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jugglindan
16-06-2020, 08:38 AM
Starting this as a place to put info relating to getting started with building pedals. Initially focused on stripboard builds, but much applies to PCB builds as well.

EDIT: I have decided to edit this first post to contain all the tips. Otherwise they get lost in the conversation. Not deleting the other posts, so there is a little bit of duplication.

Where to get layouts:
Guitar FX Layouts (https://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/) is a great place to start, although there are lots of other resources as well.

Build Guides:
Guitar FX Layouts have a pretty good build guide (https://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/04/vero-build-guide.html), as well as a guide to the offboard wiring (https://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/02/offboard-wiring.html) (pots, jacks, footswitch etc).

Parts:
For parts, there are two schools of thought. I buy stuff in bulk which gets the individual component cost right down and saves on postage, but it only makes sense if you plan to build a lot of stuff. That 3000 resistor pack doesn't save money if I only use 10 of them. It also requires storage and a system to keep components and values organised.

The other approach is to order just what you need for a specific build. Put it all in a single order to save postage. Places like Pedal Parts Australia (https://www.pedalpartsaustralia.com/), DIY Guitar Pedals (http://www.diyguitarpedals.com.au/shop/index.php), or Tayda (https://www.taydaelectronics.com/) generally stock everything needed for a complete pedal.

PPA and DIYGP don't sell stripboard though. Jaycar do, and it's on eBay. Make sure you get the boards with parallel copper tracks, not the perfboard that has tinned holes but no tracks. This is the right board:
35928

Parts List:
Starting with the layout diagram, I make a spreadsheet of all the parts, marking what I have in stock or not. This process helps me get familiar with the layout, and identifies what I need to order. There seems to be a fundamental law of nature that no matter how many pots I have in stock, I will still be missing one value.

Slow and Steady Definitely Wins This Race:
Unlike PCB builds, stripboard doesn't come with a nice printed layout on the board indicating exactly where each component goes. I always check the placement of cuts multiple times, marking the cut location with a sharpie once I am confident the placing is correct. If the cuts are wrong, the build will fail.

After cutting the board, I mark the top-left corner with a sharpie for reference. It's easy to get the orientation confused otherwise.

Once the cuts are made, I test continuity across the cuts with a multimeter. Sometimes, a tiny trace of copper remains which again would lead to problems. Much easier to check the cuts before adding components. Slow and steady again.

Next I add links to the board. I measure location by counting from different directions as a cross-check. A link might start 5 across and 6 down from the top-left. Mark that hole with a sharpie. Then check it a second time, perhaps from a different direction. Going slow and triple checking the link placements helps the rest of the build go smoothly. Once you get some trusted landmarks on the board, placing the rest of the components gets much easier. Instead of counting 17 across and 9 down from the top-left, you can do things like "5 across and 1 down from the top of that link".

Final slow and steady tip: solder just one component at a time. Before soldering, double check location. After soldering, inspect the solder joins (I use an illuminated desktop magnifier for this) before clipping the leads. You want a nice shiny joint that flows nicely onto the board. This lets me catch unintended solder bridges (across adjacent tracks) early. The other common problem is too much solder causing the solder to flow along the track and cover the next hole on the same track. Again, easier to catch and fix early (although if no component needs to use the blocked hole I tend to leave these alone).

Use Sockets:
I always use sockets for ICs and transistors. The sockets are cheap and they remove the risk of heat damage to sensitive components. I have had builds that don't work correctly, and the problem turned out to be a faulty op amp. With sockets, this was a simple fix. Without sockets it would have been much more painful. For transistors, you can buy single inline (SIL) sockets that can be snapped with pliers to exactly the right number of pins. They are also handy for socketing key components such as clipping diodes if you want to experiment later.

Build Sequence:

I tend to add components from smallest to largest, with one exception being sockets for the ICs and transistors. I add those early since it can be fiddly to get them in place if there are larger components very close by. So my general build sequence is:

links
sockets (IC and transistors)
resistors
diodes
capacitors, leaving the larger polarised electrolytics to last
add ICs and transistors to the sockets
offboard wiring using the drilled enclosure as a guide to wire lengths. Wire up everything except the DC power jack since it requires soldering into the enclosure.


Final Test:
Once everything but the DC jack is wired up it's time for a sound check. I use alligator leads to clip the power leads to a 9v battery for this test. If there is a problem, you don't need to desolder the power jack to remove the circuit from the enclosure for debugging.

