Ginsly
Well-known member
All the hubbub around the BM2 reminded me that I've always wanted to check out an Op-Amp Muff. I used an OG Green Russian on bass for years - really good stuff, although that switch is absolutely ridiculous. I'm shocked it never popped out and blinded me on stage.
I breadboarded the Aion Corvus which is pretty faithful to the original but alters things a bit "to make the gain itself variable as opposed to running it full-up and then cutting back the level afterward". Sounds pretty excellent!
From there I tried the Pumpkin Patch mods: changed three of the six Si diodes to two green LEDs and added the AMZ presence control. You can also leave out the second trio of clipping diodes altogether for more extreme gating, but I like the middle ground of the green LEDs. Really nice touch.
Seems like there are a handful of worthwhile Op-Amp versions to try, please recommend what ya like! PCB, vero, whatever. I'd like to incorporate the gate into whichever one I build if possible. I've only looked at a couple so far:
- PPCB Dream Fuzz - looks to be 100% faithful to the original. Pretty easy to add a Diode Selector switch for gating.
- Aion Corvus - a couple value changes here and there, and the aforementioned variable gain mod - not sure how crucial that is, please chime in if you've built both kinds! Can add a Diode Selector switch for gating.
- PPCB Cleric - the Warlow sounds like one of the more aggressive Op-Amp versions I've heard, and I like that! There's a new version that has a Gate switch, although I'm not sure how they achieve that - there are no clipping diodes to mess around with in the Warlow. Any thoughts on this?
- PPCB Sour Grape - Keeley has gone from Rotten Apple>Moon>Suns, although I'm not sure how much they differ. He seemed to fix the excessive low end of the Moon in the Suns tone control, and also made the clipping asymmetrical. Don't know where the Apple fits in. Cutting one of the Sour Grape's two clipping LEDs would probably gate similarly to the Pumpkin mod (?).
I breadboarded the Aion Corvus which is pretty faithful to the original but alters things a bit "to make the gain itself variable as opposed to running it full-up and then cutting back the level afterward". Sounds pretty excellent!
From there I tried the Pumpkin Patch mods: changed three of the six Si diodes to two green LEDs and added the AMZ presence control. You can also leave out the second trio of clipping diodes altogether for more extreme gating, but I like the middle ground of the green LEDs. Really nice touch.
Seems like there are a handful of worthwhile Op-Amp versions to try, please recommend what ya like! PCB, vero, whatever. I'd like to incorporate the gate into whichever one I build if possible. I've only looked at a couple so far:
- PPCB Dream Fuzz - looks to be 100% faithful to the original. Pretty easy to add a Diode Selector switch for gating.
- Aion Corvus - a couple value changes here and there, and the aforementioned variable gain mod - not sure how crucial that is, please chime in if you've built both kinds! Can add a Diode Selector switch for gating.
- PPCB Cleric - the Warlow sounds like one of the more aggressive Op-Amp versions I've heard, and I like that! There's a new version that has a Gate switch, although I'm not sure how they achieve that - there are no clipping diodes to mess around with in the Warlow. Any thoughts on this?
- PPCB Sour Grape - Keeley has gone from Rotten Apple>Moon>Suns, although I'm not sure how much they differ. He seemed to fix the excessive low end of the Moon in the Suns tone control, and also made the clipping asymmetrical. Don't know where the Apple fits in. Cutting one of the Sour Grape's two clipping LEDs would probably gate similarly to the Pumpkin mod (?).
