THE BLUE BOX
Miles Blair
Cody Dinges
Derek Glass
Greg Entzel
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Members:
Miles Blair
Cody Dinges
Greg Entzel
Derek Glass
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Abstract:
The aim of this project is to design and construct an analog guitar
amplifier with integrated guitar effects filters that are configurable via a
smartphone user interface. To this end, we hope to provide instrumentalists
with desired analog guitar tones and effects accompanied with a modern
take on a traditional amplifier and effect pedal knobs. In this way, we are
able to bridge the gap between a retro amplifier design and devices
commonplace amongst the general public today (smart phones). This design
has serious impact on the way guitarists think about analog guitar effects;
eliminating the need for a large effects board for desired sounds, and
removing the tedious nature of changing settings on equalizers and effects
pedals. By making tone modification cleaner and more manageable, players
can explore and save new guitar sounds with ease, and ultimately focus
more heavily on playing techniques.
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Why tubes?
• Tubes provide a range of tones from mellow to
gritty
• Benefits to versatility in tone control appeal to
advanced guitarists
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Complicated foot pedal board configurations
Large number of effects needed with unique
settings
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Configuring analog effects is limited to pushbuttons
and potentiometers
• Large configurations have a huge number of settings and
thus knobs
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Lack of presets with the touch of one button
• Digital alternatives exist
• Lose tone with digital sampling
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Effects and filtering implement digitally
controlled analog passive components.
• Digitally set potentiometers and resistors for various
functionality
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Amplification consists of pre-amplification and
power-amplification
• Pre-amp triode tubes provide signal amplitude required
for power-amp
• Power-amp provides high-gain
Main UI
• Also utilizes Android
menu and back
buttons:
Preset UI
EQ/FX UI
• Effects buttons assigned by Android settings
• Triggered buttons change color and engage analog
effects via digitally controlled potentiometers/resistors
• 7-Segment displays indicate preset
• “Next” and “Previous” preset change buttons below
display
• Sequence of presets determined either in order or in
performance mode
Task
Derek Glass
Cody Dinges
Greg Entzel
Build and test filters
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Build power supply
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Build amplifier
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Android initialization
Design User Interface
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ARM data Interfacing
Foot Pedal Interfacing
Construction of Amp
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Miles Blair
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Power supply – High Voltages
• Tube power – Narrow design limits
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Tube interference and sensitivity to noise
Pre-amp design limitations
Bluetooth transmission distance/reliability
Database complexity