Zero point mini

[JakeFuzz]

My 1590a pedalboard is almost complete! I knew I had to build this when I saw the description. This one fits in with the bare enclosure and different colored knob scheme. I have an Apis and my Smoothie left to go.

This is the first build where I used low profile jacks and put the board on the top. There is actually quite a bit of room in there. These jacks require a 1/2" hole which I wasn't expecting and wasn't possible with the step drill I have. Everything went together easily though. Layout wasn't really too much of an issue and there is plenty of space to work with. Using these low profile components really helped save a ton of vertical space in the enclosure.

For this build I used all MLC caps. I used a TLE2072 in place of the TL072. I just did the standard modulation switch wiring. It sounds great! I wasn't able to play at huge levels, so more on that tomorrow. The filtering sounds excellent, very tape like. The stock modulation is also perfect, not too subtle but not sea sickness extreme. Mine had a little bit of white noise but I think it was due to my enclosure not being grounded which I just fixed with a crimp ring on one of the enclosure screws; more on this tomorrow. Also the lip of the back cover hits the top of the electrolytic caps and the regulator on one side of the PCB but I plan on removing the lip tomorrow so that shouldn't be an issue. I also think I am used to hearing my DBD which can make the delayed repeats much louder than the dry signal. The maximum mix is about unity gain on the repeats with this build which I may have to get used to. Overall excellent sounding circuit!

[wolfingsworth]

Nice build man! That is a pretty big board to fit into such a small box! Way to be the first on the mini ZP!

[pickdropper]

That looks great, JF.  I also need to build a smoothie. 

Are you making a custom pedal board for your 1590a setup or using an existing solution?

I'm planning on making one out of acrylic, but I haven't made time for it lately.

[jimilee]

That looks great so far man. I built a smoothie and had the same cap issue,so I turned the board over and had the caps facing inward. Worked like a charm. Didn't care for the smoothie overall though.

[madbean]

Yeah, the location of the regulator and those caps is not ideal, but pretty much where they had to go. On mine, the regulator sticks up just about 1mm or so above the lid, but it squashes down with the lid. I put a bit of thin foam under the PCB so that the solder joints cannot contact the jacks in any way.

Probably the best choice for the two filtering caps is 10uF tantalum which could then be angles inward a bit. If you are like me, you never have them around when you need them.

I've had a few other builds where I've had to cut the lip down on the lids due to parts sticking up. You can actually use an exacto knife to do this. The metal is quite soft.

[JakeFuzz]

Thanks guys! Maybe a demo in the next week when I get some time.

That looks great, JF.  I also need to build a smoothie.  

Are you making a custom pedal board for your 1590a setup or using an existing solution?

I'm planning on making one out of acrylic, but I haven't made time for it lately.

I built a small wooden board sized just for 1590a's. It is in the same style as my other 3 boards. They are super cheap to make (probably cost me about $5 worth of wood). I think the handle and the velcro are the most expensive parts. The paint on this one is cobalt blue hammertone!

That looks great so far man. I built a smoothie and had the same cap issue,so I turned the board over and had the caps facing inward. Worked like a charm. Didn't care for the smoothie overall though.

Excellent idea. Ill try that when the time comes to box mine up. Was the smoothie too subtle for you? I am going to us the univibe cap ratios in mine.

Yeah, the location of the regulator and those caps is not ideal, but pretty much where they had to go. On mine, the regulator sticks up just about 1mm or so above the lid, but it squashes down with the lid. I put a bit of thin foam under the PCB so that the solder joints cannot contact the jacks in any way.

Probably the best choice for the two filtering caps is 10uF tantalum which could then be angles inward a bit. If you are like me, you never have them around when you need them.

I've had a few other builds where I've had to cut the lip down on the lids due to parts sticking up. You can actually use an exacto knife to do this. The metal is quite soft.

Not a problem at all really. When I build in these tiny enclosures I usually plan on doing a lot more grinding and fitting than I did. This lip will be gone with two passes on the Dremel's sanding wheel. I use the same 3M foam and there is a bit of give. It does smash down when I tighten the screws. Damn that is a good idea with the tantalum! I have a whole bag of 10uF's too! Ahh next time. I am also putting together an Apis right now, ill make sure I use tantalum on there. 47uf  EE caps are also tough to find in the right size. The ones I ordered were the right height but way too wide.

[icecycle66]

Pretty blue tears.

[midwayfair]

Noice!

[pickdropper]

That's a nice looking pedal board.  I am starting to think I might be making mine into more work than necessary.

[JakeFuzz]

That's a nice looking pedal board.  I am starting to think I might be making mine into more work than necessary.

Dude an all acrylic mini board would be sweet though. You could do some Celtic knot work on it. The velcro tends to cover up a lot of the board. This was made to carry around with my sleeper 5F2 in a vibro champ xd and man is it light!

[pickdropper]

That's a nice looking pedal board.  I am starting to think I might be making mine into more work than necessary.

Dude an all acrylic mini board would be sweet though. You could do some Celtic knot work on it. The velcro tends to cover up a lot of the board. This was made to carry around with my sleeper 5F2 in a vibro champ xd and man is it light!