Keep your stripboard offcuts:

They are handy for making adapters for PCB-mounted pots, allowing them to be used off the main board:
35941

Also handy for making little boards for the power indicator LED and current limiting resistor if you don't like wiring it point to point:
35942

Next:
- essential and optional tools
- drilling templates

dozymuppet
16-06-2020, 08:43 AM
Ooh, thanks for doing this. I'm pedal-curious, but it has all looked a bit overwhelming to wrap my head around to date.

jugglindan
16-06-2020, 08:47 AM
Ooh, thanks for doing this. I'm pedal-curious, but it has all looked a bit overwhelming to wrap my head around to date.

No worries. There is a lot going on, but I think it's doable for anyone that can wield a soldering iron. Start with simple circuits and move slowly. In fact, that's another tip ...

Bakersdozen
16-06-2020, 08:49 AM
DC, do you have any secrets for sourcing cheaper enclosures?

jugglindan
16-06-2020, 08:58 AM
Slow and Steady Definitely Wins This Race:
Unlike PCB builds, stripboard doesn't come with a nice printed layout on the board indicating exactly where each component goes. I always check the placement of cuts multiple times, marking the cut location with a sharpie once I am confident the placing is correct. If the cuts are wrong, the build will fail.

After cutting the board, I mark the top-left corner with a sharpie for reference. It's easy to get the orientation confused otherwise.

Once the cuts are made, I test continuity across the cuts with a multimeter. Sometimes, a tiny trace of copper remains which again would lead to problems. Much easier to check the cuts before adding components. Slow and steady again.

Next I add links to the board. I measure location by counting from different directions as a cross-check. A link might start 5 across and 6 down from the top-left. Mark that hole with a sharpie. Then check it a second time, perhaps from a different direction. Going slow and triple checking the link placements helps the rest of the build go smoothly. Once you get some trusted landmarks on the board, placing the rest of the components gets much easier. Instead of counting 17 across and 9 down from the top-left, you can do things like "5 across and 1 down from the top of that link".

Final slow and steady tip: solder just one component at a time. Before soldering, double check location. After soldering, inspect the solder joins (I use an illuminated desktop magnifier for this) before clipping the leads. You want a nice shiny joint that flows nicely onto the board. This lets me catch unintended solder bridges (across adjacent tracks) early. The other common problem is too much solder causing the solder to flow along the track and cover the next hole on the same track. Again, easier to catch and fix early (although if no component needs to use the blocked hole I tend to leave these alone).

jugglindan
16-06-2020, 09:01 AM
DC, do you have any secrets for sourcing cheaper enclosures?

No. They are oddly hard to find on eBay or Ali Express so I buy from Pedal Parts Australia most of the time. The only secret is to get a few at once to reduce postage cost per unit. I still end up with the enclosure, pots, jacks, and switches accounting for most of the cost of a pedal, with the enclosure close to 50% of the total.

JohnH
16-06-2020, 09:06 AM
DC, do you have any secrets for sourcing cheaper enclosures?

I buy mine from Tayda electronics. When the conversion rate was better they worked out quite economically. They've gone up with the dollar being crap, but their service is still excellent, and they're still cheaper than most places.

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/

Enclosures are listed under the 'hardware' category in the list to the left hand side.

I also buy most of my components from them, so it's easy to add enclosures to the order

JohnH
16-06-2020, 09:08 AM
Also, great idea for a thread! I was so overwhelmed with info when I started - good to have it accessible and all in one place.

Bakersdozen
16-06-2020, 09:27 AM
I buy mine from Tayda electronics. When the conversion rate was better they worked out quite economically. They've gone up with the dollar being crap, but their service is still excellent, and they're still cheaper than most places.

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/

Enclosures are listed under the 'hardware' category in the list to the left hand side.

I also buy most of my components from them, so it's easy to add enclosures to the orderAre their prices in $USD ? Lots of cool stuff on their site [emoji4]

Cliff Rogers
16-06-2020, 09:27 AM
Some more sites worth a look.
http://www.runoffgroove.com/index.html
http://beavisaudio.com/
https://www.diyaudio.com/

JohnH
16-06-2020, 09:34 AM
Are their prices in $USD ? Lots of cool stuff on their site [emoji4]

Yeah, USD. I've made a few of their pedals too, which have all worked fine and their instructions are easy to follow.

