Anyone tried an odd number of clipping diodes in a big muff?

[neiltheseal]

Hey all

Has anybody tried using an odd number of clipping diodes in a big muff? For example using 1 diode instead of the clipping pair or 3? If so i'd like to hear if anybody has had experience with something like this.

I have been playing with a 3 pole 3 position rotary switch that I bought by accident and it has given me an idea to try out different clipping options in a big muff that I am planning to build at some point soon. As this gives the option for multiple poles to be connected at once I thought it would be a good idea to try out different clipping configurations.

On pole A I can connect up to 4 diodes for position 1-4 and on positions 5-8, both pole A and B are connected and on positions 9-12 Poles A, B and C are connected. I was thinking something like the following:

Pole A (only diodes below)	Pole B (diode below and diode to the left). Opposite direction to pole A and C	Pole C (all diodes in same row)
1 - Silicon	5 - Silicon	9 - LED
2 - Germanium	6 - Germanium	10 - Mosfet
3 - LED	7 - LED	11 - Mosfet
4 - Mosfet	8 - Mosfet	12 - Germanium

I was thinking of putting the muff in a big box and doing something like the above for both clipping pairs. I might add some switches to change coupling caps.

Is this a silly idea, or does anyone have suggestions for how this might be improved?

 

[jesuscrisp]

Most things that aren't just a pair of silicon diodes just make a muff sound worse to me

 

[neiltheseal]

Most things that aren't just a pair of silicon diodes just make a muff sound worse to me

you’re probably right. I’ll have to test some options before committing to anything

 

[BuddytheReow]

As a suggestion, you may want to try removing one of the clipping sections with a switch. Don't forget that a muff has 2 identical clipping sections in series.

IMO, having only 1 diode there will make it sound like a Bazz Fuss. Nothing wrong with it, but it has it's own sound.

 

[Locrian99]

I’ve tinkered with removing the clipping diodes altogether with a switch it’s a nice (and fairly common) mod.

Check out the raincoat pcb schematic it is basically that with some other small changes.

 

[Feral Feline]

I'd breadboard it and give each diode combo a try to see what you really like.

Then I'd install only the ones I really liked in the full build.


If you're not into breadboarding, you could install sockets on the build and then set up the switch separately with a scrap of socketed vero or perf and still test all the combos and permutations before you settle on which ones you like.

If you only like a few combos, you may end up with a couple of toggles instead of using the rotary — but the rotary has still done its job and well worth the money and can then be used for other experiments or builds.

 

[neiltheseal]

I'd breadboard it and give each diode combo a try to see what you really like.

Then I'd install only the ones I really liked in the full build.


If you're not into breadboarding, you could install sockets on the build and then set up the switch separately with a scrap of socketed vero or perf and still test all the combos and permutations before you settle on which ones you like.

If you only like a few combos, you may end up with a couple of toggles instead of using the rotary — but the rotary has still done its job and well worth the money and can then be used for other experiments or builds.

Thanks. I think this is what I'll do. I do hate breadboarding for some reason so I'll probably go down the vero route.

I have tried a couple of switches to change diodes in a previous muff. Switch between silicon and germanium diodes and silicon and no diodes.

I like the idea of this rotary switch since it can progressivley add up to 3 configurations. Although that doesn't matter if they don't sound good.

 

[Feral Feline]

Well I hope you find a bunch of good-sounding combinations so you can include the rotary and delightfully tweak away!