Timbre Man - Slightly modded Vemuram TSV-808

[HamishR]

I don't often post my PedalPCB builds because while they work and sound great they're not much to look at. Just another PCB in a coloured Tayda box... No graphics, nothing special.

But recently I built a Danae OD and was quite impressed to say the least. But being the minimalist that I am, and generally disliking switches and extra options I will never use I wanted to simplify it a bit and zero it in on what are the sweet spots for me. And for whatever reason my modded versions often seem to take on a life of their own and I just like 'em better. This one is not hugely different from the original but I definitely prefer it for what I do - you might not, and that is the whole point of DIY!

I call it the Timbre Man as a sort of warped combination of Vemuram and Timmy (which is most definitely based on). This might be the best OD I have ever heard, particularly with a Gretsch. Vemuram made some clever mods which really surprised me after the Jan Ray debacle.

The controls are Gain, Volume, Bass and Treble. When building like this I always have Gain top right, Volume top left, Bass lower left and Treble lower right. That way I never get mixed up with my (many!!) 4-knob ODs.

 

[Synchrony Pedalworks]

That is the cleanest stripboard….ever! Mine always looks like spaghetti. Wonderful job!

 

[HamishR]

Ha! Thank you! I do a lot of it.

 

[szukalski]

My second the clean vero. I need another fifty vero builds before I can approach that.

Have you got a diagram to share? I’d love to try it once I’m back from holiday.

 

[Crash102]

Wow. That board is clean.

 

[HamishR]

My second the clean vero. I need another fifty vero builds before I can approach that.

Have you got a diagram to share? I’d love to try it once I’m back from holiday.

Flattery will get you anywhere! This is a slightly more recent layout than the one I used in the pics above but I have built it and it works.

 

[szukalski]

Thanks a lot! Just noticed the LED 3PDT. That’s a great trick for simplifying vero builds.

 

[HamishR]

BTW - before anyone tells me the 22pF cap is in the wrong place I know! I noticed and put it in the correct place (Between the 22nF cap and the 1K resistor going to pin 3) but found I actually prefer it where it is. I haven't tried without it so it may have no effect at all in its current position.

 

[MichaelW]

I just finally took a look at the released schematic which wasn't available when I built mine on the PPCB board and see what the toggles do, as suspected, they just take it or out the 2 sets of 4148's. I think the "Saturation" knob is probably the most useful control on the Danae. You can really mimic an 808's "mid hump".

 

[phi1]

Agreed on the neatness of the vero build (as usual).

Do you cut the pot wire to precise lengths? If so, what is your process for determining the lengths? When I build vero I usually just guess at the lengths based on roughly where I’m gonna put the pots, always adding a little safety length. But I think that leads to a more sloppy wiring look.

 

[HamishR]

Agreed on the neatness of the vero build (as usual).

Do you cut the pot wire to precise lengths? If so, what is your process for determining the lengths? When I build vero I usually just guess at the lengths based on roughly where I’m gonna put the pots, always adding a little safety length. But I think that leads to a more sloppy wiring look.

Yeah I cut the wires to length and it's not very scientific! I attach to wire to the board, then wrap it underneath, place the board more or less where it will go and pull the wire to where it will go. Leave 5mm or so to strip and be soldered. Once all the wires are connected to the board I solder the board to the pots starting with Gain and Volume. Those wires can be very short. I leave enough slack in the tone controls wires that I can lift the board at the bottom to solder them to the pots.

This is not some laboured job. I figure you have to cut the wire somewhere so why not cut it where it joins using as little wire as I can? The process doesn't take any longer than having lots of longer wires and working out where they all go! Actually it makes installing the board very fast. I also try to avoid having wires crossing over pots. I like to push them down around the pots so that the board can sit flat. It sounds time-consuming and fussy but it really isn't!

You can see from the layout that the wiring is already close to where it needs to go. If I remember I'll take some pics next time I'm wiring up a box.

 

[HamishR]

I just finally took a look at the released schematic which wasn't available when I built mine on the PPCB board and see what the toggles do, as suspected, they just take it or out the 2 sets of 4148's. I think the "Saturation" knob is probably the most useful control on the Danae. You can really mimic an 808's "mid hump".

The Sat knob is really interesting. You're absolutely right about it. But there are some settings that I don't think I'd ever use. IMO it sounds pretty awful on full - it may be that through BF style amps it doesn't, but through my amps the useful range is relatively limited and the area where it sounds fantastic is small. So I have zeroed in on that area and replaced R2, R4 and the Sat knob with a 3.9K resistor. For me, that it the perfect blend of thickness and openness. It might not be for you! I started on 2K7 which was really nice and open, then went to 3K and finally ended up with 3K9 because it's still open enough but the single notes are fantastically thick and warm.

I also swapped C4 for a 220nF cap - for two reasons. One was it adds a tiny amount of bass, and the other was that I can't get a nice red Wima cap in 150nF! Actually the same goes for C1. I didn't have a 27nF cap when I built my first Timbre Man so subbed a 22 and found it makes little difference. I always have 22nF Wimas on hand.

I don't need the clipping switches - I worked out what they would be doing too so just left them out. The simplification may not work for everyone but I really don't need so many options. Four knobs on an OD is perfect for me!

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Beautiful build, as always!

I took a stab at a mod to James' mod.

 

[HamishR]

After discussing this circuit with Chuck I (we!) have simplified it even more. I can't state strongly enough how clever he is - I could never work these simplifications out, not in a million years. Yet Chuck can look at what I or someone else has done and see that half of the components really don't need to be there. Now this pedal doesn't sound exactly like a TSV808 but that's not important to me. It keeps everything I liked about the TSV808 and gets rid of everything else. As an obsessive minimalist this really appeals to me. 🤪

So here is my revised layout for my version. I have drawn up a Vero layout for Chuck's and will be building it soon. Actually as I look at this again I realised that I have left the 22pF cap out of the last couple I have built. I haven't noticed any difference!

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

That 22pF is so small that it's not going have an audible effect. It's only there to filter out RFI. I think 100pF - 220pF is a more appropriate value.