Crackle Box layout!

choklitlove

hopefully this is okay this time. here it is:

http://geocities.com/worthekik/crackle.html
Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

http://geocities.com/worthekik/crackle.html

let me know if you see any problems. thanks!

goodrevdoc · Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 7:27 pm Post subject:

Wow awesome! and i just got some of those 14 pin beauties in. Thanks a lot, choklit!

choklitlove · Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:19 pm Post subject:

midgetfidget · Joined: Aug 22, 2006 Posts: 84 Location: melbourne, aus

how come you added an extra diode? what sort is it?

fonik · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:07 am Post subject:

i wonder what this IC1 could be. the 709 general purpose opa? i could get them in TO!

mosc · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 8:51 am Post subject:

midgetfidget · Joined: Aug 22, 2006 Posts: 84 Location: melbourne, aus

thanks,

another question:

what about the values of q1-4?

I know there are 2 x bc547 and 2 x bc557, which goes where?

goodrevdoc · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:40 pm Post subject:

I got them from halted electronics. They have good prices on a lot of weird stuff. 308 chips for rat distortions are ridiculously cheap, for instance. their stock list also says they have CA3080's for $0.79, but i called and they said they were out of stock..
-justin

choklitlove · Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 7:36 pm Post subject:

midgetfidget · Joined: Aug 22, 2006 Posts: 84 Location: melbourne, aus

cheers!

midgetfidget · Joined: Aug 22, 2006 Posts: 84 Location: melbourne, aus

I built it today using your design, but i can't get it to work

i have double checked everything. The led won't even turn on.

the chip is getting power at the input pin.

the only thing i can think of is i've used a small 8ohm 5watt speaker, is this too big? maybe the amp can't power it?

choklitlove · Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 5:18 pm Post subject:

that's weird that the led won't even turn on. led in the right direction? i would make sure the battery is okay, and all of the obvious stuff around getting the power to R2. you might need a different value for r2 like 4.7k or something.

i'm sure you've looked at everything, but at least the LED should work.

choklitlove · Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 6:07 pm Post subject:

also, you might want to try it without D2, replacing it with a jumper. if something weird is happening with it, it might stop the ground from happening at the battery. just a thought.

midgetfidget · Joined: Aug 22, 2006 Posts: 84 Location: melbourne, aus

Thanks for the tips.

I've tried everything you've mentioned except checking the led. I mounted it off the board so there's a chance i mucked it up. I'll check tonight when i et home.

midgetfidget · Joined: Aug 22, 2006 Posts: 84 Location: melbourne, aus

Got it working (not telling what the problem was as it may incriminate me Smile

)

Finished it last night. This thing is awesome, like merzbow meeting van halen.

A couple of questions, the pot doesn't seem to change the volume at all until you almost hit the stopper, and then it's on full any suggestions?

And when turned on and none of the pads are touched it just squeals by itself, is this normal?

some pics

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choklitlove · Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:25 pm Post subject:

awesome! sorry, i can't tell you what it's supposed to sound like. the squealing may be an error in my layout, i don't know. i added the volume pot without testing at all, so maybe this circuit just doesn't work like that (acts strange w/ outputs instead of speaker, maybe the pot's behavior is linked). i'm just not sure.

however, if you think it works well enough to verify the layout, i can go ahead and do that. then, maybe down the road, we can work out the little bugs that you spoke of. also, if you don't mind, i'd like to post a picture of your's on the layout's page. it would have a link to you somehow, if you don't mind. just let me know on both things. thanks, and it looks great!

blue hell · Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:48 pm Post subject:

midgetfidget · Joined: Aug 22, 2006 Posts: 84 Location: melbourne, aus

choklitlove · Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 9:18 pm Post subject:

just to let you know, i updated the page and your pic is on it. it really makes the page look better with a completed build on it. when i get around to building it, i'll experiment with pot values and whatnot to make this layout better. i'll let you know if i find anything out. let me know if you do as well, ok? thanks!

http://www.geocities.com/worthekik//crackle.html

midgetfidget · Joined: Aug 22, 2006 Posts: 84 Location: melbourne, aus

OK here's what i've done so far.

I fooled around with it last night, and i directly wired the speaker to the board, replaced the pot with a 10k linear pot in line with the battery as a voltage starve.

I read somewhere it sounds differnet as the battery dies so i thought i'd try this.

It stopped the constant squealing. It works pretty well for a 1/4 turn or so, but an even weaker pot would work better but I don't have any on hand. It kinda works as a volume control as well.

crashlander42 · Joined: Oct 21, 2006 Posts: 292 Location: Orlando, FL (US)

I finished my crackle box, and much to my surprise it makes sound. I was just wondering about the behavior. Pad 7 in combination with any pad makes a lot of pleasing squealing and screeching sounds, and pad one in combination with others makes sounds, but the others don't really seem to do much unless i have a finger on pad 1 or 7. Is this normal, or did I screw something up? Even if it is i still find it pleasing. I don't seem to have any constant sound out of it as was previously reported, but the volume does just turn the sound on or off.

mosc · Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:37 am Post subject:

crashlander42, your experience sounds fairly typical. Things change over time, naturally. That's part of the charm of these things.

goodrevdoc · Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 10:50 pm Post subject:

Does anyone know if these are actual 709's? The datecode seems appropriate, but i can't seem to make boxes crackle. Mad

I've built 4 different versions: breadboard, perf, choklit's layout, and my own layout. None have made even a peep. Also, i'm getting voltage on all 14 pins. Help!
Also Happy New Year everybody!!!

mosc · Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:20 am Post subject:

http://www.datasheetarchive.com/search.php?q=SW709-2P

I think these are flip flops...

goodrevdoc · Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:36 am Post subject:

Thanks mosc, that would surely explain my lack of crackle
-justin