Stripboard Layouts

I've seen alot of people wanting microcontroller-free relay bypass boards. There's a few designs out there, but most of them seem overly complicated, so I designed this one. It uses two 2N3904 as a simple switch flip flop and debouncer. It's not perfect (the occasional mistrigger happens) but overall it works pretty well for such a simple design. :) I'm selling a   Relay Bypass PCB   in the shop for an improved version (with solid debouncing) with a smaller size than the vero version. Check it out. :)

Here is a small utility board - a simple buffer followed by a phase inverter. You can take the output from either stage. It can be very useful if you are adding a clean blend to a circuit that is inverting the phase.  I recommend putting this in front of your main effect, but keep in mind that not all effects will respond the same with a buffer in front.  I didn't include polarity protection, DC filtering and an output capacitor since this is meant to be used together with another effect (not stand alone). This circuit is pretty much opamp basics 1. Could possibly be improved with some filtering caps.

Here's a cool  auto wah from Robert Penfold that can sound really funky and bubbly. I have adapted it for true bypass and added a volume pot since the output was alittle bit above unity. The controls are a bit finicky, especially the frequency controls that goes from low (so low that it kills the signal) to above the hearing range. I think a log pot work better here. I used a 2M resistor insted of the 1.8M and a BC108B transistor with good results. The 10K trimpot sets the input for the envelope follower. Adjust it until it sounds good and you get a "natural" sounding release. Fredrik Lyxzén · autowaa

This is Jon Patton's adaption of the Tube Driver, but it uses a JFET insted of a tube. It also has a few extra goodies thrown in such as an 18v chargepump and a mids switch. This circuit sounds very good IMO and has excellent controls and a wide range of tones. Thanks to Jon for sharing his work!

Here is a great sounding silicon fuzz made by Davide Gironi. Original thread  here .

Here is another very nice compressor / overdrive. This one is a brand new creation from Sam Hay, the inventor of the   Cherub Chorus   that I posted a layout for earlier. Read more about it in the original thread   here . For schotty diode I used a 1N5817 in my build with good results.

  Here is an old circuit from Elektor, a dirty compressor and distortion in one.  I was surprised that this one actually sounds really nice. The compression goes from fairly clean and subtle to very compressed and dirty. The distortion isn't bad either. :) I didn't have a BF256C, so I tried both a 2N5457 and a BF245B insted with good results. Just keep in mind the pinout. 

Here is another nice PT2399-based chorus, a bit similar to the  Dimen sion P chorus  I posted earlier, but uses a single delay chip insted of two.

This is a GREAT sounding mosfet CMOS overdrive/distortion by Gez based around the mosfets in a CD4007.

Phozer 1 by  Runoffgroove , with a few small modifications. It's gives a nice modulated wah type sound. Note that this effect needs the rate indicator LED to complete the circuit. Phozer 2 -   A great sounding psuedo phaser by  Runoffgroove .

H ere is a cool circuit by Colin Raffel that reminds me of Tim Escobedo's Uglyface. It does heavy fuzz, oscillation and crazy synthy octaveish glitchy sounds. Note that the send and return needs to be connected if you are not using other pedals through the Parallel Universe's effect loop. The easiest way would be to use a switched jack for the send and connect the switched lug to the input on the return jack. Or simply just omit the send and return and have them connected in the box. But it's when using other pedals through the fx loop you get really crazy sounds... :) Fredrik Lyxzén · parallel_universe

Here is a PT2399 based chorus by Distorque. I was a bit hesitant about this one because of the PT2399, but it sounds great. Very lush and deep. :) Original thread   here .  If anyone wonders, depth lugs 1&2 are supposed to connect from two point on the board. It's not a typo :) Fredrik Lyxzén · dimension_p_chorus

Here is another filter commonly found in hifi amplifiers that I adapted it for use with 9v single supply and guitar signal . In the middle of the tone pot it is almost completely flat and to one side it boost below the center frequency and to the other side it cuts. It also works great as a treble booster or a bass booster (depending on how you set the level), both as a stand alone unit or after a low output fuzz. :) I recommend putting the level/gain pot outside the box insted of a trimmer in this one. Active Tilt EQ Etch layout PDF

Here's a nice active Baxandall qualizer that I designed. Originally I did a layout for a schematic called "Bax in a box" (google it and you'll find it) that worked ok, but it was just "semi-active". The dual op-amp was just acting as a buffer and a make-up gainstage, so this is my take on an improved truly active version. You can put after your favourite fuzz or whatever, or just in a stand alone box.

