# UniCab



## Pedal2222

I've completed my unicab build today, sounds great. I used a hammond 1550B enclosure, not a 125B.


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## Pedal2222




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## mjh36

This is exceptional, one day I'll get there.


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## Mcknib

Faultless! that's absolutely pristine


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## Pedal2222

Mcknib said:


> Faultless! that's absolutely pristine


Thanks!


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## dlazzarini

Pedal2222 said:


> View attachment 7816View attachment 7817View attachment 7818View attachment 7819


Pretty slick. Do always use vishay resistors? I like em but find they’re often too big. Some of the 1/8 watt ones are bigger than your standard 1/4 watts.


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## perfboarder

Clean build. Hats off


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## Dan0h

Wow. Zen like cleanliness.


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## Dan0h

Socketing the led is the best idea I’ve seen today. Totally going to use that. Thanks.


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## BuddytheReow

Nice and clean. Love it!


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## Pedal2222

dlazzarini said:


> Pretty slick. Do always use vishay resistors? I like em but find they’re often too big. Some of the 1/8 watt ones are bigger than your standard 1/4 watts.


Thanks! Yes, mostly I use vishay cmf-55 (0,5W). They fit everywhere without any problems.


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## untamedfrontier

Phenomenal. Looks amazing.


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## Pedal2222

Dan0h said:


> Socketing the led is the best idea I’ve seen today. Totally going to use that. Thanks.


Thanks! Yes, it's much easier to tailor the length. You also can change the led color without soldering...


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## Pedal2222

untamedfrontier said:


> Phenomenal. Looks amazing.


Thanks!


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## Pedal2222

BuddytheReow said:


> Nice and clean. Love it!


Thanks!


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## Pedal2222

perfboarder said:


> Clean build. Hats off


Thanks!


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## Pedal2222

mjh36 said:


> This is exceptional, one day I'll get there.


Thank you!


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## untamedfrontier

Pedal2222 said:


> Thanks!


The biggest thing that blows my mind is how clean the solder joints are. Are you using some crazy industrial solder gun or just exceptional technique?  ?


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## Dan0h

Its so clean it looks like photoshop clone tool was used! Congrats again man this is truly a work of art.


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## music6000

Pedal2222 said:


> View attachment 7816View attachment 7817View attachment 7818View attachment 7819


What type of Polish do you use!!!


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## Chuck D. Bones

Wow!  Just wow!


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## Pedal2222

untamedfrontier said:


> The biggest thing that blows my mind is how clean the solder joints are. Are you using some crazy industrial solder gun or just exceptional technique?  ?


No, I use a thirty years old solder iron (weller wkcp-s) with a small solder tip. The key is the right solder (fluitin 1532/0,5mm) and temperature.


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## Pedal2222

music6000 said:


> What type of Polish do you use!!!


It's not a polish, it's a cleaner called: Leiterplattenreiniger LR from KONTAKT Chemie.


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## Pedal2222

Dan0h said:


> Its so clean it looks like photoshop clone tool was used! Congrats again man this is truly a work of art.


Taking photos is also a hobby of mine. I always try to give my best...


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## Pedal2222

Chuck D. Bones said:


> Wow!  Just wow!


Thanks!


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## TheSin

Absolute perfection dude! Love to know how you get the pcb so clean after soldering.


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## Pedal2222

TheSin said:


> Absolute perfection dude! Love to know how you get the pcb so clean after soldering.


Thank you, I love it clean. I use a cleaner called: Leiterplattenreiniger LS from Kontakt Chemie, germany.


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## TheSin

Pedal2222 said:


> Thank you, I love it clean. I use a cleaner called: Leiterplattenreiniger LS from Kontakt Chemie, germany.


Sounds like some serious stuff. Results are phenomenal!


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## p_wats

Wow. That is immaculate. I never want to post another build report again now. Ha.


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## dlazzarini

Pedal2222 said:


> Thanks! Yes, mostly I use vishay cmf-55 (0,5W). They fit everywhere without any problems.


I’ll have to check those out


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## Gordo

That's sick.  Surgical clean!!!


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## Barry

That is crazy good!


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## Pedal2222

Gordo said:


> That's sick.  Surgical clean!!!


No, just clean working only. It's a nice hobby.


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## Pedal2222

Barry said:


> That is crazy good!


Thanks!


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## rmfx

yes yes yes YES


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## Caldo71

Pedal2222 said:


> No, I use a thirty years old solder iron (weller wkcp-s) with a small solder tip. The key is the right solder (fluitin 1532/0,5mm) and temperature.


Hey @Pedal2222 I just found this thread by searching the forum a bit for opinions on what the proper soldering iron temperature IS. I was wondering if you could expand on the above a bit and tell us what temp you set your iron at?


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## Grubb

Knights of Columbus that's good


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## Paradox916

Holy shit that is phenomenal work! I salute you sir! Something to strive for? And where are you sourcing those beautiful parts?


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## Pedal2222

Caldo71 said:


> Hey @Pedal2222 I just found this thread by searching the forum a bit for opinions on what the proper soldering iron temperature IS. I was wondering if you could expand on the above a bit and tell us what temp you set your iron at?


