FV-1 PedalPcb troubleshooting Error connecting CH341(-1)

https://forum.pedalpcb.com/threads/error-connecting-ch341-1.11239/
Error connecting CH341(-1)
Had some troubleshooting issues. Power at IC5 wasn’t at 3.3v. LED kept flickering, had shorts in TL072.

Power was fluctuating at 1.5 to 5volts and wasn’t getting 9v either. Also usb connection wasn’t working for ASProgrammer.

Drivers were needed on my machine.
Tried first two here:
https://www.onetransistor.eu/2017/08/ch341a-mini-programmer-schematic.html

Also some noob issues, had LEDs reversed and wrong input pins on jacks. Overalll a great PCB, very solid for resoldering also, pads are solid.

I really like the USB ability, kind of future proofs it or lets user ability to add/edit own patches. Only issue is it only has 3 presets. Would love if Pedalpcb made a dev board with rotary switch for 8 presets.

Spincad notes Spincad Builder- Designing own blocks- Adding Frequency knob to Ringmod block

Installed Eclipse to use SpinCad Builder. This will allow me to create new blocks. The major limitation is no main frequency knob on Ring Modulator block, the control on there now control the LFO speed. The main Frequency is locked into the patch. I’ve made some cool patches but the frequency is set usually around 220 for A note.

Original Ring Modulation code made from Frank Thomson, Experimental Noize.
http://www.spinsemi.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=95

;POT0 : Control frequency
;
equ s reg0
equ c reg1

;Then initialize the oscillator by setting one to xero and the other to -1
;we do this just once, during the first cycle of operation

skp run,endset ;do not execute if already running
wrax s,0 ;set s to 0, (acc should be zero)
sof 0,-1 ;set accum to -1
wrax c,0 ;write to c
endset: ;jump-to label

;Now do the LFO, using pot0 as a control for frequency

rdax s,0.02 ;read the s register, change this value between  0.001 and 1.0
mulx pot0 ;multiply by pot value
rdax c,1 ;read the c register
wrax c,-0.02 ;integrate the c value, this value MUST be the negative of
;what ever you set the value in 'rdax s,X' to above
mulx pot0 ;multiply by pot value
rdax s,1 ;read s reg
wrax s,1 ;integrate the s value

;Either the s or c register will be producing s waveforms (just shifted in
;phase), so either can be used as a modulation source. The maximum
;frequency of this LFO is Fs/2pi, which should be high enough!

mulx adcl

;and output the result

wrax dacl,0  

Copying and editing spincad files here, when saved, generates all the java files for blocks and control panels.

Tremolizer.spincad below. This are what I’ll copy and edit to create new patches, I do have to convert it from spinasm code. Just have to figure the assembly code and all the “@” lines conversions to add a control output. I think the easiest way is going through all the readily available patches and reading the fv-1 manual. The patches have a lot of notes in them especially from spinsemi.

// This control block takes a signal (usually an LFO) that goes from 0.0 to 1.0 and 
// allows you to adjust the width via a control input.
// There is also a control panel setting for maximum depth

@name Tremolizer
@color "0xf2f224"
@controlInput input 'LFO Input'
@controlInput width 'LFO Width'
@controlOutput output 'Control Output'

equ depth 0.75 
equ output reg0

// variable - Name - low - high - multiplier - precision - option 
@sliderLabel depth Depth 0.5 0.999 1.0 100.0 2  

@isPinConnected 'LFO Input'
rdax input, depth

@isPinConnected 'LFO Width'
mulx width
@endif

sof -0.999, 0.999
wrax output, 0.0

@setOutputPin 'Control Output' output
@endif

To Rebuild the .jar file, so you don’t have to keep running eclipse to check your new blocks out. Click Project Folder > Export >Runnable JAR>”SpinCADFrame – SpinCADBuilder”>Finish



