# Are You Breadboard Baking Yet?



## BuddytheReow (Sep 5, 2021)

PedalPCB has opened up “The Test Kitchen” which entails breadboarding, circuit designs and analysis, and non-pcb items. This was nearly a month ago. How many of you have started breadboarding, been curious to start, waiting for your protoboards to come in the mail, or merely putting your soldering irons down for a bit to check out all the “groovy” (according to fig) stuff the Test Kitchen has to offer?

If there are any requests for a breadboard tutorial of a certain circuit let us know here.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Sep 5, 2021)

If you're asking about the weather in So Cal, then yes, we are baking.





I also cooked up another breadboard over in *The Boneyard.*


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## Feral Feline (Sep 6, 2021)

🥓 Did someone say BACON?! 🤪

Oh, baking... 🥖

I believe @peccary said in another thread he was baking... something.

Baking... more like stewing ... it's HOT🌡️& *HUMID* 💦 here, feeIs like I lose about 20 litres per day sweating/working on our rooftop...
Nothing on the breadboard, they're packed away not to see the light of day for another ... 2-3 months probably.

I'll breadboard vicariously via the ethers through you others.


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## BuddytheReow (Nov 17, 2021)

I'm slowly starting to see more protoboard builds throughout this forum which makes the mad scientist in me smile. You know who you are...


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## Big Monk (Nov 17, 2021)

I've got a new fuzz project on the the breadboard and will do a special edition of the Protoboard Chronicles when it's up and running.


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## BuddytheReow (Nov 17, 2021)

Fuzz project? You mean a Big Muff, right? I know how you feel about this circuit.


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## Stickman393 (Nov 17, 2021)

Shoot, I just ordered a big proto board.

Gonna start.  Any day now.  Yup.  Any ol day.


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## Big Monk (Nov 17, 2021)

BuddytheReow said:


> Fuzz project? You mean a Big Muff, right? I know how you feel about this circuit.



While the Big Muff makes me FEEL warm and fuzzy, is is NOT a fuzz!


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## Mcknib (Nov 17, 2021)

Aye I've done a few helping somebody figure out whether his schematics would work etc

Unfortunately I had to take my prototype Stud Tutu off the bb based on a mesa studio 22 preamp but I'd only done the 1st stage after about a year, then your excellent wee test kitchen got me cookin' again 

Latest wire storm is the Ruby Tuby



			Sopht amps - hybrid - Ruby Tuby
		






My wiring is so minimal as you can see I had a hairdresser friend ask if they could use it to practice


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## peccary (Nov 17, 2021)

I did a Si FF for my first one a few months back. I basically copied the Small Bear tutorial. The other evening I started BBing the NPN version of the Gnat board with Music6000's specs because  I wanted to try some tweaks to it. 

I only got partway through but I'm thinking of starting over. I'm not great at seeing an efficient way to layout the circuit and end up instead with an almost literal version of the schematic 😂😂😂









						New item by Joe B
					






					photos.app.goo.gl


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## fig (Nov 17, 2021)

These are some great projects! I've currently got an analog wah and digital echo, started the FV-1 and Daydream breadboard build, 2 or 3 of Chuck's wonders and my bus wire arrived so I am starting a FF p2p tonight with a couple of those shiny doodads (I hope tonight). I wrapped up the Hydra but I have a dodgy switch [ first time happening -ring a bell ] so I'll yank and shank it.


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## JamieJ (Nov 17, 2021)

I am enjoying using mine! Ignore the rats nest of wires - I just wanted to do a quick test.

I am just testing out a circuit before I try my first go at transferring to veroboard. A few parts are missing from this picture.


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## fig (Nov 17, 2021)

The wires make it mad-scientist art!


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## BuddytheReow (Nov 17, 2021)

@JamieJ if you've got the patience I would recommend making jumper wires out of solid core wire in different sizes. Helped me tremendously showing off my breadboard in the various tutorials. You will need patience since you will spend an afternoon trimming wire and making your workbench look like a pile of sprinkles.


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## JamieJ (Nov 17, 2021)

I’m enjoying this vero stuff. It actually makes you think more rather than using a PCB.

Now it’s ready to be trimmed and for some solder. 

Thanks @BuddytheReow - you have given me the motivation to plan this out.


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## jeffwhitfield (Nov 17, 2021)

I'm totally new to the breadboard thing but do have a few ideas in mind. I'm taking a different tactic to creating a circuit. Basically, create a theme and see if I can make a circuit to match. For instance, some sort of hardcore bomb fuzz called a *B-17*. Or a distortion pedal called *Bacon Pancakes*. Really wanna see these exist.