This is starting to derail your thread, so let me know if you want to take it to a completely different topic.  But it is interesting, so I'd like to keep on with it somewhere.

Yeah, with acrylic, it wouldn't be too hard to add some fancy graphics, but my main goal was clean cable management.  There will be a little bit of thickness to it, with a top and bottom plate, so the wires can be stuffed inside.  There are square cutouts between the pedals and cutouts for the DC jacks on top of the pedal (where I always put them).  I have a small and a large version roughed out, but I am limited to a max of 18" wide (the side of the bed on the laser cutter/etcher I have access to).  The short version will be 12" and hold 5 pedals.  The longer version holds 7.

If I add some real estate in the front of it, I could build in a bypass looper, with those footswitches upfront and the pedals in a row behind them.  That won't be for the first version, but could easily be added later.  Here is a mock-up of where I currently have it.  I need to add an input for the DC socket.  It will most likely break out to a One-Spot power splitter on the inside of the box.



I will probably also add braces in the center, although it may not need it as the acrylic will be 3/16" thick.

[JakeFuzz]

That is totally rad man! Do the bottom tabs on the sidewalls act as feet or is the whole system enclosed with a bottom panel as well? That front looper idea would be epic. I could see like a Cornish style board with just foot switches and knobs coming out of the top. What might be cool for the DC jack is to take a onespot daisy chain cable and cut off the input female connector and solder that to a panel mount one on the top or side. You could counterbore the hole and have it recessed for a clean flush look. I would go with the 7 pedal one. The daisy chains I have go to 8 so that is what I made my board to fit. Are those two separate lower panel designs? What are the holes for on the lower one? I want one now!

[pickdropper]

That is totally rad man! Do the bottom tabs on the sidewalls act as feet or is the whole system enclosed with a bottom panel as well? That front looper idea would be epic. I could see like a Cornish style board with just foot switches and knobs coming out of the top. What might be cool for the DC jack is to take a onespot daisy chain cable and cut off the input female connector and solder that to a panel mount one on the top or side. You could counterbore the hole and have it recessed for a clean flush look. I would go with the 7 pedal one. The daisy chains I have go to 8 so that is what I made my board to fit. Are those two separate lower panel designs? What are the holes for on the lower one? I want one now!

There is a bottom plate (not shown) and all of the tabs fit into it, so it will be an enclosed system (all the mess trapped inside).   I'll may add feet to it, but it probably won't be necessary.  The only real advantage would be if I wanted to angle it.

You are spot on with the DC jack.  I am going to cut off the input connector of a daisy chain cable and wire it to a panel mount DC jack, although that probably will be one of those low profile ones and not recessed.  The 1/4" inputs and outputs will also be panel mount and have a cable wired to them that plugs into the first and last pedals on the board.  The two lower panels are actual a front and rear panel that will be mounted vertically when it is put together.  The holes are for the input and output sockets, I just haven't added the DC socket hole yet.

It could certainly be made with just footswitches and knobs coming out, but I am going to start with the actual pedals being mounted on it so that I still have the ability to change out pedals as things move on and off the board.

Yeah, the 7 pedal version is what I want, but the 5 pedal version will be first as I have 12" acrylic stock to try the idea out on.  I am going to order longer stock soon.

[bandit]

great work!
have mine ordered the day it became available, just waiting to arrive in Portugal and then start to work...
still have to find a place to get the resistors

the board seems a good idea too
keep up

[JakeFuzz]

There is a bottom plate (not shown) and all of the tabs fit into it, so it will be an enclosed system (all the mess trapped inside).   I'll may add feet to it, but it probably won't be necessary.  The only real advantage would be if I wanted to angle it.

You are spot on with the DC jack.  I am going to cut off the input connector of a daisy chain cable and wire it to a panel mount DC jack, although that probably will be one of those low profile ones and not recessed.  The 1/4" inputs and outputs will also be panel mount and have a cable wired to them that plugs into the first and last pedals on the board.  The two lower panels are actual a front and rear panel that will be mounted vertically when it is put together.  The holes are for the input and output sockets, I just haven't added the DC socket hole yet.

It could certainly be made with just footswitches and knobs coming out, but I am going to start with the actual pedals being mounted on it so that I still have the ability to change out pedals as things move on and off the board.

Yeah, the 7 pedal version is what I want, but the 5 pedal version will be first as I have 12" acrylic stock to try the idea out on.  I am going to order longer stock soon.

Dude keep us posted on the status of this build. I would be very interested to see the final product. I see about the input and output sockets. Is that for the looper? This is a really cool idea BTW, you may need some shielding in there too.

On another note, I got to test this a little more with my portable rig and it sounds amazing. I didn't notice too much noise (no more than any other delay). The mix is actually perfect; it reminds me of the Carbon Copy I used to have. All the way up is still pretty extreme which I like. The filtering is perfectly done and the modulation is excellent too; everything is very musical and the repeats fade into a degrading warmth. Build this pedal, nuff said.