Mike's Pedal Thread

Post by **Mike** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 3:55 pm

Bloody hell that's funny. There were loads of people in the post office paying shitloads of cash to guarantee delivery before Xmas. Whoopsie for them.

Yeah, it's supposed to distort your Tiny Terror, it gives you teh Crunch Tonez.

Make sure you show me lots of piccies when you refinish it!

markleton · Post by **markleton** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 4:07 pm

Will do, gonna wait till after xmas, it's too cold to do it outside i think and i have a few to get done. Didn't say i don't enjoy teh crunch tonez.I might even do a demoz.

hazelwould · Post by **hazelwould** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:09 pm

How much do those trem/vib things run?

Also, do you have a demo of the hotcake?

Post by **Mike** » Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:25 pm

Nah I just got it out to Haze as soon as I could so I didn't demo it. ProGuitarShop have a demo on youtube though.

The Trem/Vib is a bastard to build and uses lots of parts so that one is more like Â£90 I'm afraid.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 11:01 pm

Here's the modded RAT I'm making

And a Harmonic Perculator I'm making for a guy on youtube

Post by **Doog** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:46 am

Mike wrote:Here's the modded RAT I'm making

EXCITE.

How much would one of these run for, Mikey?

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 9:17 am

Probably like Â£70-Â£75. I'll make a thorough demo when I'm done, but when I was prototyping I was loving the sounds. It has the "famous" LM308N op-amp and is Vintage RAT specs in terms of the stock circuit.

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:52 am

Damn it, Mike! :E

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:07 pm

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:23 pm

Want one of those rats. Can't afford one of those rats :(

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:24 pm

Sell your undercrackers on ebay!

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:26 pm

Post by **Doog** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:30 pm

Is changing an op-amp a soldering iron-free process? I've always wondered about experimenting with my RAT..

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 12:35 pm

Doog wrote:Is changing an op-amp a soldering iron-free process? I've always wondered about experimenting with my RAT..

It depends if they have soldered it directly in or if it's already socketed. If it's socketed, it's dead simple, if it's soldered in, then you need to unsolder the stock chip (which may damage it, but stock RAT chips are cheap) and then replace it with a socket so after that point you can freely swap them forever more. An LM308N is Â£4 btw. Unsoldering the stock chip isn't too hard if you have some desoldering braid and patience, you have to desolder each pad one at a time and slowly so you don't burn off the tracks and fuck it all up.

These pictures suggest that unsurprisingly the chip is soldered in:

A socketed chip looks like this:

As on my version

James · Post by **James** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:38 pm

Mike wrote:

This is what my Rat2 looks like, I have the OP07DP chip

wiki wrote:Chip Substitutions: The original RAT pedals featured the LM308 IC which is now quite expensive. Recent Rat pedals now feature the Texas Instruments OP07DP. Other OPAMP ICs that people try include: NE5535A, NE5534AP LM741, TL071 FET-OP. Many install an IC socket to enable easy swapping of ICs, very much similar to what people do with the Ibanez Tube Screamer.

I still like my Rat but it's been on the 'possibly for sale' list for months. I think I should get the soldering out and spruce it up a little.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:41 pm

James wrote:LM741, TL071 FET-OP

I have experience with these among others. The 741 is a junky op-amp which has a poor high frequency response, people actually use this deliberately to either tame shrill highs on some circuits or give a lo-fi garagey overdrive sound. The TL071 is a more hi-fi sounding op-amp which has a good frequency response.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:37 pm

Projects in the works:

ProgRockAbuse (waiting on pedals to mod)
- BoxOfMike board replacement + LED change to Blue
- Saltbooster add tone switch and LED change to Blue

William
- Mammoth $110, battery power so larger case, unfinished, Green LED
- Orientation like this with Green LED in fifth knob position on the right

- board built. Parts ordered and on the way

Josh Humphries (youtube order)
- Harmonic Perculator with tone control and output boost stage
- Orange with Blue LED
- case made and finished
- board built and tested
- Parts ordered and on the way

vivadeluxxe
- Saltbooster Plus - Â£35
- Yellow with White LED (or Blue if white not available)
- Mustang knobs
- going to order parts shortly

and the Modded RAT
- case made and finished
- board built and tested
- Parts ordered and on the way

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 4:56 am

[youtube][/youtube]

Post by **Mike** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:22 pm

hahah I love the interruption and and chipmunk invasion!

Very cool demo mate, cheers for doing that, I'm glad you're digging it.
Things really start to get fun at the top end of the Drive dial, that's where the fun is!
I love all the fun mad stuff at the end.

The only reason the Drive knob is different is because the Taper is different (Linear vs. Reverse Audio), so all the Hotcake sounds will be in there, just with more precise adjustment of the Drive knob needed when things start to get crunchy.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:23 pm

The modded RAT is done!

Demo uploading now.

Also this another Harmonic Perculator I built for a guy