This is a library of perfboard and single-sided PCB effect layouts for guitar and bass. I'm not an electrical engineer by any stretch of the imagination, just a DIY'er who likes drawing layouts. It is meant for the hobbyist (so commercial use of any of these layout is not allowed without permission) and as a way to give back to the online DIY community.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Devil's Triangle Drone

Here's a synth circuit from Paul in the Lab (schematic and sound samples can be found over there). I've laid it out for board mounted pots with the board vertically in the enclosure. See the drilling template in the library for a visual. Here's what Paul had to say about it:

This is a project based largely on the put up or shut up mentality, for quite some time I've been getting annoyed at seeing youtube videos of people pissing about with these "synths" which are basically boxes of 555 timers with a million knobs that make stupid noises that you couldn't ever actually use in music so I thought I would make my own little synth that would get repeatable sounds and be useful in music and what better type of synth? a droner type - basically cause I love bagpipes - I like drones.

Anyway the circuit itself is quite a simple one basically because I only designed it during the week, all it is really is 3 triangle wave generators configured to operate in the audio range going into a mixer op-amp configuration with the odd filter here and there to soften the waveforms
I've used LM358 op-amps cause they are the cheapest, I'm not too sure if others would work in the same way though they probably will.

Why call it the devils triangle - well it has 3 oscillators one of which can oscillate a slightly high pitch range (for melody) it also sounds demonic so the name fit.


If you want to implement on/off switches for each oscillator, replace these jumpers with on/off switches.



33 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. It's the 358. Not sure how I messed that up. Thanks for catching that.

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  2. Really digging these synth layouts on the site, I wanted to build this for while. Cheers!

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  3. As only leave with 1 general volume?

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  4. Not working !:( I used Texas Instruments LM358P

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  5. Hi! Great layouts!!
    Verified!
    I've made some changes:
    - According to the schematic, i changed the 220K that goes from "IC3 pin 6" to "Pinch C 3" with a 100K
    - From "Pinch C 1 " Add a 100K in series with a 47n to ground.
    This will just shift the third osc range up, leave as it is and you will have 3 equal oscillators!
    I've also made some variations in the mixing stage to completely mute a single oscillator with the "Level" all the way down.

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  6. Hello! Thanks for sharing your designs...I'm currenttly working on this building. I have a question for you. Do you know if it is possible to add a CV input to this circuit, to run it with a sequencer or something like that?? Thanks!

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    1. Hey ALG! You could be interested in what was the continuation from Paulinthelab of this project, the Devil Triangle Sequencer:

      https://web.archive.org/web/20150928141310/http://www.paulinthelab.com/2013/09/devils-drone-sequencer-veroboard.html

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  8. I'm too working on this synth, I'm waiting for my Schottky diode. Could someone explain me precisely what is its use?

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  9. My attempt failed, two of the three voices are at super-low volume. What could it be?

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  10. i have some problem with switches and with volume did someone else verify this synth?

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  11. i did it with switches instead of volume pots for each chanel. the question is, i guess i have to place a jumper between what it would be leg 3 and 2 of the level pot? or a resistor??

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    Replies
    1. Lug 3 of each level pot isn't connected, so the jumpers would need to go from lugs 1 to 2.

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  12. cant find transfer image
    can anyone help?

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  13. Ha thanks
    pretty obvious
    Love the builds on here
    thanks for all your work

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  14. Hey, I got this sucker working, although I think the pot positions on the drilling template need to be reversed to match how you have them to he soldered. What's down should be up and what's up should be down... or am I way out to lunch?

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    Replies
    1. You're right. No idea what i was thinking. lol Fixed now

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  15. Hi!
    Built this project - first two oscillators works great but third don't work - it producing only very loud noise. Can anybody help me to solve this problem?
    And volume pots doesn't mute the signal in full range of pot - only little less loud.

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  16. How to put leds on each oscilator?

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  17. I found a mistake in the layout. The switch for the 3th oscilator is placed badly. In this position it also disconects the 100k resistor from the pin 2 on the output IC.
    Also if you want to use volume pots then I recommend to use 1Mohms - lug 1 to gnd, lug2 from 100k and lug3 to the output IC.

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  18. Replies
    1. Thanks! So for bypassing individual volume knob I can jump the two active pot pins and the main volume has to be in between out on pcb and the actual jack socket?

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    2. Nope I’m confused ahah where should I put main volume pot?

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    3. Not working. Components seem fine to multimeter testing, jumpers to lugs 1 and 2 of level pots and no general volume pot and switches in right places

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  19. Hey guys, I have experience with building guitar effects but I'm a newbie when it comes to building synths. My question is, what are the recommended values for the pitch potentiometers? Thanks!

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  20. Anyone knows How to wire the jumpers and a led for each oscilator on a dpdt switch?

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