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## Stickman393 (Nov 17, 2021)

jeffwhitfield said:


> I'm totally new to the breadboard thing but do have a few ideas in mind. I'm taking a different tactic to creating a circuit. Basically, create a theme and see if I can make a circuit to match. For instance, some sort of hardcore bomb fuzz called a *B-17*. Or a distortion pedal called *Bacon Pancakes*. Really wanna see these exist.


You take some bacon and you put it in a pancake?
Bacon pancakes, that's what it's gonna be?


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## fig (Nov 17, 2021)

Roughing in the plumbing....












Per @Coda , the Fig Face


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## Mcknib (Nov 17, 2021)

Just for you @fig ye olde straighten wire trick


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## Stickman393 (Nov 17, 2021)

I think ya left a finish nail sticking out a quarter inch there figgy...


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## Stickman393 (Nov 18, 2021)

I'm going straight to hell.


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## JamieJ (Nov 18, 2021)

fig said:


> Roughing in the plumbing....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I am loving that dress nut and LED bezel!


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## Coda (Nov 18, 2021)

fig said:


> Roughing in the plumbing....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Si?…


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## fig (Nov 18, 2021)

JamieJ said:


> I am loving that dress but and LED bezel!


No bezel (crappy phone cam), thats a 10mm LED. I guess they just add more acrylic or whatever the clear material is, around the diode.


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## fig (Nov 18, 2021)

Mcknib said:


> Aye I've done a few helping somebody figure out whether his schematics would work etc
> 
> Unfortunately I had to take my prototype Stud Tutu off the bb based on a mesa studio 22 preamp but I'd only done the 1st stage after about a year, then your excellent wee test kitchen got me cookin' again
> 
> ...


That's awesome!


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## fig (Nov 18, 2021)

Mcknib said:


> Just for you @fig ye olde straighten wire trick


Nice! I only have the 90º wire former. I saw some nice 'uns over at Micro-Mark.


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## Dan M (Dec 17, 2021)

I just received a Tayda shipment of breadboards, components, wire, terminals, widgets, and whatnots.

So I will be baking soon.  Much like the first time cooking a big holiday dinner, I found some recipes then I went to the store and bought a bunch of ingredients.  Now it’s time to make some smoke, burn some things, mismatch some things, make something disgusting, and maybe accidentally make something nice.

On a serious note, I read this entire test kitchen forum and appreciate those who have posted and contributed.


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## BuddytheReow (Dec 17, 2021)

Dan M said:


> I just received a Tayda shipment of breadboards, components, wire, terminals, widgets, and whatnots.
> 
> So I will be baking soon.  Much like the first time cooking a big holiday dinner, I found some recipes then I went to the store and bought a bunch of ingredients.  Now it’s time to make some smoke, burn some things, mismatch some things, make something disgusting, and maybe accidentally make something nice.
> 
> On a serious note, I read this entire test kitchen forum and appreciate those who have posted and contributed.


When you’re ready to go check out beavis audio’s breadboard projects. They will help you get an understanding of schematic to breadboard. http://beavisaudio.com/beavisboard/projects/


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## spi (Dec 20, 2021)

This weekend I got motivated to breadboard.  I chose the COT50, since it's a simple Electra distortion and something I've been meaning to build for years.   First I had to remove the parts I had left in the breadboard so long ago I don't even recall what circuit it was anymore--some Devi Ever fuzz that I never ended up building.  In the COT50 I auditioned a few different transistors and diodes, as well as the Briggs mods.  I'll probably box it up soon.


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## fig (Dec 20, 2021)

spi said:


> This weekend I got motivated to breadboard.  I chose the COT50, since it's a simple Electra distortion and something I've been meaning to build for years.   First I had to remove the parts I had left in the breadboard so long ago I don't even recall what circuit it was anymore--some Devi Ever fuzz that I never ended up building.  In the COT50 I auditioned a few different transistors and diodes, as well as the Briggs mods.  I'll probably box it up soon.
> 
> 
> View attachment 20123


Nice! Don't forget to power that upper rail


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## spi (Dec 20, 2021)

fig said:


> Nice! Don't forget to power that upper rail


Haha, of course.  Just visible in the right side is the dangling power lead, which I unhooked every time I swapped parts.  Although I did touch a component while it was plugged in and got a radio station as clear as day... one of the joys of breadboarding.


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## spi (Dec 21, 2021)

Now that I look at my pic closely, I noticed the clipping diodes weren't actually clipping... oops.  I swapped diodes in and out so hopefully I didn't make that mistake more than once, but it might explain why I didn't care for the 1n270s that are in the picture.


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## bowanderror (Dec 23, 2021)

Mcknib said:


> Just for you @fig ye olde straighten wire trick View attachment 18765
> View attachment 18766


Haven't seen this before, but it looks handy! How many rotations do you usually give it?


