Ring Modulator Pedal

by randofo

29K18148

Intro: Ring Modulator Pedal

The ring modulator guitar pedal instructions and schematics provided here make your guitar sound like a low-fi synthesizer. This circuit uses a standard guitar input to produce a modulated square wave output. It also includes a filter which helps to soften the signal a bit, and adds some resonance to make it sound more outer-spacy. This pedal is a fun and easy weekend project that could easily be customized to suit your aesthetic preferences.

Check out the video for a brief demo of how the pedal works. My playing doesn't do justice to the potential of this pedal.

To learn more about the parts used in this project check out the Electronics Class.

STEP 1: Materials

Materials you will need include:

(x1) LMC567 tone decoder (see notes) *
(x1) TL071 op amp
(x2) 1N34A germanium diodes
(x1) 5mm red LED
(x2) 100K potentiometers
(x1) 50K potentiometer
(x1) 10K potentiometer
(x1) 1M resistor
(x8) 100K resistors
(x1) 10K resistor
(x1) 4.7K resistor
(x1) 100uF capacitor
(x1) 10uF capacitor
(x2) 0.1 uF capacitor
(x4) 0.01uF capacitor
(x1) 470pF capacitor
(x1) Heavy duty DPDT foot switch
(x1) 1/4" mono jack
(x1) 1/4" stereo jack
(x4) Knobs
(x1) Hammond BB-sized enclosure
(x5) Self-adhesive Velcro pads
(x1) 9V battery connector (not pictured)
(x1) 9V battery (not pictured)
(x1) Circuit board (see below) ***
(x1) Decal (optional)

Tools you will need include:

(x1) Hand drill or drill press
(x1) 1/2 drill bit
(x1) 3/8 drill bit
(x1) 9/32 drill bit
(x1) 1/8 drill bit
(x1) Center punch
(x1) Electronics kit
(x1) Screwdriver
(x1) Exacto knife
(x1) A computer printer (for the drill template)

* NOT THE LM567!!! There is a BIG difference in performance between the LM567 and the LMC567. The LM567 produces a constant tone even when not playing.

*** I had a few extra made, if you are interested in buying one, PM me (while supplies last).


Please note that some of the links on this page contain Amazon affiliate links. This does not change the price of any of the items for sale. However, I earn a small commission if you click on any of those links and buy anything. I reinvest this money into materials and tools for future projects. If you would like an alternate suggestion for a supplier of any of the parts, please let me know.

STEP 2: About the Circuit

This circuit is based upon two of Tim Escobedo's circuit snippets which both have been modified slightly and combined together. The signal first passes through a ring modulator stage which is based on an LMC567. For all intents and purposes, this essentially turns the guitar signal into a square wave and make it sound like a robot. The robot-sounding signal then goes through an adjustable low pass filter based on a TL071 op amp. This adjustable filter serves to trim higher frequencies, add resonance, and makes the signal a little less harsh.

STEP 3: Design and Print the PCB

Once I had the circuit tested on a breadboard and traced out on paper, my next step was to manufacture a PCB. To do this, I followed the steps in my PCB Design Class for creating and manufacturing a circuit board.

However, you could always just build the circuit on a proto board.

STEP 4: Assemble the Board

Next step is to assemble the PCB as specified in the schematic.

Don't worry at this moment about attaching all of the external components like the potentiometers, jacks, and switch. Wiring those correctly is going to happen in a few steps.

STEP 5: Drill Mounting Holes

Drill mounting holes using the attached template.

If you have never done this before, I recommend checking out the DIY Guitar Pedal instructable for an in-depth example on the proper way to drill an enclosure using a guide.

STEP 6: Registration Holes

Once the potentiometer mounting holes are drilled, the next step is to create smaller holes just left of each one for the potentiometer's registration tab. This prevents the potentiometer from spinning in place once mounted and also helps mount it flush to the enclosure.

The easiest way to mark where to drill is to insert the potentiometer into the hole upside down and backwards. Then, wiggle it back and forth until you create a marking.

Drill this marking with a 1/8" drill bit.

STEP 7: Wire the Potentiometers

Attach green wires to the center and the right-hand pin for each of the potentiometers.

Attach a black wire to the left-hand pin on the 50K potentiometer and also one of the 100K potentiometers.

Finally, solder each potentiometer to the circuit board as appropriate (as specified by the schematic). Keep in min the center pin of the 50K volume potentiometer does not get soldered to the board. Instead, this will attach to the foot switch.

STEP 8: Connect the Switch and Jacks

Speaking of the foot switch, now is time to wire it up.

Wire together one of the sets of outer pins on the switch.

Next, connect the signal tab from the mono jack to the center pin, and the signal tab from the stereo jack to the other center pin.

Connect the wire from the 50K potentiometer to the other set of outside pins such that it is in-line with the mono jack.

Finally, connect the remaining free outside connection to the audio input (IN+) on the circuit board.

