madbeanpedals::forum

Projects => Build Reports => Topic started by: dan.schumaker on July 17, 2017, 12:11:23 PM

Title: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: dan.schumaker on July 17, 2017, 12:11:23 PM
Here is the Aion Electronics Blueshift Chorus.  Kevin did an amazing job laying this guy out.  It is totally a beast.  100 resistors, 60+ caps, there is a lot going on in there.  His hard work did pay off, it sounds amazing to boot.  The gut shot doesn't show much with the stacked boards hiding all the components, but the layout is simply a work of art.  The layout was very clean, made populating and finishing this guy up a breeze.

(https://s6.postimg.org/fwc1afksh/1738_Blueshift.jpg)
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: matmosphere on July 17, 2017, 01:41:54 PM
Whoa Dan, you are a machine. How do you get this stuff done so quickly.

Looks great too.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: BrianS on July 17, 2017, 01:44:06 PM
Looks great and you certainly finished it like really fast lol. 
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: bsoncini on July 17, 2017, 01:56:17 PM
Nice build. That was quick.

Just got home from work and this PCB was in the mailbox for me. It looks like a really high quality PCB. A lot of stuff crammed into a small area but all the numberings are clearly readable.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: Timko on July 17, 2017, 01:59:17 PM
Awesome build.  You do get things cranked out in record time :). 

How was the setup of the pedal?  This is going to be a fall project for me (I've got 4 other builds in the queue before it), and I'll need to purchase an oscilloscope first.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: wgc on July 17, 2017, 02:34:24 PM
wow, looks great!
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: dan.schumaker on July 17, 2017, 02:34:44 PM
For all the components on the boards, it wasn't all that bad to populate.  The layout was really clean and helped with that.  An hour on resistors, an hour on caps, diodes & IC's, and maybe another hour wiring everything up, and I was good.  Calibrating was a breeze.  Measure pin 3 of the BBD's, bias them to 3.4v (right about center on mine anyway), and I was good to go.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: jubal81 on July 17, 2017, 05:30:33 PM
Super build - real accomplishment. Congrats!
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: Martan on July 17, 2017, 06:12:18 PM
Sweeeeet! About to start this one. I think that if there is a type of chorus that I would actually use, its this "static" chorus. I seem to like detune-stye choruses better than swirly ones.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: BrianS on July 17, 2017, 06:12:34 PM
Quote from: dan.schumaker on July 17, 2017, 02:34:44 PM
For all the components on the boards, it wasn't all that bad to populate.  The layout was really clean and helped with that.  An hour on resistors, an hour on caps, diodes & IC's, and maybe another hour wiring everything up, and I was good.  Calibrating was a breeze.  Measure pin 3 of the BBD's, bias them to 3.4v (right about center on mine anyway), and I was good to go.

So you did yours by ear or with an oscilloscope? 
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: dan.schumaker on July 17, 2017, 06:35:40 PM
Quote from: BrianS on July 17, 2017, 06:12:34 PM
Quote from: dan.schumaker on July 17, 2017, 02:34:44 PM
For all the components on the boards, it wasn't all that bad to populate.  The layout was really clean and helped with that.  An hour on resistors, an hour on caps, diodes & IC's, and maybe another hour wiring everything up, and I was good.  Calibrating was a breeze.  Measure pin 3 of the BBD's, bias them to 3.4v (right about center on mine anyway), and I was good to go.

So you did yours by ear or with an oscilloscope?


By ear.  Set it to ~3.4V, no distortion, sounded good, so I boxed it there and called it good :)
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: BrianS on July 17, 2017, 06:44:28 PM
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: nzCdog on July 17, 2017, 08:15:43 PM
Yoiks thats an epic pcb build for 125B.  Congrats, looks great ;D
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: EBK on July 17, 2017, 08:21:21 PM
Could you say a bit about the finish?  Was an artwork file posted?  I couldn't find one....
Your pedal has a frosted look to it that is kind of interesting.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: Timko on July 17, 2017, 09:33:33 PM
Quote from: dan.schumaker on July 17, 2017, 06:35:40 PM
Quote from: BrianS on July 17, 2017, 06:12:34 PM
Quote from: dan.schumaker on July 17, 2017, 02:34:44 PM
For all the components on the boards, it wasn't all that bad to populate.  The layout was really clean and helped with that.  An hour on resistors, an hour on caps, diodes & IC's, and maybe another hour wiring everything up, and I was good.  Calibrating was a breeze.  Measure pin 3 of the BBD's, bias them to 3.4v (right about center on mine anyway), and I was good to go.

So you did yours by ear or with an oscilloscope?


By ear.  Set it to ~3.4V, no distortion, sounded good, so I boxed it there and called it good :)

Well, you may have moved this up on my build list.  I think I own a lot of the parts anyway already.  This one looks like so much fun.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: EBK on July 17, 2017, 10:38:38 PM
Kevin could describe these pro line circuits as, "Does nothing more than emit sporadic fart noises along with an ear-piercing high pitched wail," and I'd still want to buy the boards and build them -- they're that beautiful!
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: Zigcat on July 17, 2017, 10:53:06 PM
Quote from: EBK on July 17, 2017, 10:38:38 PM
Kevin could describe these pro line circuits as, "Does nothing more than emit sporadic fart noises along with an ear-piercing high pitched wail," and I'd still want to buy the boards and build them -- they're that beautiful!

