Steve Stevens Ray Gun

[Marshall Arts]

It's been at least a year since I searched for a ray gun (circuit) that sounds similar to Steve Steven's signature "Rebel Yell" sound (we play that in a cover band). They are impossible to find, most of them are way too digital/modern sounding and cannot be tuned (in terms of LFO rate).

IT seems, my search is over - check this out!

Here is another one with the same circuit.

[matmosphere]

That's super cool, and a pretty simple circuit

[jjjimi84]

That is so cool! Bookmarking this to build later with my kid.

[EBK]

Would someone mind posting the schematic?

[somnif]

Would someone mind posting the schematic?

[EBK]

Thanks!

[lars]

Now somebody needs to mod this circuit so we can actually run a guitar through it. Envelope-controlled bleeps and chirps!

[EBK]

Now somebody needs to mod this circuit so we can actually run a guitar through it. Envelope-controlled bleeps and chirps!

I bet Freppo has already designed something close to that.   

[Marshall Arts]

Home from vacation, I breadboarded the circuit. I did some changes (pot tapers, ranges etc.) to it and will post an updated schematic once I have finalized it. Here is how it sounds now. It does not create all the sounds of the original ray guns, but does the most recognizable pew-pew-sound pretty well. Tiny remaining problem is, that it takes some time to initially charge up the capacitors (twice in the very beginning of the video). I can live with that, unless somebody has an idea how to pre-charge the caps.

I did some research about the effect, and found some funny stuff, which I thought I'd share:
- the original was created using the modulation lexicon PCM-41 digital delay
- Stevens says, that modified toy ray guns himself to be able to control the oscillator speed
- He also says, that these aren't made any more, so he searches for similar ones on ebay
- Somebody seems to sell clones of these for 149 $ 
- There is a stompbox "Loud Button Electronics WTF Distortion/Low-Frequency Oscillator", that can create some similar sounds

Here are some sources: The links point to the right position in the videos (so you don't have to listen to the complete Vince Neil Song  ):
INTERVIEWS:
Steve Stevens' Rig Rundown, 2013
Ray Gun Demo, 2014

MUSIC:
Billy Idol, Rebel Yell, 1983
Michael Jackson, Dirty Diana, 1987
Steve Stevens, Atomic Playboys, 1989
Vince Neil, Look in Her Eyes, 1992

[jimilee]

Now I want one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Marshall Arts]

I will make a PCB for myself and give away the remaining boards. Here is the schematic with my modifications:

[moosapotamus]

I have an old toy ray gun. The only control it has, besides the trigger, is a fast/slow switch. And the barrel is clear with a red LED that lights up when you pull the trigger. But it sounds exactly like your video. Love the additional controls!

That WTF pedal sounds pretty cool, too. I never heard of it before. Wonder what's under the hood?

[rockola]

I built a ray gun circuit once. Only problem is, I was going for a Dr. Quack.

[youtube width=400]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFXCgCJwH7A[/youtube]

[Marshall Arts]

I built a ray gun circuit once. Only problem is, I was going for a Dr. Quack.

[youtube width=400]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFXCgCJwH7A[/youtube]

That sounds quite convincing as well :-). Please reverse engineer asap.

[Marshall Arts]

It's done. I bought an old solder gun on ebay and we brought tiny aluminum champaign bottles from our vacation. Other parts are an old XLR Plug, aluminum tubing and an old closet knob. What a fun project. It's mighty loud and even has some cool blinking lights ;-)