DrNomis_44
16-06-2020, 09:50 AM
Great idea for a thread, before I had money to buy new components from Dick Smith Electronics, Altronics, Tandy Electronics (remember that one?), and Jaycar, I used to rat defunct TVs for components for use in building circuits, it's surprising how many useful parts you can salvage from broken TVs, and other pieces of electronic equipment, way better than letting it go into landfill.

jugglindan
16-06-2020, 10:24 AM
Great idea for a thread, before I had money to buy new components from Dick Smith Electronics, Altronics, Tandy Electronics (remember that one?), and Jaycar, I used to rat defunct TVs for components for use in building circuits, it's surprising how many useful parts you can salvage from broken TVs, and other pieces of electronic equipment, way better than letting it go into landfill.

I am about to try using a small butane torch for bulk desoldering of components. The plan is to melt a bunch of joins at once, then sharply tap the side of the board to dislodge the solder before it hardens. I don't like the tapping method on a board I need to fix because the solder can cause a bridge somewhere, but on a board that's getting stripped it might work. I hope this makes getting things like PCB mounted pots desoldered easier.

Bakersdozen
16-06-2020, 10:27 AM
I am about to try using a small butane torch for bulk desoldering of components. The plan is to melt a bunch of joins at once, then sharply tap the side of the board to dislodge the solder before it hardens. I don't like the tapping method on a board I need to fix because the solder can cause a bridge somewhere, but on a board that's getting stripped it might work. I hope this makes getting things like PCB mounted pots desoldered easier.Oh oh fire! What could possibly go wrong [emoji23]

Hey DC, what are those little white riser things you mounted the board in to keep the circuit off the metal?

jugglindan
16-06-2020, 10:30 AM
Some more sites worth a look.
http://www.runoffgroove.com/index.html
http://beavisaudio.com/
https://www.diyaudio.com/

Thanks Cliff. To that list I will add:
Jack Orman's site http://www.muzique.com/
R G Keen's site: http://www.geofex.com/
https://sound-au.com/. The articles page (https://sound-au.com/articles.htm)is particularly good.
Electrosmash (https://www.electrosmash.com/).

I learnt a lot from following the Electrosmash breakdown of the Rat circuit while building the circuit on a breadboard. This sort of thing is helpful for moving beyond the assemble-by-numbers stage of pedal building. Although, to be honest, assemble-by-numbers does work, but it can be hard to diagnose issues or make decisions on parts substitutions when the circuit is a complete mystery.

jugglindan
16-06-2020, 10:33 AM
Oh oh fire! What could possibly go wrong [emoji23]

Hey DC, what are those little white riser things you mounted the board in to keep the circuit off the metal?

That would be these (https://www.pedalpartsaustralia.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98&products_id=1987).

I don't normally use them on my own pedals, but I thought they are a good idea for something that has to go through the post. I will use a couple in the FS-808 as well. Maybe. I also have an idea involving insulation tape and a hot glue gun...

jugglindan
16-06-2020, 11:32 AM
I buy mine from Tayda electronics. When the conversion rate was better they worked out quite economically. They've gone up with the dollar being crap, but their service is still excellent, and they're still cheaper than most places.

https://www.taydaelectronics.com/

Enclosures are listed under the 'hardware' category in the list to the left hand side.

I also buy most of my components from them, so it's easy to add enclosures to the order

Tayda, I always forget about them. I just looked at their 125b enclosures. $5.49 US, which is 8AUD today. So cheaper than PPA at 11AUD for the same enclosure. So it all comes down to postage rates. Adding that in, a single 125B from Tayda will cost me $12.50, and from PPA it would be $19.

So yup, definitely cheaper. Thanks. Shame they are out of stock of plain 125B until August :( But I do need a bunch of pots, so maybe ...

JohnH
16-06-2020, 12:39 PM
Tayda, I always forget about them. I just looked at their 125b enclosures. $5.49 US, which is 8AUD today. So cheaper than PPA at 11AUD for the same enclosure. So it all comes down to postage rates. Adding that in, a single 125B from Tayda will cost me $12.50, and from PPA it would be $19.

So yup, definitely cheaper. Thanks. Shame they are out of stock of plain 125B until August :( But I do need a bunch of pots, so maybe ...

And when the exchange rate is better they are very cheap indeed! What I like most is how fast they get things to my door. My last two orders have taken a week, but usually it's 2-3 days (which is honestly insane)

jugglindan
16-06-2020, 12:43 PM
Keep your stripboard offcuts:

They are handy for making adapters for PCB-mounted pots, allowing them to be used off the main board:
35941

Also handy for making little boards for the power indicator LED and current limiting resistor if you don't like wiring it point to point:
35942

Bakersdozen
16-06-2020, 01:46 PM
I was wondering about this also. Can't you just solder to the pins on the PCB pots as per normal pots?