Spincad Ring Mod TRIANGLE/HyperSawtooth Blend.spcd

C Many changes to tone stacks. Put a mid cut on clean and only volume filtered the high end hump. Lowered Ring Mod LPF and added a 1 band EQ to bring up low end purring. Happy with this one.
B LPF 1621.8Hz from 2564.4Hz more clarity, Both HPF lowered to 40Hz from 70/134Hz . 6db Boost at end.
A LPF 2564.4Hz 44000Hz

My LFOS are too wild?! Have to tame the LFOs a bit? Checking out some of the popular analog ring mod pedals like ringworm and Randy’s Revenge. Trying to be different but at same time usable. Fairfield one is just amazing. Not sure if their square is that hard. Scale Offset down to .25. Can still get pretty wild but unlike my other patches. This one is a little more subtle but ultimately more usable. Crossover blend for the Triangle and Round Sawtooth power shape. Tried square but was way too noisy and got annoying pretty quickly even with LPF lowered, had an annoying click. Not sure I implemented it right though, but rounded sawtooth sounds different. The Slow Clean blend tremolo controlled and synced to POT 0, tamed this a bit too. Should be better for cleans also since the volume kind pumps like a sidechain compression. This replaces the first ring mod patch I did, just had to salvage that one. Just too many bad sounds in original. This one sounds much cleaner. Safer ring mod but can get wild. The blend adds a different taste.

POT 0 Ring Mod Frequency/Volume Tremolo Speed
POT 1 Ring Mod LPF
POT2 TRIANGLE/Rounded Sawtooth Blend, full left triangle/ full right hard sine/ middle blended

Recorded new test demo for spincad. Slightly raised to about -4db gain. In case someone has active pickups. More dynamic playing up and down neck. Also Spincad seems to still have the control panel bug, that’s why I’ve screenshotted the panels. Not sure what causes it, seems to randomly. Edit- cause is on some blocks. LPF and HPF blocks uneditable if you save it with control panel open. Also happens when you set the LPF HPF to the minimum and then close control panel and try to reopen. But not all blocks error like that. I’ll see if I can go through the blocks and provide info to Larry.

EDIT- After running audio to Ableton. The cube drive exaggerated the mid hump, had to remove. Also changed the low and high pass of the clean, allowing more in. Should compensate for the mid hump from ring mod. Could also try a mid scoop. Pot 1 really helpful in cutting highs.

So I think the Rounded Sawtooth LFO from Power block gives it that unique sound. One side of LFO is rounded and the other sharp. So it ramps asymmetrically. Has a Purring Cat quality. Same LFO also filters the clean blend but after the power block. This brings some clarity the to almost overdrive like Round Sawtooth. Balancing out much better and probably better for stacking drive pedals. Always better to stacks pedals with some clean blend to keep note definition. Trying to make this sounds usable. Ring Mod can get pretty hairy. Creating this digitally so much easier than doing it analog. Analog kind of limited to one or two LFOs. So maybe I need to push the digital LFOs and take advantage of the flexibility.

Edit- So the wave is called Hypersawtooth
http://blog.synthesizerwriter.com/2020/10/when-is-single-cycle-waveform-not.html
Interesting read, I could also add an envelope I think. that lowers the waveform but keeps shape. Might be another way … Read the rest

Spincad use with Voxengo Spectrum Analyzer in Ableton – Routing Spincad output with Reamp box

Spincad is really helpful with a Spectrum Analyzer. Great for viewing filter changes. Exporting audio from Spincad is really easy and helpful but exporting doesn’t allow hearing the knobs tweaks. When exporting spincad mutes audio.

Voxengo is an awesome audio plugin for this reason.
https://plugins.landr.com/en/product/voxengo-span/

Couple things you need though.
Reamp Box – I made mine homemade for under 40 bucks, but they run about $100+. Really easy, just solder a few components https://youtu.be/xR3LqemYXOU
Audio Interface with at least 4 outputs and only need 1 input I use Motu M4.
Any Audio DAW program should work, I use Ableton
Spincad app https://github.com/HolyCityAudio/SpinCAD-Designer/releases

Connect reamp box to the secondary output, typically 3 and 4- I just use 3 with a TRS to mic cable
Connect reamp box to input of DAW, I use input 2
Open Spincad set audio to go to soundcard
Window Sound settings, set to secondary output of DAW, mine were 3-4
Run DAW make sure secondary outputs are activated
Assign the input from reamp box to audio track , may have to tweak input levels.
Enable monitoring on track and you should be able to run spectrum analyzer in realtime!

