Echo Base

[jkokura]

I like to keep my builds posted to the site they originated from, so I usually only post my Madbean projects here and keep the others to myself. However, this one was special, and I really like how it turned out. I also know a few people have been turned on to Taylor Livingston's boards recently, so I wanted to show how one could look for you.

This board started as someone else's project. They drilled the holes wrong in their enclosure, and so let the board go for sale. I bought it, double checked the work, and got it in the enclosure yesterday afternoon. I had one of these before, but traded it for an amp, so I wanted another to replace it. I still have one more board, but will be building that one into a 1790NS with some extra switch functions to play with. In any case, I hope you like star wars...



And the Guts.



Jacob

[gtr2]

That's a top notch build!!!  Great job on getting it in a 125.   

[eniacmike]

that is sweet. I guess it has some sort of relay bypass?

I just built his tap tempo tremolo and I thought the board was really nice stuff.

How did you get your holes lined up perfectly for the board mounted pots?

[mjcyates]

Looks great! I am really liking the sound of the one I just completed. I see you didn't opt for the tails switch or the modulation switch. They are really not necessary, not sure why you wouldn't want the tails on and the mod can effectively be turned off by the depth knob.

[jkokura]

that is sweet. I guess it has some sort of relay bypass?

Nope, it's just a buffered bypass. Similar to a Boss Pedal or such. The designer of the circuit wanted tails as a part of the feature set, and you can't have tails with true bypass.

I just built his tap tempo tremolo and I thought the board was really nice stuff.

Yep, Taylor's work is great! I will say though, that the echobase is a far superior board in my opinion. The Tap trem was a great project, but the layout and function of the echobase is much, much better.

How did you get your holes lined up perfectly for the board mounted pots?

Very carefully. It was a challenge. Things are really precise with this one. I do all my graphic layouts using a vector program, then print them out and tape them to the enclosure. On these graphics I have precision 'x's for where all the holes are. It really helps to visualize where all the knobs and switches will be. In my early work, I had trouble with knobs or washers covering up words, or worse, words just not lining up with the holes, or even worse than that holes not matching up with well laid out graphics.

Once the graphic is taped onto the enclosure, I use a punch to mark where all the holes will be. Then a trip to the drill press gets me pilot holes, then I use a step bit to get the holes the right size. Immensely superior to what I used to do, and really helpful for precision work like this!

Looks great! I am really liking the sound of the one I just completed. I see you didn't opt for the tails switch or the modulation switch. They are really not necessary, not sure why you wouldn't want the tails on and the mod can effectively be turned off by the depth knob.

I actually meant to have the tails on. Come to think of it, I didn't check which way it was supposed to be jumpered... But yes, I do want the tails. Who wouldn't want the tails feature? After all, it is a buffered bypass system, and without the tails what's the point?

As for modulation, yes, you can turn it off with the knobs. However, I will be building a second version for myself that has a stomp switch for the modulation on or off feature - It'll give me explosive crazy sounds I think!

My only complaint as of right now is that it degrads into oscillation too quickly. I'd like it to barely start to feedback with the repeats full on, and right now at about 3 or 3:30 I start to get run away repeats.

Jacob

[eniacmike]

How did you get your holes lined up perfectly for the board mounted pots?

Very carefully. It was a challenge. Things are really precise with this one. I do all my graphic layouts using a vector program, then print them out and tape them to the enclosure. On these graphics I have precision 'x's for where all the holes are. It really helps to visualize where all the knobs and switches will be. In my early work, I had trouble with knobs or washers covering up words, or worse, words just not lining up with the holes, or even worse than that holes not matching up with well laid out graphics.

Once the graphic is taped onto the enclosure, I use a punch to mark where all the holes will be. Then a trip to the drill press gets me pilot holes, then I use a step bit to get the holes the right size. Immensely superior to what I used to do, and really helpful for precision work like this!

how do you figure out the distance for the pots to put into the vector program though? the only thing I have done with board mounted pots was the zombii and I just measured the distance from lug 2 to lug 2 on each pot, but I ended up having to drill twice anyways.

[gtr2]

I'm not sure what Jacob uses but I just bought a digital caliper after struggling with the fatpants in a 1590A.  I use the free vector program inkscape which has rulers and some templates I found on DIY stomp forum.  I did have to adjust the templates as the enclosure sizes were a little different than my 4site enclosures.  It's still tricky so I print out a copy and re-adjust things till I get it right..  I'd be interested too to hear Jacobs insight.

Josh

[mjcyates]

My only complaint as of right now is that it degrads into oscillation too quickly. I'd like it to barely start to feedback with the repeats full on, and right now at about 3 or 3:30 I start to get run away repeats.

I had the same issue and did a little research. Just change the 20k resistor below the feedback pot to 100k and problem solved.

[jackbart1960]

Very cool! I've been looking at building one of these and this info is definitely noted.
Jacob as usual absolutely killa!!!
Peace. J.J.B.

[jkokura]

how do you figure out the distance for the pots to put into the vector program though? the only thing I have done with board mounted pots was the zombii and I just measured the distance from lug 2 to lug 2 on each pot, but I ended up having to drill twice anyways.

Yeah, I used a ruler to determine the distance between lug 2 of two pots. I actually checked all of them, but they're all the same.

In Inkscape, I simply created pots with knobs on them. They're big circles that are precisely 3/4 inch diameter with an X through circle denoting the centre. Then I simply space them at the distance from each other. If I remember right, in this instance it was 7/8 of an inch from centre to centre. Line em up.

The harder thing was to measure the right HIEGHT for the pots. Side to side was no biggy, but as you can see from the pic above, the board touches the top wall of the enclosure and the switch. A 1/16th of an inch either up or down and the board wouldn't fit right. For that, I simply went with a trial layout. I know the approximate measurement of the right angle pots  from where they go right angle to the centre of the shaft (I used a ruler and some calipers and got the right measurement). Then I took the board, laid it inside the box, and with some finagling got the right spot. Measured that, and then used that measurement in my inkscape drawing. Printed it out, cut the drawing out, and then before I started punching marks, I again laid it all out inside and outside the box and double checked and rechecked and finally, I just went for it.

Turns out I did it perfect, because any distance off what I have now and it never would have worked.

Jacob