Foxrox Paradox TZF

[Jack5]

Reckon this one meets a couple of criteria for a project:

Not in production (website says its having a rest).

Not available for reasonable dollars on the second hand market either.  When and if available that is.

Customizable level of complexity - eg I think switching on this is electronic, which I'm assuming could be omitted to simplify the project.

Hopefully no unobtainable mojo parts - wishfull thinking here, I don't know.

Many seem to hold this pedal out to be best in its class as far as flangers go as well as having some unique features.


Negs would be:

It may be difficult to find one available for RE.

Its a complex build (could be a positive depending on your view).  I would treat it as a challenge.

Limited market for boards??

The guy is a small scale boutique builder and I know some may have a problem with supposedly cutting his lunch.  That said, its been out of production for a while now with no indications as to when its coming back.

Overall, at the price advertised on the website its a pretty good value product IMHO given its a complex build and reported production quality, the design and uniqueness of what it does and its robustness - its just not in production and said to be so for economic reasons.  IMHO this is the clincher for what makes it a viable diy project - too costly to produce as a commercial product (in its current form) but so rare/unique/unavailable and challenging as a project that a diyer who is not going to count the cost of their labour will happily build one.  Maybe not a large production run madbean board but a worthwhile one nonetheless.

[Sigesmundninja]

I'm glad to say I have one of these. Think I've had it for  8-10 years. I took out the PCB yesterday just cause I was curios about what was in there. Foxrox makes super-cool effects! for a long time my pedalboard was just  guitar > Wah > Captain Coconut > hot cake > TZF

[Mich P]

Sigesmundninja wrote :
"I'm glad to say I have one of these. Think I've had it for  8-10 years. I took out the PCB yesterday just cause I was curios about what was in there. Foxrox makes super-cool effects! for a long time my pedalboard was just  guitar > Wah > Captain Coconut > hot cake > TZF"

Wow i would love to see inside pics !!
Mich P.

[gtr2]

This thread is useless without pics. 

[Sigesmundninja]

Might be able to get some posted in about 3 hours when get of from work

[Sigesmundninja]

enjoy... but there seames to be some dirt on the lens.

[Mich P]

Thanks Sigesmundninja that's an amazing machine !!
Mich P.

[jkokura]

MN3007 and NE571 for sure. Looks like a complicated version of a simple flanger.

Jacob

[Scruffie]

MN3007 and NE571 for sure. Looks like a complicated version of a simple flanger.

Jacob

Basically what Through Zero Flanging is, almost two flangers in one.

From my experiments, Companding on the 'dry' line would be useful as this is supposed to be your clean signal only it's very slightly delayed, so minimal distortion here and a sound representative of your inputs dynamics is desireable. Companding on the wet line is just good design but could be avoided.

I'm working on a TZF project inbetween other things so if that becomes something we'll have to see as time permits, but it's certainly an effect I want on my board.

Thanks for the pictures though, it's interesting to see how well made this is, it'd be nice to know what clock he's using, from the looks of it a 4013 & 4049?

[Sigesmundninja]

LM348N x 4
CD4046BE x 2
JRC4558D x 2
NE571N x 2
MN3007 x 2

and there is a 8-dip chip under a heatsink that i cant identify

[Jack5]

So this has progressed more quickly than I anticipated.

Thanks Sigesmundninja for the photos.

Quote from the foxrox website:

'Power - Paradox requires 9 Volts, AC (9VAC) in order to operate. A power adaptor is included with each unit. Don't confuse 9VAC with 9VDC, which is what you get from a 9V battery. That's what most other effects use, but not TZF. TZF's internal circuitry runs at 36Volts DC, split into plus and minus 18 Volts."

Does this help identify the function of the unidentified chip under the heatsink?  With 9VAC input and supply ultimately delivering + and - 18V rails a voltage multiplier/inverter would be required.

Is this what the heatsink would be for?

What is the T220 package?  DC regulator to supply the charge pump?

there are a couple of weird looking components.  the two orange rectangular shape items (five pins I think)  audio relays?

Very excited in hoping that this ends up in a full on tracing thread.

Any chance of some photos with greater resolution Sigesmundninja?

[Mich P]

Agree, tracing this one would be fantastic,
and all the chips still available, so ...
Mich P.

[Sigesmundninja]

My camera lens really needs a good cleaning, this is the best I can come up with for now

[mattc]

I would LOVE to be able to build one of these!

[Mich P]

What we need is a tracing doctor !
Mich P.