Dr.Scientist Heisenberg Molecular Overdrive Teardown! See what's inside!

Hello and welcome back to the bench. Check out the Dr.Scientist Heisenberg Molecular Overdrive, featuring Nanolog Devices Molecular Junctions!
Nanolog Device info sheet: nextgenguitars.ca/content/Nan...
Nanolog Device datasheet: web.archive.org/web/202105160...
Prototype Nanodrive slideshow: www.chem.ualberta.ca/~mccreery...
Follow me on instagram: @graybenchelec
Business contact: [e-mail]
#strymonbigsky #strymon #reverb #guitarpedals #electronics

[@DrScientistSounds]

Thank you very much for the awesome video! That was a really interesting and exciting time getting to work with the University, still can't believe it happened really, we were just lucky enough to be the local builder to the UofA in Edmonton. My goal with the NINT prototype and the Heisenberg pedal was to show off the molecular junctions in as simple and straight forward of a way as possible using the three main types of small signal amplifiers. We tailored the junctions to each gain stage, ie we'd use a lower voltage junction with the FET stage for low gain growl, hottest junctions in the op amp stage for a higher gain sound. We made one run of the pedal in 2015, 150 units, and then after that the production of the molecular junctions changed to Nanolog and the more streamlined package. The molecular junctions in the Heisey were all hand made by the university crew. I had planned to use a Nanolog Device in our Elements pedal but just never got there while they were still in business, sad to see it didn't work out. I flubbed it with the back plates, I'm sorry, that was a bit of a rushed idea and I should have implemented it better.. we never got to do a second run of the Heisey where I'd have sorted that out. I figured people would just use the clear back plate so they could have a look at the unique junctions. My intention with the metal back plate was that if you decided to use it you'd just fold over that one LED so it would fit, wiggle it in by those caps, but yeah I wish I'd have thought that through better and made them fit together with long screws. And I should have bevelled the clear back plate screw holes with a counter sink bit. And I should have drilled those holes better for the trims. **smacks forehead** Really neat experience for us and thank you again for showing it off. If anybody has any questions about all that just ask away! -Ryan

[@graybenchelec]

Thank you commenting, very interesting pedal. One of my goals in this channel is to demystify pedals and push back against the "guru" culture surrounding pedal builders. We all make mistakes, I've featured mine fairly regularly here. Owning up to our flubs rather than getting defensive and dodging is the right way to handle things, and not just for pedal building. I can see you're on the same page. Thank you!

[@Th0rZ666]

Man i lost my OG metal back plate :-( this video just reminded me it came with one.

[@laschfan]

My Heisenberg is my favorite overdrive pedal by a long shot. Great sounds in it!

[@MasterEffectsPedals]

NRC: National Research Council. I did my grad work there.

[@Mr2greys]

Came to say this. Basically a lot of smart Canadians work there :)

[@thejontao]

Nice! After the founders sold Nanolog, it floundered. Not entirely anyone’s fault… aside from the pedals built by Nanolog, Spiral Effects used the N2 in one of their pedals. I think they were the only ones to try it. The only ones I found, anyway. (The small run of Heisenbergs aside.) I picked up one of the last available Nanolog Orbital Fuzzes, as they were selling off their remaining stock. It’s in the Muff family, only with the Nanolog components. The N2 definitely breaks up nicely. It’s a collector’s piece for me… being from western Canada, I had to have one for sentimental reasons. I should pull it out more often, though.

[@drone_blues_]

I've never seen pedal guts like this! thanks for this video

[@brunogawa]

Interesting! Never saw a pedal like that. Thanks for all this info!

[@adamjohanbergren]

Fun! I recall this fondly (co-inventor here!)!

[@graybenchelec]

Thanks for commenting, sorry for flubbing your name!

[@adamjohanbergren]

@graybenchelec No worries, you did awesome. Such a fun project, thanks for going through it!

[@mudsh4rk]

It's hard to tell in a video, but the LED might be centered vertically (i.e. if you flip the base vertically instead of horizonally like you did in this video then it might line up).

[@graybenchelec]

Agreed hard to tell in the video, but it's actually further off in that direction. Good thought though.

[@johnnyphoney5669]

Suggestion for next teardown: Electro-Harmonix Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi

[@2doobsmcjubes555]

If I had to take A guess of what happened here is the placement of those caps on the edge of the board were a oversight and after a bunch of the PCB's were made they realized you couldn't get the backplate on so as A fix they made the acrylic backplate. Great video really cool concept.

[@graybenchelec]

I’m not so sure, the lack of an indicator light suggests the acrylic back plate was always meant to be used.

[@2doobsmcjubes555]

@@graybenchelec Ah good point yeah

[@waynegram8907]

GRAY BENCH, So Molecular Junctions don't have all the harmonics as Diodes? it looks like the harmonics are tapered down

[@pgolm]

What if you rotate the plexiglass plate 180deg after flipping it? Does the LED fit, then?

[@graybenchelec]

I don’t think so, the hole would have to be perfectly central. I’ll check it tonight, good tip.

[@graybenchelec]

Yeah no dice, it's actually further off rotating it 180 deg unfortunately.

[@pgolm]

@@graybenchelec What a design oversight, lol.

[@MC-hx6nk]

2:08 Literally, the three words following NRC 😊

[@Mr2greys]

So wrong Know what happens when you assume...