e-licktronic Forum

hello, I have just completed the construction of the 808 but the cowbell dosn't sounds like it should ... at the the beginning sounded bad,i only hear the attack and I had discovered two resistors touching, arranged that the sound is improved, but not as it should, it seems to be a very pure sound that is typical of dirtying 808 cowbell ... the adjustment of intonation work ... any ideas? i hope my english is understandable... i m not speak english,i use google translator
thanks

Hi tiz,

Did you tune the oscillators with an oscilloscope? I've had trouble with the hats and cymbal but the cowbell sounds just right on my unit.

Trace the cowbell circuit back for errors. It shouldn't be too difficult as the cowbell is the most simple voice circuit

no, i don t have one, but when i turn one of the 2 trim i hear a big tuning change, with the other i don t hear any difference, it s normal? it s not 2 oscillators tuned +/- a 5th?
tm2 work but tm1 i don t hear any change...
and if i put one finger under the tm1 u1 zone the sound become better... not rigtht but much more in the direction of the 808 cowbell... but it s not a solder problem...

Dear Tiz,

tm2 work but tm1 i don t hear any change...

Please try to download soundcard scope http://www.zeitnitz.eu/scope/scope_141.exe and check if you got both cowbell oscillator working as describe here http://www.e-licktronic.com/en/content/34-cymbal.

Post the result it would be easier to help you

Best regards,
e-licktronic

ok i try

What I did to tune the CowBell:
Download a decent 808 cowbell sample and play it in loop then try to find the 2 notes. It did the trick for me!

Haha, well done! I had to change a couple of resistors in the cymbal circuit to get my cowbell tuned right. I'm glad you got your tuning sorted out.

hi i think i have only one note... the second one i think dosen t work... at the moment i don t have a pc, i have mac, and i dont have an oscilloscope to try... but you tune the 2 sounds with the 2 trim?

tiz wrote:hi i think i have only one note... the second one i think dosen t work... at the moment i don t have a pc, i have mac, and i dont have an oscilloscope to try... but you tune the 2 sounds with the 2 trim?

You could try AudioXplorer, it is for Mac OS X: http://www.arizona-software.ch/audioxplorer/

thanks!!!