Tremolessence Ultimate Version Features

[t-rey]

Sounds like a snazzy addition. Any idea when we might be seeing this new version?

[oinkbanana]

are the "Unlatch and Ramp" mutually exclusive features?
can they be separate from each other?
the Unlatch toggle changes the stomps function from "regular stomp ON/ stomp OFF" to "only ON while you hold the stomp switch down"
the Ramp knob "time it takes for the depth to go from zero depth to max depth setting" once ON (and ramp down)

with both set you could do like the VB-2 in this video, which is really exciting and would drastically change the way people use the effect (as an expressive effect)
but I think many people would enjoy a ramp feature with the stomp in regular mode (where the effect could blend in and out without having to hold down the stomp for long sections of songs)
& there's always the choice to set the Rise knob to zero, where it takes zero seconds to get to full dept (which is how they normally operate). [or would none of this work because the rise range can only be 1-5seconds, and not 0-5seconds.?]

either way

[Ryan]

This new Tremolessence version is a top priority for me, I really want to have these boards ordered this summer and be making these pedals this fall. Basically as soon as we're able to afford the manufacturing and we're working hard on it this summer. It'll take awhile though as it's just hard to get everything done on time when there's still all the emails and soldering and shipping and stuff that has to get done normally... I try to spend all my free time on projects like the new Tremolessence and getting the next round of miniberator boards sorted out.. that's my fun times on weekends.

Ok Kevin, we're all talking about the same things here, right? The unlatch feature is the feature where the pedal is on but not doing anything, and then when you push the stomp switch the pedal starts doing its thing. That's what I'm calling 'ramp'.. because I think it's a better name for it than 'unlatch'... so I hope I'm not being too confusing or misleading or anything.

So you have two modes with the Tremolessence.. normal on/off mode where the stomp switch is your on/off button, and then ramp mode where the stomp switch is your momentary effect engager and you have a knob that controls how quickly or slowly the effect 'ramps' in to full depth. (The depth knob sets the maximum depth still for both modes.) A toggle switch will choose between normal mode and ramp mode. And the ramp mode is exactly the same as the VB-2 unlatch mode, except I use totally different parts as I couldn't find any of the weird old parts used in the VB-2.

The features I laid out in the first post are all the features I'm planning for this pedal though, no second foot-switches or esoteric voltage outputs and definitely no tap tempo... the features I've got planned will completely fill the box and be a big challenge that I'm probably not smart enough to pull off, so I'm not really looking for any more. *smile*

[JayLFO]

Wow. This sounds like it'll be awesome.

[johnson]

The ramp feature sounds like an awesome idea!

[Ryan]

Welcome to the forum, guys! Loving that Red Dwarf sig! I've been rewatching the series from season 1 over the last week, just finished season 8 last night... I love those smegheads so much.

[oinkbanana]

sounds like you've got the feature thought out!
how's the proto running?

[johnson]

Welcome to the forum, guys! Loving that Red Dwarf sig! I've been rewatching the series from season 1 over the last week, just finished season 8 last night... I love those smegheads so much.

Thanks Ryan! I used to watch that show with my dad back in the day and I have been hooked ever since...SMEG!

[Ryan]

sounds like you've got the feature thought out!
how's the proto running?

It's running awesomely, Kev! I've had it bread boarded awhile now and all the features are working great, the expression controls work great with a few exp pedals, the momentary-switch-ramp-unlatch-whateverwecallit-feature is working perfectly... I'm excited about it. I've got the pcb layout started too.. that's the only downside, it's hard to stuff all this into the small box and it's a really tight pcb, like the miniberator.

Welcome to the forum, guys! Loving that Red Dwarf sig! I've been rewatching the series from season 1 over the last week, just finished season 8 last night... I love those smegheads so much.

Thanks Ryan! I used to watch that show with my dad back in the day and I have been hooked ever since...SMEG!

