PROJECT NAME

MALACANDRA
BASED ON BUILD DIFFICULTY
Xotic AC/RC Booster Easy
EFFECT TYPE DOCUMENT VERSION
Boost / Overdrive 2.0.0 (2020-06-26)
PROJECT SUMMARY
A flexible drive pedal that can go from clean volume boost to smooth overdrive. Includes a 2-band tone
stack for treble & bass.

Actual size is 2.3” x 1.86” (main board) and 2.3” x 0.86” (bypass board).

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Project Overview 7 Drill Template
2 Introduction & Usage 8 Enclosure Layout
3-4 Parts List 9 Wiring Diagram
5 Build Notes 10 Licensing
6 Schematic 10 Document Revisions

INTRODUCTION
The Malacandra Boost / Overdrive is a recreation of the Xotic AC Booster and RC Booster, two nearly
identical pedals that feature a two-band EQ for independent control of bass & treble frequencies. The
result is a flexible tone machine that lets you go from a clean volume boost to a thick overdrive.

Looking at the schematic for the AC & RC Booster circuits, it’s very similar to a Tube Screamer, starting
with an input buffer and an op-amp feedback diode clipping stage. The two major topological difference
are that the AC/RC circuit uses an inverting op-amp stage for clipping (the TS is non-inverting), and the
Tube Screamer tone control has been replaced by a Baxandall stage with bass and treble.

The BB Preamp (also available from Aion FX, called the Perelandra) is a similar circuit. The main
difference is that it retains the Tube Screamer’s tone control section, hard-wired at the 9:00 position.

Version 2 of the Malacandra has been updated slightly based on direct traces of the current-production
AC Booster and RC Booster as well as the Bass RC Booster. With the Malacandra PCB, you can build any
of the three circuits by changing a few parts. Instructions are provided for each variant.

USAGE
The Malacandra has four controls:

• Gain controls the amount of gain from the op amp that is fed through the feedback clipping diodes.

• Treble is one half of the Baxandall tone control, allowing you to boost or cut high frequencies.

• Bass is the other half of the Baxandall tone control, allowing you to boost or cut low frequencies.

• Level sets the overall output of the effect.

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 2

PARTS LIST
This parts list is also available in a spreadsheet format which can be imported directly into Mouser for
easy parts ordering. Mouser doesn’t carry all the parts—notably potentiometers—so the second tab lists
all the non-Mouser parts as well as sources for each.

View parts list spreadsheet →

PART VALUE TYPE NOTES

R1 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R2 1M Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R3 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R4 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W RC Booster and Bass RC use 22k.

R5 47k Metal film resistor, 1/4W Bass RC uses 22k.

R6 1k Metal film resistor, 1/4W RC Booster and Bass RC jumper this.

R7 4k7 Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R8 4k7 Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R9 33k Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R10 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R11 470k Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R12 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R13 470R Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R14 100k Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R15 15k Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R16 6k8 Metal film resistor, 1/4W

R17 22k Metal film resistor, 1/4W

RPD 1M Metal film resistor, 1/4W Input pulldown resistor.

LEDR 4k7 Metal film resistor, 1/4W LED current-limiting resistor. Adjust value to change LED brightness.

C1 22n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm RC Booster uses 1uF. Bass RC Booster uses 100n.

C2 47n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm RC Booster and Bass RC use 1uF.

C3 150pF MLCC capacitor, NP0/C0G

C4 100n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm RC Booster and Bass RC omit this.

C5 33n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm

C6 33n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm

C7 4n7 Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm Bass RC uses 10n.

C8 4n7 Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm Bass RC uses 10n.

C9 1uF Film capacitor, 7.2 x 3.5mm

C10 100n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm

C11 10uF Electrolytic capacitor, 5mm

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 3

PARTS LIST, CONT.
PART VALUE TYPE NOTES
C12 100uF Electrolytic capacitor, 6.3mm Power supply filter capacitor.

C13 47uF Electrolytic capacitor, 5mm Reference voltage filter capacitor.

C14 100n MLCC capacitor, X7R Power supply filter capacitor.

D1 1N5817 Schottky diode, DO-41

D2 1N914 Fast-switching diode, DO-35 Bass RC omits this diode.

D3 1N914 Fast-switching diode, DO-35 Bass RC omits this diode.

D4 (jumper) RC Booster uses 1N914 instead of jumper. Bass RC omits this diode.

D5 1N914 Fast-switching diode, DO-35 RC Booster and Bass RC omit this diode.

D6 1N914 Fast-switching diode, DO-35 Bass RC omits this diode.

D7 1N914 Fast-switching diode, DO-35 RC Booster uses 1N914 instead of jumper. Bass RC omits this diode.

D8 (jumper) RC Booster uses 1N914 instead of jumper. Bass RC omits this diode.

Q1 2N5088 BJT transistor, NPN, TO-92 Substitute. Original uses 2SC1815.

Q2 2N5088 BJT transistor, NPN, TO-92 Substitute. Original uses 2SC1815.

IC1 JRC4558D Operational amplifier, DIP8 Substitute. Original likely uses JRC4557 (out of production & almost
impossible to find).

IC1-S DIP-8 socket IC socket, DIP-8

GAIN 1MB 16mm right-angle PCB mount pot RC Booster uses 250kB.

BASS 50kB 16mm right-angle PCB mount pot

TREBLE 50kB 16mm right-angle PCB mount pot

LEVEL 100kB 16mm right-angle PCB mount pot

LED 5mm LED, 5mm, red diffused

IN 1/4" stereo 1/4" phone jack, closed frame Switchcraft 112BX or equivalent.

