Red Llama |
The Red Llama is one of my favourites. MartyB introduced me to this great circuit. The schematic source was Steve Cerutti at diystompboxes.com.
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Ryan said:
Where is the output? Is it off of the square on volume 1? I thought it was off of 2 on Volume..
Posted 18.08.2007 at 8:35 am
gaussmarkov said:
Yep, you are right. The output is off lug 2 of the volume pot.
Posted 18.08.2007 at 11:03 am
Maury said:
If the volume pot lug 2 is for output, then you need to just hook lug 2 to the footswith’s output lug?
Posted 29.09.2007 at 10:14 am
gaussmarkov said:
yep, that’s right!
Posted 29.09.2007 at 10:18 am
Eden Barrera said:
I used this layout to perf it. Worked great!
Love the pedal.
Posted 30.09.2007 at 6:45 am
gaussmarkov said:
Super. I’m glad it worked out.
I also perf the Red Llama and similar size circuits. I lay them out for perf: the components and traces are always on a 0.1″ grid.
Posted 30.09.2007 at 7:23 am
Chris said:
Hi, I know this is probably a dumb question but as this is going to be my first build, I’m going to ask anyway. Is it safe to assume that the layout diagram is showing the solder side of the board?
Posted 11.10.2007 at 6:05 pm
gaussmarkov said:
That’s a fine question.
No, boards are always pictured looking down on the component side. So the solder side is reversed.
Posted 12.10.2007 at 12:18 am
chris said:
Hey thanks! That is definitely good to know.
Posted 12.10.2007 at 3:27 am
Chris said:
Hi, I hate to keep asking dumb questions but is this layout showing us the undersite or top side of the pots? Or does it really matter?
Posted 17.10.2007 at 5:27 pm
gaussmarkov said:
That’s not dumb. Others have asked the same thing. That’s the bottom of the pot cases pictured. The shaft is on the other side.
You can tell the answer by looking at the numbering of the lugs. Lug 1 is always the CCW lug.
The whole layout is pictured as it goes into the enclosure, with the pot shaft underneath going through a hole in the top of the enclosure. The board goes in component side up, or facing the bottom of the enclosure when everything is put together.
That’s not how all builds are done. But I am willing to bet most builds are done that way. For an example, look at Krister’s recent build of his Pearl OC-07 clone.
Posted 17.10.2007 at 7:10 pm
jdavyd said:
hi,
when you say to take the output from the 2nd lug of the volume pot, do you mean literally from the lug, or from the pad where it connects to the pcb?
thanks!
Posted 19.10.2007 at 12:08 pm
gaussmarkov said:
Hi!
Either the lug or the pad is fine. But the lug is a better choice IMHO.
Lots of builders put an extra pad on the PCB for making the connection to the board instead of the lug of the pot. I did not put that extra pad there, so you would have to add it if you want one.
But PCB pads are much more fragile than pot lugs. And sometimes the wiper lug does not need to connect to the board at all. Then using PCB pads just adds to the amount of wire. So I prefer the lug.
All the best!
Posted 19.10.2007 at 1:21 pm
Chris said:
Hi all,
I just finished this as my first build, and after accidentally reversing the board in and out, as well as the pots, and in addition to finding an incomplete connection on my board; I am proud to say that this pedal works and sounds great! It’s a bit bassy when you turn the gain and volume up past 12, but that through my computer using Amplitube. The real test is through my actual amp, which I’m going to try this week.
I’m probably going to try the Green Ringer next.
Thanks for everything GM! Your site rules!
Posted 21.10.2007 at 4:57 pm
rafael zuleta said:
hi ,mister gauss markov ,me again, i see another schematic about this project and the original tube sound fuzz by mr craid anderton (same circuit but little few mods) and compare with your schematics ,and you have a little mistake ,i think?
you put pins 7,9,11,and 14 to ground (cd 4049 ube),and those pins ,must be connectec to 9(+).
let me know that i ok.
Posted 30.10.2007 at 8:39 pm
gaussmarkov said:
AFAIK, either ground or +9V is fine. The main thing is that they are not left hanging. Thanks for checking, RZ!
Posted 30.10.2007 at 9:36 pm
Anastasio said:
I made my perfboard layout based on your schematic. Thanks for sharing all the info and making the schematics available. Your site is great!
I have been testing the circuit for a couple of weeks now. It has kicked out of my pedalboard two other overdrives. I’m a fun of the “less is more” idea when it comes to fx. The Llama, together with a delay and a reverb are the only pedals I use right now. It’s on its way to get velcroed…
Posted 02.11.2007 at 3:41 am
javier said:
great pedal
everyone should have one!!!!!!!!
easy and LOUD
javi
Posted 30.12.2007 at 2:21 am
gaussmarkov said:
i agree!!