Between 325 °C and 345 °C. But, the higher the temperature, the faster the pace of work. I prefer higher temperatures and short soldering times. It's all a matter of practice.


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## Pedal2222

Paradox916 said:


> Holy shit that is phenomenal work! I salute you sir! Something to strive for? And where are you sourcing those beautiful parts?


Thanks! I'm ordering my components mostly from banzaimusic.com in berlin (germany). I enjoy the time building my pedals. For a good result I always take my time.


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## Caldo71

Pedal2222 said:


> Between 325 °C and 345 °C. But, the higher the temperature, the faster the pace of work. I prefer higher temperatures and short soldering times. It's all a matter of practice.


About 653 degrees fehrenheit, then...that’s about what I’ve been doing.

So @Pedal2222 there’s no risk at that temperature, then, of damaging components? I only ask as I did recently notice upon DE-soldering some components from a PCB how freakin’ HOT those little 6mm long resistors would get when I pinched them between my fingers. Kinda made me fear for their well-being. 

I supppose that skinny .5mm soldering wire you recommend helps one get-in-and-get-out a good bit more quickly, though...yes?


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## peccary

Pedal2222 said:


> Thanks! I'm ordering my components mostly from banzaimusic.com in berlin (germany). I enjoy the time building my pedals. For a good result I always take my time.



I am relatively new to all of this, but this is how it is for me as well. I've found that it's almost meditative to build pedals. I try to take my time, work clean, and all that (though I haven't yet developed the skills to work *that* clean yet). It is really nice to be able to focus on something so completely that everything else falls aside. I spent most of the day in the garage last Sunday finishing up a pedal and didn't even realize that I hadn't eaten all day. I missed getting lost in things in that way.


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## Pedal2222

Caldo71 said:


> About 653 degrees fehrenheit, then...that’s about what I’ve been doing.
> 
> So @Pedal2222 there’s no risk at that temperature, then, of damaging components? I only ask as I did recently notice upon DE-soldering some components from a PCB how freakin’ HOT those little 6mm long resistors would get when I pinched them between my fingers. Kinda made me fear for their well-being.
> 
> I supppose that skinny .5mm soldering wire you recommend helps one get-in-and-get-out a good bit more quickly, though...yes?


Yes, that's why I always keep the soldering process short. Professionally manufactured circuit boards are immersed in a bath of liquid solder. The solder flows better at higher temperatures (just as important as the flux). These are my experiences. I've been working like this for over 10 years with no problems. No destroyed components or failing devices.

P.S: The 0.5mm solder wire works best with these tiny PCB holes. You have a better control about the amount of solder.


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## Pedal2222

peccary said:


> I am relatively new to all of this, but this is how it is for me as well. I've found that it's almost meditative to build pedals. I try to take my time, work clean, and all that (though I don't haven't yet developed the skills to work *that* clean yet). It is really nice to be able to focus on something so completely that everything else falls aside. I spent most of the day in the garage last Sunday finishing up a pedal and didn't even realize that I hadn't eaten all day. I missed getting lost in things in that way.


It' exactly like that!  Well described, that's how I experience it, every time..


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## BuddytheReow

Caldo71 said:


> About 653 degrees fehrenheit, then...that’s about what I’ve been doing.
> 
> So @Pedal2222 there’s no risk at that temperature, then, of damaging components? I only ask as I did recently notice upon DE-soldering some components from a PCB how freakin’ HOT those little 6mm long resistors would get when I pinched them between my fingers. Kinda made me fear for their well-being.
> 
> I supppose that skinny .5mm soldering wire you recommend helps one get-in-and-get-out a good bit more quickly, though...yes?


The temperature of the iron is almost irrelevant once past the solder melting point. It really comes down to the length of time the tip is on the board/component. 300-350c (close to your temperature) for 3 seconds is all you really need. After 3 seconds (I usually count to myself) and it's still not flowing let the part cool down for a moment then restart. In my experience I may need another few seconds for, say, the jacks or pots. It's about finding the minimum amount of heating time for maximum solder flow and is learned from trial and error. Oh, and the choice of solder tip is big too. The pointer, the better.


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## Pedal2222

BuddytheReow said:


> The temperature of the iron is almost irrelevant once past the solder melting point. It really comes down to the length of time the tip is on the board/component. 300-350c (close to your temperature) for 3 seconds is all you really need. After 3 seconds (I usually count to myself) and it's still not flowing let the part cool down for a moment then restart. In my experience I may need another few seconds for, say, the jacks or pots. It's about finding the minimum amount of heating time for maximum solder flow and is learned from trial and error. Oh, and the choice of solder tip is big too. The pointer, the better.


Yes, but I heat the circuit board contact mainly, not the component. It takes a second for the solder to flow in properly. I'm not looking for the lowest temperature, just for the best work result. As short as possible, but as long as necessary. That's my approach.


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## BuddytheReow

Pedal2222 said:


> Yes, but I heat the circuit board contact mainly, not the component. It takes a second for the solder to flow in properly. I'm not looking for the lowest temperature, just for the best work result. As short as possible, but as long as necessary. That's my approach.


