The Numenorean Incandescent Modulator
The first run sold out fast. If you're willing to wait, I'm doing another run. ALuminum Plates are being ordered from the laser cutter on Mar 01. Between getting them cut, prepped, printed, clear coated, and built, I'm shooting for the last week of April to start shipping. Just be aware that delays can happen in that chain and it may be a little later than that.
What: An all-analog optical phase shifter with selectable 12, 8, or 6 phasing stages. Each stage is powered by a discrete Jfet transistor
Function: Depending on settings, this pedal can serve as a univibe-y chorus, a phaser, a passable flanger at low speeds, or an excellent vibrato. With gain stages designed into the front end, the back end, or both you can get some really nice drive from this pedal in addition to the modulation.
Graphics: A depiction of the flight of Elendil from the drowning of Numenor in J.R.R. Tolkien's tales of Middle Earth. This is original commissioned artwork done by James Martin. The LED indicator represents what would eventually become the flag of Gondor.
Finish: The Numenorean is varnished with 3 coats of Spar Urethane, a flexible all-weather sealant used to coat the timbers of sailing vessels. It has a slight amber tint, giving a little bit of a sepia tone look.
Circuit stuff:
- 12 Jfet phase shifting stages + jfet mixing stage, jfet preamp stage, and BJT post modulation gain stage.
- All WIMA film caps in the audio path
- 1% tolerance metal film resistors
- USA-made circuit board
- DeMont Smooth click stomp and Taiway mode switch and toggles
- Custom enclosure made from laser cut aluminum plates (made in the USA).
- Hand-built & hand wired
- Switchcraft audio jacks (Made in USA)
- Halogen incandescent bulb has 10,000hr expected life
- Requires 18 volts @ about 150 ma
- UV printed artwork and powdercoated bottom plate, all with the traditional nautical Spar Urethane finish (3 coats).
Functionality:
Speed: controls the rate of modulation
Depth: controls the strength of the effect
Ratio: controls how much of the modulated signal is mixed with the dry signal. All the way clockwise will make the effect more pronounced, but about in the middle will make the univibey cancellation the strongest.
Gain: controls how much gain is applied at the end of the circuit, affecting both dry and modulated signals.
Preamp: controls how much gain is applied to the wet signal at the beginning of the circuit
Fast/Slow toggle: Allows you to select a range for the speed control to operate within.
Vibrato toggle: Allows you to choose the wet signal only.
Stage toggle: Choose 12 phasing stages, 8 phasing stages, or 6 phasing stages
History:
I started this design when I was quarantining out in the shop with my first (of 5 and counting) bout of COVID 19. I wanted something that could do a great always-on vibrato sound, but that could also do other cool swirly stuff. I don't like to just copy other circuits, so I decided to look at the vibrato circuit in old Hammond organs.
I eventually realized that those circuits were very similar to the univibe circuit. So I decided to makes something drawing on both of those circuits. I knew i wanted to try one version with vintage Soviet transistors (that version became the 4 stage Project 941 Modulator), and one with modern jfets.
The jfet based circuit sounded great with 4 stages, but i wanted to see what adding another couple of stages could. I kept repeating this process until I dialed in just what I was looking for. 16 stages was too many; 12 was just right!