Cool, Pete! Did you watch the 3 episode season 9 mini-series from last year? It was neat to seem them back after a 10 year hiatus hey!

[johnson]

sounds like you've got the feature thought out!
how's the proto running?

It's running awesomely, Kev! I've had it bread boarded awhile now and all the features are working great, the expression controls work great with a few exp pedals, the momentary-switch-ramp-unlatch-whateverwecallit-feature is working perfectly... I'm excited about it. I've got the pcb layout started too.. that's the only downside, it's hard to stuff all this into the small box and it's a really tight pcb, like the miniberator.

Welcome to the forum, guys! Loving that Red Dwarf sig! I've been rewatching the series from season 1 over the last week, just finished season 8 last night... I love those smegheads so much.

Thanks Ryan! I used to watch that show with my dad back in the day and I have been hooked ever since...SMEG!

Cool, Pete! Did you watch the 3 episode season 9 mini-series from last year? It was neat to seem them back after a 10 year hiatus hey!

Oh cool, Not yet, I will have to check that out!

[oinkbanana]

It's running awesomely, Kev! I've had it bread boarded awhile now and all the features are working great, the expression controls work great with a few exp pedals, the momentary-switch-ramp-unlatch-whateverwecallit-feature is working perfectly... I'm excited about it. I've got the pcb layout started too.. that's the only downside, it's hard to stuff all this into the small box and it's a really tight pcb, like the miniberator.

oh cool!
hopefully you run into less bumps then the minirrr gave you along the way (but even that ones still getting some internal redesign i'm reading, guess it never ends )
quality pcb layout is definitely an art
do you use any particular software to help you?

[Wizard]

I'll be honest Ryan, when you emailed me back and mentioned this stuff i wasn't too into the idea, but i'm stoked. If i can't get this for guitar tracking (3 weeks lol) i need it for tour. really badly.

<3

omfg

[Bellyheart]

Bigger Box would not be an issue to me.

[Ryan]

oh cool!
hopefully you run into less bumps then the minirrr gave you along the way (but even that ones still getting some internal redesign i'm reading, guess it never ends )
quality pcb layout is definitely an art
do you use any particular software to help you?

I think the Tremolessence pcb process is going to go a lot faster than the miniberator process went.. geeez that took a long time. It took 3ish months to design and perfect the layout, 3ish months just for the quoting process, we lost a month in September for our wedding trip and all that, a couple months to get the finances in place, and a couple months for the order lead time from the manufacturer in Ontario. It won't be like that again though.. I'm going to have the layout perfected quicker, we'll be going with RMF in Ontario again to make the boards, and we plan on having them ordered within a couple months, along with the next round of miniberator boards.

You're totally right though, Kev, that pcb layout process is always evolving. For the miniberators there's a few things I need to change about the pcb that are slowing the builds down for me... one of the LED holes is always filled in with solder, 2 of the ADC pins need a more direct path to ground, and 2 of the diff filter caps need to be higher value... these little adjustments I have to do for each board takes 15ish minutes and they're things I can design out of the next round of boards.

I just use the totally generic and free ExpressPCB software, used it for 5 years now and I just like it... I've always used them for the boards I've populated myself and I still use them regularly for getting prototype boards in 5 business days. With the miniberators and the new trems though I just do the prototyping with ExpressPCB and then I buy the Gerber files of the layout off them and send those files to RMF in Ontario to make and populate the new boards.

Evan, we talked you into these features hey! Glad to hear it! I think it makes for a really feature packed tremolo pedal and the more I mess around with expression pedals the more I like them. I'm really excited to add this ramp feature (I think I'm gonna call it 'Hold') to the Cosmichorus too, it'll be really cool with that pedal too.

I'm planning on ordering the first proto pcbs this weekend, the layout is basically done already I just have to double check it and get the silkscreen layer packed with lots of stupid stuff.

[Tubbs]

will it be in the same size enclosure as the current Tremolessence?