(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_dPC0urMeEks/TAPBdFpSkcI/AAAAAAAAAIA/xTWERWKL9AI/s1600/belcatbends.jpg)The Belcat 303 is a cheap delay pedal which (I think) uses a PT2399 chip. (The printing on the chip inside mine was hard to read)
I didn't study schematics for the chip but instead used the Reed Ghazala prod it and see approach, which I think can be more fun...
There are probably more bends to be found but I was happy with these - three of the bends cause endless oscillation to distortion. The other causes glitchy noise bursts. It probably could have benefited from some fine tune pots, but I was working fast!
Sound examples to follow...
http://www.nealbeardahm.blogspot.com/ (http://www.nealbeardahm.blogspot.com/)
ADMIN EDIT: changed thread title
Is the original soldering really shit on these things? I had one of these a while back and had to reflow half the solder joints after about an hour or two of using the thing as it was just falling apart. Maybe i just got a friday afternoon unit. :-\
Is that a Belcat 303 or 503? They seem to be labelled as 503 but the one on the actual Belcat site is a 303.
DOH! Apologies it is a 503 - I ordered a 303 and thought they had just re-packaged it. I didn't realise it was a new model...
Is it possible to change the thread title?
And yep the shoddy soldering inside made me feel a whole lot better about my builds!
Has anyone bent/modded the 303?
I managed to get mine to give infinite repeats and extended delay time but I couldn't find out how to change the echo volume. I'm guessing there is a resistor somewhere that needs bridging but I couldn't find it. I've just been given another one of these pedals and it needs bending 'cos unbent these pedals are really lame.
Post a couple of good photographs of the component and track side of the board, and I'll take a look.
Just in case anyone wants to hear my 503 there's an 18 minute improvised recording using it here-
http://www.nealbeard.saftandboneless.co.uk/NEW%20SITE/RECORDINGS/mp3's/BELCAT%202%20TUESDAY%201st.mp3 (http://www.nealbeard.saftandboneless.co.uk/NEW%20SITE/RECORDINGS/mp3's/BELCAT%202%20TUESDAY%201st.mp3)
INSTRUMENTS USED
Circuit bent quid bleepy keyboard
Circuit Bent Belcat 503
Resonant Lowpass Filter + Reverb (these were set at the start of the recording and not changed so all the sound manipulation nis done with the 503)
Towards the end of the recording I introduced a homemade oscillator and my circuit bend/hacked crappy SK 322b.
Cheers
Cheers Gordon. I'll get round to it soon as I can.