The Electra Forums

Does anyone know of an electronic schematic of the Electra active circuit?

Anyone ever traced it out?

Does more than one active circuit exist (disregarding all MPC circuits)?

What does this active circuit do? Is it pre-amp/distortion?

Anyone ever ever copy this circuit for small production to mod personal Electra's owned? If not, why not?

MPC modules have been increasingly hard to find and are highly overpriced, considering the technology, even when new. They seem to have held their value over the years, in light of advanced technology, to collectors.

To copy this circuitry, have a circuit board made for every forum member and build every module card would be simplistic and at minimal cost, given every module could be traced out and reproduced.

The best option, in my humble opinion, would be to cancel the modules in an MPC guitar, and use a modern, digital effects processor. I don't have a modern digital effects processor so my opinion is weak, but valid, I'm guessing.

I don't see the need to own the modules other than bragging rights or nostalgic value. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

Surely, someone has thought similar of this before.

Maybe, the forum members would consider a group project of a mass collaboration to produce the circuits for our beloved Electra's.

Perhaps, a mass collective effort to come up with a known, definitive and modern catalog and Blue Book (with pics) of all Electra's and variants, mods, pickups, woods, parts, options (including yearly), (i.e. credit given to coffee table book submitted by another forum member).

In other words, a better, newer and all inclusive database for the Electra forums.

I'm sure those of us who want to restore to original manufacture would also appreciate trading from this guitar and that to get what they want (I understand that there is a forum for parts and guitars wanted.)

I welcome to hear thoughts on these ideas.

You should really check out some of the posts from UltraSonic who really knows his Electronics, he has the MPC circuit diagramed and has retrofitted new effects into MPC cartridges. Not certain there is a big enough market for them frankly.

There are two completely different things you're talking about, MPC and the Active EQ circuits. I believe there are five guitars that have the Active circuit, (X150, X160, X250, X270, X640). I can not confirm that it is the same board used in each guitar, and even if it is I know its used differently in some guitars (example X250 has separate Bass/Treble knobs, X270 and X150 have a single Tone knob). I really like the Active Boost, but again, don't think there would be any market for them. They are mostly a Boost, no distortion is added, but because of the boost an amp will generally become more distorted when cranked. Hope this helps, Mike.

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Electra Guitar Videos ===> http://www.youtube.com/user/mjm33mjm?feature=watch

The circuits could be copied - but I have to wonder about patent infringement - if they were even patented. The market would be real tiny thus driving up cost as well. And I concur with proendorsers take on active boost. I love it myself but it's kind of a niche market for that too.

I'm degreed Bachelor in Electronics Engineering. Somewhere in that program we learned about patents. I remember that electronic circuits cannot be patented if a reasonable mind could elsewhere could duplicate it on their own?

No one can pop you for making a duplicate of the MPC circuits, as far as I know.

Sure, the market is tiny. But so are the costs associated with duplication.

Duplication would solve a lot of collector's interests.

Anyone out there have a full collection of the modules?

Which ones are most noteworthy?

Basically, I'm wondering why someone would go for collecting a full set of MPC modules (other than nostaglic value), as opposed to using a digital effects processor thats has hundreds of custom settings.

You are limited in tonal qualities to two modules as opposed to a multitude available with an effects processor.

Is MPC really valid in today's world?

Modules consistently go for a hundred bucks a pop or more on Ebay. An effects processor costs way less than a collection of all the modules would cost in this time.

I welcome comments and discussion.

I still use them with analog and digital guitar processors and they sound just fine;

Mine are valid until they stop working ............

Then I'll get the MPC box repaired - or replaced.

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

Totally valid for an MPC guitar. I'd love to see a stomp box that would accept a couple modules similar to ultra sonic's design.

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5231&hilit=MPC+modules

The digital boxes are great but I still prefer the original MPC modules. I guess one could say that this is in the same catagory as the one between CD or albums. Both have valid uses and both have completly different sounds but to each his own. I like the digital effects up to a point that when you cram so many into one box it takes to long to set them up or search for the ones you need. At least with the MPC you can load 2 per guitar and only take a few seconds to switch guitars and you can combine the two MPC Modules and use them together. Thats my opinion on this. What say the others as this should be interesting.

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Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

Plenty of people like to drive around in a '57 Chevy Bel Air. But there are a lot of reasons to drive a modern car-- safety, reliability, efficiency, better stereo, etc.

And so it goes, some people just like to plug in some funky old MPC modules.

As far as patent infringement goes-- the MPC circuits are suspiciously similar to other circuits that were contemporary. For example, the Phasor is nearly identical to the E-H Small Stone. I think Tom Presley even admitted as much in a post on this forum. A guy in his basement, hand making a few copies of an obscure product no longer made, is probably not going to have any legal problem.

No legal problems with any of the MPC modules themselves as the components used within were off the shelf. The only exception to the rule would be to copy the Reticon chips used in a couple of the modules. SADs (bucket brigades) were tight to a patent as they incorporated about 30 analog devices within the chip. We used them in the Flanger as well as the delays - only a handfull of the delays were built. I may still have the "basement wired" proto version of this one.

By the way, a stomp box was done as a prototype with a plug-in and power supply that would support 6 modules. The last that I saw of it was in my office at SLM in 1997. Jerry Proctor may know what happened to it! It was very crude but worked. I used it at several NAMM shows with headsets to show the effects. I looked like a munged together Bradshaw box with all kinds of knobs and such. You could really only cascade about 3 modules together before the signal strength became nuts! Noise was also an issue. All could be cured in a production lot with a simple comb and pre-amp but the real question is .... why? Great for a demo but not too practical for performance. Tom