OUT 1/4" mono 1/4" phone jack, closed frame Switchcraft 111X or equivalent.

DC 2.1mm DC jack, 2.1mm panel mount Mouser 163-4302-E or equivalent.

BATT Battery snap 9V battery snap Optional. Use the soft plastic type—the hard-shell type will not fit.

FSW 3PDT Stomp switch, 3PDT

ENC 125B Enclosure, die-cast aluminum Can also use a Hammond 1590N1.

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 4

BUILD NOTES

Building the RC Booster

The schematic and parts list are given for the AC Booster, but only a handful of parts substitutions are
needed for the RC Booster.

• C1: 22n → 1uF (non-polar film)

• C2: 100n → 1uF (non-polar film)
• C4: omit (leave empty)
• R4: 10k → 22k
• R6: jumper
• D4: 1N914
• D5: omit (leave empty)
• D8: 1N914
• Drive: 1MB → 250kB

If you’re interested in experimenting, you could socket the parts to see the exact changes, and perhaps
you’ll end up with your own hybrid that’s more to your preference.

Building the Bass RC Booster

Starting with the RC Booster changes above, make the following substitutes:

• C1: 1uF → 100n

• C7: 4n7 → 10n
• C8: 4n7 → 10n
• R5: 47k → 22k
• D2-8: omit (leave empty)

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 5

SCHEMATIC

Shown with AC Booster values.

+9V VA VC VB

D1 R15 R16

1N5817 C12 15k 6k8 C13

C14

R17

22k
100n 100uF 47uF

GND GND GND GND

VC

VA
BASS
R7 50kB R8
1M
R2

VB
22n
C1

3 1
R1 IC1A 4k7 4k7
IN Q1 2
2N5088 3 JRC4558D C5 C6
10k R6
1
R4
2 33n 33n
RPD

1k
1M

C4 VA
10k
47n
C2

VB VB
100n
10k
R3

C3 150pF IC1B

33k
R9

8
JRC4558D VA

1uF
5

C9
D6 D7 D8 7
GND GND

470k
6

R11
100n
3
GND

C10
4

100kB
LEVEL
D5

Q2

R10

10k
2N5088

2
GND
R13

1
D2 D3 D4 OUT

4n7

4n7
2

C7

C8
470R

10uF
C11
3 1
47k
R5

100k
R12

R14
10k
2 50kB VB
3 1 TREBLE

1MB
DRIVE
GND GND

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 6

DRILL TEMPLATE
Cut out this drill template, fold the edges and tape it to the enclosure. Before drilling, it’s recommended
to first use a center punch for each of the holes to help guide the drill bit.

Ensure that this template is printed at 100% or “Actual Size”. You can double-check this by measuring
the scale on the printed page.

Top jack layout assumes the use of closed-frame jacks like the Switchcraft 111X. If you’d rather use
open-frame jacks, please refer to the Open-Frame Jack Drill Template for the top side.

LED hole drill size assumes the use of a 5mm LED bezel, available from several parts suppliers. Adjust
size accordingly if using something different, such as a 3mm bezel, a plastic bezel, or just a plain LED.

INCH 125B

0.385”

0 1 0.625” 0.625”

ø3/8” ø3/8”
CM ø1/2”
OUT DC IN

0 1 2

LEVEL DRIVE

x: -0.65, y: +1.71 x: 0.65, y: +1.71

ø9/32” ø9/32”

TREBLE BASS

x: -0.65, y: +0.41 x: 0.65, y: +0.41

ø9/32” ø9/32”

CENTER (0,0)

LED FOOTSWITCH

x: -0.775, y: -1.20 x: 0, y: -1.20

ø5/16” ø15/32”

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 7

ENCLOSURE LAYOUT
Enclosure is shown without jacks. See next page for jack layout and wiring.

125B

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 8

WIRING DIAGRAM

IN GND +V N.C. N.C. OUT

PCB GND +V +V JACK GND JACK GND GND PCB

IN IN OUT OUT

125B

Shown with optional 9V battery. If battery is omitted, both jacks can be mono rather than one being stereo.
Leave the far-right lug of the DC jack unconnected.

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 9

LICENSE & USAGE
No direct support is offered for these projects beyond the provided documentation. It’s assumed
that you have at least some experience building pedals before starting one of these. Replacements and
refunds cannotbe offered unless it can be shown that the circuit or documentation are in error.

All of these circuits have been tested in good faith in their base configurations. However, not all the
modifications or variations have necessarily been tested. These are offered only as suggestions based
on the experience and opinions of others.

Projects may be used for commercial endeavors in any quantity unless specifically noted. No
attribution is necessary, though a link back is always greatly appreciated. The only usage restrictions
are that (1) you cannot resell the PCB as part of a kit without prior arrangement, and (2) you cannot
“goop” the circuit, scratch off the screenprint, or otherwise obfuscate the circuit to disguise its source.
(In other words: you don’t have to go out of your way to advertise the fact that you use these PCBs, but
please don’t go out of your way to hide it. The guitar effects industry needs more transparency, not less!)

DOCUMENT REVISIONS
2.0.0 (2020-06-26)
Updated PCB layout based on direct traces of different variants of the AC and RC Booster pedals.

1.0.0 (2018-09-22)
Initial release.

MALACANDRA BOOST / OVERDRIVE 10