MIX CONTROL FOR FUZZ PEDAL

[stoooooo]

I regularly use a clean and fuzz signal mixed together using a small 2 channel mixer - It gives a bit of boost for solos but still retains the attack of my Telecaster and Valve amp which is so important in my music (I play Funk).

I'm about to build a new fuzz pedal but really want to avoid using the mixer.  Can anyone suggest how to build a fuzz which allows the dry signal to be mixed into the fuzz signal.  Ideally would have Gain, Fuzz Volume and Direct Volume controls. 

I quite like the simple BAZZ FUSS type circuits - can anyone tell me how to add a direct signal or mix control to one of these.

Alternatively does anyone know how to mod a Big Muff Pi (USA reissue) to do the same thing.

Cheers

SC

[petemoore]

  http://www.runoffgroove.com/splitter-blend.html
  I run it from 18VDc Supply
  Check out GEO "Parallelizer"

[stoooooo]

Yeah that would work but its kind of more complicated than the little 2 channel mixer I built...

I was thinking more along the lines of a pot after the input buffer, bypassing the distortion part of the circuit, to allow the clean signal through to the output.  Just not sure how to implement this - or if this will work - Maybe its not that simple.  (I'm fine building pedals but I am still learning how and why the circuits work)

Any ideas?

[tcobretti]

I am one of the dumbest dudes here, but I believe the simplest way to do it would be to run a wire from the tip of the input jack to lug 3 of a 100KL pot.  Then run a wire from the output of the stomp switch to lug 1 of the pot.  Then a wire from lug 2 to the output jack's tip and you when you turn the knob you are panning between the clean input signal and the effected output.

Am I wrong?

BTW, this feature is built in to the Ampeg Scrambler.  On the Scrambler, one knob increases the octave content of the fuzz (texture), while the other controls the blend of fuzz and clean signal.  I believe the Scrambler is designed to be used with other fuzzes/dists and that is why it is so tunable.  However, it would do what you asking quite nicely, and you'd also be able to crank up the octave if you wanted.  The Scrambler is quickly becoming one of my faves.  It and my Si Tone Bender MKII are a fearsome combination.

[trevize]

watch for the schematic of the voodoo lab sparkle drive.

it's basically a tubescreamer derivative plus a clean boost that let you mix the clean signal along with the distorted one.

ps: i found the schem it's published here on the forum also:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=38964.0

[Processaurus]

I am one of the dumbest dudes here, but I believe the simplest way to do it would be to run a wire from the tip of the input jack to lug 3 of a 100KL pot.  Then run a wire from the output of the stomp switch to lug 1 of the pot.  Then a wire from lug 2 to the output jack's tip and you when you turn the knob you are panning between the clean input signal and the effected output.

Am I wrong?

That is the simplest way to get a blend going, and will work.  I'd put it after the bypass switch though, if its a stompbox, rather than right from the jacks.  You can play with the value of the pot to find one that works best.  For some reason 50K seems to work well in a lot of situations.  A linear taper pot is good for an even pan. 

There are some possible problems with that approach, that may or may not be an issue.  You can't get one channel all the way isolated at each end of the pots rotation.  If the effect output is out of phase with the input there will be some weirdness when they are mixed equally.  Also the lower impedance of the output of the effect may load the input down, causing some tone sucking in the clean signal.  The mismatch between the impedances of the input and the can be fixed by either buffering the input to the effect before you split the signal, buffering the clean after it splits off and before the mix pot, finding somewhere in the effect where there is an existing  buffered version of the signal you can tap (like the beloved scrambler does), or always using a buffered pedal (pretty much any electronically switched pedal) in front of it. 

Stoooooooooo, you might take a look at the http://runoffgroove.com/splitter-blend.html and even though it is a whole circuit thats probably as complicated as your fuzz box, it would be good for many other FX routing possabilities beyond a clean blend, and would suffer from none of the potential problems that the much simpler one pot solution.

[moosapotamus]

Check these out, too... 

http://www.seanm.ca/stomp/bblender.html

http://users.adelphia.net/~cwbarth/paraloop/paraloop.htm

~ Charlie