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Ongoing project to build all the cloneable Boss pedals
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2024 8:38 pm
by bsriaudio
I've been working on a project over the last couple years to build reimagined versions of Boss pedals for fun. It started with all the analog dirt pedals and has kept up with modulation pedals recently. Its been really interesting to see the building blocks Boss uses over and over and also the truly bizarre architecture of some of the pedals. Names mean very little in terms of what pedals are related circuit-wise. The DS-2 has more in common with a BD-2 than a DS-1. The MD-2 seems like it should have Turbo-style mode switching for the gain boost but it doesn't. So on and so forth. These have lots of little tweaks and they've kept Boss pedals fun for me. Still looking for a small number of old pedals with boxes but Im sure I'll get there eventually.
Re: Ongoing project to build all the cloneable Boss pedals
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2024 8:55 pm
by Pepe
Wow, what a cool project!
Re: Ongoing project to build all the cloneable Boss pedals
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 12:41 am
by chromandre
Cool! I’m guessing PH-2 for example can’t be cloned because it used a proprietary chip. But at least having every single analog dirt pedal is so worth while! Are you able to order PCBs somewhere with the components already on them?
Re: Ongoing project to build all the cloneable Boss pedals
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 2:38 am
by bsriaudio
chromandre wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2024 12:41 am
Cool! I’m guessing PH-2 for example can’t be cloned because it used a proprietary chip. But at least having every single analog dirt pedal is so worth while! Are you able to order PCBs somewhere with the components already on them?
The dirt pedals are all through hole. The PN2 has a lot of surface mount because that was more efficient.
I believe you could make a PH2 with some functionally similar parts but I havent tried yet. Its very complex even with 6 all pass stages on an IC already.
Re: Ongoing project to build all the cloneable Boss pedals
Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 5:41 am
by bigtone23
Cool project!
Re: Ongoing project to build all the cloneable Boss pedals
Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2024 6:47 pm
by bsriaudio
Slightly tweaked VB-2 on the bench today
Re: Ongoing project to build all the cloneable Boss pedals
Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2024 7:53 pm
by Pepe
I don't really get the name or the meaning behind it, but it looks nice. Did you use CoolAudio BBD chips?
Re: Ongoing project to build all the cloneable Boss pedals
Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2024 8:50 pm
by bsriaudio
Pepe wrote: ↑Fri Jun 21, 2024 7:53 pm
I don't really get the name or the meaning behind it, but it looks nice. Did you use CoolAudio BBD chips?
Its just an interesting Wikipedia article if you want to read about a bunch of unusual topics. Most of my pedals have long names. Part of the art for me.
I used CoolAudio BBDs. Its very difficult to source genuine Panasonic/Matsushita devices nowadays. Anything that isn't super high price is fake.