Messages

I'm sure a real one is awesome. I used to have the mutron phaser and it was excellent. The best envelope filter I've tried was the 3 Leaf  Grove Regulator. Funky and easy to dial in. I enjoy the naughty fish though, finicky parts and all.

I had trouble earlier with my Naughty Fish pedal. I fixed it, but had trouble with the Up- side of the pedal. I've owned many envelope filters over the years and I think that this one is just more precise in its need to be dialed in. After fiddling with it, I found that all of the switches/positions worked, but they all needed specific tweaks to the gain and peak knobs. As a result, the volume knob is a must-have addition to this pedal. I love the squishy, funky sounds that it has and clearly there are more sounds to unearth. If you feel it isn't working, spend time dialing it in. This pedal, by far, requires the most adjusting and experimenting every time a switch is flipped out of all the pedals I've owned. It is also definitely worth the effort. Thanks for all of the help.
Brad

Wow, that actually helps a lot. Thank you. The visual is very helpful. I appreciate it.

Thanks. I had looked at that, but the wiring diagram lists the two as Range A and Range B, not the Range Up and Range Down that the drilling template shows. I was wondering does Range A = Range Up or does Range A = Range Down. That was my main question at the start because I was trying to use the schematic a bit to figure things out, but clearly I'm not very good at reading it. When I get a chance I'll try the continuity tests you proposed, if that's the right term for it.

Thanks, I appreciate the exploration ethic. I've been a teacher for over 20 years and know that's a good way to learn. However, if anyone could answer my question I'd appreciate it. My background is in history, English and wood shop. Electronics is foreign to me and the learning curve is steep. I'm asking because I've been looking and can't figure it out myself.

Okay, earlier in the week I couldn't get me Naughty Fish going. Now it sounds pretty good on all permutations of the down range switch. When I switch it to the up position it doesn't engage the filter sound at all, just plain guitar. Is that one of the two vactrols? I'm looking at the schematic and I see Hi/Lo A involves vactrol 1 vs Hi/Lo B dealing with vactrol 2, but which is high and which is low (A or B)? I'd like to know which area to look at. Or I guess the range is more in this section? I'm mostly illiterate at schematics. I guess I'm still trying to figure out is Range A up or down?
Thanks,
Brad

Oops. Okay, I noticed the trimpot seemed off, so I extended the leads on the trimpot so it could fit the 1 to the 1 and not just fit the triangle shape. That seems to have been the biggest problem. Do the vactrols control different settings? I still get a low buzz on one of the Lp/HP/BP settings. Otherwise, things seem much better. Thanks for the help.

Thanks. I got the correct numbering and lifted the #1 pin on IC#4. I get guitar sounds and sometimes an effect. If I play around with the switches there is at times a huge low zipper sound. Sometimes there is an envelope filter effect. Hitting the deepest e note induces the buzzing. The chips are Texas Instruments from Mouser, so I think they are good.

Hi,
The build doc has the wiring for the ground different than most of the Madbean pedals. It shows the ground on the middle left lug instead of the bottom left lug. I wired it like this, is that correct? I've double checked and everything seems to be put in with the correct polarity.

IC1 and IC3 are the same
1)0
2)0
3)0
4)8.4
5)0
6)0
7)0 (-.01 IC3)
8 ) -8.82

Well, now I've got guitar sounds coming through and when I play it there is some effect. However, if I stop and let it sit there is a loud buzzing. I play and the buzzing stops. The effect is fairly erratic. sometimes there is an extended high pitched declining whining sound kind of like the old funky song "You Dropped the Bomb on Me". Could the vactrols be bad? Is it a grounding issue? I'll re-check the IC1 and IC3. Maybe they are different with the sound coming through.

I added the extra ground in and I tried lifting the trace of pin #1 and it had the same sound.

Great, I was hoping it was something like this. I was afraid it involved cutting traces or somehow modifying the board.
Thanks,
Brad

Hi,
I got some advice in the tech section to "lift a pin" on pin#1 of an 8 pin chip. What does that mean? How do I do it and what does it accomplish?
Thanks,
Brad

Also, is there a different IC that would work instead of LT1054 for IC4 and wouldn't require lifting any pins?