Best way to trace pedals?

[brejna]

Hi guys, I started to trace today a pedal and it really needs lot of concentration. Do you have any tips, so it would be easier
Cheers
Brane

[pietro_moog]

do you have a really good desoldering station? because that's where i would start.
after that, try to understand if the pedal is derived/clone of something. look at the ICs and pots, think of the sound.
then you start from the input or wherever you like. and write everything.
that's the only advices i would give, there's not really a methodology for tracing

[brejna]

do you have a really good desoldering station? because that's where i would start.
after that, try to understand if the pedal is derived/clone of something. look at the ICs and pots, think of the sound.
then you start from the input or wherever you like. and write everything.
that's the only advices i would give, there's not really a methodology for tracing

I don't have good desoldering tool and I hope I want need it. It is derivate of guvnor (plextortion). I did start from input,so I thought to draw both copper sides and then add parts and draw schematic from it..
Is it good way, what do you think?

[selfdestroyer]

I am also learning an effective way to do this and one way that is helpful is to take a top photo and a bottom photo and take them into photoshop. I flip the bottom photo and layer them on top of each other and change the opacity of the top layer. This way you can see the components and the traces at the same time. Sometimes its easier said than done but it will get you further. If the PCB is more than 2 layers them I am no help as I have never tried to trace a 3 or 4 layer pedal.

I mainly started my taking high quality photos of out of production pedals and send them to FSB forum and they would trace them if there was interest.

Cody

[brejna]

I am also learning an effective way to do this and one way that is helpful is to take a top photo and a bottom photo and take them into photoshop. I flip the bottom photo and layer them on top of each other and change the opacity of the top layer. This way you can see the components and the traces at the same time. Sometimes its easier said than done but it will get you further. If the PCB is more than 2 layers them I am no help as I have never tried to trace a 3 or 4 layer pedal.

I mainly started my taking high quality photos of out of production pedals and send them to FSB forum and they would trace them if there was interest.

Cody

Thanks Cody, I will definitely try this method. I don't want to desolder pots so I don't damage pcb, but I hope I'll do it. Pedal is the production so I thought to do all by my self, and offcourse I want to do something for diy community

[Jopn]

Hi guys, I started to trace today a pedal and it really needs lot of concentration. Do you have any tips, so it would be easier
Cheers
Brane

Hold the pedal down with one hand on the tracing paper, and draw around it with the other.

Gets pretty boring once you've done a few.  Most of 'em are just rectangles.

[blearyeyes]

Just realized that the photoshop thing might be helpful populating etched boards.....