“Ok - so this is going to be my last dub siren build (maybe…). This new one is an extension on the others that I have built and is definitely the best and easiest version I have designed.
So what is a dub siren?
Dub sirens originated in Jamaica in the late 60’s, early 70’s where they started to use police or fire engine sirens and analog synths to create sound effects for their music. Later it was emulated to live DJ performances.
This dub siren is based around 2 x 555 timers and a LM741 Op amp. Adding a bunch of pots and buttons allows you to create and control a whole heap of cool sounds from a traditional siren to a long toned note.
They are usually played with a reverb guitar pedal but I decided to add my own reverb circuit (no need to make this one as you can buy them on eBay) to the final build. Adding this circuit gives you some amazing sounds to help you play along to your favourite dub, hip hop, disco house or whatever else you want to play along to.
When I think back to the first one that I built (link here), I can’t believe that I actually got it to work! I mean it looks great (in my humble opinion) but used 3 X 9v batteries to power it and was a hot mess of wires and electronics.
In this version, The dub siren and amp are on one, slim PCB and there are JST connectors for easy connection to the echo/reverb module, battery and switches. The potentiometers are also mounted on the PCB which reduces the amount of wires needed.
I have also designed a front panel which incorporates the PCB and turns this build into a very professional looking one. I should learn how to do 3D printing next so I can design some cases! At the moment though I’m using wood which I’m happy to use as it gives the projects a nice retro feel.
Lastly, I have provided all of the gerber & Eagle files along with the front panel design so you can also easily build your own dub siren.
Let’s get going”