Posted 30.12.2007 at 8:19 am
Coxter said:
I assume they are linear pots?
Posted 17.01.2008 at 9:34 am
gaussmarkov said:
I do not know what kind of pots the original used. Most people prefer an audio (log) pot for the level/volume control at the output of any stompbox. The gain pot would typically be linear.
Posted 17.01.2008 at 10:33 am
Fuzz Aldryn said:
after building the bsiab II using your layout with succes (and many more same complex circuits) i realy start going mad about this one:( i can’t get it to work! i can’t figure out any failure on my work, except that i use a 56pf cap instead of the 51pf pictured in your layout. i get no distortion at all turning the gain pot. only turning the vol changes the over all (still not loud) output. i checked the traces and the wiring over and over again… no mistake, no succes:(
but still this is a great site with great layouts!
Posted 23.01.2008 at 11:34 am
gaussmarkov said:
fuzz,
this build has been verified by many people. so there must be a mistake, or a misunderstanding.
i’m sorry that you are having so much trouble with this one. obviously the other builds (like the bsiab2) that you have completed successfully are “harder.”
sometimes this happens. some odd little thing catches us.
it’s a great circuit when it is working. i hope you find the problem.
and thanks for the encouragement!
all the best, gm
Posted 23.01.2008 at 11:48 am
Fuzz Aldryn said:
that’s the point: people have verified it, so obviously it works. i have compared it with other layouts on the diystompboxes gallery (e.c. the layout by markm) only finding the difference that yours is the most compact and practicaly:)
my thought was: “hey! you’ve heard so many good things about that pedal and it’s an easy built! so why not try out this easy little circuit after having built the ROG Thor, BSIAB II, Nurse Quacky etc.?”
anyway…thanks for your fast reply! i won’t give up that fast… maybe the ic is “kaputt”.. hmmm:D
all the best, too!
Posted 23.01.2008 at 12:11 pm
Fuzz Aldryn said:
good news: it works! after changing a ground connection from pin 14 to 15 (L=F), which works too, by accident and back i got that little gadget working.
so everything is fine!
with regards
fuzz
Posted 23.01.2008 at 2:02 pm
gaussmarkov said:
sweet!
Posted 23.01.2008 at 2:16 pm
jd said:
where is the parts list for this?
Posted 01.06.2008 at 7:16 pm
jd said:
oh, its on the bottom right of the page. Perfect place for it!
Posted 01.06.2008 at 7:28 pm
Éric said:
Just one question…
why there is a pad between volume pot and the rest of the circuit?!
why not just the circuit going to que pot directly?!
the gain is the same…
i just dont understaind why there are those pads… if they arent used…
im getting some troubles building this one…
1st try – just hummm
2nd try – works perfectly (but without bypass… just for a earlier test)
3nd try – just loud hummm (this time with bypass inside a hammond box)
i think the problem is in this pad issue that i’ve mencioned up there…
but… thx very much for this… i was looking for it, and just found it over here…
great website men…
Cheers…
Posted 21.07.2008 at 11:02 pm
igor said:
the book is on the table
Posted 21.07.2008 at 11:13 pm
gaussmarkov said:
Éric,
i am not sure which pad you are referring to. the pad in the lower right hand corner, marked GND, is to hook up to ground. the red lines represent wires going from the volume pot to the circuit.
the volume pot has 3 connections. the output comes from the middle one, no. 2, and you should connect that to the output jack (not shown). the pot is connected to the circuit at no. 3 and there is one pad for that connection. the no. 1 lug on the volume pot is connected to ground.
i hope this helps, gm/paul
Posted 22.07.2008 at 3:29 am
Éric said:
thx for helping…
so that’s ok if i dont make any conection on the no. 1 lug of the volume pot? because the hammond box should do the ground service right?!
now i see why the red wires… i just got confused cause, in the layout for the PCB there are the pot’s pad….
ill try it again today…
thx again…
Posted 22.07.2008 at 10:13 am
gaussmarkov said:
you must connect the ground wire for lug no. 1. the hammond box will ground the jack, but it will not ground any pot lugs. so either connect no. 1 to the board as shown or to the ground lug of a jack.
Posted 22.07.2008 at 10:22 am
Éric said:
ok… thx again…
im already working on it…
as soon as i get it working… i post it here ok?
thx man..
