Have you ever plugged in the wrong polarity power supply? If the circuit was never designed with that in mind, you probably weren’t too happy with the outcome! Chips can get fried, capacitors can blow up, and magic smoke may appear from strange places. Mitigate the damage done to your precious guitar effect designs by […]
Circuit 5 of 48: Reverse Polarity Protection Read More »
[Last Updated: January 6, 2024] The Attenuator When you use a volume control knob on your guitar effect pedal you are most likely using a circuit called an attenuator. An attenuator is a circuit that decreases the amplitude of a signal. Attenuators are usually built with components called potentiometers. The Potentiometer A potentiometer (or pot,
Circuit 4 of 48: The Attenuator Read More »
[Last Updated: January 6, 2024] Intro to The Voltage Divider The voltage divider is one of the most common circuits you will run into when designing guitar effects. You may hear terms like: All these terms more or less point to the same thing: the generation of a constant voltage. The voltage divider allows you
Circuit 3 of 48: The Voltage Divider Read More »
The BOSS compact pedal series was introduced in 1977, and with it came the ACA adapter power supply. BOSS introduced it’s modern power adapter, the PSA adapter, and has since moved on from the unregulated ACA equivalent. As a result, guitarists purchasing these legacy BOSS pedals have found problems using the ACA-based pedals with the
Convert Your Boss ACA Pedal to PSA Read More »
[Last Updated: January 4, 2023] Reviewing the True Bypass Circuit We introduced the True Bypass wiring scheme in Figure 1.1, shown again for your reference. When engaged, the input signal travels into the left side of the FX CIRCUIT block through switch SW1a. The output signal travels out of the right side of the circuit,
Circuit 2 of 48: The De-Popper Read More »
[Last Updated: January 3, 2024] What is True Bypass? The idea behind True Bypass wiring is simple: when bypassing a guitar pedal the signal should be routed directly from the input jack to the output jack with minimal interference. Nothing should get in the way of the guitar signal when the pedal is true-bypassed. The
Circuit 1 of 48: The True Bypass Read More »
The Electro Harmonix LPB-1 has been a staple on my board for quite some time. The circuit is easy to understand, lending itself as a key starting point for those interested in modifying guitar pedals. In this article, we go over two EHX LPB-1 mods that will make it a useful addition to your pedalboard.
2 Useful EHX LPB-1 Mods Read More »
Audio probing guitar effects circuits is an essential skill for the stompbox designer, repair person, and modder. An audio probe is a device used for detecting audio signals at specific points in a circuit. It is especially used to troubleshoot guitar effects circuits, and you can build one using just a few components. In this
The Definitive Guide to Audio Probes Read More »
Often times you will need to specify, purchase, and replace electrolytic capacitors when dealing with audio electronics. Whether you are building audio circuits, or repairing vintage equipment, this is a necessary skill you need in your toolbox. By the end of this article, you will know the most important factors you need to take into
Electrolytic Capacitor Replacement Guide for Audio Electronics Read More »
The BOSS DS-1 distortion has been with us for almost half a century. The DS-1 is a distortion pedal with a relatively simple circuit and has been popularized by the likes of Kurt Cobain, Joe Satriani, Robert Smith, Steve Vai, and others. Most iterations of the DS-1 have been built with through-hole electrical components, making
Top 9 BOSS DS-1 Modifications Read More »
