Worlds First Augmented Analog Pedel.

This is an interesting concept, although I'll have to reserve judgement until I hear more demos. I am interested in the technology behind the Ridge, here is the info I gleaned from their Q&A video:
  • Clipping stage is 100% analog (not DSP-based or a simulation approach), with control & flexibility granted by the way they control the nonlinear elements of the clipping stage.
  • Patented technique allows them to control the threshold of clipping diodes, making them behave in new ways. For example, diodes can physically behave as Si & Ge at the same time, clipping the signal asymmetrically a lot or not at all.
  • Augmented Analog - Name of approach to ultraflexible analog clipping
  • Analog Morphing Core - Name of patented technology that enables that approach
I could not find a US, French, or EU patent under either the holding company (Monday Noise), or the engineers (Antoine Petroff & Jeremy Savonet). Antoine has a bunch of prior patents under the assignee Devialet, but as they are an acoustical engineering company they mostly deal with acoustics & loudspeakers. The Kernom, Ridge, Analog Morphing Core, and Augmented Analog trademarks were only registered in September, so it may be that the patents haven't made it into the INPI database yet.

In terms of how they're approaching this from a technical perspective, I can think of a few ideas, but I think the most likely option is with Biased Diode Clippers - Basically using a voltage source to positively or negatively bias the audio signal, effectively moving it to a different part of the diode I-V curve. Independently controlling the positive & negative bias would be an effective way to control both the amount of clipping, as well as the symmetricity/asymmetricity.
  • from Wikipedia: "The clipping action can be made to happen at an arbitrary level by using a biasing element (potential source) in series with the diode. In the following diagrams the green plot is the input voltage, the orange plot is the output voltage, and the blue plot is the clipping level voltage."

Pos & Neg Biased Diode Clippers.png

Using both positive & negative bias:

Dual Level Bias Diode Clipper.png

I couldn't find many photos of the board or circuit, but this X-ray image of the PCB has net names like "OUT_BIAS" connected to a bunch of diodes:

Kernom Ridge PCB X-Ray.jpeg

I'm thinking you might also be able to do this with FETs, but exactly how is a bit over my head. Anyone have more insight?
 
bowanderror said:
In terms of how they're approaching this from a technical perspective, I can think of a few ideas, but I think the most likely option is with Biased Diode Clippers - Basically using a voltage source to positively or negatively bias the audio signal, effectively moving it to a different part of the diode I-V curve. Independently controlling the positive & negative bias would be an effective way to control both the amount of clipping, as well as the symmetricity/asymmetricity.
Click to expand...
So what you mean by that is they’re likely applying a positive DC offset to control the threshold of clipping on the positive peaks of the waveform, then applying a further negative DC offset to control the clipping threshold of the negative peaks of the waveform, and then nulling the final DC offset before sending it to whatever post-clipping stages?
That’s what I was imagining when I looked at the Kickstarter a few days ago, and I had actually wondered about that in the past since it seems like such a simple concept, but never tried finding a way to execute it. Not sure if that’s what you’re getting at though, or if what you’re suggesting is something a bit more complicated
 
I have predicted that we would see hybrid digital/analog pedals. A few of them already exist. However, to the degree that you can change settings like the degree of clipping on a set of diodes, that's the magic sauce there. The "digital" part isn't the audio signal itself...it's the settings that change how the signal behaves. I really like the idea of having a pure analog pedal that has presets and the ability to change it in real time via MIDI. That's like awesome! :D
 
Well if it’s actually patented, we’ll know eventually. I think it might have something undo with biasing the diodes as well, but I don’t know enough about that sort of thing to understand the details.
 
music6000 said:
So this is available for purchase now, It sounds & performs like a Great pedal BUT It looks Cheap!
Here is what I would like to see with a simple Aluminium knob change + optional Colour enclosures:

View attachment 32908

View attachment 32909
Click to expand...

I watched that video a few days ago and it looks pretty cool, however, I'm honest enough to admit that I'd rather have a board with seperate ODs covered in Archer/cartoon graphics than something that can do them all in 1. Oh that also looks kinda cheap and dull.
 
SillyOctpuss said:
I watched that video a few days ago and it looks pretty cool, however, I'm honest enough to admit that I'd rather have a board with seperate ODs covered in Archer/cartoon graphics than something that can do them all in 1. Oh that also looks kinda cheap and dull.
Click to expand...
Oh, you might upset a few Members here that don't do Graphics on their builds then!:)
 
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