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Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 04 Apr 2011, 19:07
by Crazylead
Out of engineering pedals. No finish , only stickers . Duck taped goopish safety for shorts :P ...
Lack of design aspects. Randomize circuits on breadbord . Packaged in aluminium box.

What a mass. I think.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 23 Aug 2012, 12:33
by night-butterfly
Verified schem and layout :wink:

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 13 Oct 2013, 03:06
by DavidRavenMoon
Crazylead wrote:Out of engineering pedals. No finish , only stickers . Duck taped goopish safety for shorts :P ...
Lack of design aspects. Randomize circuits on breadbord . Packaged in aluminium box.

What a mass. I think.

The one i just bought from her was made very well on the inside. And her pedals sound great. Plus they are fairly unique and original, unlike half of the boutique pedals on the market which are copies of something else.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 13 Oct 2013, 20:02
by astrobass
DavidRavenMoon wrote:
Crazylead wrote:Out of engineering pedals. No finish , only stickers . Duck taped goopish safety for shorts :P ...
Lack of design aspects. Randomize circuits on breadbord . Packaged in aluminium box.

What a mass. I think.

The one i just bought from her was made very well on the inside. And her pedals sound great. Plus they are fairly unique and original, unlike half of the boutique pedals on the market which are copies of something else.
Last year I pre-ordered a pedal from her. Took over six months to ship and didn't come with the right knobs. But whatever. When I opened it up it was all SMD, and on a board that had a bunch of unused pads, so at some point she did some real engineering. Even when she was using through hole construction the boards were always multi-purpose though. That's how she offers 33 different fuzz pedals, it's like 6 basic designs with variations within them.

So yes, she isn't ripping off existing stuff, but she is doing stuff like adding a single B100K pot between the PCB ground and the negative pin on the power supply to make the difference between the Hyperion and Hyperion 2 for instance, and charging $200 for the Hyperion 2 vs $100 for the Hyperion.

I would also point out that none of her stuff uses input or output buffers, and she never figured out tone stacks either. Not particularly surprising that she's giving up on her pedal business, there really are only so many ways you can connect overdriven transistors up to one another and if she'd ever been really serious about the electronics side of the business, she'd have developed some new skills and expanded her designs ages ago. But they all basically come back to a small number of building blocks, all of which revolve around the same basic idea.

It's smart business though. Reducing everything to use common values for the components between pedals is a good way to go. Multi-purpose PCBs are also clever. She doesn't sell anything that couldn't be put together in an afternoon though.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 13 Oct 2013, 23:36
by DavidRavenMoon
I got a vintage fuzz master. I like it. it was only $60. I had to add a battery clip, so I poked around the insides, but I didn't bother to unwrap the PCBs to look at it. I build lots of stuff, but wanted a few of her pedals. I've gotten to know her a bit. She's a character. :)

Image

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 14 Oct 2013, 03:17
by astrobass
That's weird, because I've seen guts of a VFM that wasn't wrapped up, were straight up SMD jobs, looked like they were done via an automated process. Maybe when she did the budget pedals she was hand building to clear out inventory of through-hole boards? Interesting.

If it's through-hole you can use a DPDT switch to flip the collector and emitter of the 2N2907A around, and in so doing have both a Soda Meiser and VFM in the same box. That's the only difference.

