Effects and whatnot.
Envelope Phaser
Bob Ojeda asked me to make him an envelope phaser for bass. Why not? Reinventing the wheel can be a good learning exercise. 🙂 Let's see, we're going to need a good phaser, ability to adjust range, regen, attack release envelope with a staccato mode... What am I missing here? Expression pedal link, side-chain, and a blend knob. That should be good for starters right?
Envelope Phaser Update
I got the boards manufactured and shipped. 8 are available for manufacture. I've got my prototype loaned out for feedback and maybe a demo recording. The prototype can be set to use 4, 6, or 8 stages, range and sensitivity control, as well as feedback. You can choose to use it as a classic phaser with LFO, or turn on the envelope for whacky goodness. Bob wanted something to give him the effect used on the bass on songs such as Jive Talking - The BeeGees. This is our attempt at that. I designed it to fit in a 1590XX box but I'm trying to see if I can fit it into a 1590BB. Stay tuned.
Envelope Phaser Update
Parts arriving this week. Concept artwork: done. It's going to fit in a 1590BB which is great news because that keeps the footprint down to width: 125mm, depth: 95mm. (4 3/4" by 3 3/4") The ins, outs, and power are all at the top end of the effect. Can't wait to unveil it for you.
Germanium Boost
I'm working on 4 Germanium boost pedals. One to give away and 3 to sell. I sourced 2 transistors from the US and 2 from Bulgaria, the Russian made ones. This should be quite interesting. The parts are on their way and should be here by the end of the week. The Russian parts are going to be mid to late September.
2 years since last update…
I hang my head. 2 years. Really? Life finds a way... in the words of Doctor Malcom but to mess up the quote: to distract you. A lot has happened. So many things have changed. Right now, we've got this pandemic thing happening and I've been fortunate because my job is in demand (my day job, that is.) I've been working a lot most recently but also thinking about what I'm going to continue doing with Bramofon. I'm working on that. It's always been a small operation with small parameters and specific deal breakers for myself. I'm really just kind of musing here but I'll say this. I've never had a doubt about the sound and quality of my builds but I've always wanted more out of how they look. The problem is, I'm not great at producing that particular aspect. I don't have the facility or means to do it. There will likely be a new track where I just build the stupid pedal without any design fanfare and it shall be so. I've already got updated boards for the Dirty 6th ready to produce and I may go old school acid etching the enclosure. If you don't hear...
Loopers
Why not? One of my first pedals was a looper. Very simple. Single switch, volume knob, true-bypass. Apparently some people want that with multiple loops. No problem. I can do that. I'm going to do that. Parts are on their way.
Odds and ends
I've been keeping myself busy with various projects. I built my own tube amplifier at about 2 watts. I ended up building a kind of Leslie baffle to go with it and that was interesting. Most recently I've been playing around with Arduino and learning c++. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up making a programmable looper.
Dirty 6th Limited Edition
I've begun making a limited edition of the Dirty 6th involving dye and paint. The results have been interesting. https://www.instagram.com/p/CFlSR-0gIbv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CFlS289AFFd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CFlSkA7AFVP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CFkLXKbA1x-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxayOeglBG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CF0mLiKAF-2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Still here. Still going
I am still here. Took a break from doing pedal stuff for a little bit but ramping up again. Got some powder coated and printed enclosures and hand painted designs for the Dirty 6th. Stay tuned!
Makin’ stuff
I woke up with the idea that, since the interesting bits are actually paper, maybe I could watercolor paint on it. I did some youtubing and came up with the idea of using food color or tea or coffee. I actually painted several things before I tried the pedal. Turns out the paper on the pedal is too porous to take watercolor in an way other than a random wash. So I threw red at it until it looked like hamburger and then baked it. (The one on the right) These are both Dirty 6th modded in a format I'm calling Thessalhydra (8 controls). Basically at your feet you've got your bypass/on and another switch to select your alternate gain selection. You can go from off to on to OMG IT'S SO ON. I've committed to making 7 of these. 3 are sold.
New Projects
The Moskow Mule is getting an update as well. Germanium Treble boost. Right about the time I decided this will happen, well, Russia and Ukraine started hitting the news again. I am greatly saddened by this whole thing. I don't really choose to take any kind of political stands or make statements with my business but it's made me think in light of all this, the name just doesn't make me smile like it used to. Thinking of changing the name a bit. I don't know. Otherwise, I'm planning to take a little bit of the brain work out of hooking up this pedal. Previously, you had to run it on isolated clean power and tolerate a lot of foolery common to these devices. I'm basically working on removing that nonsense to make it as easy as possible to use. Without ruining it. Yes. It can be done.
Booster Progress
I've made a germanium boost and had it on my board for a while. Works great. Today I did several more parts of it. Tested an idea I had for polishing the aluminum box, made another boost circuit which test ok first time (always nice). I've got a friend who may be doing a vinyl sticker for the art. I'll see how that pans out. Well on track to have 3 ready for purchase by mid September. Unless I decide to keep one of them.
Can’t leave well enough alone
So I decided to make a dumb looper. For now, not programmable. You just select the loops you wish to engage. Straight forward, meat and potatoes. I can't help but make it classy. How about some fine quality oak contrasting aluminum? I'm already building this proof of concept but I can configure it with switchable ground lifts, more loops, tap tempo, selectable bypass all/tuning mute, switchable buffers. Hit me up for a customized looper.
78 Holes
Takes longer than you might think. Might take less. Depends a bit. A few more Dirty 6th getting ready.
Happy trails!
Just sent my first order for the Moskow Mule up to the Great White North. A friend from Canada ordered one so there is now and empty spot on my pedalboard, but not for long. The first one made went as a door prize at a local event. Right now I'm using DIPTrace to create the PCB's for manufacture. I have 2 designs in the works. The Moskow Mule of course, but also a clean boost in a smaller box. It will also have a switchable internal buffer and be true bypass. I expect to have at least 2 of each ready in about a month.
Talk to me Goose
A year late and a complete redesign later, the first Bramofon clean boost is moments from production. Circuit boards are finished and enroute to me now. Instead of some off the wall design or very specific types of electronics, I’m coming at you with the meat and potatoes. Opamp boost with one know but a few tricks up its sleeve. More to come…
Doing the stuff and the things
Pretty excited about my first manufactured PCB. It's going in a pedal called the Plucky Sidekick. I hope to make a Super Hero Series and this ended up being the first of that line. It's extremely compact to fit in the tiny enclosure. I wanted to give the option of using its internal buffer or not since there's no need if the pedal before it has a fine buffer. It also has a body control. If you want to use it to beef up a rhythm sound, the low end might be too much so you just skinny it up with the body switch. I'm really happy with how it turned out and the first one went straight on my board. Super clean, very low noise. It's excellent for punching up even clean solos.
Blend
It has been quite a while since I've updated. My effects are about to become much more available but more on that later. I'm developing a blend effect that will be available in less than a month from now. Among the features are: blend knob to mix 2 loops. Warm input buffers and powerful output buffers. One of the loops will have a phase selector as well as a selector to use an external effect in the loop or an internal clean boost.
Partnership with Tone I/O
Soon, you will be able to try out and purchase Bramofon Instrument Effects in person at Tone I/O in North Austin. Really looking forward to the opening of this shop, as well as the opportunity to be showcased beside such great names as Wampler, Weber, and JHS.
New boards available!
Hey hey! I've got some new boards available. Daughter boards for a true-bypass circuit which are designed for a mini 3pdt switch. Check out the product section for more info.