I’ve been spending a lot of time down here working on projects lately. I’ve also got a small amp and cheap pedal setup to bang around on while the machine is running, or on the odd occasion that I feel like getting loud(er). I am still playing a lot of guitar without processing (aside from pedals) lately and I’m feel like I’m getting more confident/comfortable with it. Still don’t record anything to share though. Maybe someday. ;)
After a lot of trial and error, I managed to finish the etch. The tiny endmills needed to get all the detail just didn’t hold up so I had to bump it up after I snapped a few. In the end I don’t think it hurt the design too much and am happy with it. After that it was paint and sanding — I use course sandpaper to give the aluminum a brushed finish that I think looks and feels great. Got everything boxed up except have an issue with the template for the input and output jacks being off (or maybe my enclosure was off) so the jacks don’t really fit. Still debating on whether or not to enlarge the hole or get different/smaller jacks to make it work. So close.
Still hesitating on the enclosure for the Rip due its potentially long machining time. The file is ready, and the enclosure is flattened and secure so whenever I’m ready…
The parts for my guitar strap arrived so those are also ready to go except learning how to use a sewing machine. Luckily Ash knows and we just got her grandma’s (a professional seamstress) machine. Maybe I can learn and then make while the enclosure is running?
I got the file all setup to run but all that detail means a tiny (.5mm diameter) endmill and a lot of time. The program currently estimates 8.5 hours to engrave, and that’s only half as deep as I usually go. There have been plenty of times when the actual time is much less than the estimate, but I’ll start here and see how it turns out. Probably work in the basement tomorrow to babysit the machine while it runs.
I think I previously mentioned that I got a bare board #rip. pedal in a trade with my buddy Jack at droppingacidpedaletching. Well, it’s been sitting on my bench too long waiting for an enclosure to be made for it so I knocked one up tonight based on an old linocut print. I always go for bold lines on stuff like this, but this is also a nod to the man himself because he’s crazy about surf music. I probably won’t be playing much (any) surf through it, but it’s cool nonetheless. Wanted to run down to machine this tonight, but I have a feeling it’s going to take awhile to etch due to the thickness of the lines.
This past week my guitar chain has been really noisy and I finally dug around and found the culprit — a failed daisy-chain cable from the power supply. I’ve used OneSpot for about 10 years and it’s never given me any troubles so I can’t really complain too much. Switched things out to a backup power brick I had and all is quiet again.
Guitars and multiple long delays are fun together.
I have owned and loved the EHX Freeze pedal since it was released. At the time I was primarily a bass player without a synth, trying to figure out how to make the drones I wanted to make — and the Freeze was it. I experimented a few times trying to add an internal feedback loop to let me add layers of frozen notes (this was before the Superego, and I should add that I didn’t end up liking that at all) and I ended up killing the pedals both times. Luckily EHX has a great repair program! In the end I put my freezes in an effects loop and it adds the most wonderful subtle modulation to the captures. This has only the barest amount of reverb on it. Best in headphones.
My pedalboard has always lived with my amp, away from the the desktop setup. That seemed sort of silly (since I spend most of my music time at the desk) so I brought it out and wired it up under there. Integrating it with the iPad/Norns setup is pretty great! Here’s morning noodles.
Catching up on getting posts up — we’ve been without internet since Monday afternoon when a truck drove down our street and caught the wire, ripping it off the house and street pole.
I finished up rehousing the dual OD250 with mods on Monday night. The wiring could be cleaner, but so long as it works I don’t see the wiring once it’s closed. haha. I try to get better at it each time but there was a lot going on in a tight space with this as well as existing wiring to be rerouted. You can find info on the mode here. I’m going to play with it for awhile, but I think I am going to tweak the input caps on the switches to give more distinct modes. Pretty happy with how it turned out.
(I have another pedal project coming up so now I’m sort of on the hook to have super clean wiring.)
This is what we get when we rush. Was drilling a hole for the power jack and the enclosure slipped out of my hand and flew across the bench. These pots are done, but things are otherwise ok. Very lucky that was all that happened and a good reminder to work safely.
It takes me forever to do things, always having to stop and stare and reassess. Some would say “methodical.” I might say “trepidatious.” Either way, it will get done. Soon maybe!
Finally etched the enclosure today! Set it up, held my breath, and pushed the button to make it go. Worked great and am happy with how it turned out. Then I got it painted and sanded so now it’s ready for reassembly.
I also had a great Father’s Day hanging out with Ash and Emi. Picnic lunch and then some project time. Dinner together and then our usual bedtime routine. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Felt inclined to try the enclosure art with paint pen as a test run before cutting into the aluminum. Not sure why since I’ve got the setup ready and have done it before. I guess because I wanted to see the design in print before committing. It’s fun to watch the machine work anyway, so no harm done except (at least, I’m slow) one more day before I can put it back together.
Have been having a tough time coming up with graphics I like, but these are both pretty nice. Abstracting pictures into vectors is a lot of fun. Want to do something a little different (color) than I did on a few other enclosures, but not exactly sure how I can pull it off yet. Hrmmm.
Turns out this is going to take more rework than I initially thought. I made myself a roadmap and then started taking things apart to test fit in the new enclosure. It will work! Just need to finish the graphics and etch, then I can put it all back together.
Time for this old dual OD250 to get a new house…
I often find that drones after the fact have lost some/most of their magic, which is sad but says something about the act of creation I guess. While this was going I laid on the floor and went to another place for awhile.
New friends/projects from 2 Craiglist deals today.
I have a thing for old Yamaha amps. They sound great and can be had cheap, though prices are steadily climbing because the secret is out. Got this from a guy who was downsizing in preparation for a move to Europe. It seemed hard enough to move across the US, I can’t even imagine hopping continents. Anyway, he said it has had an issue blowing fuses in the past but right now it works great other than needing some contact cleaner on the pots. I really didn’t need another amp, but for $25 I found it hard to resist.
These ugly pedals! I had the chorus many years ago and remember it fondly after giving it away to a young guitarist. They don’t sound bad as is, but a quick internet search tells me there are a bunch of mods that can be done to these (Fab chorus, overdrive, and echo if the image isn’t clear) and I am apparently a glutton for a long project list. Why mod? Why not. haha
This has been on my bench literally forever. I built this Electra distortion pedal from scratch and when it works it sounds GREAT. Unfortunately over time it worked less and less. I take responsibility for the poor soldering, but the Radio Shack perf board is also so so bad. Redid the layout in DIYLC (which is a great program for visual people designing simple layouts) with the intention of cutting a new board on the cnc machine. The machine decided to not connect for awhile, and then when it did I almost immediately broke the endmill because I set the depth of cut too deep. A 1mm endmill doesn’t take much stress. So it goes.
A very long time ago I built my first pedal from scratch. It’s a feedback looper based on a few schematics that are floating around, and I had almost all the parts I needed to build it. Hence, it has lived for many years inside an ugly, old plastic case. I was absolutely hopeless at wiring so I decided to embrace it, leaving the wires extra long and using all the colors I had since the case was see through. Last summer I etched a new enclosure based on the cover of Rival Consoles’ Odyssey by the wonderful supermundane. Long story short I didn’t make the switch until today, and in order to make sure I keep my feedback magic — I left the crazy wiring.