As paint dries...

I know that music is the best type of post, but I haven't been able to continue recording the track which I've completed the rhythm guitar for. I will continue its recording soon, but I've had a couple of things getting in the way of that. I've also been tempted to just post what I have of the track, which is its rhythm guitar... but that would take away the greater impression of its completed form, and it should be a damn good impression.

This is another of those Build Your Own Clone effect pedals, and the 5th that I've put together. This one is a recreation of the MXR Distortion II, with some minor adjustments, including changing the clipping style from symmetrical to asymmetrical, giving the pedal true bypass, reducing its unwanted noise, and adding a switch to change clipping types between a crunchier sound, and the traditional sound.

For this pedal build, instead of soldering in the diodes which configure the pedal for symmetrical or asymmetrical clipping, I soldered in these sockets, which I can fit the diodes into, and then still take them out and arrange them in other ways after the pedal build is completed. This will let me listen to and choose whichever style of clipping I prefer, while still being able to change things again at any time later. If only these things worked for all parts of life.

I would be finishing up this build now, but it's been less than 12 hours since the last layer of paint I sprayed on, and it takes 24 for the paint to fully dry. I'm tempted to, and probably will finish it now anyway. I'm sure the paint will be OK with gentle handling, plus I'll have that nice chemical paint aroma while I work.


I also recently modded a BOSS CS-3 compressor pedal that I have, with a mod that replaces some lower quality parts with higher quality ones, to reduce the noise level, and to give the pedal a slight tonal adjustment.

I don't have a demonstration of before and after the mod to show, but there is this clip from the mod maker's website that demonstrates the modded sound. It still delivers the particular extreme signal squishing that is the BOSS CS-3's style of compression, but it does so with a much lower noise floor, and with a touch of high-end clarity added.

C~ Soundscapes