Aion Electronics Blueshift Chorus Manual

WARNING / DISCLAIMER
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE PURCHASING OR BUILDING THIS PROJECT!
1. NO DIRECT TECHNICAL SUPPORT: This project has been verified to be working. I have done my best
to provide extremely thorough documentation, including information to help you troubleshoot. But on a
project this size, I have to reiterate that Aion Electronics cannot provide direct technical support for this
project or others. I love helping people bring these circuits to life, but my availability is very limited. If you post
your question on one of the DIY forums and send me a link, I will do my best to chime in. Just know before
purchasing this PCB that there is no implied guarantee of the final product, because the biggest factor is
outside my control: you! Your experience and your attention to detail are the most important ingredients in
making sure this works. My role is to provide the recipe and some cooking utensils.
2. IT WILL TAKE AWHILE: Be prepared to invest some hours into putting this together. You'll want to be
doubly careful when populating the board since it'll be much more difficult to track down a problem if you were
to make even the most basic of mistakes (for instance, accidentally using a 100k resistor somewhere instead
of a 10k). You can't be too cautious. I'd recommend measuring each resistor with a multimeter before putting
it into place. Triple-check your wiring. The more time you spend on the initial build, the less time you'll have to
spend troubleshooting.
3. IT'S COMPLICATED: This is a very complex circuit in a very small enclosure and it takes experience and a
lot of attention to detail in order to pull it off. Hopefully it goes without saying, but if you've never built a guitar
pedal before, this shouldn't be your first. If you haven't successfully built at least ten or fifteen, including a
few choruses or delays, you may not be ready for this one yet.
4. YOU'VE GOT TO BUILD IT AS IT WAS INTENDED: I approached the project as though I was designing a
completed product for market. Everything has been designed to be built using methods you'd see in a high-end
pedal (for instance, PCB-mounted switches, a standoff for mounting stability, and components with specific
sizes and characteristics) and a full bill of materials has been provided so that it is very easy to order all the
parts from Mouser. We all build pedals in our own style, but with this one, if you try to "freestyle" by doing
your own enclosure layout or using parts other than the ones specified, you might back yourself into a corner.
Please do things my way—you'll end up with a very professional and durable end product and you might even
learn a few things in the process!
5. IT'S NOT CHEAP: Between the PCB, enclosure, hardware, potentiometers, and the on-board components,
expect to spend a minimum of $100 USD and probably closer to $125. Please don't try to cut corners on the
parts selection by using poor-quality components or by substituting "close enough" components that you have
laying around. You're putting a lot of time and effort into this build, so it's worth a few extra dollars to use the
right parts. Expect to order from more than one web store to get everything you need.
6. IT NEEDS TO BE BIASED: This pedal will not function properly without biasing the BBDs. It can be done by
ear with passable results, but for optimum sound quality and noise control, it requires an oscilloscope. If you
don't have one, be prepared to either buy one or to make friends with someone who does own one.
Now that you've been properly warned: on to the fun stuff!
BLUESHIFT CHORUS / BOSS DC-2 DIMENSION C 1