The Elements May 2012 - Binary Code Message

[huggernaut]

So I don't know if that sucker works with the Elements as it wasn't borned yet.. but I think it would... but it's flimsy... you probably have spiders in Australia that could break it.

Terrifying Australian Spiders of Doom!

Hmm...

Band name?

[Ryan]

I bet the spiders are already using that band name and you do not want to mess with their legal team... imagine how awful lawyer-spiders would be!

[CBA]

Hey thar...

Real quick question: What makes the Elements GO as it were? I've read a few places that it uses some silicon innards and I've read a few places that it uses some germanium innards, along with the LED clipping and all that stuff that I don't understand.

Probably no simple answer, but I was just wondering, because there seems to be a few different answers on different sites.

THONKS!

C

[sylnau]

Hey CBA,

From the user guide:
The middle position is open, no clipping diodes at all.
The bottom position is asymetrical clipping which is a mix of silicon diode clipping with the other side open.
The upper position is LED clipping.

Mine is from the first batch.

[goroth]

In addition to Syl's info, the Elements uses NE5532 op amp gain stages. It sounds all kinds of awesome.

[Ryan]

Hey Christian,

It's a pretty simple answer for sure and I always show the guts off for anybody interested in that kinda thing. The Elements is made to GO by 4 dual op amps. I use 5532s but they're socketed for experimentation, users can plug in any dual op amp they want and they do all sound different.

The clipping stage is visible on the pcb as well, there's a total of 7 diodes used. For the symmetrical clipping setting, up position, there's 4 red LEDs (~2V), 2 for each gain stage. The asymmetrical clipping setting, down position, uses a germanium diode (.3V) paired with a white LED (~3V) for the low gain stage and a silicon diode (.6V) paired with nothing for the high gain stage.

The full gut shot of the Elements is on page 1 post 1 of this thread, feel free to link it to anybody curious about what's in there!

[stillborn]

I just wanted to stop by and say that the elements is my favorite distortion pedal I've used thus far.


That is all, and thanks for showing awesomeness that has surpassed time and space, Ryan.

[CBA]

Hey Christian,

It's a pretty simple answer for sure and I always show the guts off for anybody interested in that kinda thing. The Elements is made to GO by 4 dual op amps. I use 5532s but they're socketed for experimentation, users can plug in any dual op amp they want and they do all sound different.

The clipping stage is visible on the pcb as well, there's a total of 7 diodes used. For the symmetrical clipping setting, up position, there's 4 red LEDs (~2V), 2 for each gain stage. The asymmetrical clipping setting, down position, uses a germanium diode (.3V) paired with a white LED (~3V) for the low gain stage and a silicon diode (.6V) paired with nothing for the high gain stage.

The full gut shot of the Elements is on page 1 post 1 of this thread, feel free to link it to anybody curious about what's in there!

Cooooooooooool. Yeah, I actually searched for and looked at the gutshots for the The Elements before asking, but I'm all and then and then and then and then and then again and then and then and then and then I repeat all that.

If you're still reading... yes thanks for the info! I can identify germanium transistors every once in a while, and I guess sometimes op-amps, but I kinda have to know they're there in order to find them.

Good to know that there's such a variety in there. Obviously it's really only the sounds that matter, but I like to know how that ass is created.

My birfday is on Friday the 13th; already have a The Elements, but thanks again for offering the discount and building such excellent effects!

C

[Ryan]

I hear you buddy, I'm always curious about circuit topologies too...

The Frazz is 4 transistors and a 386 chip amp, that's what makes it go.

Badass birthday this year for you, very cool! In lieu of a birthday pedal I hope you get a massive pizza, 48" at least.

[Waterpilot]

I just wanted to stop by and say that the elements is my favorite distortion pedal I've used thus far.


That is all, and thanks for showing awesomeness that has surpassed time and space, Ryan.

[Ryan]

I just wanted to stop by and say that the elements is my favorite distortion pedal I've used thus far.


That is all, and thanks for showing awesomeness that has surpassed time and space, Ryan.

Woops, I missed this post yesterday! Thanks for stopping by and I'm really happy you're digging the Elements and I thank you for your awesome display of awesomeness as well!

[futuresailors]

Wait. So could I like, change a diode/LED to make it even higher gain?

[Ryan]

Well, you could make the clipping more aggressive for sure.. you could have more series stages of it or swap in all GE diodes for the lowest clipping threshold possible.. even add diodes to ground off the op amp outputs ... you betcha there's room for experimentation.

You can also change the gain of the pedal by changing a couple resistors on the pcb, the gain for both stages is set by a resistor (say a 100k) over another resistor (say 1k) so you have 100k/1k and a gain of 100.. there's two spots in the circuit where you can change that ratio for more gain. I've tried to dial it in so it's in the most useable/not crazy noisy range but a guy like you could pop in some trimpots and have the option of more gain.

With way more gain, especially in the high gain stage, you're mostly just going to get more compression and noise though.. it's wound up quite high already and it's at a threshold of diminishing returns where if you go higher it doesn't necessarily sound better... although the first 50 or so Elements were running hotter... I lowered it since a few people found it too noisy.

[futuresailors]

More gain, compression, andnoise? You don't say!

And plus steampunk pretty much mandates that I mess with it.

[Ryan]

Shoot me an email and we can go over where those resistors are! But I just have to say to everybody reading this thinking they're going to hot-rod their Elements, in my opinion it isn't worth the effort and the risks of hosing up the pcb are much greater than the rewards... it's gain is very carefully set to be hot as heck without excessive noise...