Heptode Virtuoso
OK, I took a little time just now to mess with the Depth trimmer on the Heptode.
I didn't mess with the JFET bias. I assume that pad next to the Bias trimmer is to test the bias voltage and I got 4.32 volts off it, which would seem to be about right. Normally you bias to half of supply voltage, which for 9 volts would be 4.5 volts, but taking into account battery power, maybe biasing a little low is prudent...although I'll probably never run it on batteries. Still, I didn't touch the Bias trimmer.
I did tweak the Depth trimmer a tiny, tiny bit. I lowered it just slightly. Really almost an imaginary about. Maybe 1/16th of a turn, which should have had very freakin' little effect, but it seemed WAY better. So I raised it back up to where it had been and it sounded like it sounded when I first plugged it in. Which was good, but not quite as good as the slow speed on the one I built (which was never capable of changing speeds, for those playing the Home Game). So I pulled it back down again and it sounds amazing. So yeah, that seems to be all it was. I know I must have spent an hour setting up the one I built. Which is really a personal preference thing. I get that.
Anyway, sounds great. Also...I know this is goofy, but I did some hammer-on and two-handed tapping stuff into it just to see how I feel about it in comparison to a Phase 90. A Big Muff is actually really cool for hammer-ons. Very fat. Anyway, yeah...this trods all over the posterior of a Phase 90 for that stuff. I don't know why I never got around to trying that with my own board when I assembled it. Maybe I was distracted by none of the speed switches working.
BTW, now the higher speeds on the Heptode actually sound pretty cool. Too much high-frequency whizzing in the signal with the Depth up, but now it's like a Leslie or something at higher speeds. Sounds like when Jimmy Page used to use a Leslie like on stuff like, "Down by the Seaside." Only a little trippier...because it's a phaser.
Excellent effect. Recommended.
Heptode Virtuoso
OK, I took a little time just now to mess with the Depth trimmer on the Heptode.
I didn't mess with the JFET bias. I assume that pad next to the Bias trimmer is to test the bias voltage and I got 4.32 volts off it, which would seem to be about right. Normally you bias to half of supply voltage, which for 9 volts would be 4.5 volts, but taking into account battery power, maybe biasing a little low is prudent...although I'll probably never run it on batteries. Still, I didn't touch the Bias trimmer.
I did tweak the Depth trimmer a tiny, tiny bit. I lowered it just slightly. Really almost an imaginary about. Maybe 1/16th of a turn, which should have had very freakin' little effect, but it seemed WAY better. So I raised it back up to where it had been and it sounded like it sounded when I first plugged it in. Which was good, but not quite as good as the slow speed on the one I built (which was never capable of changing speeds, for those playing the Home Game). So I pulled it back down again and it sounds amazing. So yeah, that seems to be all it was. I know I must have spent an hour setting up the one I built. Which is really a personal preference thing. I get that.
Anyway, sounds great. Also...I know this is goofy, but I did some hammer-on and two-handed tapping stuff into it just to see how I feel about it in comparison to a Phase 90. A Big Muff is actually really cool for hammer-ons. Very fat. Anyway, yeah...this trods all over the posterior of a Phase 90 for that stuff. I don't know why I never got around to trying that with my own board when I assembled it. Maybe I was distracted by none of the speed switches working.
BTW, now the higher speeds on the Heptode actually sound pretty cool. Too much high-frequency whizzing in the signal with the Depth up, but now it's like a Leslie or something at higher speeds. Sounds like when Jimmy Page used to use a Leslie like on stuff like, "Down by the Seaside." Only a little trippier...because it's a phaser.
Excellent effect. Recommended.