Electronic Audio Experiments to offer original Bard PCB through DIY portal
February 1, 2024 · 1 sources
Electronic Audio Experiments said the original open source PCB behind its Bard overdrive would be available through the company's DIY portal in February 2024. The pedal itself, listed as V1 with a January 2024 initial release, was marked "Temporarily Unavailable" on the maker's site at that date.
The maker describes the Bard as an homage to the Music Man HD130, an amplifier it says was manufactured from 1974 to 1984 with a solid state preamp and a tube power amp. The pedal's circuitry, in the maker's account, resembles a classic 1960s American amplifier with op amps in place of tubes. The company says the design began as an open source DIY project and was substantially modified for production.
Controls are Level, Drive, Low, High and a Bright/Normal switch. The maker gives the Low control about 15dB of range below 300Hz and the High control approximately 15dB between 1kHz and 4kHz, and says the switch changes the treble contouring of the Drive control, with no discernible difference at maximum drive.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Size | 121mm x 66mm x 40mm |
| Bypass | Relay switching with true bypass |
| Input impedance @ 1kHz | 200kΩ |
| Output impedance @ 1kHz | <5kΩ |
| Power | 9V DC, 2.1mm center negative barrel, 60mA draw |
The Bard is listed at $199.00. The maker recommends a regulated, isolated power supply rated for 100mA minimum and states that its pedals do not accept batteries.
Sources (1)
- Electronic Audio Experiments Bard - Solid State Overdrive Preamp — Electronic Audio Experiments, electronicaudioexperiments.com