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#31
Build Reports / Re: DS-1 modded and rehoused…
Last post by greysun - January 24, 2026, 02:50:11 PMI couldn't help myself and continued to mod this to be true bypass*
Why true bypass* (asterisk)? Well, the in/out buffers are technically still there - I can just bypass them in clean.
How did I do this? I took out the transistors that control the electronic switching (Q6, Q7 and Q8) and jumper'd the outside pins of Q6 and Q7 and left Q8 empty. All of the parts at the bottom of the boss board were for the electronic switching, so I took out everything but the resistors in that part of the circuit for space and to possibly help with any noise. The 3PDT now has PLENTY of space and it worked like a charm. Used madbeans foot switch diagram and it's beautiful (well, it doesn't LOOK beautiful cause it was tight working in there, but you know what I mean. Hehe).
Gut shots below. Any of the cream caps are of my own addition. You can see the LED for clipping near the IC, as well as the jumper at q6. Figuring out the power took me longer than I'd like to admit, but the way the battery was intertwined with the jack and power wasn't what I was used to.
So all in all - I took a pedal I didn't like, modded it to sound better in stock settings, added a "fuzz" switch (which so far is GREAT for leads), made it true bypass and put it into a housing I prefer. Win/win all around. Modding, true bypassing and rehousing these old buggers IS possible.
Why true bypass* (asterisk)? Well, the in/out buffers are technically still there - I can just bypass them in clean.
How did I do this? I took out the transistors that control the electronic switching (Q6, Q7 and Q8) and jumper'd the outside pins of Q6 and Q7 and left Q8 empty. All of the parts at the bottom of the boss board were for the electronic switching, so I took out everything but the resistors in that part of the circuit for space and to possibly help with any noise. The 3PDT now has PLENTY of space and it worked like a charm. Used madbeans foot switch diagram and it's beautiful (well, it doesn't LOOK beautiful cause it was tight working in there, but you know what I mean. Hehe).
Gut shots below. Any of the cream caps are of my own addition. You can see the LED for clipping near the IC, as well as the jumper at q6. Figuring out the power took me longer than I'd like to admit, but the way the battery was intertwined with the jack and power wasn't what I was used to.
So all in all - I took a pedal I didn't like, modded it to sound better in stock settings, added a "fuzz" switch (which so far is GREAT for leads), made it true bypass and put it into a housing I prefer. Win/win all around. Modding, true bypassing and rehousing these old buggers IS possible.
#32
Open Discussion / Re: Happy New Year 2026, Pork ...
Last post by Aleph Null - January 23, 2026, 04:11:33 PMThe AE tremolo produces a sine wave, or very close to one. I'm using that drive a two-stage optical phaser. It's producing vibrato. It doesn't go very slow, but that's not necessary in my use case. If you want a really slow sign wave, you might consider using a micronctoller. Maybe on of Electric Druid's TAPLFO chips?
#33
General Questions / Re: Boss electronic switching....
Last post by greysun - January 23, 2026, 03:40:39 PMQuote from: NorthCoast on January 22, 2026, 09:08:45 PMIf you haven't already seen it, you might find this interesting:
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/cd4053/cd4053.htm
Hadn't seen this, no... I'm intrigued! Thanks for sharing!
In quick looking, that chip is outdated/obsolete - TI has a newer version that works with less power (5v vs. 9, but might require extra parts to filter down) and supposedly has faster switching (which, may or may not be an issue with a pop/noise - I could probably also find that old chip without issue at mouser or something compatible).
Found a string where someone created a buffered version of this that worked, so maybe I'll figure out the varied part needs and breadboard a non-buffered version to test. Really I just wanna learn and see what's what...
Should be noted I have no issue with buffers in theory, but even with short cables direct vs. into any Boss pedals I've had/have I can hear a distinct tone color that I'm not super into...
At any rate - thank you for this!
#34
Open Discussion / Re: Happy New Year 2026, Pork ...
Last post by madbean - January 23, 2026, 02:03:06 AMI only just saw this thread. I'm not sure how a CE-2 would sound with a purely sine wave modulation. I think it might ened up sounding a little lop sided because the peaks and valleys would be much more drawn out.
However, this is DIY so all ideas are a good starting point. My suggestion is to take a different approach and maybe adapt one of the Electric Druid microcontrollers to be the modulation engine. Then you could use all sorts of different wave types, not just sine and triangle. Take a look at the Flangelicious project and consider how you might have to work it into a chorus design. It might require a BBD with extra stages, or some other wizadry.
However, this is DIY so all ideas are a good starting point. My suggestion is to take a different approach and maybe adapt one of the Electric Druid microcontrollers to be the modulation engine. Then you could use all sorts of different wave types, not just sine and triangle. Take a look at the Flangelicious project and consider how you might have to work it into a chorus design. It might require a BBD with extra stages, or some other wizadry.
#35
Open Discussion / The most unobtanium pedal part...
