This Week on the Breadboard: The Tube Bender Deluxe

[temol]

Sorry for the crappy playing but I just wanted to show the range of gain and tone adjustments. And of course Turbo.
I gradually increased the gain from min to max, which is audible.
#1. Turbo off, TRE noon, LOW noon.
#2. Turbo off, TRE max, LOW noon.
#3. Turbo off, TRE max, LOW max.
#4. Turbo ON, TRE noon, LOW noon.
#5. Turbo ON, TRE max, LOW noon.
#6. Turbo ON, TRE max, LOW max.

Signal chain - guitar (with SD SH4) -> breadboard -> audio interface -> DAW. 4x12 V30 Mesa Boogie IR.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

 

[szukalski]

Sorry for the crappy playing but I just wanted to show the range of gain and tone adjustments. And of course Turbo.
I gradually increased the gain from min to max, which is audible.
#1. Turbo off, TRE noon, LOW noon.
#2. Turbo off, TRE max, LOW noon.
#3. Turbo off, TRE max, LOW max.
#4. Turbo ON, TRE noon, LOW noon.
#5. Turbo ON, TRE max, LOW noon.
#6. Turbo ON, TRE max, LOW max.

Signal chain - guitar (with SD SH4) -> breadboard -> audio interface -> DAW. 4x12 V30 Mesa Boogie IR.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Do you have a link where I don't need to sign up with Dropbox?

 

[temol]

Do you have a link where I don't need to sign up with Dropbox?

You can try now, I've just replaced the link.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

[zgrav]

thanks for sharing the sound samples. I think letting the notes ring for a bit was a great way to compare the sustain and decay.

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Thanks Tomasz!

Finished the Vero last night. Now I just have to box it up.

 

[szukalski]

I took a first pass at a layout.

 

[steviejr92]

Im almost done with mine I love your layout!

 

[szukalski]

Im almost done with mine I love your layout!

I'll verify first, then release it out into the wild for anyone who wants one.

 

[cdwillis]

Sorry for the crappy playing but I just wanted to show the range of gain and tone adjustments. And of course Turbo.
I gradually increased the gain from min to max, which is audible.
#1. Turbo off, TRE noon, LOW noon.
#2. Turbo off, TRE max, LOW noon.
#3. Turbo off, TRE max, LOW max.
#4. Turbo ON, TRE noon, LOW noon.
#5. Turbo ON, TRE max, LOW noon.
#6. Turbo ON, TRE max, LOW max.

Signal chain - guitar (with SD SH4) -> breadboard -> audio interface -> DAW. 4x12 V30 Mesa Boogie IR.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

That sounds so much better than the demos of the tube bender I watched. I'm a humbucker guy and the tube bender sounded like it would be a one trick sort of pony to me.

 

[zgrav]

Sorry for the crappy playing but I just wanted to show the range of gain and tone adjustments. And of course Turbo.
I gradually increased the gain from min to max, which is audible.
#1. Turbo off, TRE noon, LOW noon.
#2. Turbo off, TRE max, LOW noon.
#3. Turbo off, TRE max, LOW max.
#4. Turbo ON, TRE noon, LOW noon.
#5. Turbo ON, TRE max, LOW noon.
#6. Turbo ON, TRE max, LOW max.

Signal chain - guitar (with SD SH4) -> breadboard -> audio interface -> DAW. 4x12 V30 Mesa Boogie IR.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Besides the nice range of sustain on the notes in your demo, what do you think about the pedal? Did the pedal feel responsive to playing dynamics? Can you compare it to a regular tube bender?

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

With the TURBO switch off, the TB Deluxe has the same dynamics as the stock Tube Bender. Close to the same gain and headroom as the stock TB.

What's different is:
1. You can kick up the gain with the TURBO switch for more harmonics, compression and sustain.
2. The BASS control lets you adjust the bass response to accommodate Humbuckers or single coil pickups.
3. The TREBLE control has a different range than the TB TONE control and there is no mid scoop.
4. Higher output capability for overdriving the next device in the chain.

 

[KR Sound]

I definitely have to build this. I really like the TB from here, and this sounds like a great upgrade.

 

[temol]

Besides the nice range of sustain on the notes in your demo, what do you think about the pedal? Did the pedal feel responsive to playing dynamics? Can you compare it to a regular tube bender?

At the moment I can't say much.. I played on breadboard, then I made a prototype on pcb and now it's waiting in line for the enclosure.

 

[zgrav]

I took a first pass at a layout.

View attachment 53895

Did this get built and tested yet? (lots of competing projects for sure....)

 

[szukalski]

Did this get built and tested yet? (lots of competing projects for sure....)

I have the prototype PCB, but it came the day before I left for summer holidays so it'll be another couple of weeks before I can get into it.

 

[zgrav]

Cheers to a great summer holiday!

 

[zgrav]

@szukalski -- Any progress testing the PCB for this? I would like to order one of the boards.

Also, I built this on vero and all the controls are working and all part values verified. But the output level is lower than I expected and I don't get much distortion unless I run a high level signal into it. The voltage levels at all transistors also looked OK. I plan to try a couple of other j201s in the board to see if that is an issue.

 

[szukalski]

I have the board in hand, but it's one of many in the testing backlog and my time is pretty tight for the next few weeks (if not months). I wanted to verify the Celestial Overdrive first but I could always bump this one up. Probably a week or two still until I get to it.

@szukalski -- Any progress testing the PCB for this? I would like to order one of the boards.

Also, I built this on vero and all the controls are working and all part values verified. But the output level is lower than I expected and I don't get much distortion unless I run a high level signal into it. The voltage levels at all transistors also looked OK. I plan to try a couple of other j201s in the board to see if that is an issue.

 

[zgrav]

I have the board in hand, but it's one of many in the testing backlog and my time is pretty tight for the next few weeks (if not months). I wanted to verify the Celestial Overdrive first but I could always bump this one up. Probably a week or two still until I get to it.

Thanks. Just checking -- no rush nor need to change your plans on what order to build projects.

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Zgrav:
How close are the voltages on your board compared to posts #15 or #18?

Have you inspected all of the parts and connections? It's so easy to make a mistake on a Vero board (don't ask me how I know this).

When this is working right, it will make over 7Vp-p at the output with LEVEL dimed.