TonePad's TS9

[keko]

Hi
I've just built this classic rock little monster...and guess what? It's sooo cool I only wish I could use it with my band (but I need more gain to suit my style...well, that's a different story)

The point is, I had to replace several parts as follows:
510K..............470K
51K..................44K
0.027uF........0.022uF
51pF.................33pF

and the one that got me posting this:
1uF NP   with  1uF electro, 50v

I still like this pedal a LOT, but, what should I expect if I get the right parts? Specialy the 1uf cap?. I'm using asym. clipping, and 4558

[brett]

Hi.  I'm not a believer that a different type of capacitor will revolutionize your pedal,  BUT you may notice an improvement in clarity if you change from a 1uF electro to a 1uF film capacitor.  I'd recommend an MKT cos they're small, self-healing, etc.  

Electro caps are probably best kept out of the audio chain, which is usually fairly easy to do.  Often, pedals are designed with big electrolytic output caps just in case the input impedance of the next stage is very low (e.g. that whopping 10uF output cap of the tubescreamer).  But if you keep the impedance of the next stage up at 50k or more (which should be every pedal except maybe a wah and definately a fuzzface), all you need is a 0.1uF cap (for a cutoff frequency less than 32Hz).  

You MIGHT even get away with replacing those 1uF caps in the tubescreamer with 0.1uF film caps.  In high impedance stages with JFETS, etc I use very small caps (0.01uF or less) cos I feel they maintain clarity.

Have fun!!

[brett]

Almost forgot...try an NE5532 op-amp.  It's definately quieter and clearer than any of the 4558s.  Also, a TL072 is worth trying (but I'm not necessarily saying you'll like it better than a 4558).  Some folk like other op-amps too, but the NE5532 is my clear favourite (if you'll pardon the pun!)

[Ansil]

if you need more gain but like the structure of this pedal you can modifiy the schematic a little to get a lm386 to act in this manner i put in a switch to cut out a resister in the feeedback loop

[keko]

to get a lm386 to act in this manner i put in a switch to cut out a resister in the feeedback loop

Ansil, can you give me more details about this mod please?

thanks.,

[Ansil]

i have it drawn on paper how to direcly mod the circuit to use a 386 and bypass the second opamp in the tone control section i drew it up last night but i will have to scan it or redraw it in paint brush..  basically you have to have a socket in your ts9 and you take and put the 386 on a board and you run pins 2,3,4 the same as you would the ts9 circuit.  but you take the 386's pin 5 and take it to pin 1 of the ts9.  you put a metal jumper in the ts9 socket from pins 8 to 6 and pins 5 to 7.  i thinki i said that right.  as i dont' have my notes in front of me.

[bwanasonic]

Have you read the "Technology of the Tube Screamer" article at www.geofex.com? It covers the ever-popular *more-gain* mods. Another way to get more gain is to use two of them in series. Noisy but nice.

Kerry M

[idlefaction]

lol!  i remember reading somewhere that the secret to Joe Satriani's endless sustain sound was two DS-1s in series    (i personally think Joe's tone is awful but some people dig it)

[keko]

Thank you all guys.

so now I have to build three more boses....two of them will go in series, and the third will get ansil's mods!

[Ansil]

to get a lm386 to act in this manner i put in a switch to cut out a resister in the feeedback loop

Ansil, can you give me more details about this mod please?

thanks.,

it is uploaded now on my site.

http://www.geocities.com/austenfantanio/ts92386.htm