My last Moodring (hacked BTDR2 inside) + a Really cheap compressor

[Boba7]

Hey! So here are two recent builds!

First is a Moodring that I modded quite a bit. I completely changed the tone section (used the Tenebrion tone section), made the predelay brighter and removed some bass before the PT2399 and in the feedback loop. That makes the range of the tone knob really nice, and it is less noisy than a standard Moodring (if anyone wants details, I'll post them of course)

Then I decided to open the BTDR2 and I removed the resistor going from pin6 of the last PT2399 in it to the lfo. So now I have a NON MODULATED BTDR2!! I also jumped the first resistor at the input that's part of a lowpass filter, to get a slightly brighter sound out of it.

And of course I added a modulation section (from the Deluxe Pitch Pirate) so I can now modulate it as I want, and because it's the last PT2399 in the brick that's modulated, it sounds really really nice. In a previous build I modulated the predelay, but I wasn't entirely satisfied.

I didn't have any purple pedal, so... (and yeah the led is purple too)
Crappy demo here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze0KcDpPnHA&t=41s



Next is a Really cheap compressor by Mictester. Just a beautiful optical comp, that's slightly gritty with the compression maxed, and very easy to build. I love it.
I had a drilled enclosure laying around so I added a bright switch and a compression indicator led (with a small vero daughterboard)
I think I changed a couple things but I can't remember...
Not proud of the wiring, it was a quick build.

[Luke51411]

Sweet builds! Is it difficult to get the belton brick apart without breaking anything?

[Boba7]

Sweet builds! Is it difficult to get the belton brick apart without breaking anything?

No, it was actually quite easy! Just don't rush it and you'll be good.

[Luke51411]

Excellent! Might give it a go on my next reverb build! The modulation you added, is it just a more subtle modulation? Is it just pre set or is there a control for it?

[chordball]

Nice! I never could stand that modulation so I may give this a try.

[Boba7]

Excellent! Might give it a go on my next reverb build! The modulation you added, is it just a more subtle modulation? Is it just pre set or is there a control for it?

The modulation can be subtle or it can be over the top. the "s" and "d" pots are for speed and depth of the modulation.

The Belton Brick without modulation is really nice, very springy! I really like it.

[Boba7]

Nice! I never could stand that modulation so I may give this a try.

Yes I never really liked it either. It's good to hear a non modulated brick!

[diablochris6]

Great builds, and kudos to ripping apart a Belton. I never even thought about opening the case up!

[selfdestroyer]

This is DIY at its finest. I love how much you modded the Moodring and really catered it to your wants/needs.

The Belton brick mod sounds interesting. Do you have any more info you can provide on this mod?

Cody

[somnif]

Huh, I honestly thought the Bricks were epoxy potted (aka Gooped). Interesting.

[oip]

a hacked brick!  this is next level

[Andlord]

Huh, I honestly thought the Bricks were epoxy potted (aka Gooped). Interesting.

I thought so too.
Hmmm maybe it would be worth it to trace one and include diy belton bricks on self designed boards like super small 1590A reverbs etc.

[Boba7]

Thanks guys!

I remember reading somewhere (maybe here) about someone taking a Btdr1 apart, so that gave me the idea.

There's some schematics floating around the internet, supposedly of the Btdr1, but it seemed to more or less match the Btdr2.
Taking it apart is easy, it's not gooped, so if you're careful you can cut the side and slowly lift one side of the plastic and then the other.

On the schematics you can see a 220k going from pin 6 of the middle PT2399 to the oscillator. If you take the 220k out there's no more lfo, no more modulation. As simple as that. It's labelled R27 on the Btdr2 I used, you can see it on the bottom left of the pcb on the gut shot.
I also took out R28 (1st 10k at the input) to cancel the lowpass filtering at the input of the brick (gut shot: 3rd pin is the input, it goes to C2 then to R28 and another cap to ground)

Without the case the brick is much smaller, which can be very convenient too!

Pretty sure the Malekko spring reverb is not a brick but a 3x smd PT2399 circuit.

[Martan]

Thanks for the info! Great builds, man!

[Andlord]

Thanks for the Schem. I think I'll try to jam a Chasm Reverb in a 1590a, at least in the long run...a lot on my workbench right now