If you add an SPST (or SPDT on/on) switch for the second 100 nF cap to disconnect it/connect it from the circuit, you've got one of the switches from the VFM side of the Rocket. If you do the same thing with the 2.2M resistor, you get the other switch from the VFM side of the Rocket.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 14 Oct 2013, 05:21
by DavidRavenMoon
astrobass wrote:That's weird, because I've seen guts of a VFM that wasn't wrapped up, were straight up SMD jobs, looked like they were done via an automated process. Maybe when she did the budget pedals she was hand building to clear out inventory of through-hole boards? Interesting.
I believe this is through-hole. She said she did the SMD boards by hand, and stuck them in an oven!
If it's through-hole you can use a DPDT switch to flip the collector and emitter of the 2N2907A around, and in so doing have both a Soda Meiser and VFM in the same box. That's the only difference.
I just read that last night! I'm going to look into doing that mod. I like the VFM as an octavia type fuzz, but I can't use it as much as I'd like.
If you add an SPST (or SPDT on/on) switch for the second 100 nF cap to disconnect it/connect it from the circuit, you've got one of the switches from the VFM side of the Rocket. If you do the same thing with the 2.2M resistor, you get the other switch from the VFM side of the Rocket.
Even more fun!

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 15 Oct 2013, 02:10
by astrobass
Interesting about the manual reflow technique. I suppose if you don't have the volume to invest in pick and place and you don't want to invest capital in inventory by offshoring production, that's the intermediate step that saves time vs through hole soldering. Probably possible with just a halfway accurate residential oven even. Probably wouldn't want to use the oven you cook food in, though.

I've found with the pedals of hers that I've used and cloned that none of them handle intervals on the bass guitar very well. Single notes seem to work okay. Similarly only fifths and octaves reeeeeally usually sound good on guitar. They seem to suit less complex playing. Too many notes ringing turns into garbage almost instantly.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 15 Oct 2013, 03:07
by commathe
astrobass wrote:Interesting about the manual reflow technique. I suppose if you don't have the volume to invest in pick and place and you don't want to invest capital in inventory by offshoring production, that's the intermediate step that saves time vs through hole soldering. Probably possible with just a halfway accurate residential oven even. Probably wouldn't want to use the oven you cook food in, though.

I've found with the pedals of hers that I've used and cloned that none of them handle intervals on the bass guitar very well. Single notes seem to work okay. Similarly only fifths and octaves reeeeeally usually sound good on guitar. They seem to suit less complex playing. Too many notes ringing turns into garbage almost instantly.
I think that defiantly holds for a lot of fuzzes though.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 15 Oct 2013, 03:50
by DavidRavenMoon
commathe wrote:
astrobass wrote:Interesting about the manual reflow technique. I suppose if you don't have the volume to invest in pick and place and you don't want to invest capital in inventory by offshoring production, that's the intermediate step that saves time vs through hole soldering. Probably possible with just a halfway accurate residential oven even. Probably wouldn't want to use the oven you cook food in, though.

I've found with the pedals of hers that I've used and cloned that none of them handle intervals on the bass guitar very well. Single notes seem to work okay. Similarly only fifths and octaves reeeeeally usually sound good on guitar. They seem to suit less complex playing. Too many notes ringing turns into garbage almost instantly.
I think that defiantly holds for a lot of fuzzes though.
Yep. Chords and fuzz don't work. Same is true on guitar. You need distortion, not fuzz. I have a modded boss ODB-3 that sounds great!

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 15 Oct 2013, 13:31
by astrobass
Lots and lots of fuzz pedals can handle chords quite well. Please don't presume that I don't know what a fuzz pedal is.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 15 Oct 2013, 14:00
by DavidRavenMoon
astrobass wrote:Lots and lots of fuzz pedals can handle chords quite well. Please don't presume that I don't know what a fuzz pedal is.
Please name a few of them. A fuzz is a waveform shaping device not a clipping device. A lot of them do not handle more than one note at the same time very well. But some are better than others at it. The same is true with some of her pedals. I started using fuzz on bass 42 years ago how about you? :D

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 15 Oct 2013, 15:18
by astrobass
I'm not going to argue semantics with anyone who doesn't think a device that clips is a "wave form shaping device".

What do you think is going on in that VFM? How do you think it's making your guitar sound that way if the input signal isn't being clipped?

Being old doesn't make you right, nor does arbitrarily redefining common use terms to fit your argument. But especially not when your definition doesn't make any sense.

