# Hydra/Spatialist combo (AA Esotera)



## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)

So this was something I have been meaning to get around to for a while, sooo many issues I ran into, broken wires, tight fit, ideas that flat out didn’t work,  but I sorted everything out on the fly and it turned out good enough. I could go back and change a few things but I’m l kind of over messing with this one.

With the order switch the LEDs change color indicating what is first in the chain (blue first red second) so I could utilize the internal modulation algorithms on the Fv-1 of the spatialist, (I like modulation before delay) they are useable but not really anything that gets me excited.  Installed a clock module instead of the crystal oscillator, and ran a 10k external pot rather than the internal trimmer( if we are going to give this more knobs and switches than necessary why not go all the way?) ,This really increased the  range of delay time giving me the ability to push it into longer and shorter delay times than I would ever use in practical manner. The oscillation mod (I can’t help myself) on a 3pdt momentary through a dual gang 50k trimmed down to 25k (a 5k or 10k would have been the way to go) controls the speed and swell of the Hydra, you really need to have 2 heads running for it to ramp up nicely , a little noisy on engagement but the release is pretty epic… cool circuits , a lot of work to put them in one enclosure like this. Probably won’t do that again. Didn’t really turn out how I was wanting  but not bad,  soooo many knobs and switches so I dubbed it the Esotera.  Umm yeah I’m even over writing about it.. but it’s cool I’ll keep it.








Demo as promised


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## Harry Klippton (Jul 29, 2022)




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## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)

Harry Klippton said:


> View attachment 30038


Oh there will be a demo, I’m done building  for a bit, but you are going to have to give me a minute


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## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)

Harry Klippton said:


> View attachment 30038


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## BuddytheReow (Jul 29, 2022)

Time's up


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## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)




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## cwsquared (Jul 29, 2022)

You are killing it.  Another fine example of your craft.  I can't wait for the demo.

Side note: Is that EVP flooring?


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## Mentaltossflycoon (Jul 29, 2022)

Fifteen is my limit on schnitzengruben.


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## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)

cwsquared said:


> You are killing it.  Another fine example of your craft.  I can't wait for the demo.
> 
> Side note: Is that EVP flooring?


Thanks! I’m not sure what EVP flooring is but maybe… One thing I do know is the wife hates it so its going bye bye some time in the future.


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## fig (Jul 29, 2022)

It‘s a very awesome thing you’ve done here


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## cwsquared (Jul 29, 2022)

Paradox916 said:


> Thanks! I’m not sure what EVP flooring is but maybe… One thing I do know is the wife hates it so its going bye bye some time in the future.


Engineered Vinyl Plank.  Looks like hardwood with a textured surface.  My wife loves it and wants it in the entire house.  It's at least a little better than laminate flooring.







But enough of me derailing another of your build reports.


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## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)

cwsquared said:


> Engineered Vinyl Plank.  Looks like hardwood with a textured surface.  My wife loves it and wants it in the entire house.  It's at least a little better than laminate flooring.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yup thats the stuff


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## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)

fig said:


> It‘s a very awesome thing you’ve done here


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## blackhatboojum (Jul 29, 2022)

Holy hell 😮!  That is an awesome looking build 🔥🔥!


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## Harry Klippton (Jul 29, 2022)

Paradox916 said:


> Yup thats the stuff


I'd yank it out too


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## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)

blackhatboojum said:


> Holy hell 😮!  That is an awesome looking build 🔥🔥!


Thanks man!  I almost abandoned it a couple of times… 🤣


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## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)

Harry Klippton said:


> I'd yank it out too


There is something wrong with a 110 yo house having a rubber floor…🤣 the previous owners should have been beaten with a piece of this flooring,,,   “Bad!   Bad!” Then rub their noses in it.


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## Harry Klippton (Jul 29, 2022)

If it's like my house, the real floor is still under there


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## Paradox916 (Jul 29, 2022)

Harry Klippton said:


> If it's like my house, the real floor is still under there


They put subflooring over the original stuff where they didn’t cut it out🥲


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## Mentaltossflycoon (Jul 29, 2022)

There was super ugly tile over the 120yo fir floors in my kitchen when I bought my place.  It was the first room to get redone.  Ripped it and everything else outta there. What kind of maniac would cover this stuff up?


