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.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Mid-Fi Electronics Pitch Pirate

Here's the Pitch Pirate with board mounted pots. Like the Deluxe version, the LFO is designed to be grounded when the effect is turned on (hence the pad at the top of the board). Just use the true-bypass wiring diagram in the General Layout Notes and leave out the LED wiring. Then just connect the corresponding pads on the board to the lugs of the switch. The on/off indicator LED (pads at the top of the board) is connected to the LFO ground so that will turn on and off (and show the rate) with the LFO. It'll fit just fine in a 125B with top mounted jacks, but will also fit in a 1590B if you wire the pots off board (or maybe with long leg pots mounted to the component side? YMMV).


37 comments:

  1. Kinda quiet around here... weird.

    Thanks for the interesting selection of layouts as of late. I may try this one just to do something unconventional! Man does not live by fuzz alone...

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  2. Thanks for this. But something wrong with the transfer image, something like the pdf file is corrupted. Anyone experience this?

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  3. Replies
    1. It could blow your house and kill children. Please, dont socket to try it.

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  4. I build this one, but it have some overdrive on out... Will experiment :) But someone know the answer? ;)

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  5. i am a true beginer with electronic things but I suggest to try with other tl072 and/or lm386

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  6. Built this one tonight. Just like the Deluxe version, it's very picky about chips and vactrols. I ended up with a 5mm super bright red LED and one of those Tayda Waitrony LDRs for the vactrol. I must have tried over a dozen different combinations. Sounds just like the video, thanks so much for the layout. I have also built your version of the Deluxe, it's one of my most-used pedals.

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    Replies
    1. Awesome! Thanks for verifying and the build report.

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    2. Hey nice to hear someone messed around with it more than I did. I've built the deluxe version but it never worked and I'm awfull at debugging (for now). Any chance you also encounterd wet only signal and ugly glitches instead of nice modulation due to bad chips or bad chip combinations? That's all I get with mine, controls do respond but nothing sounds as it should.
      -Again this is about the deluxe version

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  7. I found a VTL5C2 in my parts stash, so I popped it into this circuit. IMO, it's even better than the 5mm red LED & LDR combo I had in there previously.

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  8. Hi friend, I would like to know what is "FSw4" and "FSw5" that is in the schematic? And why are there holes "LED +" and "LED-"? What should I connect to them?

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    Replies
    1. The LED+ and - pads are for the on/off indicator LED. FSw4 and 5 are the lugs of the 3PDT footswitch you need to connect the board to. Check out the General Layout Notes tab for a diagram of the switch numbering.

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  9. How about, I pass by the post, I want to build this incredible pedal but I'm not clear about the ldr I have 2 options 2m and 10m ldr which is better? sorry my english is so bad :c

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  10. I would think the 2M would be better, but use some sockets and try them both.

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  11. Hi! Good Day!.. The Circuit is working properly all knobs are good. BUT..i got 2 problems..
    1. the volume is above unity gain.. how can I modify this?
    2. Popping sound is loud? I've tried several solutions, none of them are working.
    TIA!

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    1. You can add a volume control pretty easily to the output, either with an pot or a trimmer (Out pad to lug 3, lug 2 is the new Out, and lug 1 to ground). Adding that may alleviate the pop, but if it doesn't, try adding a pull down resistor (100k-1M) from the output to ground.

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    2. Thanks for the reply!I have put a pot and then measure the resistance at unity gain. then put a fixed resistor. Works.
      Problem is.. after putting a 1M resistor i still have that popping sound when engaged. but now less audidle. what can i add again to totally eliminate the popping sound? :)

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    3. You can try upping the value of the 1M or try putting another pulldown resistor from output to ground (I'd start with 100k and work up from there).

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    4. I built this pedal and it really pops it up, the solution and put a buffer in the output and the pop is over, use that buffer below.
      http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/axiswah.php

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  12. I built this pedal and it really pops it up, the solution and put a buffer in the output and the pop is over, use that buffer below.
    http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/axiswah.php

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  13. Hi guys!. Build this device, and i have a few questions
    1. It works, but i have a loan of noise in the signal. Is there any way to lower it, or it's a feature of this pedal?
    2. Is there a way to beat generator clicks?

    Thank you!

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  14. Adding a pulldown resistor had no effect(

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  15. I built this and I am only getting a clean or slightly boosted signal. Anyone else have this issue?

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  16. Ok, I built this one and I'm having the following issues: it modulates but that modulated signal also has some short delay. Passing '9 with the blend knob it turns pretty annoying and if you max out the blend it's impossible to play anything on tempo cause you're hearing everything some miliseconds later. Anyone else had this problem? It's also clipping a little in the input but I guess I can just swap the input resistor for a higher value, and the modulation doesn't sound quite as in the video. It creates some crazy modulation but even if I max everything out it doesn't get to make that deep pitch shifting effect, that may be because of the LED+LDR combination? I'm using a high bright red LED and the LDR is 1M. Thanks in advance!

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  17. What about led position? This red led in pcb

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  18. Am I right in assuming that if I have a 3pdt footswitch pcb board that is mounted I'd be able to insert the wire in to the 7th and 8th connection above the top of the board?

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  19. Im using dpdt toggle switch. I dont have 3pdt what sud i do with fsw7 and fsw8



    Sud i just leave them? What are their function. I looked at general layouts but it doesnt say much just only say about how to connect to 3pdt.


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  20. when the effect is on, there is a general volume drop.
    what can it be?

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  21. Im not getting any signal not even clean

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  22. Hi, I'm new in building pedals, I saw General Layout Notes, but I still can't understand please tell me why fsw4 and fsw5, fsw7 and fsw8 in the same place in the two pictures?

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