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 a8weave
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ETI JANUARY 1984ROJECT : Chorus/Flanger
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Fig, 3 AbasiC ime delay comb Mer,
input signal By doing
bd Seasoned,
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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 1984Assembly 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
‘=
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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