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## Bricksnbeatles (Dec 24, 2021)

lil buddy arrived today. Dry fitted the hardware.

Edit: Just ordered some 9mm potentiometer breadboard adapters from Madbean since I won’t be able to use fuzz size pots for this like I can with my regular Protoboard (bc that has the 45° screw terminals). Just need to decide which values make most sense to solder to the adapters (I got 3 sets of them, for 15 total)— probably don’t need more than two of any one value since I don’t think 3 pots would fit on here at once, and anything bigger I’ll use my full size Protoboard for anyway. 


https://imgur.com/a/qoBseJd


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## Mcknib (Dec 24, 2021)

bowanderror said:


> Haven't seen this before, but it looks handy! How many rotations do you usually give it?


Just grip it tight with your pliers then just a couple of blasts with your drill, I just press the drill button on and off and let it spin for a couple of seconds


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## mdc (Dec 25, 2021)

I made the mistake of having a coffee at 3:30pm yesterday OOPSIE and thus stayed up until 1:30am last night pfaffing about with this vaguely TBMKIV derived thing on the breadboard:






FET preamp —> Si darlington —> fuzz knob —> Ge/Si ce/cc-cascade

Still tweaking the resistor values on the last stage, but I'm pretty stoked on how it's coming along. I have a few of those enormous gapco enclosures that are pre-stamped for 3-knobs so I might add either a bias or input cap blend? We'll see I guess? 

Anyway!

Happy holidays if you swing that way, have a peaceful weekend if you don't.


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## BuddytheReow (Dec 25, 2021)

mdc said:


> I made the mistake of having a coffee at 3:30pm yesterday OOPSIE and thus stayed up until 1:30am last night pfaffing about with this vaguely TBMKIV derived thing on the breadboard:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Dude, the patience needed to tape up and label each resistor. Hats off to you, good sir!


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## Elijah-Baley (Dec 26, 2021)

On my breadboard there's today a TBA820M amp, schematic from the datasheet. There are two kind of schematic: one with the voltage on the speaker and one with the ground on the speaker.
I tried the one with the voltage on the speaker.
It sounds, but I have to talk about a weird things. Usually circuit like overdrive, fuzz, etc, worked fine, but this with this I got a sound with a bit of compressed sputtering distortion. And I remember I got about the same thing when I tried with the LM386 Smokey Amp on breadboard, that once on veroboard worked normally.
Could the breadboard work bad with amp?


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## mdc (Dec 26, 2021)

BuddytheReow said:


> Dude, the patience needed to tape up and label each resistor. Hats off to you, good sir!


I gave up on using the label maker pretty quickly, it was mostly just the side effect of being excited about owning a label maker. 
The handwritten ones do save me a lot of time though - I just have a sheet of small label tags handy and if I need a resistor that isn't already in the bag of breadboard resistors I just stick a label on it.


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## bowanderror (Dec 26, 2021)

mdc said:


> I gave up on using the label maker pretty quickly, it was mostly just the side effect of being excited about owning a label maker.
> The handwritten ones do save me a lot of time though - I just have a sheet of small label tags handy and if I need a resistor that isn't already in the bag of breadboard resistors I just stick a label on it.


I did this for a while too, but it was soooo much work. You may have better luck printing "Cable Wrap" style labels rather than "Cable Flag" style ones.

I now keep a little resistor color code reference taped to my monitor so I can check values at a glance. You'd be surprised how quickly you start to recognize common values!


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## mdc (Dec 26, 2021)

It’s more an issue of sorting, lighting, and squinting than knowing the codes by site - I’m pretty familiar with the band codes. At this point 90% of the values I need are pulled and labeled and live in a separate ziploc bag that’s just an unsorted tangle of resistors. The tags make it super easy to pull a single value out without having to methodically sort/resort/etc and put things away “properly”. But the system that makes sense to/for me might not work for anyone else. 

Without a dedicated space for hobby crafting this is a way to quickly spread out the bare minimum of things I need to build simple stuff out on a breadboard.


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## BuddytheReow (Dec 26, 2021)

I tend to keep the little baggies out next to my workstation. Setup is the easy part. Cleanup takes a while, but usually there aren’t toooooo many different resistors on the board. Unless I want to breadboard a low tide…….


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## Popnfreshbass (Dec 26, 2021)

Thanks to my Sister for the killer birthday gift! I put the smaller breadboard kit on my order to dip my toes!


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## fig (Jan 18, 2022)

Mcknib said:


> Just grip it tight with your pliers then just a couple of blasts with your drill, I just press the drill button on and off and let it spin for a couple of seconds


Gave this a try tonight. Works like a charm! Thank you sir!


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