Yet More Jazz Improvisation!

https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/jazz-improvisation-exercise-5a
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/jazz-improvisation-exercise-5b

More Jazz Improvisation

More jazz improvisation for my summer online jazz course!
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/jazz-improvisation-exercise-2
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/jazz-improvisation-exercise-3
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/jazz-improvisation-exercise-4

Weslie Sound Samples

Testing the Weslie circuit, a 'Sort of a Wobbly Leslie Simulator'. It sounds a bit like a suttle tremolo, but it does have a sound of its own!
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/weslie-sound-samples

Die Roll 2, in D Whole Tone

I used a die to create this composition:
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/die-roll-2

(Die Roll 1 is here.)

Jazz Improvisation

Jazz improvisation for my summer online jazz course!
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/jazz-improvisation-exercise-1

Weird Noise Synthesizer Update

Drilling the holes on the biscuit tin for my Weird Noise Synthesizer and entering the components. I used a cardboard template to punch some marker holes, and then used my step drill. Next step is to solder the boards together!

Weird Noise Synthesizer Layout

Finalising a rough layout of how everything will be laid out within the Weird Noise Synthesizer (a compilation of 'weird sound' circuits, which will eventually be finished in a biscuit tin!).

Owl Rhythm

I was testing the Hooting Owl synthesizer circuit tonight, and then rearranged it into a short rhythm track! (Headphones and constant loop recommended!)

https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/owl-rhythm

Finishing New Pedals - '71 Fuzz

This is the '71 Fuzz, which I finished yesterday.

I used metallic green, vibrant purple and vibrant orange paints, as well as some purple glitter, to give the pedal a '70s feel. I did have some trouble when the internals of the 1 mega-ohm pot set on fire (!), so I had to use a 500 kilo-ohm pot and some resistors instead, which limited the range of the pot (so it's really like a one-sound pony!). Nevertheless, the sound of the pedal is really good, and there are some interesting ideas that I could incorporate if I wanted to make this pedal again.

Sound sample of my vintage pedalboard (including this pedal):
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/vintage-pedalboard-sound-sample

(The '71 Fuzz on its own is the second sequence of chords, with the first being a clean guitar signal.)

Pedalboard Demos

I finished the '71 Fuzz yesterday! So here are some sound samples for my vintage pedalboard ('71 Fuzz, into Para Para Paradise, into EA Tremolo, into LPB Boost) and my Frantone pedalboard (Francard Fuzz, into Brooklyn Overdrive, into Thunderhead Bass Booster, the latter two I had already owned).

https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/vintage-pedalboard-sound-sample
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/frantone-pedalboard-sound-sample

(Vintage Pedalboard Sound Sample: Clean signal, then '71 Fuzz on, then Para Para Paradise added, then EA Tremolo added, then LPB Boost added, then everything on maximum!)

(Frantone Pedalboard Sound Sample: Fran Fuzz on (pots on minimum, then maximum), then Brooklyn Overdrive added (for the last two tests).)

Finishing New Pedals - Sound Samples

EA Tremolo Sound Sample:
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/ea-tremolo-sound-sample
(Volume pot on halfway throughout; Depth and rate pots on minimum, then halfway, then maximum)

Francard Fuzz Sound Sample:
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/francard-fuzz-sound-sample
(Both pots on minimum, then halfway, then maximum)

Finishing New Pedals - Francard Fuzz

This is the Francard Fuzz, which I have finished recently.

The original idea was to make a pedal based on Fran Blanche's 'Fuzzcard' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DMsNxn7kBg). The Fuzzcard was based on 'stacking' two LM386 chips, which is the basis of most of Fran's fuzzes. The two strange things about this are that the LM386 is an op-amp (so it is designed as an amplifier, not a fuzz!) and people don't 'stack' them in the way Fran does.

The main difference between my pedal and Fran's Fuzzcard is that Fran left pins 1 and 8 (of the chips) unconnected, so the chips had a fixed gain of 20. However, I connected pins 1 and 8 with a potentiometer (one per chip), so the chips have a variable gain (25 to 200).

Firstly, I made my own schematic and stripboard layout based on Fran's video. I then tested the circuit on breadboard, but it was difficult to test as breadboards can be noisy and the chips amplify the noise.

