# Mach 1 and Mach number 2



## MightySmallElectrons (Apr 29, 2020)

As an experiment I’ve built two of these...the first was with cheap Amazon.com resistors and capacitors; the second with Takman audio resistors and Nichicon Fine Gold audio capacitors.
Also acquired the Burr Brown for the uptown build and used Neotech copper hookup wire.
I was hoping that I wouldn’t hear much difference but I have to say that the expensive build has a little more sparkle and clarity.


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## music6000 (Apr 29, 2020)

Looks like the one on the left is practicing Safe mode with the added protection on the Pots!
The one on right doesn't give a Damn if the Led is In or Out so It might have to much Sparkle!

HeHe!, Cool Builds just the same!


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## phi1 (Apr 29, 2020)

Could you swap the op amps to see if most of the difference you’re hearing is due to the op amp or if it seems to be the other components?


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## Barry (Apr 29, 2020)

Nice looking builds


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## MightySmallElectrons (Apr 29, 2020)

music6000 said:


> Looks like the one on the left is practicing Safe mode with the added protection on the Pots!
> The one on right doesn't give a Damn if the Led is In or Out so It might have to much Sparkle!
> 
> HeHe!, Cool Builds just the same!


Yeah..to be honest the light isn’t yet functioning on that one. Second build in a row where the LED needed help.
I like that better than my earlier builds where the LED came on but no sound. I know the difference between the anode and cathode so I’m not sure what I’m mucking up there?


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## MightySmallElectrons (Apr 29, 2020)

phi1 said:


> Could you swap the op amps to see if most of the difference you’re hearing is due to the op amp or if it seems to be the other components?


I will try that tonight as I was wondering the same thing.


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## music6000 (Apr 30, 2020)

Try This for the LED:


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## MightySmallElectrons (Apr 30, 2020)

music6000 said:


> Try This for the LED:
> View attachment 4213


Great suggestion! That did the trick!


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## Chuck D. Bones (Apr 30, 2020)

MightySmallElectrons said:


> I was hoping that I wouldn’t hear much difference but I have to say that the expensive build has a little more sparkle and clarity.



Was it a double-blind test, or are we cork-sniffing here?


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## music6000 (Apr 30, 2020)

MightySmallElectrons said:


> I will try that tonight as I was wondering the same thing.


OPA2134 comparison, Report Findings Now!!!?


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## MightySmallElectrons (Apr 30, 2020)

Giving my daughter a bath after her “accident” in the kitchen. Might be later:/


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## MightySmallElectrons (May 2, 2020)

music6000 said:


> OPA2134 comparison, Report Findings Now!!!?


Alright...I opened up the “ghetto” Mach 1 and played it for awhile to acclimate myself to the tone. 
Listening closely to the top end response because that’s where I was hearing the difference in my initial comparison.
Thinking this is not the best way to test this but I’m not really out to change hearts and minds so,

I pulled out the OPA2134 and...

It was a Burr-Brown also


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## BeeSharp (Jun 21, 2020)

@MightySmallElectrons I'm building my first Mach 1, did you find all the fancy components at one place?  Where at?  Thanks!


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## MightySmallElectrons (Jun 21, 2020)

Mostly shopped Mouser..if there’s something specific you can’t find I’ll try to remember.


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## BeeSharp (Jun 21, 2020)

thanks!  I'm going to try and build the "uptown" version.  Does it matter the voltage rating for the Nichicon 22uF caps?  I noticed they are bigger than the other build version.


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## MightySmallElectrons (Jun 21, 2020)

BeeSharp said:


> thanks!  I'm going to try and build the "uptown" version.  Does it matter the voltage rating for the Nichicon 22uF caps?  I noticed they are bigger than the other build version.


Not especially. I just found a great deal on those Nichicon caps, they’re almost too big really. Would have preferred to have 25 watts but I think I got these for 6 cents or something silly like that.
Some builds with charge pumps might require a higher rating but 16 is fine and 25 is high enough to cover all circumstances that I’m familiar with.


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## MightySmallElectrons (Jun 21, 2020)

Oh yeah...I got the fancy resistors at Sonic Craft out of Texas.


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## BeeSharp (Jun 21, 2020)

Awesome, thanks!  My brain is hurting trying to rundown all the components and trying to decipher which ones are high quality.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Jun 21, 2020)

Pedal building is supposed to be be fun, so don't give yourself a brain aneurysm trying to select "the best" parts.  There's the concept in engineering of a thing being "good enough."  Those red 0.1% resistors are pretty, but they're not going to sound any different from the 1% metal film resistors you can buy at Tayda for a penny apiece.  What matters is that your pedal actually works and you like the way it sounds.  And the graphics.  It has to have cool graphics and a catchy name.  And pretty knobs.  Don't skimp on the knobs.

My $0.02 ±5%.


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## BeeSharp (Jun 21, 2020)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> Pedal building is supposed to be be fun, so don't give yourself a brain aneurysm trying to select "the best" parts.  There's the concept in engineering of a thing being "good enough."  Those red 0.1% resistors are pretty, but they're not going to sound any different from the 1% metal film resistors you can buy at Tayda for a penny apiece.  What matters is that your pedal actually works and you like the way it sounds.  And the graphics.  It has to have cool graphics and a catchy name.  And pretty knobs.  Don't skimp on the knobs.
> 
> My $0.02 ±5%.


 Thanks Chuck.  I appreciate the info.  I definitely agree about the knobs.  Most folks use metal film instead of carbon film I guess?


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## MightySmallElectrons (Jun 21, 2020)

I agree. I do hear a difference but if I hadn’t built both I would have never noticed or cared.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Jun 21, 2020)

Metal film is lower noise.  In high-gain pedals, it makes a difference. I use mostly MF in the audio path, sometime throwing in a Carbon Comp near the output, where it can't do any harm, just for fun.


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