Wait, they actually make a good effect? Bonus!
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: dan.schumaker on July 18, 2017, 12:55:04 AM
Quote from: EBK on July 17, 2017, 08:21:21 PM
Could you say a bit about the finish?  Was an artwork file posted?  I couldn't find one....
Your pedal has a frosted look to it that is kind of interesting.

For the finish, I used one of the polished enclosures from Tayda.  I knew this was going to be a fancy pedal, I wanted to start with a fancy box too  :)
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: oip on July 18, 2017, 01:34:21 AM
really fantastic job!  i've been eyeing this one off, good to know that it's reasonable to build.  will grab a PCB set at some stage.

on a side note, the anodised looking enclosure on the aion site looks amazing, been wondering how it was done:

https://aionelectronics.com/project/blueshift-dimenson-c-chorus/
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: somnif on July 18, 2017, 01:45:34 AM
I'm pretty sure its just transparent powdercoat (aka "candy coat"). Its not as deep blue as PPP's transparent, so maybe its a Mammoth color (I know they also offer a transparent blue)?
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: Zigcat on July 18, 2017, 02:51:13 AM
Quote from: oip on July 18, 2017, 01:34:21 AM
really fantastic job!  i've been eyeing this one off, good to know that it's reasonable to build.  will grab a PCB set at some stage.

on a side note, the anodised looking enclosure on the aion site looks amazing, been wondering how it was done:

https://aionelectronics.com/project/blueshift-dimenson-c-chorus/

Kevin did hint that he may do a run of enclosures if there was enough interest.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: oip on July 18, 2017, 03:02:51 AM
+1 interest!  looks so good with the brushed aluminium texture.

thanks for the heads up about transparent coating i didn't know it was a thing.  this is the best colour match i could find, available as custom finish through mammoth but presumably on straight enclosure rather than brushed:

https://www.prismaticpowders.com/colors/UPB-1736/HAWAIIAN-TEAL/
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: Boba7 on July 18, 2017, 04:43:32 AM
That was quick! It looks great, and the guts only get more curious about the circuit boards! :)
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: aion on July 19, 2017, 11:21:33 AM
WOW! That was fast.

Enclosure on the site is from PPP - a brushed finish with Emerald Green Transparent, if I remember right. I just added my artwork PDF to the Blueshift project page, so you should be able to send that to them and get the same thing.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: czapa tranzystor 2 on July 19, 2017, 12:50:11 PM
You are very fast.
Very big build.  :'(
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: oip on July 20, 2017, 01:11:35 AM
Quote from: aion on July 19, 2017, 11:21:33 AM
Enclosure on the site is from PPP - a brushed finish with Emerald Green Transparent, if I remember right. I just added my artwork PDF to the Blueshift project page, so you should be able to send that to them and get the same thing.

awesome thanks!
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: EBK on July 20, 2017, 01:37:53 AM
Quote from: oip on July 20, 2017, 01:11:35 AM
Quote from: aion on July 19, 2017, 11:21:33 AM
Enclosure on the site is from PPP - a brushed finish with Emerald Green Transparent, if I remember right. I just added my artwork PDF to the Blueshift project page, so you should be able to send that to them and get the same thing.

awesome thanks!
+1 Thanks!
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: Martan on July 20, 2017, 07:21:21 PM
Quote from: oip on July 18, 2017, 03:02:51 AM
+1 interest!  looks so good with the brushed aluminium texture.

thanks for the heads up about transparent coating i didn't know it was a thing.  this is the best colour match i could find, available as custom finish through mammoth but presumably on straight enclosure rather than brushed:

https://www.prismaticpowders.com/colors/UPB-1736/HAWAIIAN-TEAL/

Man, with that setup fee from ppp a printed 125B comes out to over $50 with shipping, and I'm in the states!
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: EBK on July 22, 2017, 03:58:58 PM
Quote from: Martan on July 20, 2017, 07:21:21 PM
Man, with that setup fee from ppp a printed 125B comes out to over $50 with shipping, and I'm in the states!
I know.  Will be hard to decide what to do when I eventually build this (I've ordered the boards).  I'm hoping Kevin or someone else will pay for a run of these enclosures and sell them to us for something less.  Otherwise, I might do an etch. 
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: Bucksears on August 11, 2017, 12:54:04 PM
Don't know how I missed this, but definitely interested. Only concern I have with this being a straight-up clone of a DC-2 is the headroom.
It appears to still run off of 9V. Any distortion/overload issues with humbuckers, etc?

I'm doing a full-on reverse engineered clone of the original DC-2 PCB (SIP ICs and all), and almost have that done. Only differences are, I beefed up the power section per some notes/suggestions I found online from Fromel himself, and I didn't include the buffer parts and will run it true bypass.

Besides being an unbelievably clean PCB, the other thing that really piques my interest is the input/output wiring is all at the bottom of the PCB (near the footswitch and jacks).
If mine doesn't work, I'm definitely picking up the BlueShift PCB.
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: NFX on August 11, 2017, 03:13:29 PM
NICE BUILD!
Title: Re: Aion Blueshift (Dimension C) Chorus
Post by: LaceSensor on August 14, 2017, 09:04:31 PM
I play a billy corgan signature strat with very high output dimarzio rail humbuckers and once you dial the bias in you can strum hard with no artefacts of clipping.

YMMV

as for active pickups ive no idea