But whatever. I'm glad you like your pedal and I wish you the best in modding it. Personally I have little use for fuzz pedals that get overwhelmed so easily by more than a single note and that's something for anyone considering this pedal to take into account.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 17 Oct 2013, 14:30
by freq67
DavidRavenMoon wrote:
astrobass wrote:That's weird, because I've seen guts of a VFM that wasn't wrapped up, were straight up SMD jobs, looked like they were done via an automated process. Maybe when she did the budget pedals she was hand building to clear out inventory of through-hole boards? Interesting.
I believe this is through-hole. She said she did the SMD boards by hand, and stuck them in an oven!
If it's through-hole you can use a DPDT switch to flip the collector and emitter of the 2N2907A around, and in so doing have both a Soda Meiser and VFM in the same box. That's the only difference.
I just read that last night! I'm going to look into doing that mod. I like the VFM as an octavia type fuzz, but I can't use it as much as I'd like.
If you add an SPST (or SPDT on/on) switch for the second 100 nF cap to disconnect it/connect it from the circuit, you've got one of the switches from the VFM side of the Rocket. If you do the same thing with the 2.2M resistor, you get the other switch from the VFM side of the Rocket.
Even more fun!

I actually told her about the oven trick and I believe she's using a toaster over.....don't know how stable of a heat sorce you can have with one of those :? . I also found out she was solder SMD parts without flux!?! Look up the gut pics of those Silver rose Pedals...eeek.I asked why she wasn't using flux and she didn't know what I was talking about :shock: . I basically told her she should just use solder paste and By-pass all the hand soldering all together and use an oven and do a controlled multiple stage heating....looks like she listened.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 17 Oct 2013, 14:36
by theehman
freq67 wrote: I actually told her about the oven trick and I believe she's using a toaster over.....don't know how stable of a heat sorce you can have with one of those :? . I also found out she was solder SMD parts without flux!?! Look up the gut pics of those Silver rose Pedals...eeek.I asked why she wasn't using flux and she didn't know what I was talking about :shock: . I basically told her she should just use solder paste and By-pass all the hand soldering all together and use an oven and do a controlled multiple stage heating....looks like she listened.
I build microwave RF modulators at my job and we've used a toaster oven for years. Right now I have 4 PCBs in it toasting away.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 17 Oct 2013, 14:53
by astrobass
Toaster ovens are just as likely to have stable, accurate temperature control as a large conventional consumer grade oven. You could buy a digital remote probe thermometer with a temperature alarm to monitor it for $10 or less (I know I can get one for $7 here in Canada) if you were especially concerned. I probably would if I were doing that technique but there's a local maker space with basic automated PCB fab, pick and place and reflow machines that I'd just rent time at if I were trying to operate at that intermediate production level.

If you're not doing through hole and hand soldering for the marketing appeal though, I'm pretty sure there comes a point where you just get it done overseas.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 17 Oct 2013, 18:24
by freq67
Good to know about using toaster ovens. I worked in a board house for 4 years and for the last ten I've been building industrial electronics(mostly MSD stuff). As for board work over seas?? We have a place that is doing our boards at stupid prices. Just have to look around.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 17 Oct 2013, 18:30
by astrobass
Cheap used toaster ovens are also awesome if you're using enamel spray paint on your enclosures. You definitely don't want to bake THAT in your food making oven. On the whole, not a bad $10 equipment investment.

They'd probably also be helpful for removing certain types of goop, too.

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 17 Oct 2013, 19:32
by freq67
I ment to say stateside

Re: Devi Ever - Legend of Fuzz

Posted: 18 Oct 2013, 01:25
by commathe
astrobass wrote:Lots and lots of fuzz pedals can handle chords quite well. Please don't presume that I don't know what a fuzz pedal is.
I would love to build a fuzz that can handle chords! Any thing that's been traced you could point me towards? Though I do like playing major seconds with a fuzz that can't handle it and getting that very aggressive beating sound.