FrankenWashie's TS-808

[Bakersdozen]

The I-Scream(er)..?

I(gor)-Scream(er)

[jugglindan]

Franken Screamer, Igor Speaks, Artificial Insemination, TubeWash, FS808, The Plight of Igor, My Precious, FrankenStomp, Frank Green, Green Out, GreenScream, LimeInTheCoconut, SquashedFrog, FrogStomp, Driving Miss Frankie, Inanimate Green Box, BonkFrog, Devil's Lettuce

I missed the FS808 in there. I like it, or maybe the FW-808. Subtle, doesn't try too hard to be witty, and references the original. I like it.

[jugglindan]

The I-Scream(er)..?

I Scream, you scream, we all scream for I-Scream.

I could also lift the agonised face from the Munch painting

[jugglindan]

Progress note: links and resistors done. Had to substitute one value but according to the schematic it shouldn't matter. Another value I recreated by soldering two smaller resistors in series. That's pretty slow going for one session, but I did complete the piezo preamp as well.

[jugglindan]

After my disappointment with the speaker in the Noisy Cricket, I went back to working on this. Got all components soldered onto the main board, and wired up the clipping switch.



Instead of clipping diodes soldered directly to the board, this switch is wired in instead. One position selects the stock 1N4148 diodes (well, the original used 1N914 but they're the same really). The other position is socketed. At the moment it's fitted with a pre-soldered 3mm red LED clipping pair but because of the socket they can be swapped out for any combination of diodes. Two diodes that are the same, soldered in opposite directions will give different flavours of symmetric clipping. Different diodes mixed together, or uneven numbers of diodes on each side give various forms of asymmetric clipping. You can even just put a single diode in, or leave them out all together. Leaving the diodes out removes the clipping completely, turning the pedal into more of a dirty boost.

On my own Tube Screamer I have a red LED paired with a 1N4001 silicon rectifier diode.

In the current setup, the 1N4148 gives the stock sound while the red LEDs have a higher forward voltage, giving a more open, less compressed sound with a bit more volume.

If you wanted to go completely crazy a rotary switch could be used with all the clipping options under the sun. Fortunately I don't have a rotary switch...

[Bakersdozen]

Great idea to socket that side. Frankie, just don't tell Igor there are sockets in your new tube screamer. He won't be able to help himself

[jugglindan]

Didn't get as far as I planned tonight. Partly because I find the offboard wiring quite boring, and partly because I am trying to make this one a bit neater than my usual rat's nest of wires. Obligatory progress photo:

[jugglindan]

Slowly getting there:


It's not as messy as it looks. This time I am actually cutting wires quite close to the suitable length. All the wires have intended routes along the sides of the box, but I have pulled them all out for access to the pots which sit under the jacks. Just one more pot to wire up and then a test before I solder the DC jack as it's the only hardware that commits the circuit to the enclosure. This time around I plan to use a dab of hot glue to hold the LED in place.

Also, the wire I bought from Jaycar is a slightly thicker gauge than the stuff from PPA, which makes for an inconsistent appearance

[Simon Barden]

Your OCD hasn't led you to sand down the insulation until they're the same size, has it?

[jugglindan]

Oddly, no. I prefer to accidentally melt through the insulation with the side of the soldering iron. That always helps make it a bit thinner.