Last post by lars - January 22, 2026, 09:34:08 PMWell, Mojotone was very excited to send out an email for the latest pedal in the Lerxst line, the ATWAS. It is a faithful replica of the original Morley Power Wah, just in a much more pedalboard friendly size. BUT...there is a very important thing missing: the awesome sub-miniature pilot light jewel that all those old Morley pedals had. Those lamp jewels have proven to be the most impossible guitar pedal part to source in history. Tons of manufactures would be using them today, no doubt, but they are non-existent. Who made them back then? Where did they come from? How has nobody ever found a single NOS one in a little bag somewhere? The only way to get one is to cannibalize it off an old Morley pedal, but many of those are far too valuable to do that.
It doesn't look right without it.
It doesn't look right without it.
#36
General Questions / Re: Boss electronic switching....
Last post by NorthCoast - January 22, 2026, 09:08:45 PMIf you haven't already seen it, you might find this interesting:
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/cd4053/cd4053.htm
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/cd4053/cd4053.htm
#37
General Questions / Re: Boss electronic switching....
Last post by greysun - January 22, 2026, 05:23:34 PMApologies, all... Seems I'm just bad at internet search - I was searching for Boss electronic switching when I should have been looking for JFET switching.
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=131642.0
https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?t=28714
*sigh* BUT - I think I might A/B test this switching method a bit just to learn more about it, but it appears to be more effort than not to make it work WITHOUT a buffer. In the DIY stomp boxes link, the very last statement explains (if I'm reading it right) that the buffer brings up the impedance such that the switching can happen reliably without any glitches - without the buffer, getting the right mix of parts is tough when accounting for signal discrepancies in different scenarios it seems.
I'll keep doing my research... sorry for the bother! "Hey Timmy, can you help me print this PDF?" ;-)
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=131642.0
https://www.freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?t=28714
*sigh* BUT - I think I might A/B test this switching method a bit just to learn more about it, but it appears to be more effort than not to make it work WITHOUT a buffer. In the DIY stomp boxes link, the very last statement explains (if I'm reading it right) that the buffer brings up the impedance such that the switching can happen reliably without any glitches - without the buffer, getting the right mix of parts is tough when accounting for signal discrepancies in different scenarios it seems.
I'll keep doing my research... sorry for the bother! "Hey Timmy, can you help me print this PDF?" ;-)
#38
General Questions / Boss electronic switching...
Last post by greysun - January 21, 2026, 08:24:44 PM... okay, hear me out! hehe.
I've been working on an Arduino powered programmable effects switcher for years - I've been tinkering with relays and quick muting and could never get that signature relay "pop" to fully go away.
I recently did a VFE build, which used the quiet clipping board, and was thinking something like that could be cool, but I'm not familiar with that chip or its ins/outs and wanted to see if there was a less proprietary option first...
But then I also just did a DS-1 mod/re-house and am looking into ways of making it true bypass now. Lots of folks don't like Boss' switching system because it uses in and out buffers - but looking at the diagram here on page 3, it seems like you could easily replicate the switching system and just not include the buffers.
Since I know I can't be the first person to piece this together, lol, I MUST be missing something. Is there still some affecting notions in the signal? or are the transistors not as good of a connection and therefore NEED the buffers in order to properly work?
Attached is a closer look at the switch portion of the diagram (missing is Q6 and Q7, which would route the in and out signal).
There's surprisingly little I'm finding doing internet search (something I'm not great at in the first place) that isn't just talking about the buffer disdain. The boss switch was always immediately responsive and never had any pop or anything for me, and the parts seem to still be available, so... If anyone has insight, let me know!
As always, thank you in advance!
I've been working on an Arduino powered programmable effects switcher for years - I've been tinkering with relays and quick muting and could never get that signature relay "pop" to fully go away.
I recently did a VFE build, which used the quiet clipping board, and was thinking something like that could be cool, but I'm not familiar with that chip or its ins/outs and wanted to see if there was a less proprietary option first...
But then I also just did a DS-1 mod/re-house and am looking into ways of making it true bypass now. Lots of folks don't like Boss' switching system because it uses in and out buffers - but looking at the diagram here on page 3, it seems like you could easily replicate the switching system and just not include the buffers.
Since I know I can't be the first person to piece this together, lol, I MUST be missing something. Is there still some affecting notions in the signal? or are the transistors not as good of a connection and therefore NEED the buffers in order to properly work?
Attached is a closer look at the switch portion of the diagram (missing is Q6 and Q7, which would route the in and out signal).
There's surprisingly little I'm finding doing internet search (something I'm not great at in the first place) that isn't just talking about the buffer disdain. The boss switch was always immediately responsive and never had any pop or anything for me, and the parts seem to still be available, so... If anyone has insight, let me know!
As always, thank you in advance!
#39
Global Annoucements / Re: Jan 2026 restocks
Last post by gordo - January 21, 2026, 04:18:23 AMLooking forward to 2026!!!
#40
Global Annoucements / Re: Jan 2026 restocks
Last post by Bucksears - January 19, 2026, 11:40:59 PMQuote from: neiltheseal on January 16, 2026, 11:30:33 AMQuote from: madbean on January 13, 2026, 11:39:14 PMUpdate: the headers came today after all.Looking forward to the microsynth!Quote from: BricksnBeatles on January 13, 2026, 08:29:13 PMDope! How about the coming soon stuff?
Well I have no choice except get them out ASAP (plus the other 10 that are basically ready) so I can work on the Microsynth. I'm gonna set a much better pace this year.
Same - I will likely go for the Edgelord as an immediate follow-up.