PT2399 delay recommendations please

[Steve Blackdog]

Hi folks

does anyone have experience of building a decent delay pedal around a pt2399? I would appreciate any recommendations and accompanying plans/schematics.

I have a fairly open mind.

cheers

steve

[mozz]

diystompboxes.com

[Mick Bailey]

I've built quite a few over the years both for myself and customers but for me the best one has been based on a circuit linked to here; https://music-electronics-forum.com/...ge-style-delay. I used a simple JFET switch to do tails as I didn't want true bypass. I can set the controls to nicely repeat (just on the edge of uncontrolled oscillation), then play over the repeats. I also incorporated an LED limiter to reduce or prevent distortion at high signal levels.

I've also built a few Rebote 2 delays and added a simple rate/depth oscillator coupled to an LED/LDR vactrol across the delay time control. You then get a chorused delay. Another build has been two rebote delays in the same enclosure with chorusing on each and an FX send/return between the two. That's a spectacular pedal.

[Mark Hammer]

If all you want or need is a 3-knobber, it's hard to beat the Tonepad Rebote 2.5. The Rebote 2, as well as the Cave Dweller 2 at the Madbean site has a simpler input stage and mixer/output. The 2.5 improves on that. Scott Swartz's PT-80 (available at General Guitar Gadgets) improves on that yet further by including companding and some additional filtering meant to mimic the old Ibanez AD-80. None of these has a dramatically different range of delay times.

If being able to modulate the delay time appeals to you, the Echobase is a solid choice.

[Mick Bailey]

I just got out a Rebote 2.5 and played around with it for an hour. It does get a little noisy on longer delays, but otherwise it's pretty decent. I think mine has some minor filter circuit cap changes. After a few minutes I got into actual playing. Something I don't do a lot of these days as I'm always listening - mainly to other peoples broken or fixed gear. So it's a pretty good sign when you forget about fiddling with controls and get lost in the moment. BTW, this one also has a little modulation circuit to wiggle the delay time.

There's always a tradeoff between brightness, or cutting too much top end off the repeats and having a fairly quiet delay. It all depends on the rest of your setup and how much delay you want. I like the idea of the PT-80. I've run a PT2399 delay through a standalone compander and taken off a lot of the filtering and it works well and although I've never built a PT-80 I think this would be something to look at in more detail.

[Steve Blackdog]

I've built quite a few over the years both for myself and customers but for me the best one has been based on a circuit linked to here; https://music-electronics-forum.com/...ge-style-delay. I used a simple JFET switch to do tails as I didn't want true bypass. I can set the controls to nicely repeat (just on the edge of uncontrolled oscillation), then play over the repeats. I also incorporated an LED limiter to reduce or prevent distortion at high signal levels.

I've also built a few Rebote 2 delays and added a simple rate/depth oscillator coupled to an LED/LDR vactrol across the delay time control. You then get a chorused delay. Another build has been two rebote delays in the same enclosure with chorusing on each and an FX send/return between the two. That's a spectacular pedal.

Thanks Mick

With the circuit salad “analogue” delay, did you use the MAX7401 low pass filter chip? Is there an alternative, the only max7401 I can find is pretty costly?

[Steve Blackdog]

If all you want or need is a 3-knobber, it's hard to beat the Tonepad Rebote 2.5. The Rebote 2, as well as the Cave Dweller 2 at the Madbean site has a simpler input stage and mixer/output. The 2.5 improves on that. Scott Swartz's PT-80 (available at General Guitar Gadgets) improves on that yet further by including companding and some additional filtering meant to mimic the old Ibanez AD-80. None of these has a dramatically different range of delay times.

If being able to modulate the delay time appeals to you, the Echobase is a solid choice.

Mark

i have been looking at your modifications on DIY stompboxes. (https://www.diystompboxes.com/smffor...topic=111503.0). I realise I am in the presence of greatness!

I can find a 2010 schematic for the Echo base, which I am looking at now.

by the way, would you buy a pre-made pcb?

cheers

steve

[Mick Bailey]

With the circuit salad “analogue” delay, did you use the MAX7401 low pass filter chip? Is there an alternative, the only max7401 I can find is pretty costly?

I used the alternative filter described here, which works really well. I didn't alter any of the values but there's some scope for experiment; https://circuitsalad.com/2012/09/05/...-pt2399-delay/

[Mark Hammer]

I realise I am in the presence of greatness!

I can find a 2010 schematic for the Echo base, which I am looking at now.

by the way, would you buy a pre-made pcb?

More like in the presence of won't-shut-up-ness.
I suppose I might buy a pre-made PCB, but I tend to make my own, even those I probably shouldn't (like big double-sided). That may account for the very large number of circuit boards that still need troubleshooting in order to be usable.