BuddytheReow
Moderator
I know how you feel about memes. Was just trying to stir the pot.
CONTEST Happy New Years Limited Parts Contest
- Thread starter steviejr92
- Start date
CONTEST
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
Mission accomplished. Minus 2 points for you. 
Feral Feline
Well-known member
I'll echo Steve's sentiments, the Tone Grinder sounds really %^&*in' good!
I don't even have my headphones on, just listening to it through laptop speakers and totally digging it.
Okay, back to my breadboard...
I don't even have my headphones on, just listening to it through laptop speakers and totally digging it.
Okay, back to my breadboard...
The Gator
Well-known member
damn that is awesome!
Well I got tired of trying to tweak my circuit.
not sure what to call it. It is good at doing low gain sounds and actually pretty good at high gain sounds.
It is a basic opamp overdrive using infrared diodes for soft clipping.
I use a switch to lower the resistor to vref on the second opamp and put it right at the rails for some hard clipping at the end of the circuit. it make a cool retro lo-fi sound IMHO.
Well I got tired of trying to tweak my circuit.
not sure what to call it. It is good at doing low gain sounds and actually pretty good at high gain sounds.
It is a basic opamp overdrive using infrared diodes for soft clipping.
I use a switch to lower the resistor to vref on the second opamp and put it right at the rails for some hard clipping at the end of the circuit. it make a cool retro lo-fi sound IMHO.
The Gator
Well-known member
Here's a pic of the breadboarded circuit with some labels on the controls. Hopefully that will help to see what's going on in the nest there. I really need to use some short leads on the pots directly to the closest spot on the board and jumper from there. Input on the right. Out on the left.
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
NICE!
I think you could make any pedal sound good.
I think you could make any pedal sound good.
t1redhands
Active member
Well I'll be ding-dong-danged, that IR LED sure isn't doing a thing. In my experimental-swapping-fervor I must have put it there to try it out and thought "Hey I like this" and didn't think any more about it. I've swapped it for another of these goofy Soviet GE diodes, so here's the FINAL final schematic and my official entry into this contest thing:
I've swapped all coupling caps to 100nF and put a 1N4001 in for the third diode option at Q2. It's tonally very similar to the 2N7000 but a little edgier. I've also swapped one of the 1N60 clipping diodes for a third Soviet GE diode. The "clip" knob now has a smooth tonal sweep from compressed to open and loud. Changing the 22uF emitter capacitor to 10uF focuses the fuzz and makes it a little more vintage.
Voltages are as follows:
- Q1C = 3.89, 4.06 with GE at Q2
- Q1B = 3.88, 4.05 with GE at Q2
- Q1E = 3.93, 4.11 with GE at Q2
- Q2C = 4.80, 4.63 with GE at Q2
- Q2B = 4.40, 4.60 with GE at Q2
- Q2E = 3.93, 4.12 with GE at Q2
Apologies once again for terrible playing and cellphone audio (I tried to plug it into Garageband but it was too much for my tiny, cheap iPad "interface" to handle).
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
Here's the first revision of my "Sho' Yo' Muff". I added a selectable clipping capacitor. It's an on/off/on switch and the middle 22n cap is tied to the middle lug. In one on position you'll have 44nf (close to the standard muff 47nf), middle position is 22nf, and the other on position you'll have 122nf. The switch selects how much CREAM you want in your muff (amount of signal to be clipped). I also fixed the zener in the schematic only. I played around with this during my practice session today. I wish it had juuuuust a bit more grit, but a chop shop cleared that right up. This will be my official submission for the contest.
View attachment 66805
Got my breadboard of this running. I altered a few component values to my taste. Chuck Like! I think you have three unnecessary parts in there. I used a B109C for Q2, although any medium to high gain Si tranny would work. I like what you did with the CREAM switch.
BuddytheReow
Moderator
Chuck, I’d love to hear what you’d do to tweak everyone’s circuits. After the deadline of course. For me, feedback is welcomed
PedalBuilder
Well-known member
Same here!
The Gator
Well-known member
Thank you! That is kind of you. I have forgotten more than I remember and my fingers do not move like they used to...lol.
I would love some circuit design critique after the contest.
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
Something still not quite right about that diode.
t1redhands
Active member
That's a "K"
Yep, you're right. It does "something" but it's subtle and, honestly, not worth including. In fact - I relistened to the demo I recorded last night and decided I really didn't like where this circuit ended up. So I started taking parts off and wound up with something a little different but much more aligned to my tastes. Et voila:
Now it goes from harmonic-rich yet articulate distortion into thick compressed fuzz. I will record another demo this afternoon.
Chuck D. Bones
Circuit Wizard
And please post the voltages on Q1-C, Q1-E & Q2-C.
Since Q1 is leakage biased, I expect Q1-C to wander around as the temperature changes.
Since Q1 is leakage biased, I expect Q1-C to wander around as the temperature changes.
PedalBuilder
Well-known member
I've been loving all the demos that everyone has been uploading, so I updated my entry with a few quick clips.
Feral Feline
Well-known member
The Gator Grind !
matmonster58
Active member
Here's my final submission coming in at 19 parts in the actual build. It's a piezo stomp box mixed with an 808 style kick drum.
Apparently I forgot to save my spice file so some of the components may be slightly different than my original schematic.
It sounds a lot better that just a straight piezo stompbox. I think it's a much better starting point for integrating into a whole band mix.
There's not a good way for me to capture the sound with my just phone but it makes a nice low end thump.
It's not a glamorous pedal but it's one I'll probably use a fair amount.
I plan to add a layer of craft foam to the top and bottom to take out any of the high frequency scratchy sounds that occur when you rub against the enclosure.
If I were to continue developing this design, I would use the piezo to trigger an impulse that would trigger the 808. This would leave the pure kick sound instead of the kick+piezo mixed
Apparently I forgot to save my spice file so some of the components may be slightly different than my original schematic.
It sounds a lot better that just a straight piezo stompbox. I think it's a much better starting point for integrating into a whole band mix.
There's not a good way for me to capture the sound with my just phone but it makes a nice low end thump.
It's not a glamorous pedal but it's one I'll probably use a fair amount.
I plan to add a layer of craft foam to the top and bottom to take out any of the high frequency scratchy sounds that occur when you rub against the enclosure.
If I were to continue developing this design, I would use the piezo to trigger an impulse that would trigger the 808. This would leave the pure kick sound instead of the kick+piezo mixed
Attachments
gl.tch-method
New member
iguess i can't really participate because i'm away from my breadboard for another week. but, in the spirit of the festivities, i'll just leave this here >.>
this (fixed volume ~1:7) will be going in front of a headphone/pre-amp under the pickguard of my mutant strat project. should have a nice kick to it. (amp/fuzz will be independently switchable, two thumbwheels for fuzz pots, amp volume will replace the second tone knob.)
the combo with the amp is also going to be under 30 parts, but that diagram is still testing phase, so here's an led instead.
EDIT: iguess that "10-20%" should actually read "80-90%"...heh.
this (fixed volume ~1:7) will be going in front of a headphone/pre-amp under the pickguard of my mutant strat project. should have a nice kick to it. (amp/fuzz will be independently switchable, two thumbwheels for fuzz pots, amp volume will replace the second tone knob.)
the combo with the amp is also going to be under 30 parts, but that diagram is still testing phase, so here's an led instead.
EDIT: iguess that "10-20%" should actually read "80-90%"...heh.
