This is a library of perfboard and single-sided PCB effect layouts for guitar and bass. I'm not an electrical engineer by any stretch of the imagination, just a DIY'er who likes drawing layouts. It is meant for the hobbyist (so commercial use of any of these layout is not allowed without permission) and as a way to give back to the online DIY community.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Catalinbread VariOboost

Here's an older design from Catalinbread, but an interesting design as usual. It's a preamp/boost with a wide range of tone shaping capabilities. Schematic can be found here.


19 comments:

  1. Thank you so much! Today I was considering to do my own layout (which is always a pain for me), because I wanted to build this for years now. Quality layout as usual by you. Weekend project: check. :D

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  2. Agreed... this looks like a great project! Thanks!
    I have some B100K dual-gang pots, so I'll just give it a shot with that.

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  3. wow!
    great. a parametriq mid boost!
    i also have a couple of B100 dual pots, and i will try to build this tonight!
    thanks for another great layout!

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  4. Congratulation to your work!!!

    i,ve build the pcb version, and it works at the first time!!!
    as you wrote it,s impotant to use a dual log pot, i buildt mine with a linear one, so the working spot of the pot is not really ok.
    if you use a log one it would be perfect!!!

    (i think you can mark this as verified)
    greetings from austria
    bluesanderl

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    1. Works for me. Thanks for the verify!

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    2. Thanks for the warning, Bluesanderl. I'll hold off building with the linear pot and source the real deal. I want this pedal to be just right!

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    3. I just need to add:
      David... using your layouts, my projects have never looked so good. Thanks! I don't think we can say that enough here.

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    4. Aw, thank man! Much appreciated :)

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  5. As the schematic poped up for this I put on a 100k dual log pot in my tayda order list. Thx for verifying! :)

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  6. Sorry for the noob question, what is the "RX" resistor?

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  7. If i was going to guess... since it just kinda connects the legs of the pot... it may just be any value you find works well - i'd wager it's for smoothing out the resistance of the pot. I'd get a second opinion though

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    Replies
    1. In the FSB board discussion, they indicate that the resistor is optional. Not used if you go with the standard build.

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    2. THanks a lot! Works like a charm :)

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  8. Love this booster. It's really a swiss knife. I can custom taylor your freq. response by either boosting or cutting a certain freq. and still be able to boost the output a lot.

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  9. Hi !!
    must make mine ...
    Thanks so much ! :)

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. almost no boosting even in maximum position of gain and 12db... freq works well. any ideas?

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  12. Having this pedal first in the chain makes every other effects in the chain so versatile, I just love it. Oh, and it works really, really well with the bjf fuzz 109 after it.Yeah, I have very articulated fuzz sounds with the fuzz pedal being driven by the varioboost.

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