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PROJECT NAME
FLARE
BASED ON
ZVEX Fuzz Factory™
EFFECT TYPE
Fuzz
PROJECT SUMMARY
A glitchy silicon/germanium hybrid fuzz known for its dizzying array of controls and untamed sounds.
This documentation is for the kit version of the project. If you purchased the PCB by itself, please
use the
PCB-only version
are completely different due to the specialized parts and assembly methods used in the kit.
FLARE FUZZ MACHINE
VOLUME
STAB
TONE
FUZZ MACHINE
IMPORTANT NOTE
of the documentation instead. The circuit is the same, but the instructions
BUILD DIFFICULTY
Intermediate
DOCUMENT VERSION
1.0.0 (2022-01-21)
9V
GATE
DRIVE
COMP
BODY
SOFT
1
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Table of Contents
Related Manuals for aion FLARE
Summary of Contents for aion FLARE
- Page 1 This documentation is for the kit version of the project. If you purchased the PCB by itself, please use the PCB-only version of the documentation instead. The circuit is the same, but the instructions are completely different due to the specialized parts and assembly methods used in the kit. FLARE FUZZ MACHINE...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
20 Enclosure Layout: Main & Footswitch PCBs 21 Enclosure Layout: Input/Output PCB 22 Final Assembly & Testing 23 Usage 24 Schematic 25 Full Parts List 26 Troubleshooting Information 27 Support & Resale Terms 28 Legal Information & Document Revisions FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 3: Introduction
INTRODUCTION If this is your first pedal, welcome to the hobby and thank you for choosing Aion FX. You’ve just joined a community of over 40,000 people around the world with a passion for building homemade noise machines using obsolete electronics technologies, and we’re glad to have you! If you’ve done this before, it’s great to see you again and we’re confident you’ll find this build experience... - Page 4 Film Capacitors Resistors NAME NAME 10n (0.01) 100R 18n (0.018) 470R Electrolytic Capacitors NAME 10uF 120k or 121k 100uF 220k MLCC Capacitors NAME Transistors 100n (marked “104”) NAME 2N3904 Diodes Transistors, germanium, matched for Fuzz Factory NAME 1N5817 FLARE FUZZ MACHINE...
- Page 5 3-pin wire assembly header NAME 4-pin wire assembly header LED bezel LED, blue DC jack Input/output jack Mounting nut, jack, 0.54" Outer washer, jack, 0.6" Lock washer, jack, 0.5" (thin) Enclosure Enclosure screws PCB, main circuit PCB, footswitch PCB, input/output/DC FLARE FUZZ MACHINE...
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Page 6: Tools Needed
The tip should used to tighten the dress nut to avoid lot of pedals! be no more than 0.1” (2.5mm) wide. scratching or denting it (which can happen with metal tools). FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 7: Component Identification
“multi-layer ceramic capacitor.” is marked. OP-AMP / IC IC SOCKET TRANSISTOR OR JFET TRANSFORMER Charge pumps and delay chips also look like this. They may have more than 8 legs. WIRE ASSEMBLY WIRE ASSEMBLY HEADER DC JACK LED BEZEL FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 8: Hardware Identification
MOUNTING NUT DRESS NUT LOCK WASHER DIAMETER: 0.36” / 9.1mm DIAMETER: 0.375” / 9.5mm DIAMETER: 0.4” / 10.1mm FOOTSWITCH MOUNTING NUT DRESS NUT LOCK WASHER DIAMETER: 0.6” / 15.2mm DIAMETER: 0.77” / 19.6mm DIAMETER: 0.6” / 15.2mm FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 9: Pcb Assembly Overview
Generally speaking, you should populate the components in this order: 1. Resistors 2. Diodes 3. MLCC capacitors 4. Film capacitors 5. Transistors (silicon) 6. Electrolytic capacitors 7. Transistors (germanium) FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 10: Resistors & Diode
You’ll use this same technique for most of the other components as well. If this is your first time soldering, watch tutorial videos on YouTube and make sure you get it down before you begin. You don’t want to practice or experiment on this board! FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 11: Silicon Transistor
Now we’ll do the silicon transistor. If the legs are not already bent into 0.1” spacing, use your needle- nose pliers to bend the outer two legs as shown. Bend the outer leads of the transistor to hold it in place on the board. Then, solder it and clip the leads. FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 12: Capacitors (Non-Polarized)