Here is a cool sounding octave fuzz by Effdub Audio. A LM386 distorts the signal and a couple of transistors in a class AB push pull configuration creates the octave up (almost identical to Tim Escobedo's Push Me Pull You, except he uses a transistor front end). It has a strong octave up and is very simple to build. :) Fredrik Lyxzén · what_the_fuzz

Here is a very cool optical filter/tremolo by Dead Astronaut . Built and verified - works perfectly. :)

DIY phaser from the ETI electronics magazine When I first built it up it was super noisy, so I modded it to reduce the voltage divider before the first phasing stage and I also reduced the makeup gain of the last transistor. Now it's totally usable, however a drawback of the mod is that there can be some minor distortion if you are using hot humbuckers. It's important to set the Bias trimmer just right. It has a small area where phasing occurs and it controls the waveshape of the sweep aswell. There are a couple of other things to notice. When I drew up the layout I mistook the Bias pot for a Depth pot.. I don't wanna add the trimmer to the board, because it would mean even more cuts, links and possible a larger board (now it fits perfectly in a 1590BB). so, you will have to put the Bias trimmer on a separate small piece of vero. The last thing is that it needs a 100K resistor from the output to ground, otherwise it will pop when switching to bypass (the original didn't...

Here is a simple but very cool sounding auto wah by Tim Escobedo with a few mods by Dead Astronaut. Unfortunatly I didn't get the down mode to work as per Dead Astronaut's mod, so I omitted it (listening to sound-examples I didn't like it much anyway) but I kept his other mods (a few value changes and a better release/intensity pot).

Here is a layout for a very cool compressor. It's a DIY offering by  HEXE Guitar Electronics  and a original design based around the TDA7052A chip. Here is a demo-video by the creator

Another great DIY offering from Björn Juhl of BJFE Electronics.  This is a simple clean booster that can boost alot.

Here's a very cool synthy sounding octave down / up invented by Slacker (the creator of The Echobase). Original thread   here . I included the Octave up addon from the schematic aswell. I had to use shitloads of cuts and links in this layout, but at least I got it into a good size. :) I did have problems getting this one to work/track properly. Only the low E and A strings tracked and I had to hit the strings hard.   Here   is what I did... Probably not the best solution lol, but for now it's good enough until I have more time to try out other things. If you want to build it 1:1 with the schematic, just omit the 47K resistor. Fredrik Lyxzén · slacktave

  A very cool sounding ring modulator by Carlin . I put a 4.7nF cap between vol lug 1 and 3 (ringmod output - ground) on my build to tame some of the treble a bit. On its own the Carlin Ringmod sounds kinda like a starved octave fuzz. To achieve the typical ringmod effect you have to connect an external tone-generator. Sadly not without the classic ringmod problem - carrier bleedthough (alot in this case). But my daughterboard takes care of that issue.  My idea was to put the tone generator in the box with a in/out switch insted of having two inputs like the original. I also wanted the signal to gate when not playing. This is what I came up with and it's working great. It's a VCO (voltage controlled oscillator) controlled by a VCA (voltage controlled amplifier), which means that the VCA is triggered by the guitar signal and turns off the VCO when not playing - no more carrier bleedthough. :) The idea came from the Penfold Fuzz Unit circuit thanks to Moosapotamus   vi...

The "Mini-Muff" by Jack Orman is basically a Big Muff with two of the gainstages removed. It doesn't sound much like a Muff, but makes a surprisingly good overdrive/distortion.

