Foxx Tone Machines - Why No Bias or Starve?

[Ginsly]

Many circuits have been tweaked by builders to include either starve and/or transistor bias controls- Fuzz Face, Tonebenders I, I.V, II, and III, Bosstone, Fuzzrite… Sometimes for temperature stability, sometimes for texture and gating.

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a Foxx Tone Machine based pedal with either control… there must be some reason for that..? Maybe the octave-up part of the circuit complicates it?

 

[Ginsly]

No one's tried a transistor bias on this, huh?

If one WAS to try this, which resistor would they have to turn into a pot?

 

[xefned]

I think you lose the octave effect when your transistor pairs are unmatched.
(Just read that somewhere. Don't know from personal experience.)

 

[GizzWizzKing]

My VOLTSTAVA!
9v DC down to 1v, for Fuzz lovers!
UPDATE: Built in 2011, The Beginning!
View attachment 8329

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Could build one of these and try it with all of your fuzzes to see how they react. Still on my to do list.

 

[andare]

Starving an octave fuzz will probably sound similar to turning down the guitar's volume >>> ring modulator artifacts

 

[GizzWizzKing]

Starving an octave fuzz will probably sound similar to turning down the guitar's volume >>> ring modulator artifacts

I love doing this with my Octavia. It makes for some really cool 8 bit synthy sounds. And then your roll in more volume and it's a completely different beast.

 

[Ginsly]

I think you lose the octave effect when your transistor pairs are unmatched.

That makes sense. It's heresy, but... I kinda like the FTM a little better without the upper octave...

Could build one of these and try it with all of your fuzzes to see how they react. Still on my to do list.

Just remembered! I have a Danelectrode variable voltage supply somewhere, maybe I'll try that on my Warm Audio FTB... Really more curious about the transistor bias, but wanna try both.

Starving an octave fuzz will probably sound similar to turning down the guitar's volume >>> ring modulator artifacts

I wonder what it would do in NON-octave mode, though..? I love the octave, I do - but the raw fuzz tone of the FTM is fantastic, and I'd love to see what happens with a transistor bias knob - still not sure which resistors to monkey with in the Fuzzy Fox schematic posted above...

In the meantime I'll power starve that Foxy Tone Box!

 

[jwin615]

That makes sense. It's heresy, but... I kinda like the FTM a little better without the upper octave...

Just remembered! I have a Danelectrode variable voltage supply somewhere, maybe I'll try that on my Warm Audio FTB... Really more curious about the transistor bias, but wanna try both.

I wonder what it would do in NON-octave mode, though..? I love the octave, I do - but the raw fuzz tone of the FTM is fantastic, and I'd love to see what happens with a transistor bias knob - still not sure which resistors to monkey with in the Fuzzy Fox schematic posted above...

In the meantime I'll power starve that Foxy Tone Box!

Try R4 and R13. You'll want to add additional resistance.
Maybe a 50k push/pull pot to move the pot from one position to the other? Add parallel resistance in the R4 position to lower the value some.
A "dual voiced" starve could be cool.
Makes sense in my brain basket anyway...
Wait, not doesn't. Would end up disconnecting one or the other.
Would work for parallel resistance but not series. At least I can't work it out without a pen and paper and am a little busy atm.

 

[Ginsly]

Try R4 and R13. You'll want to add additional resistance.

I’m gonna attempt to breadboard this soon, and I’ll look at R4 and R13 for sure!