Build Your Own Clone Message Board

if anyone can confirm for me i would be really grateful.

i ordered the optical compressor kit. i play bass guitar and if you check out the schematic diagram:

http://buildyourownclone.com/opticompinstructions.pdf

it suggests to change out the C1 and C2 to .1uf for use with the bass guitar.

i ordered the replacement parts and i was told that in the image in step 5 to change out the .01 capacitor (there is only one) and the .047 capacitor in the bottom right of the image. is this correct? i really didnt understand what c1 and c2 had to do with the labeling of those capacitors.

thanks in advance

Replace the caps according to this layout. The caps are numbered by their position is the signal path.

sweet, thanks for that. the pedal kit should show up this friday and the replacement parts any time. hopefully i can do the build this weekend. ill report back with hopefully positive results.

Hi. How do i know wich capacitors to buy. I looked att this site but theres many different 0.1uf capacitors

http://www.banzaieffects.com/banzaisearch.php?entqr=0&access=p&getfields=productimage&entsp=0&sort=date%3AD%3AL%3Ad1&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&btnG=Search&client=Banzai&q=0%2C1uf&filter=0&ud=1&site=default_collection&oe=UTF-8&proxystylesheet=Banzai&ip=88.198.55.226&proxyreload=1&start=0

how do i know which ones to buy for this bass mod?

The first cap listed will work. If you get the Wima cap you might want to make sure it's lead spacing is the same as on the PCB. The others are high voltage caps which makes them physically too large for the PCB. Film caps for a 9V circuit like a stomp box will typically be rated around 50V. Higher voltage ratings are OK to use as long as the cap will fit on the PCB without getting in the way of other components.

EDIT: I took a look at the 2nd page and the Xicon "Greenies" would work as would the MKT caps.

Ok i think i will buy the first one then or

i found this to http://www.banzaieffects.com/Panasonic-SMF-0-1uF-pr-24380.html

Which do your recommend of thoose two?

Should i replace all the original 0.1uf with one of these then so all the 0.1uf on the board will be the same or does it matter?

The Panasonic stacked metal film caps are the ones I personally use in my builds. Do they sound better than others out there? I don't know and I really don't care. I don't have the time to split hairs over something I consider trivial.

Should you mix and match .1uf caps? It's really up to you. It's not like the thing will burst into flames if you do. Or don't.

Ok thanks i will go with the panasonics then. the seem good. thanks for the help

I bought this .1uf caps.

http://www.electrokit.se/item_show.php?code_no=40511410



the ones in the middle of the picture are the same size as the ones i have bought. The .1 uf caps that came with the kits i bought are like the green ones to the left. They are almost twice the size of the orange ones if you messure the "head". But does that matter how big or small they are?

As long as they fit in the enclosure you are fine.

Thanks. One question.
In the manual

http://buildyourownclone.com/opticompinstructions.pdf

it doesnt say to lead R3 showed on this picture.



It doesnt say anything about that resistor but its included in the package. Shall i use it or not?

If it's a 470K resistor I'd say the odds are pretty good you need to use it.

Yes you need that 470k resistor. It has been omitted from the parts checklist.

So, exactly what values do we use for the bass mod then?
Thanks,
B

Change C1 and C2 to .1uf to do the bass mod.

Technically speaking, what is the actual difference of the bass mod? I assume it has to do with better low freq response, right?
If you do the mod, does that mean the opticomp will be somehow only appropriate for bass but never guitar again...?
I'm building mine these days and would REALLY like to use it with both instruments.

You can easily switch between the two capacitors with, appropriatly enough, a switch.

ok, but I'd like to know why that would be necessary

C1 and C2 are the input and output coupling capacitors. They limit the amount of lows allowed to enter and exit the circuit. The smaller values are used for guitar to prevent the lows from sounding muddy, flabby, loose, boomy, etc.

sorry to be bringing up a largely dead thread, but the whole, search before post thing is a good idea...and this thread answered all but two of my questions.


without doing this mod, will playing bass through this pedal damage it?

and if not, will it suck the balls out of my bass tone (sounds like it should be a good thing...right? ), or start pumping, or what?

obviously the mod does something to make it better for bass, but what?

i'm quite happy to build it how it came, then do the mod myself to find out, as this will be my fist build, and i'm using it more to get my eye in and head around building shit. and chose the opticomp because it looked simple, would hurt my paycheck the least if i completely f'ed it up, and you can never have too many comps...

Damage it? No

Read the post just above yours. If built to guitar specs a lot of your low end will be attenuated by these caps.

cool, cheers for that.