Eventually, I built the circuit and it sounded good, but there was a lot of 'hiss' and the fuzz was 'stuttery'. So I looked at a Peach Fuzz schematic (the Peach Fuzz is one of Fran's fuzzes) and worked out that one capacitor value in my pedal was probably incorrect. (I also put in a capacitor to eliminate noise, like on the Peach Fuzz.) I tested this on breadboard and it seemed to work.

I then applied those fixes to my pedal - it worked!

I also wanted to paint the case as a homage to Fran, so I used 'Hepcat' colours (light blue and white) and the 'F' from her signature. I also put in a purple LED, as it matches the colour of the closing credits of her videos.

Finishing New Pedals - EA Tremolo

I have finished a couple of pedals recently. Here's the first.

This is the vintage-style EA Tremolo from Fuzz Dog. It was an easy-enough build, but I chose for the LED to flash at the same rate as the tremolo itself!

Painting new pedals

 Painting the first coats on my next set of pedals. (The green is metallic!) They will be a fuzz, a fuzz and a tremolo.

 

Soldering Update

I have recently made a big breakthrough in some of my soldering projects!

When I was last testing the Weird Sound Effects Generator, it was very loud through an amplifier even with the volume on 0. I have found out that the reason for this is because the amp's input is designed for an 'instrument level' signal, which from a guitar pickup is a very low voltage (well under a volt), but the Weird Sound circuit output is based on its power source, which is a 9V battery. So it's overpowering the amp circuitry.

I fixed this by using two resistors as a voltage divider, to try limiting the voltage from the Weird Sound circuit to the amp. This fixed the problem! I had to add over 1 mega-ohm of resistance!

Here are some sound samples from the Swanee Whistler and the Weird Sound Effects Generator (in that order) with the new voltage divider mod:
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/sound-samples-swanee-whistler-and-weird-sound-sample-2

Weird Sound Effects Generator

Testing the Weird Sound Effects Generator. (It works!) It's a 3-oscillator circuit, built on matrix board. The one thing that is unusual is that when you play it through an amplifier, even with the volume on 0, it's very loud. Yet when I played it directly through a mini speaker, it was very quiet.

My next step is to get this fitted inside a case - I'm thinking of using a jam jar!

Here is a 1-minute-long sample from the circuit:
https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/weird-sound-sample-1

First Pedal Build

First two pedals finished!

These are the Jeds Peds LPB Boost and the Jeds Peds Para Para Paradise low-gain overdrive.

I learnt a lot from the building. I hand-painted the LPB Boost using paints I had available, and I bought a white spray primer for the overdrive. I finished both of them with a clear spray lacquer, which fortunately didn't damage the paint!

Effects Pedal Bits

Some bits arrived today. Will be trying to build a non-PCB 'old skool' perf board effects pedal from a schematic in a 1970s electronics magazine.

Die Roll 1

I struggle with initial creative ideas (although I am OK once I get started). Partly because of this and partly because I wanted to see what would happen, I decided to create a random song based on die rolls.

I used both a hexahedronal and an octohedronal die to determine the key, chords and melody (including rests!). The end result was competely random, completely dependent on the die rolls!

https://soundcloud.com/user-879811118/die-roll-1

Blue Octopuss

Got my free stickers today from Blue Octopuss band in France!

They're a great-sounding band and I am looking forward to their debut CD release (hopefully be later this year).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ElKcWxPRCg
https://www.facebook.com/blueoctopuss/

Jeds Peds LPB Boost

My first successful pedal build - a Jeds Peds LPB Boost with grit option. I used some Jeds 60/40 leaded solder and it made it MUCH easier than the unleaded I used previously. The boost sounds even better in the room than it does in the video. Now I have to design & paint the case!

https://www.facebook.com/135624070320089/videos/4229217187099446/

Talent Show funk piano

 School Xmas Talent Show funk piano entry. (With pink flamingo!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW1o5BO4jzA

Bela Lugosi's Dead

Happy Halloween!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdpZ5vhnkNU

Yet More Funky Piano

Here's some more funky piano I've been doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ikwnVFusQ

More Funky Piano

Next funky piano piece!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDCoHH5Dbt4