The Elements... *teaser pic July 5, page 16*

[Blakemore]

Had a chance to bread board some more this weekend and it's coming along nicely, getting closer to the kind of distortion tone I'm shooting for.

So this notch filter, I've been messing with it too and I like it... it's a deep cut of a narrow band of frequency and it just changes the character of the distortion in a neat way, I think.

That parked wah kind of sound.. I like that kind of sound sometimes... you can already kind of do that with the Cleanness if you dime your mids, big mid range boost that has that kind of sound. With the Elements I've got a 3 way mids frequency switch on the bread board that goes from high-mids, mids, low-mids and the low-mids setting has a cool parked wah sound with the knob dimed.

The eq controls with the notch filter knob make for a wide variety of tones, I think it's worth having a knob for. Well so far I do... early days still!

Oooohhhh. I see what you mean. I thought you meant you wanted it to be like a parked wah type of thing, which did confuse me a bit, since I know we've talked before about how neither of us really cares for wahs, but it sounds like you're talking about a filter that does the exact opposite. Instead of leaving one narrow frequency band, you're allowing us to cut out one narrow frequency band. That seems like it could have a ton of cool applications, and it sounds very unique. I'm definitely excited about that feature.

[oinkbanana]

we're here for new designs because we have all the other ones already...


so.
update?/recap?

[Ryan]

You are too on the ball, buddy!

There's been some progress with the Elements... I'm nearly ready to order the first pcb, I think the circuit has come along quite well. I've been a little close lipped about the box layout and stuff this time around but I've been meaning to do a big update for a little while now... so let's do it!

First off, I've experimented like crazy with this... built a huge breadboard right up full 3 times and tore it down and started from scratch, tried several kinds of filters and eq controls, different locations for every stage, tuned it with several guitars, and I think this on a good path...

The circuit goes like this: (*and keep in mind, low medium high gain is really subjective, it depends on the person as to what makes some thing low gain or high gain and some people's high gain is other people's low gain, so I'm just using these terms relatively/generally)

Input buffer > active mid-range control with 3 selectable ranges: high, mid, low > input bass selector with 3 choices: tight, normal, thick > 1st gain stage: no gain to medium gain > gain selector switch: low gain mode or high gain mode > 2nd gain stage (high gain mode): low/medium gain to medium/high gain* (3 position toggle for 3 clipping options: open, LEDs, asymmetrical) > buffer > active bass control > cheeky active treble control (same as the Tube Screamer's ) > output buffer > volume knob > mix knob. (the dry side for the mix knob comes off the input buffer) Plus there's an expression jack for mix.

It's very quiet, very tweakable, and I can play Slayer riffs all day with it. It has all the same gain range as a Cleanness plus way way more. The positions I have for certain sections, like the midrange before the gain but bass and treble after the gain are in my opinion the best/most powerful ways of doing it. I've tried every section in every position, more than once to be extra sure, and I think this configuration owns.

I'm planning on ordering the first proto pcb this weekend and then hopefully make the first proto build next weekend. We're thinking this pedal will have boxes that are powder coated and screen printed (they're really complicated boxes: 6 knobs, 4 toggles, expression jack, too much labeling for Tanya with barely any art room) but I'll do the pcbs by hand.

I'll have pics soon and then I spose it'll be time to do a demo video too...

[Companda]

Oh, The Elements. It will be mine.

[futuresailors]

Mmmmm...one day I'll have money and Ryan will get all of it.

[Wizard]

i can has?

[oinkbanana]

use some of that D&D magik to make sure this pedal comes out quickly!

[Eric!]

ROLL A 19 OR 20!

[Ryan]

Oh, The Elements. It will be mine.

Maybe you will be... its! Because.... IT'S BEHIND YOU!

And because it has D&D magic it's bigger on the inside than you so you fit easily... with room for more. *scary music*

I used more D&D magic to get the pcb ready and ordered today, so next weekend should be the first prototype build. I think we'll probably have these ready before the new Tremos since we'll get the boxes powder coated and screen printed but I'll do the pcbs myself, so once the layout is decided we can get cracking on having the boxes ready while I finalize the circuit.

[Companda]

And here I thought you only used your dirty black magics on pedals for me.

I'mma go drown my sorrows in Dr. Pepper and Jolly Ranchers.

[Lonely Raven]

Hmm, I just stumbled into this thread. The Elements sounds fun! And I happen to be looking for something to replace my Crunch Box. I was going to get a Fetto (crazy good high gain), but I'll see what the mad Dr. of Sound comes up with first!

[Blakemore]

This pedal sounds so awesome. I really can't wait. Ryan, don't forget that I still have dibs called on the first The Elements. I called it on the third post in this thread, and the first post in the other thread. That makes it official.

Seriously though, this pedal is going to be awesome. I can't wait!

[Holy Schnikes]

Hey Ryan, sorry if it's already been covered...will The Elements cover all the ground of The Cleanness, then combine it with the gain stages, like two pedals in one?

I love my Cleanness, just a really awesome design and such a useful pedal. I didn't realize how much it could do until trying it out for awhile. I'll boost my amp, OD pedals, pair it up with modulation, use it after fuzz, match unity gain when I have volume loss live with certain effects, eq at the pedal so I can leave my amp alone, just tons of applications. I used to use a SHO which sounded good but had zero tone control and it just blasted the shit out of everything in line behind it.

Pair that up with a med/high gain overdrive and I'm absolutely sold! Have you decided on an enclosure size yet?

[Connor]

Change the name to The Dungeon Master.

[Ryan]

Thanks guys! I'll do a demo vid as soon as there's an appropriate prototype!

Blake, your dibs are duly noted! *smile*

The Elements does cover the same ground as the Cleanness, same range of boost, same ability to cut the volume down, you can use it just as an eq with no gain, it covers all those tricks and I think it might mean the end of the Cleanness too as I think I'd rather just make one pedal that covered all the bases rather than have a sort of redundant pedal in the line. Still pondering that one I spose..

The Elements will definitely be in the 125B box, my new favourite size. 6 knobs, 4 toggles, in/out/9vdc/exp is just too much to fit into a 1590B but I can stuff it nicely into the 125B.