5TH GEAR BUILD REPORT AND SOME HINTS WANTED ...

Renegadrian · August 01, 2008, 06:42:43 PM

Another free evening, and a quick glance at the parts bin told me I could do that...So, after gathering those few parts, I built this lil' circuit...What can I say, it sounds better than i thought!!! A 7x7 holes vero...WTF!!!

I wired the GAIN 5Kb pot, but not the VOLUME pot, so instead of the lug 3 there's the output jack (following the vero layout of the gallery, obviously...)
OK, I am so pleased about its sound (and pleased it's a GOOD sound!!!) but I found out that it not ok with the gain pot at 10...It rocks on its minimum, it's a good OD at middle, but it makes weird "boomy" noises when turned towards its max...
I put a 1n914 and a red 3mm led as stated. the led doesn't light up at all, but it is ok, as it lights up if you put the wires from a battery on its legs...
Have I done anything wrong? Andy?
Thank you

Roobin · August 01, 2008, 07:30:07 PM

Is there meant to be a picture? Not getting one here...
Also, no results for 5th gear in gallery?

Renegadrian · August 02, 2008, 11:28:48 AM

kurtlives · August 02, 2008, 12:09:01 PM

I just drew up a quick little schem of this.... I have never seen diodes configured like this before. I am used to seeing them in feedback loops of near the end of a circuit (ie. before the output).

Anyone care to explain how the diodes work in this bas/collector configuration.

ItZaLLgOOd · August 02, 2008, 12:24:45 PM

To my untrained eye it looks like a simple version of a Big Muff gain stage. Not sure how the diodes work though.

Gus · August 02, 2008, 03:01:12 PM

Does the sound change with D1 removed?

Renegadrian · August 03, 2008, 03:55:32 AM

mmm, dunno, have to try it...

Barcode80 · August 03, 2008, 04:55:21 AM

there isn't always enough voltage on clipping LEDs to make them glow, in fact i have only had 2 circuits i have built where they glowed, and only one of those was a distortion!

Renegadrian · August 03, 2008, 05:35:42 AM

uh, ok, I have a couple of LEDs in my 250 grey, they glow. Maybe it should glow here too, or not...
Anyway, it is not burnt, as it lights up if you put the battery leads on its legs. And after all, the sound is coming out is good at min and middle level. Maybe the LED I put is not good to run at ful level? Should I try to replace it, or put in another 1n914?

Barcode80 · August 03, 2008, 06:52:01 PM

i don't think that is the problem. again, although some circuits do, LEDs when used as clippers DO NOT ALWAYS light up. although, i don't always like the sound of them. maybe you should swap for a diff diode and see what you get!

frequencycentral · August 03, 2008, 06:57:05 PM

Quote from: Barcode80 on August 03, 2008, 06:52:01 PM
i don't think that is the problem. again, although some circuits do, LEDs when used as clippers DO NOT ALWAYS light up. although, i don't always like the sound of them. maybe you should swap for a diff diode and see what you get!

Yes, I used switchable red LEDs or IN4148s in my MXR D+, the LEDs don't light up, and I prefer the sound of the 1N4148s.

Roobin · August 03, 2008, 06:59:25 PM

Perhaps try a different MPSA13? Check that orientation is correct - although since the pedal works for most of the pot range, it sounds like it's orientated correctly (will it work if orientated differently?C->E/E->C)

Renegadrian · August 03, 2008, 07:51:46 PM

I checked the tranny orientation, it is correct - btw it gives some sound if put in the wrong way, more like a synth....strange "meoooooow" sound indeed!!! I have 5 of them, but bought in the same banzai order, so little or no differences amongst them... Guess I have to remove the LED and try different solution (another LED or another diode) altough this one works. Maybe every LED has different ranges, so the LED tried by the layout creator gave different sound than mine...will try tomorrow...

earthtonesaudio · August 04, 2008, 10:44:27 AM

LED should light (ideally, anyway... depends on the LED) if you connect it this way:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/mtlsim.bmp

Renegadrian · August 12, 2008, 08:49:47 PM

OK, maybe the diode orientation isn't important at all, but I saw the original schematic and it ssems to me that te diode is put the other way...maybe i'm wrong and it wouldn't change anything, but I took off LED and diode -reversed the diode, it works flawessly!!! No more strange noises!!! Didn't get back the LED, it seems that gives no changes at the overall sound...

I like this simple circuit, but the tone is a little "closed", very bluesy, it also reminds me of the "Money for Nothing" intro...
I got that sound...

More on that later...

Renegadrian · August 12, 2008, 08:51:22 PM

Quote from: earthtonesaudio on August 04, 2008, 10:44:27 AM
LED should light (ideally, anyway... depends on the LED) if you connect it this way:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/mtlsim.bmp

Yeah I built the Metal Simplex too...and yes the LED blinks as you strum...

superferrite · August 12, 2008, 09:47:18 PM

I haven't built this one but I saved the layout some time ago under "Bazz Fuss Variants."
I've built a few of those in various guises with various clipping diode configs and they've never glowed on me.

Bluesy, you say? NEXT BUILD!

Renegadrian · August 13, 2008, 06:51:15 PM

Yeah, kind of...It is clean-ish at the min gain, light crunch at midday and nice overdrive at 9...You got HELL

at the max gain...Very gainy, more than I thought...Still with a "blues-ish" tone, that given by the input cap...i believe it would sound very differently with a 0.1µF or a 0.01µF...A great project with a low part count, easy to build, but great sounding and great satisfaction...
Nice sound from a tiny circuit (hell, that's a 7x7...)

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5TH GEAR BUILD REPORT AND SOME HINTS WANTED ...