JohnH
16-06-2020, 01:54 PM
I was wondering about this also. Can't you just solder to the pins on the PCB pots as per normal pots?

Yup, it's just a little more fiddly

jugglindan
16-06-2020, 02:06 PM
Yup, it's just a little more fiddly

And this doesn't take up any more space than the pot anyway. Also helps when you have multiple wires to a single pot leg.

Finally, it just helps me feel good about saving all those little bits of board! Who cares if it's actually useful?

Jury is still out on the LED boards. I have used this and point to point wiring, they both work and take about the same amount of time so it's really personal preference in the end.

Cliff Rogers
16-06-2020, 02:11 PM
Some more links, I had a folder of them, couldn't find it til now.
http://stinkfoot.se/
https://www.instructables.com/id/Modify-Your-Wah-Pedal/
https://www.madbeanpedals.com/
https://guitarpcb.com/
https://www.freestompboxes.org/index.php

JohnH
16-06-2020, 02:21 PM
And this doesn't take up any more space than the pot anyway. Also helps when you have multiple wires to a single pot leg.

Finally, it just helps me feel good about saving all those little bits of board! Who cares if it's actually useful?

It gives a better mechanical join also, and if you're soldering four wires to a pot leg then having something to anchor them to is a huge benefit. I never like soldering to PCB pots

Bakersdozen
16-06-2020, 02:58 PM
Thanks for satisfying my curiosity gents. All fair calls!

jugglindan
17-06-2020, 08:07 AM
OK, I have made some vector format drilling templates in Inkscape. They let me mock up pedal designs, decals, and produce a drilling template. I can't distribute them publicly since they include the Effect Pedal Builder's Vector Pack (http://www.ontheroadeffects.com/vectorpack/) by Eric Barao, and it can't be redistributed without permission. But since I had to convert the EPS format to SVG, I wanted to save users of my templates from having to do the same thing.

If anyone would like the templates, just send me a PM with your email address so I can add you to the dropbox share.

So far I just have 125B templates for 1 knob, and 3 knob/2 switches cause that's all I have needed so far. But from those it isn't hard to make new templates by moving and copying elements.

jugglindan
22-06-2020, 11:38 AM
Updated the main post with all the tips. Should also ask the mods about getting this turned into a sticky.

jugglindan
25-06-2020, 05:33 PM
OK, just found this video which is a walkthrough of a complete TS-9 scratch build, using a layout from Guitar FX Layouts. It's not quite how I build things, but it's very close.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBPpeqpu5XY

jugglindan
25-06-2020, 05:35 PM
Also this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5FMWtwwYpA

jugglindan
25-06-2020, 05:45 PM
Great tip from the Fuzzlord video:
to solder the LED directly to the footswitch, put the LED hole 0.6" above the centre of the footswitch hole (~15mm).

I will have to do this on my next build, as getting the LED in place has always bugged me. None of the other approaches I have tried are really satisfying. Time to revise my drilling templates.

Bakersdozen
25-06-2020, 08:44 PM
Great tip from the Fuzzlord video:
to solder the LED directly to the footswitch, put the LED hole 0.6" above the centre of the footswitch hole (~15mm).

I will have to do this on my next build, as getting the LED in place has always bugged me. None of the other approaches I have tried are really satisfying. Time to revise my drilling templates.Managed to fluke that on the MXR boost, got the led bevel close to the switch and covered the legs in heat shrink. As it was a bi-colour led, straight to the switch really helped. Resistor straight on the middle lug to power and happy days. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200625/7df6f8ebd514e529955fd1b4b97e8718.jpg

DarkMark
25-06-2020, 10:03 PM
Thanks for a beginner thread. Although I’m a guitar straight into an amp kind of guy, I’ll run out of arguments to have more guitars and I’d like to put my newly purchased soldering Station to use on other projects.

Bakersdozen
26-06-2020, 10:00 PM
Another tip is to keep your resistor and capacitor leg off cuts - they make good handy links if your doing Vero/strip board layouts.

Bakersdozen
09-07-2020, 08:58 AM
Question about earthing and pcb circuits...I know there has been talk about this before regarding ground loops etc. My questions is do you need to run these points out of the pcb that go to the sleeve of each jack if you already have earth going through the enclosure? If not, i'd presume you have to either run at least one of them or run the earth of the dc jack to the enclosure or one of the sleeves ??
36424

jugglindan
09-07-2020, 12:20 PM
If you want to reduce wiring, then you just need a single wire to ground the enclosure. On the Buffer I wired ground to just one jack. The other jack is grounded via the enclosure. The pedal works fine. Just need to make sure you have a good mechanical contact and that there isn't paint or powdercoating preventing a good ground connection.

