MXR Phase 45 clone

[jugglindan]

Agreed.
It's weird, but the border actually makes the Enterprise look larger. (optical dillusion?)

I see that. I think the illusion is our brain interpreting the closest boundary in each design as the same size, which means the enterprise that is closest on the edges must be larger.

I think I would use a blue LED on this one, to echo the blue thingy on the front of the secondary hull. Trivia, I think this image that I shamelessly grabbed is from the Star Trek VI movie.

[jugglindan]

I have decided that the off-board wiring in a pedal build is a lot like sanding. Quite boring, but still needs to be done. Because of said boredom, I didn't get this completed:

[jugglindan]

Why did I try a polished metal enclosure? Oh the polishing, oh the fingerprints. The fine swirly scratches are only visible under my work lamp. In normal lighting it looks very shiny. Plus there is a limit to my patience with metal polish. Next pedal is going to be painted again

Finally got the top clean enough to put the decal on. I was a bit nervous at this point since this is my first attempt at the One Decal to Rule Them All method (previously I put each component on separately).


It worked OK. Decal is still a bit high but the glue started setting before I could move it down a bit more. Meh, it's good enough!


Edit:
I need to put some clear coat over this tomorrow, but I am worried about adhesion on the polished surface. I don't want to sand either though cause I will lose the polish. Decisions, grr.

[Andy40]

Wait, how did you do the decal? did you print it or something and how did you get it to stick? same way as putting a decal on a headstock?

[jugglindan]

Wait, how did you do the decal? did you print it or something and how did you get it to stick? same way as putting a decal on a headstock?

I bought some laser printer clear waterslide decal sheets from Dr Decal and Mr Hyde, designed the decal in Inkscape, then printed it. For the application, I wet the surface, soak the decal then use cotton swabs (q-tips to some) to carefully move the decal into place. Then some dry cotton swabs to roll the bubbles out to the edges. I have to be careful during this stage as dragging the swab instead of rolling can dislodge the toner from the decal sheet.

Midday tomorrow I plan to turn on the heater in the shed and put a couple of clear acrylic coats over it. I hope I don't get adhesion issues like I did on the powder coat. I still don't know if I should sand with 1200 (not on the decal) or not before the clear goes on.

[Bakersdozen]

Looks great. Bet it sounds great too. Good luck with the clear..should be okay if you start with a light mist and then build up from there. Just go easy at first.

[jugglindan]

Looks great. Bet it sounds great too. Good luck with the clear..should be okay if you start with a light mist and then build up from there. Just go easy at first.

Thanks, I will try that.

I got the rest of the wiring done tonight, and some testing:


It works, but I don't know if it sounds like it should since I have never played a real Phase 45 pedal and I have substituted the op amps and transistors. The op amps shouldn't matter but the transistors could well change the sound. After dialing in the trimpot, I get most of the phasing effect in the last 20% of the rate knob. At the highest setting it has more of a vibrato feel. Sounds good, but more vibrato than phasing. Backing the knob off full by even a tiny bit and it's back in phaser territory.

So it works well enough to box, and I can try the original spec transistors when they arrive. I could also try my other 2 matched J201s.

One minor hiccup: I got so carried away with the MDF jig to hold the jacks in place for soldering that I forgot the DC jack is threaded on the inside, so it needs to be soldered into the enclosure. I had to cut the wires and will fix when I box in a day or so.

[jugglindan]

Also, if I have the energy I could try to create a reverse log taper pot. That might give me a bit more control in the upper 20% of the range. Should be as simple as hooking a 2k resistor in parallel to the pot. That's one for tomorrow...

[Simon Barden]

I last played a Phase 45 in 1977. I now have a Phase 95, which does both the 45 and 90 thing in a mini package.

[jugglindan]

I last played a Phase 45 in 1977. I now have a Phase 95, which does both the 45 and 90 thing in a mini package.

Do they do the vibrato thing with the rate knob maxed? I bet they dont

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