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## MichaelW (Jul 30, 2022)

Paradox916 said:


> So this was something I have been meaning to get around to for a while, sooo many issues I ran into, broken wires, tight fit, ideas that flat out didn’t work,  but I sorted everything out on the fly and it turned out good enough. I could go back and change a few things but I’m l kind of over messing with this one.
> 
> With the order switch the LEDs change color indicating what is first in the chain (blue first red second) so I could utilize the internal modulation algorithms on the Fv-1 of the spatialist, (I like modulation before delay) they are useable but not really anything that gets me excited.  The oscillation mod on a 3pdt momentary through a dual gang 50k trimmed down to 25k (a 5k or 10k would have been the way to go) controls the speed and swell of the Hydra, you really need to have 2 heads running for it to ramp up nicely , a little noisy on engagement but the release is pretty epic… cool circuits , a lot of work to put them in one enclosure like this. Probably won’t do that again. Didn’t really turn out how I was wanting  but not bad,  soooo many knobs and switches so I dubbed it the Esotera.  Umm yeah I’m even over writing about it.. but it’s cool I’ll keep it.
> View attachment 30036View attachment 30054


What size enclosure is that? I'm building something similar (although less complex)  for a buddy of mine. It will be <insert some delay> + Gravitation reverb. Maybe a Magnetron but I'm waiting to build out my DMD-2 to see if that might work better.

Edit: Phenomenal looking build man! How does it sound?


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## Paradox916 (Jul 30, 2022)

MichaelW said:


> What size enclosure is that? I'm building something similar (although less complex)  for a buddy of mine. It will be <insert some delay> + Gravitation reverb. Maybe a Magnetron but I'm waiting to build out my DMD-2 to see if that might work better.
> 
> Edit: Phenomenal looking build man! How does it sound?


The enclosure is a 1590xx. It sounds good but after playing with it a little more, some of the mods I did just aren’t as useful As I thought.  I will probably never use the internal algorithms that makes the order switch pointless for me… but it was a challenging build so I learned a few things.


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## JamieJ (Aug 17, 2022)

I'm late to the party with this one but IMO it doesn't get any better then this! Amazing!


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## Paradox916 (Aug 17, 2022)

JamieJ said:


> I'm late to the party with this one but IMO it doesn't get any better then this! Amazing!


Thanks man. In retrospect the combo build added unnecessary complexity that just didn’t need to happen it would have been easier and more useful to make two pedals, but it turned out good lots to explore on this pedal…more than needed actually…lol


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## chongmagic (Aug 17, 2022)

Late to the party as well, this is super awesome! Are you using solid core wire? If not what type of wire are you using? I need to get me some.


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## Paradox916 (Aug 17, 2022)

chongmagic said:


> Late to the party as well, this is super awesome! Are you using solid core wire? If not what type of wire are you using? I need to get me some.


Yup 22g solid core


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## fig (Dec 9, 2022)

Paradox916 said:


> Yup 22g solid core


That's the stuff!


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## Paradox916 (Dec 9, 2022)

fig said:


> That's the stuff!


I definitely like it better than 24g.


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## Pauleo1214 (Dec 9, 2022)

Hot damn!


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## homebrewtj (Dec 9, 2022)

Very cool!


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## Feral Feline (Dec 12, 2022)

YOWZA! 

What a build! Definitely BOTY material here.






Uhm, you might want to do something about that clip... and soon...









Oh, and the engineered flooring... that wood veneer is less than paper-thin and every little scratch or ding shows immediately.
Hey, _*I*_ didn't install it, it came with the house.


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## Harry Klippton (Dec 12, 2022)

If this keeps going, we might need a flooring sub forum


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## Paradox916 (Dec 12, 2022)

Feral Feline said:


> YOWZA!
> 
> What a build! Definitely BOTY material here.
> 
> ...


Thanks!

The demo?…. I’m working on it.🤣


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## Paradox916 (Dec 15, 2022)

Update: demo added.
And I bet you thought I had crawfished on the deal 🦞 😬


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## Paradox916 (Dec 16, 2022)

MichaelW said:


> What size enclosure is that? I'm building something similar (although less complex)  for a buddy of mine. It will be <insert some delay> + Gravitation reverb. Maybe a Magnetron but I'm waiting to build out my DMD-2 to see if that might work better.
> 
> Edit: Phenomenal looking build man! How does it sound?


Ok so after playing with it for a while, this thing is a sound scape machine, and some of the internal FV1 Algos. are useful ( the trem fx in the demo was an internal algo.) not great but useable depending on your taste and situation.  It la actually a pretty cool pedal and now that I’m familiar with it not to bad to dial in and a ambient shoegaze arsenal .


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