On other builds that are full of wires anyway (3 pots, 2 switch sort of things) I just run ground wires to all jacks in a line (input, DC, output, footswitch (and LED), board. Not grounding one jack only saves me one short wire from the DC jack to the jack right next to it.

Bakersdozen
09-07-2020, 02:40 PM
So on a PCB like this, you could safely ignore those earth's coming from the PCB to the sleeves each Jack? Pending earth is covered elsewhere from the DC Jack to ground and board.

jugglindan
09-07-2020, 02:46 PM
So on a PCB like this, you could safely ignore those earth's coming from the PCB to the sleeves each Jack? Pending earth is covered elsewhere from the DC Jack to ground and board.

So long as all ground points are connected at least once then you should be OK. Running a ground to a 6.5mm jack is the easiest way to ground the enclosure. As you know, the DC jacks and switches are insulated from the enclosure.

Bakersdozen
09-07-2020, 03:03 PM
So long as all ground points are connected at least once then you should be OK. Running a ground to a 6.5mm jack is the easiest way to ground the enclosure. As you know, the DC jacks and switches are insulated from the enclosure.So if the board has a dedicated earth point elsewhere, you can ignore those earth points to each Jack (like in the picture I linked earlier)? Sorry for being pedantic, just trying to be clear in my head.

jugglindan
09-07-2020, 03:30 PM
I would think you could ignore the ground wires to both the input and output jacks only if the enclosure is getting grounded some other way. But unless the board has a direct connection to the enclosure, such as a metal mount that connects to a ground pad on the PCB, you will need at least one ground wire to the enclosure. Otherwise the jacks won't have a complete circuit. I find the easiest way to ground the enclosure is via one of the jacks, since they typically have metal threads that are connected to the ground terminal.

If you send me a link I can have a look at the build instructions.

Another way to check is with a multimeter set to continuity test. Wire up the bare minimum wires you think you need, then make sure you have a connection between every point that needs to be grounded and the ground terminal on the DC jack. The main points are typically the input and output jacks, the ground terminals on the footswitch, and the ground terminal on the PCB. You need to fit the jacks into the enclosure to complete the circuit if you are not running ground wires to all of them. The pot casing will typically get grounded via the enclosure which might help with noise but is not usually required in the same way as wiring a guitar.

Bakersdozen
09-07-2020, 04:07 PM
Perfect thanks DC. I'm good with checking earth and continuity etc. Appreciate the logic check.

It was more the relevance of those extra earthing points on the PCB as I'm contemplating a few next projects which are bubbling away in my brain. And I'm yet to complete a PCB project, so was unclear on this and their function/necessity.

I guess if you planned to build it in something not conductive, it would be a good way to earth everything neatly.

jugglindan
09-07-2020, 05:27 PM
Running a ground wire to every jack is partly insurance against intermittent or poor connections through the enclosure. It would keep support issues down. It's also a good idea on a PCB since you can't be sure that everyone will use a metal enclosure.

Simon Barden
09-07-2020, 10:32 PM
But a non-metallic enclosure is a pretty good way of letting a lot of potential noise in. And out. Maybe less of an issue on a circuit with unity gain, but anything with a drive/boost function is asking for trouble.

Also, plastic enclosures simply aren't as robust as metal for foot pedals (unless they are very thick). If it's not designed for floor use, then that's less of an issue, but if you are stepping on it regularly, then I'd suggest that you really want a metal enclosure.

jugglindan
10-07-2020, 05:07 AM
I agree with all of that, and wouldn't use plastic enclosures myself. Was just trying to list reasons why PCB/kit vendors put a separate ground lead for every component. Plus you only really save 1 wire anyway.

Simon Barden
10-07-2020, 05:25 AM
Indeed. And one obviously has the choice of whether to run ground wires out to both jacks or not depending on the type of jack sockets used. Some people may use the plastic-bodied jack sockets, which are often used on pedals (especially with stereo or switched outputs where the increased switching functionality offered by them is utilised). In this instance, you'd certainly need to run ground wires to both jacks.

But I've had bought pedals where a ground lead was used to only one jack, the connection jacks became loose and/or the paint hadn't been cleared off the jack areas, and so performance became intermittent. I've sometimes run a ground wire myself between the two sockets to cure that.