  Here's something fun that I found at diystompboxes.com (original thread   here ). It's a little circuit that converts your guitarsignal into MIDI language, so you can use your guitar with your favourite synths. :)  It's monophonic, so it's not good for chords but works ok for single notes, leads, basses ect. It requires a specific PIC chip and PIC programmer hardware (such as pickit2), software, and code (downloads at the bottom of the post) to be written onto the chip, so it's a bit harder to do then your regular stompbox. More info below. This is what you will need: The PIC16F88 chip. It's an older 8-bit chip, but still easy to find (try ebay). The code is written for the chip so other PICs with not work. The hardware required is either pickit2 or pickit3. I borrowed a pickit2 from a friend . Pickit is basically a interface that connects to your computer with USB and lets you read/write/erase programs to the PIC chip. Keep in mind though that the chip-socket...

Here's a good circuit if you want to avoid those clunky and expensive 3PDT switches and use a soft-touch momentary SPDT footswitch insted, or something else, like a push button switch. One could argue that this one isn't really suitable for vero (tons of links...) or worth the effort, but I think it's nice for those extra special builds and it's also much cheaper than using relays. It does take a bit of space, but it can fit in a 1590B (depending on the size of the effect circuit). I've used it with a few circuit and had no problems with clicking sounds.

  Another cool effect by Robert Penfold. I could not find any info on this one so I made a layout out of pure curiosity. I was expecting a ring mod, but it's actually a cool metallic sounding octave fuzz/distortion with a fairly strong octave up and a weird stutter/tremolo mode (!) depending on how the Bias pot is set. The only problem with this circuit is that it uses a LM565 chip which is obsolete and can be hard to find/expensive. I didn't discover that until the layout was finished (doh..) so I had to pay around 10€ for five chips from ebay. Note that the trimmer has a very small sweetspot for the effect to work at all.

  Here's an interesting Fuzz by RA Penfold from the book  Music Projects  (1994) Moosapotamus  has a good article on why it's a bit different from the usual fuzz.

"The Mouthmeistor" by  Tiny Dazzler Electronics , a cool fuzz/wah. Best built into an old wah enclosure.

Here's one insane fuzz/noise machine invented by Anchovie at the diystompboxes forum (original thread  here ). It uses PT2399 chip as a chaotic delay with the built in opamp in the PT2399 as a comparator fuzz. Here's a picture of my own completed build Fredrik Lyxzén · noise_emsemble

The Carlin Compressor (aka Compressor/Fuzz) is a swedish cult classic built by Nils Olov Carlin in the 70's.  Note: It's important to set the trimmer just right, there is a small sweet spot - Set the pots to maximum sustain and minimum fuzz and adjust until it's not too noisy.   Turn it up if you want more agressive compression/fuzz (at the expense of noise) I noticed after doing this layout the moody sounds offers this one as a DIY kit or seperate PCB. Check out  moodysounds.se A couple of Carlin Compressors that I built

Another Octave Down, very different from the Synthbox. Cleaner and bassier octave.  Modded by me for true bypass. The output is alittle bit below unity. Fredrik Lyxzén · octivider Original schematic Fredrik Lyxzén · octivider Schematics of similar octave circuits Fredrik Lyxzén · octivider

Here's a layout for a very nice DIY octave down by Liquids (forum member @ diystompboxes) based on Joe Davisson's Shocktave. It's a very cool "synthy" sounding octavde down that tracks fairly well. Here's a layout for the original Shocktave (not verified!)

  Here's an active DI box I built for my studio from a schematic by Elliot Sound Products .

  Here's a small little circuit that I have had lots of uses from. A couple of splitters that I made for the studio

Here's a vero layout based on my own tracing of the original Mesa Grid Slammer pedal.  Unfortunatly it's nothing more then a TS-9 clone with a different diode clipping configuration, but a good sounding overdrive non the less. The pedal disassembled Top layer traced Bottom layer traced