Julius Squeezer

[jugglindan]

Testing sans enclosure (cause I haven't drilled one yet):


The looper is so I had both hands free to adjust the JFET bias trimpot, turn the circuit on and off, and adjust the level to unity. I have read of this pedal being subtle, but this is so subtle I can't tell if it's doing anything at all. I am used to the compression built in to my THR (which I turned off for this test), so hopefully I know a little of what to listen for. Hear it I can't. Just a level boost as I adjust the level pot. The JFETs are doing something, cause the signal cuts out when I adjust the bias trimpot to one end of the range, but after 1/3 the signal returns and pretty much stays the same over the rest of the range. None of the distortion that others report at the other end of the bias adjustment.

Fortunately I socketed the 2N5457 JFETS so I can experiment with different ones. Some claim that J201s give more compression. I will try a few things that I have lying around to see what happens.

On the up side, it is quiet.

[jugglindan]

OK, this thread on DIY Stompboxes might help. Will try some of the tips later.

Edit: this blog has even more biasing tips. And a beautiful polished metal enclosure.

[jugglindan]

Enclosure drilled. Some holes slightly wonky but should be OK. Unlike the Barber there is lots of room here (1 pot vs 3 pots and 2 switches).

[jugglindan]

After a bit more reading, I learnt that the voltage on the gate of Q2 (source of Q1) should be somewhere in the 1.3 to 1.5 volt range, and that as you go above that you lose compression and the circuit becomes a boost only. When I measured the voltage I had dialed in last night, it was over 3v. I carefully hooked my multimeter to the gate (lead 3) of Q2 as it was the most accessible and started exploring the voltage range between 1.0 and 1.5v. Below ~1.2 the signal started cutting out, and between 1.2 and 1.3v I still had some crackling. At just over 1.3 v it sounded clean and subtly compressed so I stopped there.

[jugglindan]

I decided the Alice Cooper theme was too hard for my current level of motivation so decided to go with something much less original, and, more importantly, easier: the "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy". What I didn't count on was the cold front that moved in turning the clear coat into a patchy matt finish with large cloudy sections.


To get a decent finish I probably need to strip back to metal and start again, either when the weather warms up again or by turning on the heating in the shed.

For now I am just turning on the heating and will put one more clear over the front since it doesn't have any cloudiness and I might get a good enough improvement on the current mess. That will probably be good enough for a few years based on how long I lived with the first version of my OD-2 enclosure.

[McCreed]

I have read of this pedal being subtle, but this is so subtle I can't tell if it's doing anything at all. I am used to the compression built in to my THR (which I turned off for this test), so hopefully I know a little of what to listen for.

Subtle is key to a good compressor IMO.
I've had the same comp pedal on my board for the past 8 years. It's a Mooer Yellow Comp. A clone of the Diamond Compressor (hence the yellow). The Yellow Comp is perfect for me. It just adds a little lift to the tone that you almost don't hear, until you turn it off!
Then it's like WOW! It really is doing something!

Before the Mooer, I tried two different MXR comps that are supposed to be the shizzle, and I disliked both. They were either too squishy or sounded great with dirt and crap clean, or great clean and crap with dirt. No way could I set and forget and impossible if switching back & forth clean/dirty.

I bought the Mooer for half the price of the MXR's and haven't looked for another compressor since.

I also found a demo of another Orange Squeezer Clone by the same dude in Greece that built my SOB Dual OD.
It is also subtle, sounds great to me. Has the just the right amount of "secret sauce".
If you check out his other videos, there's one there of the SOB too. Since you're an OD junkie, you should like it!

Adam A - Orange Squeezer

Ok, here's the SOB too!

[jugglindan]

Subtle is key to a good compressor IMO.
I've had the same comp pedal on my board for the past 8 years. It's a Mooer Yellow Comp. A clone of the Diamond Compressor (hence the yellow). The Yellow Comp is perfect for me. It just adds a little lift to the tone that you almost don't hear, until you turn it off!
Then it's like WOW! It really is doing something!

Before the Mooer, I tried two different MXR comps that are supposed to be the shizzle, and I disliked both. They were either too squishy or sounded great with dirt and crap clean, or great clean and crap with dirt. No way could I set and forget and impossible if switching back & forth clean/dirty.

I bought the Mooer for half the price of the MXR's and haven't looked for another compressor since.

I also found a demo of another Orange Squeezer Clone by the same dude in Greece that built my SOB Dual OD.
It is also subtle, sounds great to me. Has the just the right amount of "secret sauce".
If you check out his other videos, there's one there of the SOB too. Since you're an OD junkie, you should like it!

Adam A - Orange Squeezer

Ok, here's the SOB too!

I have heard that Mooer make some of the better clones. I don't have any Mooer pedals but I do have Nux (tuner), Joyo (sweet honey clone), Caline (Timmy clone), and Ammoon (EHX 360 looper clone). They are all good pedals (but the Joyo might not make it back onto my board, evicted by a recent build).

Also thanks for the links. As a great side bonus, the comments contain a note from the builder of the trimmer voltage he uses. This is the value I have been struggling with, and his setting is something else to try

I need to rebuild my pedal board STAT!

[Andy40]

Cool artwork, did you hand draw it?

[jugglindan]

Cool artwork, did you hand draw it?

Sadly, no. I found it on a free vector art site. Font from 1001 Fonts (also free) for personal use.

[jugglindan]

I mostly salvaged the finish with a very light sand (careful of the decals) and a respray of clear after warming up the shed. The chalky matte finish has completely disappeared (before|after):


Makes me think the chalkiness must have been all in the surface and that the new layer has flowed into all the pores. Or something. Regardless, I should be able to box this box of juicy goodness up tomorrow night and finish rebuilding the pedal board.