Paragon Mini: What Side Comes First?

[apierz]

I am building a Paragon Mini and I am starting to solder in the components. The paragon mini is a dual pedal with two sides that can work independently. You can convert the pedal to a high gain option by swapping a 1K resistor for a 100K resistor at a specific point in the circuit.

I'd like to make one side with the high gain option and one side without and I'd like to make the first side of the pedal the high gain one. However I am not sure which of the two resistors at issue (R3 and R20) I should put a 100K resistor in.

Does the right switch (marked as 2 on the pcb and which seems to control the bottom half of the components) come first in the circuit and go into the left side (marked as 1 on the pcb and which seems to control the top half of the components)? This would follow common right-to-left pedal chain order. Or is it the opposite and the left side goes into the right side (which would follow the numerical order of the pcb labels)?

I would appreciate any advice anyone can offer.

 

[Big Monk]

Right switch controls the top half and left switch the bottom half.

“High” gain is a bit of a misnomer. It should be called the “Slightly More” gain option. Just make both sides “High”. That’s what I did with mine and I run both sides with the Overdrive (soft clipping) DIP switch on.

I’d suggest raising C7 and C20 to 22 nF as well.

 

[apierz]

Thank you for the quick response, I will take a look at switch those caps as well. Do you know if the right side comes first in the circuit? I think that is how the King of Tone works (it will be a few years before my name comes up on the waitlist to test it out in person).

 

[Big Monk]

Thank you for the quick response, I will take a look at switch those caps as well. Do you know if the right side comes first in the circuit? I think that is how the King of Tone works (it will be a few years before my name comes up on the waitlist to test it out in person).

Yes. The right switch turns the top circuit on/off.

 

[Barry]

Just build it as is and swap the Gain Pots for a 250K C Taper, the @Chuck D. Bones magic mod, get the high and regular range

 

[nickquack]

Right switch controls the top half and left switch the bottom half.

“High” gain is a bit of a misnomer. It should be called the “Slightly More” gain option. Just make both sides “High”. That’s what I did with mine and I run both sides with the Overdrive (soft clipping) DIP switch on.

I’d suggest raising C7 and C20 to 22 nF as well.

what does the 22nf mod do?

 

[Big Monk]

what does the 22nf mod do?

The Paragon circuits are pretty bright. I tweaked C7 and C20 as they are the treble cut caps for the Treble/Presence trimmers.

I found myself playing with the treble/presence trimmers turned way down/off and still turning the tone control below noon even with my Les Paul.

Changing from 10 nF to 22 nF helped to darken the pedal up (in a good way) when the treble/presence trimmers are turned down.