Pulse Waves a bit timid?

[Kroars]

Built a couple Pulse Wave (Square Wave) pedals, one with a BC549c (hfe 573), one with a 2n5088 (hfe 470) and both with 2n5458’s from smallbear. Used D2V’s (Vf .34) in one and HG5008’s (Vf .26). Contrary to what I’ve read on the forums I don’t have any hiss at all (no complaints there), but they’re both below unity volume even when cranked. Noticeably lower when knobs around noon, slightly lower when dimed. Other than that they sound pretty good. I will add that the one with the BC549C seems to have a bit more volume.

Is this normal for this circuit? Is there a component I could substitute to get more volume out of them?

Thank you kindly!!

 

[Coda]

I’ve just dig my Square Wave build out after a year and started working on it again. First time around I had major squealing. This time I rewired, resoldered, and cleaned it up. Less noise now, but still lots of noise. However, my pedal is pretty loud, or at least not too quiet. For such a simple circuit, it sure seems to be problematic…

 

[Kroars]

I’ve just dig my Square Wave build out after a year and started working on it again. First time around I had major squealing. This time I rewired, resoldered, and cleaned it up. Less noise now, but still lots of noise. However, my pedal is pretty loud, or at least not too quiet. For such a simple circuit, it sure seems to be problematic…

Yeah, I read your thread as well which is why I was taken aback when both of the two I built couldn’t achieve unity volume. I mean, it’s close but defined seems different from what others have experienced. Fortunately I socketed both transistors and diodes, so I’ve been experimenting. Tried a 2n5485, that resulted in even less volume. Tried an MPF4393 that may have had a touch more volume.

It’s weird, when Distortion is full CW and Balance full CCW it sounds full bodied, silent when not playing and at its loudest (although still not quite unity volume compared to when in bypass). When the Distortion is full CW and Balance full CW it’s much thinner (which is what I’d expect), maybe a tad gated, much lower volume but at the same time that’s when I’ll get a bit of hiss, not too much but it’s there.

Edit: just stumbled across this link. Apparently low volume is an ongoing issue with Shin-Ei designed pedals, so maybe mine is correct? Either way I’d like to raise volume if possible.

Univox SquareWave

This is a pretty unique fuzz from the mid-70s by Univox. It was designed by Shin-Ei and like a few other Shin-Ei designs it can suffer from ...

effectslayouts.blogspot.com

Edit again: Alright, I’ve now read a few different forums and articles that all reference the low volume on this pedal, so I guess that’s just how it is. It’s a really cool sounding fuzz, just a bit timid in the volume department.

 

[Coda]

There room in the enclosure for an LPB-1…

 

[Kroars]

Yeah, I read your thread as well which is why I was taken aback when both of the two I built couldn’t achieve unity volume. I mean, it’s close but defined seems different from what others have experienced. Fortunately I socketed both transistors and diodes, so I’ve been experimenting. Tried a 2n5485, that resulted in even less volume. Tried an MPF4393 that may have had a touch more volume.

It’s weird, when Distortion is full CW and Balance full CCW it sounds full bodied, silent when not playing and at its loudest (although still not quite unity volume compared to when in bypass). When the Distortion is full CW and Balance full CW it’s much thinner (which is what I’d expect), maybe a tad gated, much lower volume but at the same time that’s when I’ll get a bit of hiss, not too much but it’s there.

There room in the enclosure for an LPB-1…

I actually ended up auditioning around 15 2n5458’s and found that they noticeably effected the circuit with each new one I put in. Some more dramatic than others, but one thing they all had in common was how drastically they effected the hiss. Made me think of your thread. Have you tried a bunch of different 2n5458’s? Some I used would be nearly dead quite when circuit is engaged and others would just scream when I hit the footswitch. I wonder if auditioning a handful of 2n5458’s would solve your hiss issue?

Settled on a BC549C and picked out a couple 2n5458’s (after trying a bunch) that had a nice balance between quite and super high gain.

 

[Coda]

I actually ended up auditioning around 15 2n5458’s and found that they noticeably effected the circuit with each new one I put in. Some more dramatic than others, but one thing they all had in common was how drastically they effected the hiss. Made me think of your thread. Have you tried a bunch of different 2n5458’s? Some I used would be nearly dead quite when circuit is engaged and others would just scream when I hit the footswitch. I wonder if auditioning a handful of 2n5458’s would solve your hiss issue?

Settled on a BC549C and picked out a couple 2n5458’s (after trying a bunch) that had a nice balance between quite and super high gain.

I’ll give that a try. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Kroars]

I’ll give that a try. Thanks for the tip.

Send me a message if you don’t have any luck. I’ve got a few I could send your way.