Also find out my Motu M4 has a loopback function also. But not all audio interface have one. So if not adding extra external fx then, loopback function works really well, just select enable and select loopback on input. The issue though is that the loopback causes echo from not being able to mute the loopback monitor. So reamping is best solution unless your interface can seperate or mute the loopback monitor while recording

Spincad Designer RingMod Harmonic Tremolo Pitch Square .spcd

This one is pretty nuts. The Clean is set to a about a 5th interval Vibrato but with a hard square from the slicer block that feeds into the same Ring Mod Pot that controls and syncs. It’s slightly atonal with the a 5th. I may play around more with the Pitch Coefficient. 8192 is about 5th interval divided by 7 is about 1170.28 per half step note.


m3rd should be about 3510.85
3rd should be about 4681.14
5th 8192
Octave 14043
Not sure how accurate these are, actually test it, my theory fails. I’d have to measure it to be precise.

Spincad Designer Ring Mod Delay .spcd (Never Go FUll Retard)

Created Ring Mod Delay I’ll probably use. Based off bass-fv1-p2-delay.spcd https://github.com/mstratman/fv1-programs/blob/338a554f8b33120c010173084c6854ea61fac0cd/static/files/firesledge/bass-fv1-p2-delay.spcd

Used a crazy ramp LFO with Power block- Ring Mod effects the delay feedback loop only. Ring Mod needs a clean. Never go full retard.

Larry’s ringmod already has a low pass filter in the block. The Hi range goes up past 1000Hz. I do agree with Larry anything higher is going full retard. “Never Go Full Retard Ringmod” sounds pretty long as a pedal name. Maybe Something more robotic like an R2D2 Ring mod. HAHA.
https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=107751.0

Spincad Designer Ring Mod Harmonic Tremolo Pitch Patch .spcd

This Ring Mod has a squarish wave lfo using power block on level 5. Clean path goes to pitch shift controlled by same lfo and pots for Ringmod, so they sync together. Really hypnotic sound. Syncing Ring Mod Frequency to LFO of Clean pitch shift. Very responsive to playing. Could probably add a delay or reverb for pot2.

SpinCad Designer Ring Mod patch- LFO ramp/power mod .spcd

Created a Ring Mod patch from spincad block. Frequency tweaked with Ramp LFO and Power. Smoothing also works good. A lot of tweakability frequency on Ring Mod can further be tweaked. I’m working on a good base sound and applying a reverb, delay and tremolo versions. This one uses no delay ram yet, definitely can further tweaked. Looking at 2 Ring Mod presets to make, One Harsher and Smoother LFO.
Seems ring mod sounds amazing when blended with clean. Best place IMO for a ring mod is before distortion or amp.

1 Ring Mod Hi Range Triangle Hyper Sawtooth blend
1 Ring Mod Low Range Hyper Sawtooth, add another blend?
1 Ring Mod Hyper Sawtooth feedback Clean Delay
1 Ring Mod Hyper Sawtooth Tremolo Clean Square preset
1 Ring Mod Vibrato Clean Hyper Sawtooth preset
1 Ring Mod Shimmer Reverb TBD
1 Ring Mod pitch preset Mix octave??? TBD
1 Ring Mod Ds-1 like Digital Distortion TBD- mid cut
Dood I wasn’t even tryin to extensively try to use the Hyper Sawtooth. Just sounded like my favorite. Didn’t even know what it was called. Possible name “Hyper Sawtooth Ring Mod” Meh Doesn’t really have a ring to it.