The text on the side of the blue and white capacitors is not related to the value and can be ignored. FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 13: Wire Headers
They do fit pretty tightly in the holes, though, so press firmly. There’s also a 4-pin header on the I/O board that we will do in a later step. FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 14: Capacitors (Polarized)
100uF Populate the electrolytic capacitors. They are polarized (i.e. they will only work in one direction), so note the vertical mark that indicates the negative side. The longer leg is positive and fits in the square pad. FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 15: Germanium Transistors: Introduction
Q2 and Q3, not by specific part numbers such as AC125 or MП16Б. Matching The transistors included in the Flare kit have been measured and matched for best performance in the Fuzz Factory circuit. There are two bags stapled together, with the first one being marked “Q2” in the top-right corner and the second marked “Q3”. -
Page 16: Germanium Transistors
Be quick and make sure the transistor casing doesn’t get too hot or the transistor could be damaged. Now, repeat the same step with Q3 . FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 17: Footswitch Pcb
BLUE MARKING Once all three wire assemblies are soldered, set the footswitch PCB aside. We’ll solder the actual footswitch and LED in a later step. FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 18: Input/Output Pcb
PCB. There’s not a lot of clearance between the bottom of this board and the top of the main PCB once everything is in place, and you don’t want the pins to short against anything on accident. FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 19: Enclosure Layout: Panel Mounts
You’ll need to hold the bezel in place when OUTER WASHER tightening the nut. The top of the bezel is fairly MOUNTING NUT sharp, so try using a rubber band for grip instead of pressing your finger against the bottom. FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 20: Enclosure Layout: Main & Footswitch Pcbs
However, Aion FX projects are designed to be extremely easy to remove from the enclosure for troubleshooting, with no desoldering required—so with these kits, it’s actually much easier to “box it before you rock it”. -
Page 21: Enclosure Layout: Input/Output Pcb
Note the use of two mounting nuts on each of the jacks, one inside and one outside. The inner nut acts as a spacer to set the DC jack flush with the outside of the enclosure. The inner nuts should be threaded as far down as they can go. MOUNTING NUT OUTER WASHER LOCK WASHER MOUNTING NUT 125B FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 22: Final Assembly & Testing
Last, just close the panel on the back using the four screws. Before that, though, grab a permanent marker and write your name and the completion date on the inside of the back panel. This is an accomplishment! FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 23: Usage
Starting positions The Flare is a very fun but very glitchy beast. If you turn it on for the first time with the knobs in random positions, you may be very disappointed in what you hear. Use these positions as a starting point and then adjust it from there to get the sounds you’re after. -
Page 24: Schematic
SCHEMATIC STAB 10kB 100R 1N5817 100uF 100uF 100n 10uF SOFT 100kB 2N3904 TONE 10kB FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 25: Full Parts List
Germanium electro 10uF 100uF Germanium electro electro 10uF 100n electro MLCC 10uF electro Potentiometers Switches PART VALUE PART VALUE PART Drive 10kB Stab 10kB 3PDT stomp Gate 10kB Soft 100kB Body 100kB Tone 10kB Comp 10kB Volume FLARE FUZZ MACHINE... -
Page 26: Troubleshooting Information
Be aware very slight knob changes can have huge impacts on the sound, resulting in massive changes in volume or even cutting out the signal entirely. Compare it with the Aion FX demo video (especially toward the end) and see if it sounds similar at the same knob positions. - Page 27 “goop” the PCB or otherwise obscure the source. In other words: you don’t have to go out of your way to advertise the fact that you use Aion FX kits, but please don’t go out of your way to hide it.
- Page 28 These kits are intended to be built by the customer. Aion FX is not responsible for language that may be used by the customer in the marketing or resale of the finished product.
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