VYPYR "Volume Sponge Mod" + !!! "Volume Pedal Mod" !!!

A forum for discussing the Vypyr series amplifiers, Sanpera footswitches and share settings
steevoh
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Re: VYPYR "Volume Sponge Mod" + !!! "Volume Pedal Mod" !!!

Post by steevoh » Sun Apr 17, 2016 7:35 pm

Hey guys,
Just wondering if this has been done on a VIP 1? I'm assuming it would work the same? I pulled the VIP chassis out to have a look and I can see the master volume connect using 3 pin plug to a pcb.
Would it be here that I disconnect and re wire as per the diagram?
Cheers
Steevoh :-)

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wmjones
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Re: VYPYR "Volume Sponge Mod" + !!! "Volume Pedal Mod" !!!

Post by wmjones » Sun Apr 17, 2016 10:41 pm

Simple answer is yes,
How ever I don't know why anyone would want to do this on a low power amp. If you have a sanpera pedal set your master vol. to the highest vol. you ever use, then use the sanpera vol. the sanpera will never turn your vol. higher then what you set your master at.
Also, If your amp is still under warranty I believe this mod will void it.
8) HAPPY DAYS:

steevoh
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Re: VYPYR "Volume Sponge Mod" + !!! "Volume Pedal Mod" !!!

Post by steevoh » Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:02 am

I picked the amp up cheap from a pawn shop so no worries about warranty :)

The reason for doing this mod is the same as for the VYPYR 30 this thread was started for - trying to use the master volume past 1 in a home environment is still really loud meaning you have to turn the post gain way down. I would prefer to have more use of the pre and post gain while still maintaining usable levels in the home.

godoy.rafa
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Re: VYPYR "Volume Sponge Mod" + !!! "Volume Pedal Mod" !!!

Post by godoy.rafa » Mon Mar 20, 2017 2:08 pm

I'd like to do this in my VIP2. I use the Wah function a lot in my Sanpera, so I can't use it to control volume. Has anyone succeeded?

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wmjones
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Re: VYPYR "Volume Sponge Mod" + !!! "Volume Pedal Mod" !!!

Post by wmjones » Tue Mar 21, 2017 12:11 pm

godoy.rafa wrote:I'd like to do this in my VIP2. I use the Wah function a lot in my Sanpera, so I can't use it to control volume. Has anyone succeeded?
Have you considered getting a Sanpera11 which has 2 expression pedals? You could also get a foot Volume pedal or Wah pedal to use in line. You can do this mod, but it will not give you foot control of both, volume and Wah at the same time.
8) HAPPY DAYS:

warheart
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Re: VYPYR "Volume Sponge Mod" + !!! "Volume Pedal Mod" !!!

Post by warheart » Sun Jan 24, 2021 11:36 am

Hi everyone,

First let me thank GRE2608 and all other users that created and contributed to this mod - very, very much appreciated!

I was suffering from the same volume issue with my Vypyr VIP 1 - now I use it just for jamming at home, but even with the Sanpera you occasionally set it to a VERY high volume (and the Master Volume can hardly pass 1...). So I decided to give it a go. Long story short, I based my mod on the one from GRE2608 and it works like a charm! But since the inner workings of the Vypyr VIP 1 (and 2/3) are different than the Vypyr 30, I decided to register here and post an update to this very old (but very useful) thread to describe what I did.

Before the details, please note that this is not a "pro" mod, just a DIY project I did, so I will just go in details on how it's wired, but not how you should do it (connections, soldering, etc). This is up to your preferences and skills. Also, the same disclaimers as before are applicable (e.g. your mod = your problem). So, here goes...

1 - First remove the head e.g. as shown in this video (4 screws on top, plus mine had 2 more screws inside the speaker housing... and don't forget to unplug the speaker wires): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AW5O2OhCTs

2 - You will see a black 3-wire cable connecting the Master Volume board to the DSP board. The wires are not exposed, but instead there are fixed connectors attaching each end (see picture for example). This makes it a bit more challenging to mod, but this cable is basically made of send/return signals (red and black on each side of the connector) and the center being the ground (foil and braid around the signals).

Example of 3-wire cable between Master Volume board and DSP board.
Example of 3-wire cable between Master Volume board and DSP board.
3_wire_cable.png (840.57 KiB) Viewed 2946 times

3 - Now, we need to re-route some of these wires to a new pot. Again, depending on your wish and skills, you can try to modify the connectors, make a small PCB, or otherwise connecting anyway you wish. In my case, since I don't go on the road and the amp is sitting quietly (pun intended) at home, I just cut this wire halfway and exposed the three paths on each end.

4 - For the mod, I used 3 wires (red, black and blue) and some wire connectors/joints, and a 22k linear pot. I drilled a hole in the back (next to MIDI port) for the pot, soldered the 3 wires to the pot, and fixed it there. A picture of the location and wiring of the pot is also attached.

Example of new pot wiring, colors are the same as diagram.
Example of new pot wiring, colors are the same as diagram.
pot_wiring.png (508.34 KiB) Viewed 2946 times

Location of new pot in the back.
Location of new pot in the back.
pot_back.png (269.14 KiB) Viewed 2946 times

5 - Now all you need to do is re-route some of the signals through the new pot, which will effectively control the amount of signal (or range) of the Master Volume (speaker, headphones, Sanpera all work accordingly). I attach a diagram of the wiring.

New wiring connections with additional pot.
New wiring connections with additional pot.
new_wiring.png (19.27 KiB) Viewed 2946 times

6 - ...and that's it! Just re-assemble the head with the speaker, and enjoy your new volume sponge :)

Note: if interested, you can find some more detailed Vypyr schematics in this site (e.g. you can search for "P2"): http://zorkmids.com/?p=384

Again, thanks to GRE2608 and all contributors to this thread for the great mod and explanations, and I hope this helps some Vypyr VIP users out there.

Rock on, cheers

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