An overdrive pedal I created, the Yuri Overdrive

[bioroids]

Hi!, I posted at my site a new effect I've been working on. I call it the "Yuri Overdrive". I designed it for my own use, but I wanted to share it with you guys, who made possible that I'm making designs.

It's a Fet based overdrive pedal with russian GE transistors as clipping diodes. I also used a different aproach for the gain control which I haven't seen before. It kind of has an "old" sound that I was looking for, mostly for low gain leads, but also sounds good at higher gains.

If you want to check it out you can do it here http://www.bioroids.com.ar/circuits/c02_yuri_overdrive.php
I have some sound samples there if you want to hear it too (with some very sloppy playing I must admit)

Regards!

Miguel

[aron]

Sounds cool. Wow, that SG sounds bright at the beginning. Nice playing!

[Dylfish]

sounds really nice
good work

[mnordbye]

The Yuri sounds great! Cool build..
I could believe at low gain settings, playing a single coil guitar through it would be cool. Cranked tube-amp and low gain Yuri. 

[MartyMart]

Sounds real nice Miguel, any quick tips as to replacements for the J310 and PN4393 ?
I'm guessing that the lower gain 2N5457/MPF102 may be best ....
Russian MP40's I have
I like that slightly "twisted" gain control - cool idea !
Marty.

[d95err]

Looks cool!

The gain control is similar to the one used ni the Ax84 P2 tube amp project:

http://195.178.227.103/ax84/media/ax84_m247.pdf

I like the idea of variable negative feedback on a discrete transistor stage. Should be a low-noice solution since you're not throwing away gain as with an attenuating gain control.

[markm]

sounds really nice
good work

Yes indeed, VERY nice job! 

[bioroids]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

I wish I had a single coil guitar to try some sounds

The gain control is similar to the one used ni the Ax84 P2 tube amp project:

http://195.178.227.103/ax84/media/ax84_m247.pdf

I like the idea of variable negative feedback on a discrete transistor stage. Should be a low-noice solution since you're not throwing away gain as with an attenuating gain control.

It is exactly the same idea! it really does improve the noise performance as you say.

Sounds real nice Miguel, any quick tips as to replacements for the J310 and PN4393 ?
I'm guessing that the lower gain 2N5457/MPF102 may be best ....
Russian MP40's I have

I used those transistors because that's what I had laying around. It would probably sound better with the good old J201 (or maybe not), and the 2N5457/MPF102 sound like good replacements too. There is a 100% chance that you had to adjust the collector resistors. I provided collector and emitter voltages as a guide. I like J310 as emitter followers because they bias at around 4v! but they have the worst variation I've seen in transistors by far.

I liked the MP40's and 35's because they clip at around 100 or 150mv! Be aware that the MP35 is NPN, so if you use MP40 you should put it backwards.

Sounds cool. Wow, that SG sounds bright at the beginning. Nice playing!

Thanks Aron. You have some good ear! It sounds bright because it has brand new strings and I just changed the stock pot to 1M. I'm trying to get used to the new sound (I think I prefer the sound of used strings lol, maybe I should switch to another brand)

Regards!

Miguel

[newbie builder]

Thanks Aron. You have some good ear! It sounds bright because it has brand new strings and I just changed the stock pot to 1M. I'm trying to get used to the new sound (I think I prefer the sound of used strings lol, maybe I should switch to another brand)

GHS Boomers (to me at least) never have too much of that "sparkly new string" sound, and Snake Oil Brand Strings (my favorite strings by far) have very little of it at all, and last a very long time as well (this based upon my experience with their "vintage" sets, not rock).

Nice sounding circuit!

[QSQCaito]

Muy bueno miguel, que bueno ver Argentinos Diyers


Just some congrats in spanish :p
It sounds good indeed.. I like it most at low gain settings

[bioroids]

GHS Boomers (to me at least) never have too much of that "sparkly new string" sound, and Snake Oil Brand Strings (my favorite strings by far) have very little of it at all, and last a very long time as well (this based upon my experience with their "vintage" sets, not rock).

I'll have to try those!

Muy bueno miguel, que bueno ver Argentinos Diyers

Ya somos unos cuantos creo. Tengo pendiente poner unas cuantas cosas en mi sitio en castellano!

Regards!

Miguel

[funkycam]

Sounds real nice.
Thx for posting

[Paul Marossy]

That sounds really nice. I must say that it sounds something like my Seymour Duncan Convertible on the lead channel with a Normal, Solid State FET and High Gain module in it. It has a similar tone and breaks up in a similar fashion. Nice!

What could you use if you don't have an MP35 or an MP40?

Oh yeah, and that guitar playing is terrible! 


(just kidding)

[mac]

Muy bueno Miguel. Cambiaste las valvulas del Fender tambien ?

What's next? The Sputnik?

mac

[Paul Marossy]

Hmm... I wonder what an Apollo 13 pedal would sound like? 

[bioroids]

Hmm... I wonder what an Apollo 13 pedal would sound like? 

You'll need to get some of the germaniums used by NASA, I wonder if Smallbears carries them?

Muy bueno Miguel. Cambiaste las valvulas del Fender tambien ?

What's next? The Sputnik?

Ha ha don't laugh, but I designed a Fuzz around those russian transistors that I planned to call "The Sputnik"

What could you use if you don't have an MP35 or an MP40?

Oh yeah, and that guitar playing is terrible! 

The MP20 can be used too I suppose. I tried it with regular germanium diodes (Smallbear) and it sounds way different. The russians seem to clip at around 150mv, and pretty soft I guess. Keep in mind that the 'P' in 'MP' is in fact the greek letter Pi. I think some call them 'MN40' too.

Yeah, my playing kinda sucks, I should practice more and build less (and work less would be good to  )

Regards!

Miguel

[mac]

Those russians Ge you gave sound very crystal-clear, like silicons. BTW, if they clip at low mV, what about a schottky diode?

mac

[Paul Marossy]

Yeah, my playing kinda sucks, I should practice more and build less

I think you sound great, I couldn't really hear anything that I would call sloppy. I could really tell in my own playing, though - it really went downhill for a while. It took me about a year of concerted effort to get close to where I was before I started building stuff. 

Thanks for the info on the MP35/40.