PROJECT CHORUS/ FLANGER UNIT Tim Orr returns to the pages of ETI with a project to make your amplifier see double — a chorus/flanger. he Choris/Flamger unit sa device for processing musical and other signals to produce aide range of effects, The olec- tronics have been optimised for an electric ut but the unit Gan fun equally well fram line level signals (—6d8m) and high output microphones, ‘The chorus effect simulates a second instrument, which is pro- ducing the same sound. as: input signal, but whichis stig delayed in time. This tends fo generate the illusion of a second instrumentand also enriches the ‘overall sound quality. Ifa relatively fast (10H2) time modulation is used, then genui generated. Flanging Is avery Gramatic colouration of the input sound, An instrument played | through a tlanger sounds like itis being heard ina drain pipe, the ion is relatively sim- pial we use a bucket brigade delay line, Fig. 1. Voltages presen- (ed to the input of the delay line aré sampled and then converted into small quantities of charge. These charges are passed along several hundred electronic ‘buckets’ until they reach the out- put, whereupon they are reconver- ted' back into the original voltage. This process takes time, in fact the time delay is equal to the number pe of buckets divided by the speed at which the charge is passed along ! the line. The signal recovered at rs ——_—{\\fy-——_ the other end very closely resem- bies the input signal except fora | small amount of noise ano distor tion (it's an imperfect world). intone " ae As this isa sampled information ee ' system we must sample the input Fig. 1 The basic principle of producing signal much more frequently than atime dey. the highest frequency compon- ETLJANUARY 1984 a8weave oem ; | ity Dobe aaduzis ssmsoy ayy jo wesderp wnoar ¢ ‘Big ETI JANUARY 1984ROJECT : Chorus/Flanger a gal }etpeaiegst $45. 2. 8k ees? aul rey i Ee thee eat dd 4 Hin lise ey feu: ade rf Hl Pee Wii 1 Fe Loti nell si a a a er eT y te i i ey ETC ‘eat HEuHG Gale Whe | eh i Fig, 3 AbasiC ime delay comb Mer, input signal By doing bd Seasoned, hi is nenteot the3 oe horus/Flanger 220k 10k. 6k gram of the PCB for 2 116 7 PARTS LIS POTENTIOMETERS RVI" IM@ reverse logarithmic RVz ——Wokloganinme RV3_ Tk reverae logarithmic Faia 47k preset PR” TAreset CAPACITORS CLA 1oapolvester a Bp ceramic 1p TOV PEE electrolytic in? polyester Wop ceramic On ceramae & 2a polpeser snr polyester SSomecramie idtnpeester 2p polyester 00) 16V PCE Recah je dv PCa wie toon 10, 1b Fe lect {0p ceramic 224 1EVPCD electrolyte w ane Re au OUT 9 oF ceramic Al Ta polyester eMICONDUCTORS RCESSE MISCELLANEOUS ‘SKTTS 1 mono switched jack socket rm mano jack voxker ig footsmitch SPCO Bib taiten PS ballery connector: ‘cave; “tethachesiee foam, stip Wor Securing the PCR t-pin tC sackets 15 oi "oe LEO: wie: solder, Gib: Son Les Paul Special, ete ET) January 1984Assembly And Setting Up Assemble the PCB and connect to the controls as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, When testing is complete, the PCBis mounted in the box, supported by the jack sockets, With the fall ide to the case bottom. Put some thin sticky= backed foam rubber on the inside Of the case bottom to prevent shorts. Table 1 shows various DC test voltages around the circuit and Fig, 6 shows some of the waveforms you should find using an oseillos- cope. As regards the setting of the presets, you can just plug in, Switch on and hape for the best and set the presets by trial and enor, but if you do have access to TSR ‘= Bae eval eakin “ip wea poesnor snow Mavens nc CED WIRING PROJECT : Chorus/Flanger Fig. 8a Waveforms for the modelation Daciliator note thatthe voltage levels for (Ce are only approsimate as sre the osellstor requencles sometest gear, here isthe proper way coe up the unit. inject a2.0'V peak-to-peak S00. Hz sinewave into the input socket, and select chorus on SW2 with the footswitch, SW1, set io-eflect. Set the tate control fo maximum and the depth control to minimum, Using an oscilloscope, check that the undistorted signal is present at REET tom Foas svn vent 10 ORT CIRCUITS, Ds trepee