The NU: Tekt Suite in Korg contains all components required to make vacuum tubes. After the previous production of NU: Tekt Headphone Amplifier, I decided to make a slightly complex overload kit.
Multiple components
This kit comes with a rugged Hammond shell with a pre-drilled, an input and output jack, a control knob, and an external power jack.
Unlike the headphone amplifier kit that has been installed on the printed circuit board, the overload kit provides a bare plate, so the kit contains more components, including a large package resistor, which is expected (for me ).
What I did first, it is classified and tag them. The resistor identifier in the DS Toolbox phone application is very useful here, but I also use the multimeter to carefully check the parameters.
As with the amplifier kit, this kit also comes with a large description page, but can also find the manual of the PDF version on the Korg Nu: Tekt website.
Assemble
There are three different versions of the effect pedal to choose from:
Volume: Zoom in the sound effect, only a small amount of distortion
Overload: deliberately overloaded, with typical "吱" sound
Distortion: greater sound
According to the instructions, I first weld the resistor to ensure that the set resistor is used for the overload option.
Next, it is only necessary to assemble according to the instructions, pay attention to the correct mounting direction of the diode, and finally weld the components to the electrolytic capacitor, which must also be mounted in the correct direction. As with the installed resistors, some capacitors will also vary depending on the production version.
The four potentiots control the volume, tone, waveform, and gain are soldered on the other side of the circuit board. They need to be accurately aligned with the opening on the housing, so you need to be careful to ensure that they are flush with the circuit board and do not til. Later, I found that the installation potentiometer is easier to install when the input and output jacks are re-flip the board.
Put into the housing
First, the pedal switch and the LED lamp are first inserted into the outer casing, and the corresponding connector is soldered. Since the LED light is fixed with the lamp holder, I use some hot shrinkable helisers to help.
The board is now mounted to the housing. It is at this time, I realized why the potentiometer opening is elongated because the circuit board assembly can be put in place, then slide back, so that the rear jack protrudes from the corresponding opening. The entire circuit board is very neat, well-fit, designed for care.
Add Nutube
If Nutube is added after the main printed circuit board is installed in place, the shell installation will become easier.
NUTUBE is welded on another board, and the plate is connected to the main printed circuit board using a strip cable. It is fixed from the viscous rubber strip on both sides, and the rubber strip has been pasted before the solder pin. It is then fixed to the main circuit board by similar but thicker rubber strips, thereby achieving good radiosity. As described in Korg's description of Nutube: "If the device is strongly vibrated, the high frequency range of noise may be output."
At first I encountered a problem when using the effect device, the last found problem is that a capacitor is likely to not be properly welded. After the problem is repaired, the expected overload effect is obtained.
Adjust
The device operation can be switched between single mode and dual mode via a small selection switch. The switch is adjusted to the dual mode side, which can generate a double series circuit, thereby increasing gain and volume, but shortened battery life.
The fine tuning potentiometer can be used to adjust the NUTUBE bias voltage. I follow the suggestions in the instructions to adjust the selection switch to the single mode side, then adjust the fine tuning potentiometer to maximize the brightness of Nutube to maximum volume.
The "Operational amplifier uses IC jacks, convenient to replace", so I envisaged different effects by replacing the amplifier, which is also what I have to try later.
Korg Nutekt overdrive effect test video:
Because there is no real guitar, I use a whisper guitar play youTube video and enter it into the pedal. This will feel the effects of this overload kit.
in conclusion
Although this kit is more challenging than the headphone amplifier, the assembly process is fun. If you use color bright paint, you will have a label on the control, so your appearance and sound will be better.
I intend to let friends who will play guitar for testing this product, asking them to evaluate the sound effect, which will be more accurate than the virtual guitar test.
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