What is your favorite clipping diode configuration on a Rat distortion?

[Chris Brown]

Can you tell us your favorite clipping diode configuration for the Rat and what it sounds like to you?

[oldrocker]

I modded my Rat with the Turbo LED's.  So I can now switch between the SI's and the LED's.  The LED's are less fuzzy and the overall volume is louder with LED's too.  I like both since they sound very different to me.  The SI's sound like a classic Rat and the LED's sounds more like and OD.  I haven't tried GE's yet so I can't comment on them but you can at least have two clipping options.  P.S. I used RS yellow LED's and red may sound different.

[petemoore]

  Technically speaking...no...but here's where I'm at with it.
  Decided to try these configurations out for a while, maybe could have known to try a config with assymetric clipping instead of all 'even' configs. But that's what's almost at the top of the list of things to do right now, I've had the rat's-son since July, raised at home.
   I have a 'multi' Rat, sw's between BTB Ge's..tight, gritty, grinder but  // Si's..not bad but 'flat-ish' grind // or open diode slot ['opamp sound'].
  I use it mostly with the Ge's.
  Next'd be Si's
  And they're plenny different, Ge's do easily sound muddy. ..but really thick on single/double note leads.
  Open...well it's ok to have it there for testing it out once in a while, I've got better boosters, but diode-less Rat can be a good Distortion pre-boost.
  But thinking I need a Ge's where one of the Si's is for an assymetric Ge/Si switch position choice, that'll probably be my favorite flavor Rat...lol.
  In Ge setting it gets loud, but 'feels' like it's straining, gets weak/muddy/harsh instead of the 'closely controlled grind' [which is nice] at lower volume settings.
  So Ge's is cool but not quite there for loud like gig levels, Si's are second choice...must be inbetween at Ge/Si, maybe I'll pull that Rat and try that today.

[exhausted]

Ge/Si sounds very nice and sort of turns into a fuzz at high gain.

[John Lyons]

Asymetrical silicon 4148/1N914 (Two on one side and one on the other) Fuzzy but clear, slightly louder than symetrical.
Red 3mm LEDs (Symetrical) Louder and crunchy/agressive. Nice "marshall" feel.
A FET and germanium diode on one side and a just a FET on the other. (Asymetrical FETs) Jack Orman style! Smooth and nice softer edge.
John

[soulsonic]

I tried a few different ones when modding mine recently, and I was most happy with the asymmetrical 1N914 setup. Sounds pretty much like how John described; fuzzy, yet clear.

[rock_god_dan]

Asymetrical silicon 4148/1N914 (Two on one side and one on the other) Fuzzy but clear, slightly louder than symetrical.
Red 3mm LEDs (Symetrical) Louder and crunchy/agressive. Nice "marshall" feel.
A FET and germanium diode on one side and a just a FET on the other. (Asymetrical FETs) Jack Orman style! Smooth and nice softer edge.
John

Yup, those red 3mm LED's do have that Marshall feel to it. They sound more "open" too.

[the recluse]

I have a had a sym SI/diode lift/sym LED switch on my Rat clone for a while, and I like them all, but could live without the diode lift, it doesn't sound as nasty as the other modes..  I am actually planning on moving it into a bigger enclosure and moving my Ruetz trimmer to a panel mount pot and moving my clipping options to a Rotary switch Right now I am planning on sym ge, sym si, sym LED, and three other modes, maybe mosfets, asym si, and asym ge.

[WGTP]

LED/GE = BIG & FAT

[Pedal love]

A 4148, cathode to ground, A 400X, anode to ground. Diodes selected from a few of each.

[nooneknows]

1n4148 + 1n4001.
when I built the Rat I finished the 4148 and put what came in hand out of the component box. When I then put the correct 1n4148, I've found the sound slightly different, so I come back to one 1n4001. it seems like the diodes, both Si, clip in a different way.

[Jered]

  I was never pleased with either of my rat boxes, different diodes or not. Such a one trick pony. Then I stumbled upon this mod. http://www.diyguitaramp.com/rat.html
  Wow! What a difference! Adds 100% more range to the pedals. You can still get that rat sound, but also get a more even, smooth OD from the box. To my ears this mod seems to enhance the subtle differences between diodes. I don't really care what's in mine, as long as its not germs, to muddy, no definition.
Jered

[the recluse]

The Ruetz mod is pretty interesting. I am actually planning on moving my Rat into a new enclosure and moving that mod out to a panel mount pot instead of a trimmer.  Which brings up a question, I plan on using a 2P6T rotary switch to allow for different clipping selections, and I am thinking I could put each side of that switch on one side of a DPDT toggle to allow for 12 combinations.  Here's the deal, I don;t know what 12 to use.  Here's what I would definitely want, can you suggest some others? Is that just too much of a good thing?

1. No Diodes
2. sym GE
3. sym Si
4. sym LED
5. asym Si
6. Mosfet

[Gus]

I like to use a tant or film 2.2uf cap in the 47 ohm leg before doing anything else.

I did the Turbo led to Si switch thing for a friend some time ago like in oldrocker's post.  The red led seems to work better with bass and the Si with guitar for them.

It is a taste thing, so what is good or best?

Things to think about. Most have been posted about over the years

diode junction size and capacitance
Signal source level to the RAT, more for lower gain setting
Ratio of clean headroom to clipping,  How the diode clamps and what voltage and what the gain setting is at.

[John Lyons]

Take a look at the AMZ clipping article(s).
Resistance to ground from the diodes as a trimmer or knob is another fun one.
Capacitance in series between diodes and ground (frequency dependent clipping)
Blue or white LEDs have a higher threshold that red LEDs.
Mosfets have different ways to connect them. Body diode etc. (AMZ)

John