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dm-2
Bronze Member
Ireland
81 Posts |
 Posted - 08/04/2005 : 17:53:24
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Does anybody know when the DD-3, to quote bossarea, was "redesigned with a new DSP chip" to become the DD-3(A)? Can we safely say that all Made In Japan(MIJ) models have the old chip? If so, at what point did the chip change? I'm presuming all dark gray label models have the new DSP chip. If people with a DD-3 could check inside their pedal to confirm or rebut these theories I would really appreciate it!
If ur not sure, check out this link:
http://www.analogman.com/graphics/dd3bigchip.jpg
You have the old chip if ur pedal looks like this board, i.e. the custom IC chip is the width of the board.
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arcanon1313
Silver Member
USA
414 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2005 : 23:51:02
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| I think they redesigned it in the mid to late 90's. The one i have is from around 86-87. |
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stinkfoot
Silver Member
Sweden
181 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2005 : 01:36:11
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While there are only two different DD-3 circuits, there are actually three and a half (or four, if you prefer) different versions of the DD-3.
Version 1 had the large delay chip, with wires all over the place. This is the re-badged DD-2, and every one I've seen so far has been MIJ with the blue label. While I think it's safe to say that all version 1 pedals were made in Japan, I wouldn't stretch that argument as far as saying that all MIJ pedals are this version. That might be the case, but I don't have the evidence to support it.
Version 2 - the DD-3(A) - had the smaller square delay chip. This one is easily recogniceable as soon as you open it up, since the delay chip is soldered to the back of the circuit board. The plastic shield has a matching square cut-out, which lets the chip touch the bottom plate (possibly for cooling purposes?). The pots and mode selector were now placed on a single strip of circuit board, with flat cables carrying the connections to the main board. (In version 1, the mode selector was mounted separately from the other pots.)
Version 2b (or 3, if you prefer) is exactly the same as above, but instead of having the old-style slot-in adapter jack, the jack has now moved to the main circuit board. This is the "modern" style, where the adapter jack is sticking out through a square "hole" in the box.
Version 3 (4) is the current model. The circuit is the same as the DD-3(A), but the circuit board layout is completely new. The circuit board is now double-sided, with lots of surface-mount components being used. Again, the adapter jack is mounted to the main circuit board.
/Andreas |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
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stinkfoot
Silver Member
Sweden
181 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2005 : 11:56:09
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The pedal pictured is indeed a DD-3(A), and it looks to be the one with the old-style adapter jack (the one I call version 2). Furthermore, the photoalbum's title ("dd-3 japan circuit board") suggests that the label on that pedal says MIJ, which more or less settles the original question. It would be safe to say that the switch from the "original" DD-3 to the DD-3(A) circuit happened while production was still in Japan. A follow-up guess would then be that the switch to the newer-style adapter jack (version 2b) happened sometime after production moved to Taiwan. But that's just a guess.
The main question seems to be answered, though - even if the pedal is MIJ, you still have to open it up to determine if it's a DD-3 or DD-3(A).
/Andreas |
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dm-2
Bronze Member
Ireland
81 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2005 : 15:46:41
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| Thanks for that Andreas, I really appreciate you taking the time to fill us all in on the details. |
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arcanon1313
Silver Member
USA
414 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2005 : 00:49:38
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| Thank you for the info Andreas! It was most helpful. I have a Blue label MIJ DD-3, and a blue label MIJ DD-2. with the information you just gave I am almost convinced that my two DD's are at most a year apart in production (my gut says six months). Would my asumptions be right or wrong? |
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stinkfoot
Silver Member
Sweden
181 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2005 : 11:39:10
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It's not that easy to say - the DD-2 was in production for roughly three years, and while it came with two different label colours it is not unthinkable that it was during the latter part of that period it wore the blue label. The fact that the earliest DD-3's also seems to have had blue labels would at least support such an assumption.
But there's quite a lot we don't know. When did the DD-3(A) appear (i.e. how long was the first generation DD-3 in production)? We know that it was during the blue label MIJ era, since there seems to be blue label MIJ DD-3(A) pedals around. But when? We also don't know when the production was moved to Taiwan, only that it was after the DD-3(A) had been introduced. So it's hard to say exactly how close they are.
/Andreas |
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DD-3(A)
