, or using Ableton (or another DAW they like), I'd love to hear them!!

 

[Synchrony Pedalworks]

This looks like a fun build. Thanks for the info about the BBD chips!

 

[eh là bas ma]

Nice build !

I sold my Dandy Horse because i felt a bit overwhelmed with too much modulations circuits. But it was special... I miss it a little bit, but i hesitate to build it again.
It became much more expensive compared to 2 years ago. On musikding, the kit was sold around 80 euros back then, now it's 110 euros, and i probably won't use it very much. I think i like the CE-2 a tiny bit more.

Dandy Horse can easily get a bit noisy when the Manual control is set in the first half of the rotation, toward the low frequencies, if i remember correctly ?

I use a Boss RC-3 loop station to record samples, and upload them on soundcloud for free. Simple but effective. Some friends told me RC-3 recordings sound like crap from a professional point of view, but it's good enough for my humble needs.

 

[jwyles90]

This looks like a fun build. Thanks for the info about the BBD chips!

Yea aside from that one mishap I had a lot of fun putting it together. Might have to email Lectric to let them know that the 3207s don't work, since reorienting jumpers underneath an IC socket is a pretty gnarly thing to do haha.

Nice build !

I sold my Dandy Horse because i felt a bit overwhelmed with too much modulations circuits. But it was special... I miss it a little bit, but i hesitate to build it again.
It became much more expensive compared to 2 years ago. On musikding, the kit was sold around 80 euros back then, now it's 110 euros, and i probably won't use it very much. I think i like the CE-2 a tiny bit more.

Dandy Horse can easily get a bit noisy when the Manual control is set in the first half of the rotation, toward the low frequencies, if i remember correctly ?

I use a Boss RC-3 loop station to record samples, and upload them on soundcloud for free. Simple but effective. Some friends told me RC-3 recordings sound like crap from a professional point of view, but it's good enough for my humble needs.

As far as I cant tell it isn't too noisy. Could just be the way that I biased it though. On the chorus mode a tiny bit of noise is introduced on certain settings but it's pretty quiet overall.

 

[DailyDovetails]

That’s a cool pedal. I have wanted a poly chorus for a long time but never enough to pay the crazy cost. I may end up doing one of these in the future.

 

[jwyles90]

That’s a cool pedal. I have wanted a poly chorus for a long time but never enough to pay the crazy cost. I may end up doing one of these in the future.

Yea I’d say building it is the way to go. The most expensive bits are the 3007s ($15 a pop ) but it’s still way cheaper than the alternative

 

[Moltenmetalburn]

So I was commissioned to make this Polychorus for someone on Reddit a while back and FINALLY got it finished. I actually finished the build back in like, November, however I just could not get it to work properly once it was all done. The signal would die right around IC3 (the second BBD chip), and despite my best efforts I could not for the life of me figure out what was going wrong. While it was a relatively straightforward build (despite the high part count and multi-step biasing process), it's got one pretty glaring omission in the build docs that I found to be the culprit. The build docs list either MN3007s or v3207s as the two BBD chip options for the build. Next to the v3207s, however, there's a little note that says "v3207s has not been tested". I had 3207s already, so decided to go with those and figured they should still theoretically work since they were included on the docs. Turns out, 3207s don't work with the build. The way the jumpers for the 3207s are set up actually throw the signal to ground, so nothing goes past them. Once I figured that out, I was able to clip the jumpers underneath the sockets, reorient them and solder them together, pop a couple 3007s in there and it fired up right away. I'd say it's more on me to have gone with the untested chips first, but also am a little confused as to why untested chips would be included on the build docs in the first place? Oh well.

Overall I think it sounds pretty killer on the Flanger and Chorus modes. Double track and Filter matrix are cool but might not really be for me, except in specific use cases. I recorded a few clips of the different modes; Chorus, Flange, and Double-Track. I found this weird, resonant echo setting on the double track mode with the feedback up and the Tune down a bit.

Chorus
Flange
Double-Track

I've also started messing around with different ways of recording things. Up until recently I was just using my phone to record it from my amp. A friend gifted me a Focusrite 2i2 recently. I've been having lots of fun messing around with recording through that, while also simultaneously having no idea what I'm doing . If anyone has any tips on recording, or using Ableton (or another DAW they like), I'd love to hear them!!

View attachment 68631
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Wondering how you did your art and if you would share the design? I’m not well versed in that and have a naked dandy id love poly or echoflanger artwork for.

 

[jwyles90]

Wondering how you did your art and if you would share the design? I’m not well versed in that and have a naked dandy id love poly or echoflanger artwork for.

So for this one the person who commissioned it actually wanted it to look like that. They had that design on hand already and sent it to me. I just did a little waterslide decal of it, so I’ll see if I can find the file and send it your way if you’d like!

 

[Fingolfen]

Oh I'm going to have to make more stuff - LOVE that... great demos too!

 

[jwyles90]

Oh I'm going to have to make more stuff - LOVE that... great demos too!

Thanks! Yea aside from the little snafu with the chips it's a fairly straightforward build. Requires a bit more calibrating than some other BBD based builds but it's relatively simple and sounds great when all is said and done.

 

[Moltenmetalburn]

So for this one the person who commissioned it actually wanted it to look like that. They had that design on hand already and sent it to me. I just did a little waterslide decal of it, so I’ll see if I can find the file and send it your way if you’d like!

That would be SO epic and kind, if you do find it.

 

[jwyles90]

That would be SO epic and kind, if you do find it.

Here you go!

 

[Moltenmetalburn]

Here you go!

Cheers, you’re a legend!