Posted 22.07.2008 at 12:07 pm
Éric said:
I’ve build it up again… new pcb, new pots, new components…
but i still get the loud hummm…
is there any pictures showing one of yours red llama?
thx again
Posted 22.07.2008 at 5:41 pm
Éric said:
GM… i got the eagle zip, and i re-made the pcb layout, just adding a out pad…
Can u check if it should work?
http://i43.servimg.com/u/f43/11/83/24/54/redlla10.jpg
Thanks for helping man…
Posted 22.07.2008 at 8:15 pm
Éric said:
i think this pic is better
http://i43.servimg.com/u/f43/11/83/24/54/redlla11.jpg
Posted 22.07.2008 at 8:27 pm
gaussmarkov said:
hi Éric,
if you used my eagle files and did not change any of the schematic connections then your own layout should work also. do a Design Rule Check (drc) on your layout with eagle just to be sure.
it may object to the traces that run between the pads for the ICs. but you can probably get away with those if you are good at etching.
i don’t think a new layout will fix your past problems though, unless it helps you to avoid a mistake that you have been making.
good luck!
Posted 23.07.2008 at 5:19 am
Éric said:
Man… i dont know how… but it works
I gave up for like a week… and them when i tested it again, just worked…
exact sciences are not exact…
Thx for helping…
Cheers
Posted 05.08.2008 at 3:53 pm
Michael said:
What an awesome site. I’m new to pedal building and this was my second build. Took me about 3 hours and worked first time perfectly!! Its an awesome pedal!!
Posted 29.08.2008 at 6:59 am
Dave said:
Is the output Vol 2 or 1 ?
Thanks
Posted 15.05.2009 at 5:40 am
gaussmarkov said:
Vol 2. there are a couple of ways to see this. one is that Vol 1 is grounded. another is to look at the schematic, linked at the top on the right. that shows Vol 2 attached to “out.” all the best!
Posted 15.05.2009 at 3:20 pm
i build some pedals… « purple tree said:
[...] Professor Tweed 2.) Red Llama 3.) Supreaux Deux Veröffentlicht [...]
Posted 31.05.2009 at 12:48 pm
walker said:
Having successfully completed (took forever) an LBP-1 and a Bazz Fuss, I’m thinking of trying the Red Llama.
How/where would one add a tone control to this circuit? Is it a good idea?
Posted 24.02.2010 at 12:34 am
Zack said:
Can these be used to make a PCB? Or are they for perf board only?
Posted 07.06.2010 at 3:40 pm
Zack said:
Also, on EAGLE how do you export the PCB image of a schematic? Thanks.
Posted 07.06.2010 at 3:41 pm
Rafael said:
Hi.
I can’t seem to find CD4049UBE, the local electronics shop only stocks a CD4049 and a CD4049BT, will any of these work?
Thanks!
Posted 15.08.2010 at 5:00 pm
Matt said:
Hey there – thanks for posting so many great schematics and layouts. Your site is a great resource for the DIYer, especially novices like me. I recently built a Red Llama on perfboard based on your layout. I made a few parts changes: replaced the 330uF power supply cap with a 1000uF unit, and replaced the 1K ohm resistor in series with the battery with a 56 ohm unit (the resistor change was made in order to reduce the voltage drop across the resistor.) I also had to change the layout a bit, since I negligently ordered an axial rather than radial power supply cap. However, I left the circuit as shown. The pedal works (and it actually worked the first time I powered it up, to my surprise and delight!), but it does get a little noisy as the volume knob gets above 12 o’clock. I’ve verified that the noise is coming from the pedal itself, and not the guitar (I muted the guitar’s volume controls; the Red Llama was the only pedal in the signal chain). I checked all the solder joints, and replace the signal wire from the input jack to the switch and from the switch to the output jack with shielded cable, although the signal wires to and from the board are still unshielded. I also tried swapping ICs just to make sure the part itself wasn’t noisy. I’ve gone over the circuit again and again, and can’t find any errors. I would really appreciate it if you had any tips! Thanks!
Posted 04.02.2011 at 11:13 am
Tony said:
If vol lug 2 is for output then why does the board schem show all 3 lugs wired to the pcb?
Posted 30.03.2011 at 5:18 pm
gaussmarkov said:
Hi Tony,
This is a little confusing. The original circuit has a 1M pull-down resistor on lug 2, which is usually just conneted to the output jack. This resistor is unnecessary and you can leave off the connection to the board and leave out the pull-down resistor if you like.
Also, it would be a good idea to add a pull-down resistor to the input. It is odd that one isn’ there but that is apparently the way the original circuit was configured.
All the best, gm/Paul
Posted 31.03.2011 at 7:29 am
Bruce said:
Barry at GuitarPCB.com made me the PCB. I jammed it into a 1590, and man, is it cool!!
Thanks Gauss for the great contributions!!
Posted 25.09.2011 at 2:59 pm
DIYtechgear said:
Built this pedal recently and hooked up a 3pdt switch for true bypass and threw in a neat turquoise LED for effect. This pedal can make some great sounds and can be controlled very easily with the volume knob on your guitar.
Is the reason for not connecting the unused leads of the IC to ground to prevent power consumption?
Thanks Gauss for everything!
Posted 17.01.2012 at 2:58 pm