STEP 9: Attach the 9V Battery Snap

The stereo jack is going to serve as the power switch by making or breaking the ground connection when a mono plug is inserted.

Solder the ground connection from the 9V battery snap to the metal tab connected to the smaller signal prong.

Connect a black wire between the stereo jack's barrel jack solder tab and the ground input on the circuit board.

STEP 10: Print the Decal (optional)

The decal is both for aesthetics and to hide the potentiometer mounting registration holes.

To print the decal I printed the sticker onto vinyl sheeting using a plotter printer, and then cut it out by hand.

This was a deviation from initial plan which was to cut out each color separately using a desktop vinyl cutter. This method should work just as well.

If you have neither a vinyl printer and/or cutter you can purchase sticker paper for your desktop printer and use that. Although, it might not look as finished or be as durable>

If you are feeling rich, you can just pay someone to make the decal for you.

If you are feeling poor, you can just skip this step.

STEP 11: Apply the Decal

Carefully apply the decal to the enclosure.

Cut out the potentiometer mounting holes if necessary.

STEP 12: Attach Velcro

Apply adhesive Velcro pads to the bottom of the circuit board and 9V battery. Then, stick both to the inside of the lid.

This serves both to hold everything in place, and insulate it from the metal enclosure.

STEP 13: Case Closed

Once you have done that, close the case back up.

STEP 14: Finishing Touches

The last thing to do is to mount the knobs to the potentiometer.

Once you have done that, you are ready to rock.

From left to right the knobs control modulation frequency, resonance, filter cutoff frequency and volume.

Shine on you crazy diamonds.

Did you find this useful, fun, or entertaining?
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33 Comments

JohnB636 5 months ago

Do you have any spare circuit boards or can you share the Gerber files? Cheers DrB 23.11.23

JohnB636 5 months ago

Hi! Do you have any spare PCBs for the ring modulator project? Looking to use it for a Dalek voice as we can't afford the Moog used in the 1960s!! Kind regards, Dr John C Bullas john.bullas<at>>gmail.com

Nano_Burger 6 years ago

And what would a human voice sound like modulated through this device?

JohnB636 6 months ago

Sounds like a Dalek! (Google dalek sounds)

randofo 6 years ago

I don't know. I never tried. Right now the circuit is designed for a really small electrical signal coming in off of a guitar pickup.

To send a human voice through the device you would need to reduce the volume a bit, and then I am not sure what it would sound like.

JoeyS84 6 years ago

would this work with a bass guitar? also, would this work as a voice modulator?

JohnB636 6 months ago

The BBC used a ring modulator for the voice effect for the Daleks

randofo 6 years ago

It should work with the bass, but I don't know what it will sound like. As for voice, you would want to match the mic level with a guitar input level. You don't want the mic signal coming in too high. That said, I don't know how well it would work. I'm sure it would make some sounds, but I am not sure any words would be understandable.

kennyredman 1 year ago

Do you have any PCBs for this still? Would love to try this out.

JohnB636 6 months ago

I'm wanting to know an answer to the same question (Oct 2023)

Baszilio 6 months ago

Thanx a lot for reminding me this awesome link to Circuitsnippets. I lost it many years ago and never thought of finding it again.

velvel 2 years ago

Would adding a blend knob be simple? Or would it require a more complex buffer circuit?

randofo 2 years ago

I think you could (probably) get away with just using a 10K pot as a passive mixer. Attach the clean signal to one outside terminal and the distorted signal to the other outside terminal. The middle terminal is the new mixed signal. As you ramp one up, you are ramping the other down.

To do it better, you would want to add an active mixer which you could build with a additional TL072 op amp. Basically, you would take the distorted output and the clean input and pass both through the mixer. You would then either have a potentiometer for each signal or control them both at once with a dual pot.

You can see example of both circuits here:
http://www.all-electric.com/schematic/simp_mix.htm

velvel 2 years ago

Thank you! Also, that's a crazy website. Very nostalgic for the 1998 world wide web.

ActuallyOneFish 2 years ago

Hey, was just curious if you had any additional circuit boards for sale?

tedsorvino 3 years ago

If somebody could tell me what the voltage on pin4 of LMC 567 should be, I would be grateful. Unfortunately with a 9V supply, I have 1V on that pin ( after 100K res- 100 uf cap junction) and the IC doesn't function. It needs 2V-9V according to its datasheet.

raphan 4 years ago

This is not a ring modulator but a kind of distortion, isn't it ?

randofo 4 years ago

It is a ring modulator. It converts the analog guitar frequencies to corresponding square waves. The LM567C has a VCO inside which the guitar signal is controlling.

A majority of commercial ring modulators are sine wave based, which is why they sound cleaner. Square waves are ugly and "distorted" sounding.

raphan 4 years ago

As you say, a ring modulator works with a sinewave modulation. It uses two frequencies not one. I got one on my old AKS and the sound is miles away from a square wave as it's like bells.
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