serosa Ospereins serts TJnside view of the ease and interconnections. ‘ETI JANUARY 1984 LE las ‘8b Waveforms for the lock oscillator: select minimum depts (V2) for these waveforms, The table ‘shows the limits of the clock period for depth set to maximum and rate set to minimum: the preset PR3 should be Adjusted to bidy the oscillator into the fame gen forthe tanger mode (oith the Hanging effect selected), QJ emitter, (C1 pins 7 and 7 and 1C2 pin 3. ‘Set PR1 toilts mid-way position and look a the signal present on 1C2 pin @ agjust PRI until the signal is clipping symetdcally (see Fig. 9). Note that this signal will have a lotat high-frequency clock, signal breakthrough: this Is normal Examine the output at IC4 pin 7: this should be the same signal Without the HF breaxthnou Reduce the input signal level to remove the clipping on this signal. Turn the depth control to max: imum an the sinewave,at1C4 pin 7 will be frequency modulated by the modulation oscillator: a min- ture of this signal plus the direct signal should appear at IC4 pin 1. Fig, 9 Wavetgers al the input and > output of 1C2.PROJECT : Chorus/Flanger The flanging effect is best tes ted with 200 mV PP square wave oscillating at 2 Hz, This excites the unit with two cficks per second. Sel resonance to maxe imum, speed to minimum and SW? to the flanger position (toot- Switch SW/1 should stitl be set to effect and not bypass). Listen to the output from the unit via a suite able amplifier, and adjust PR2 so that the output is.a rich ‘drarnpipe’ souind {you'll hear what we mean). IPR2 is Set for too much fee back, the unityvill oscillate: this Occuts back aff the control a little. For both chorus and flanging effects, the time modulation depth reduces as the modulation speed increases. The modulation depth at 10 Hzshould produce a pleasant vibrato elfect, caused by a Small time delay sweep. Power Supply ‘The unit consumes about 1mA. Using an Ever Ready PPaPP tre plus) for two hours per oy, the oxpected battery if will bye about 20 hours you eave she unit turned on over night, you will exhaust the battery. itis possible to use a rechargeable Nickel Cad: mium PP3 battery. This has a shor- ter discharge ie time of about 7 hours, but can be reused {chargd/alecharged) about 600 mes! The purchase price of Ni kel Cagmmum batteries times that of astandard alo you will needa charger unit. A hon rechargeable alkaline PP3 bat tery (eg Duracell type) gives about fourtimes the energy content of Zinc catbon PPX but costs about twice as much ASV battery eliminator can be used, the operating power is then derived from the mains. Note that the inner connection is +9V.and the outer is OV: i! the polarity Ts reversed, 03 should prevent any damage to the chorus flanger, but theunit will not work. BUYLINES Auth of parts for sis project bate Shade ons ts Saona taf tee 3a inelnshe‘Alenathely sot of ihe ‘Green, Herta Wate that ine FEB ‘wil pot be! available through Pon sence) the ett User Gui Plog in the guitar and the amplifier, Press the footswitch $0 that the LED is off, Tum up the ae witar volume, set up the ampifier level and tune the guitar, This Is the BYPASS mode. Vibrato Setup the contiols as shown, with SPED and DEPTH at maximum, RESONANCE is inoperative. Press the footswitch so that the LED is Hashing, Play the guitar. A fast LOH} vibrato will be heard. if necessaryalter the guitar and amplifier levels. Adjust bath con- " trols for less depth and different vibrate rates, Chorus Set up.the controls as shown, with the DEPTH set to maximum and a SPEED setting of about 1 fash per we second, RESONANCE is inopera- - tive, Play the guitar, A “creamy” (Ce sound will be heard, Press the SS BYPASS footswitch and see how flat the original signal sounds, Go back to the effectand try some oO different SPEED and DEFTH a settings. Flanging Setup the controls as shawn with DEPTH and RESONANCE tomax- jum and SPEED fo minimum. Tap Bultar strings. A slowly swee} ing “drain pipe” resonance will be Deard. Try playing a melody with a shythm that has the same period as the sweep time. Try other con of settings. die sibal ETIJANUARY 1964