Only a question about Bumblebee Compressor/Swell

[Ariosto]

Hello there!

I began to build this pedal, and I cannot guess where to install the VFE chip. The PDF information is somehow vague in my opinion. If some good soul read this, I would appreciate so much the help!

Ariosto

[gordo]

I was about to get snotty about reading the docs and I did a quick read thru and I'll be damned...no mention of the switching docs.  The VFE projects have been around for so long I guess it's just assumed now :-)

Anyway, there is extensive documentation at the bottom of the Projects Page that details the v.2 switching board.  It's very wordy for anyone that wants to understand the how and why of the project and is worth a read.

The short and sweet of it, though, is that the Bumblebee is a split rail power supply project so you will need the parts in green as well as the parts in yellow.  The parts in blue can be ignored.  You'll also note that you need a 16V zener diode.  On my build I used a 1N4745A and it worked nicely.  Also note the relay part number Q2-L-5V.  The L is important if you haven't built one of these before and Mouser has it (as well as the diode).  I used a standard 5v regulator (78L05) instead of the LP2950, just because I had one and it works just fine.

It's also a good idea to socket the 2N5457 transistor as the quality and specs on these things varies quite a bit these days.  I fiddled with a few before settling on one.  I soldered all other transistors.

I found the setup process a bit annoying, but well worth the effort.  I love this pedal.  Setting the trimmers is a bit like getting an eye exam...this, or this...this, or this...

Oh and I ALMOST made it thru the build without catching the tip of a capacitor with the soldering iron but alas...I screwed up.  VFE's are dense builds to say the least but there's a lot of stuff jammed in there.

Have fun and report back on how your build shapes up!!

[Ariosto]

THANKS A LOT FOR THE QUICK ANSWER!

Well, I know I am a newbie. And anyway I´ve suceeded with many of my builds (between them the Naughty Fish and the Aquaboy). But this one is a hard challenge! And again, I found no mention to the VFE v. 2.7 in the PDF.............

[matmosphere]

Haven't built mine yet but isn't that part on the switching board, and not the main board?

[gordo]

Separate docs for the pedal and the switching/power board just to keep the page count down. The two thing that all the original series have in common is the control layout pattern on the enclosure and the switching power board. Power can be configured in a number of ways so it's pretty universal.