Adding clipping diodes to boosters

[MBFX]

I have taught myself to read schematics and purchased some expensive NOS transistors, and made some great fuzzes and boosters. Right now I'm messing with the Electra distortion circuit, and it got me thinking about adding clipping diodes to other simple boosters, since that's what the Electra is.

Has anyone else played with this and found good combos?

 

[hamerfan]

You should see that hard clipping diodes decrease the output. So, a booster is not booster anymore.

 

[jesuscrisp]

Adding clipping diodes to an op amp boost basically makes it a distortion like the DOD250. Adding clipping diodes to a mosfet boost (super hard on) is the JPTR FX jive.

You can pretty much add clipping diodes to anything.

 

[Feral Feline]

What JC said.
Have a gander at the DOD250, which is similar to the MXR Dist+, which both are similar to the MXR Micro Amp (no clipping diodes)...

The basic architecture of this is also behind the:

Armstrong Blue Clipper,​

Ross Distortion (black or tan),​

Boosta Grande (Micro Ampish),​

ROG Azabache,​

Fuzz Central's Liquid Drive,​

VFE Dist3,​

EQD White Light,​

HG Amps Red Lights,​

AMZ OD Pro,​

ETI Fuzz,​

BAT Quantum Mystic,​

GGG Adamu,​

Guyatone Zoom/Vox 1901,​

BFFX's Janus,​

Hao Sole Pressure​

Wampler's mods to the Dist+...​

I'm sure there's more out there.

Explore the AMZ/Muzique.com blog/site — Jack Orman has lots of interesting ways of implementing clipping diodes (Warp pots, for example) and inserting them in unconventional places such as in an EQ stack.

 

[cdwillis]

Check out the schematic for the Special Cranker. I had something like that breadboarded and it sounded cool. Never ended up building a permanent vero board for it.

I put some 1n4148 diodes on the output of a simple LPB1 type booster on a breadboard when I first got into building. It did add some drive, but not a considerable amount because the of the output level. If I had used 1n34a or BAT46 diodes with lower forward voltage it would have been a little fuzzier. Of course overall volume output would have been a lot lower. That's how I ended up messing with the electra distortion circuit more.

 

[jesuscrisp]

The cool thing about the electra distortion vs LPB1 with diodes is also that the Electra adds transistor breakup so the drive tone from diodes alone doesn't feel so empty.

 

[Feral Feline]

Breadboard Moonn's "ANIMORPH", a hybrid Electra/Bazz Fuss — ditch the dual-gang for multiple switches to change between different types of clipping (symmetrical, asymmetrical, diode types) ...

Or breakout the dual gang to single gangs, play with some AMZ warp control configurations...