Ideally you should be heating up both simultaneously to prevent cold joints. However, it’s trial and error to determine what is best approach for everyone


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## Pedal2222

BuddytheReow said:


> Ideally you should be heating up both simultaneously to prevent cold joints. However, it’s trial and error to determine what is best approach for everyone


When the solder flows, I always automatically press the soldering tip gently against the component wire. Anyway, I try to avoid the component "boiling" for 3 seconds. I wouldn't feel comfortable with that. To this day, I haven't made any cold solder joints. To be honest, I'd prefer to re-solder those cold joints instead of pushing all components to the limit. But, everything can of course be improved or optimized. Thank you for your contribution.


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## taxfree

Perfect! There is nothing more to say.

I need to ask something about this pedal: Is there a volume control? 
I built a veroboard version, and the pedal has no way of reducing or bringing the volume to zero.


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## Pedal2222

taxfree said:


> Perfect! There is nothing more to say.
> 
> I need to ask something about this pedal: Is there a volume control?
> I built a veroboard version, and the pedal has no way of reducing or bringing the volume to zero.


The unicab pedal has no volume control. The original OmniCabSimDeluxe has a volume control for the headphone output only. It's a recording tool, no real need for a VC. If you need one, just add a pot to the output signal. Try a A-100K, if you can't get the volume down to zero, try a pot with a higher resistance until it fits. However, if the A100K is already cutting too much signal, decrease the resistance.

P.S.: Maybe there's a member here who can do the math exactly for us ...


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## taxfree

Pedal2222 said:


> O pedal unicab não tem controle de volume. O OmniCabSimDeluxe original possui um controle de volume apenas para a saída de fone de ouvido. É uma ferramenta de gravação, sem necessidade real de um VC. Se precisar de um, basta adicionar um potenciômetro ao sinal de saída. Experimente um A-100K, se você não conseguir baixar o volume a zero, tente um pote com uma resistência maior até que caiba. No entanto, se o A100K já estiver cortando muito sinal, diminua a resistência.
> 
> PS: Talvez haja um membro aqui que possa fazer as contas exatamente para nós ... : p


thanks


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## Dali

I'm pretty sure my dentist tools are not as clean as this pedal...

I hesitate between "labor of love or "disturbing obsession". Nah, I will just say nice work!


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## Caldo71

Pedal2222 said:


> When the solder flows, I always automatically press the soldering tip gently against the component wire. Anyway, I try to avoid the component "boiling" for 3 seconds. I wouldn't feel comfortable with that. To this day, I haven't made any cold solder joints. To be honest, I'd prefer to re-solder those cold joints instead of pushing all components to the limit. But, everything can of course be improved or optimized. Thank you for your contribution.


Thank you @BuddytheReow and @Pedal2222 for the soldering technique tips that was magnificent.


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## BuddytheReow

No problem. You’d be surprised how nice and helpful everyone on this forum is. Glad I could help.


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## IPv6Freely

Fantastic work! Are you socketing the resistor because it's the resistor for the LED as well? Where do you get your ribbon cable from? And do you prefer solid core wire for your off-board connections?


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## Pedal2222

IPv6Freely said:


> Fantastic work! Are you socketing the resistor because it's the resistor for the LED as well? Where do you get your ribbon cable from? And do you prefer solid core wire for your off-board connections?


Many Thanks! Yes, that's right, I'm using a socket for the LED resistor. It's easier to change the brightness if necessary. I got the ribbon cable from ebay. I didn't use single core cable for my off-board connections, but it can be useful.


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## IPv6Freely

Pedal2222 said:


> Many Thanks! Yes, that's right, I'm using a socket for the LED resistor. It's easier to change the brightness if necessary. I got the ribbon cable from ebay. I didn't use single core cable for my off-board connections, but it can be useful.


Thank you! Could you share a link?


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## Pedal2222

IPv6Freely said:


> Thank you! Could you share a link?











						Steckverbinder: Flachbkabel R. Flachk: 2,54mm  L: 25,4mm 8-1437139-4 FFC (FPC)  | eBay
					

Entdecken Sie Steckverbinder: Flachbkabel R. Flachk: 2,54mm  L: 25,4mm 8-1437139-4 FFC (FPC) in der großen Auswahl bei eBay. Kostenlose Lieferung für viele Artikel!



					www.ebay.de
				



There are different lengths and numbers of connections available.


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## IPv6Freely

Pedal2222 said:


> Steckverbinder: Flachbkabel R. Flachk: 2,54mm  L: 25,4mm 8-1437139-4 FFC (FPC)  | eBay
> 
> 
> Entdecken Sie Steckverbinder: Flachbkabel R. Flachk: 2,54mm  L: 25,4mm 8-1437139-4 FFC (FPC) in der großen Auswahl bei eBay. Kostenlose Lieferung für viele Artikel!
> 
> 
> 
> www.ebay.de
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are different lengths and numbers of connections available.


Aha! That gave me the information I needed as far as what to search for. Found it domestically:


			https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/571-FSN-21A-4


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## Feral Feline

Cleanest build I've ever seen.


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## Stickman393

So fresh.  So clean..


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