i intend making the bazz fuss from home wrecker -> http://home-wrecker.com/bazz.html
firstly, what is the differences in sounds between the normal one and the deluxe one
and the main question, it says you can use different diodes for different sounds, so i intend getting a lot of spst switches, then wiring up loads of different diodes in parrallel, with a switch in series with each of them, so i can switch between them and use different ones, has anyone tried using diodes in parrallel (i know they are done in series sometimes) and would anyone know what it would sound like to have two different diodes in parrallel with each other...
also, i was intending doing the same for the input capaciters, as changing them will change the brightness and low end of the circuit, so if i used two capacitors in parrallel, i could use them one at a time for different sounds, but if i used two in parrallel would it act like a bigger capacitor (both of them added) so by using two capacitors i could get three combinations (cap 1, cap 2 and cap 1+2)(or more if i used more caps in the circuit)
also, does anyone know what size of inductor i should use (i am right in saying an indictor is basically half a transformer) as it says adding one to the input counteracts the loading of low impedance buffers beforehand... but i dont know what size to use
any ideas on this plan? it sound like it could be a cool circuit giving me quite a few different combinations of sounds to play with
David
In most cases putting two diodes in parallel is the same as using just one with the lowest voltage drop. So a silicon diode in parallel with a germanium is like having just the germanium.
This actually makes it easier to do what you want. Put the diode with the highest voltage drop (e.g. a LED) in the circuit and use a spdt centre-off switch to connect either of two lower voltage diodes across the one in the circuit. If you use LED, Si and Ge diodes you'll get each of the three choices using just one switch (LED is the middle [off] position).
Note that you can replace any of the diodes with 2 or more in series. So instead of using a LED as the diode with the highest drop you could use two Si's in series. Just make the combination with the biggest voltage drop (voltage drops add in series) the one in the circuit.
well i am going to try and get quite a few diodes, so i will just have an on/off switch for each for overall simplicity
i might try combinations of diodes too, ie, 2 or more in series and some reversed polrity ones (i have seen this on a few circuits... normal diodes with reversed ones in parrallel)
David
One valid ption for selecting from many different components is a rotary switch. It does not make trying combinations possible whithout wireing several components to the same pin, but it is nice for the user interface of the finished pedal.
Based on my experiments I think it might also be usefull to have the 100k/10k resistor switchable too. Some diode tupes worked better with the 100k and some with 10k. Maybe even 100k pot in series with a 2k resistor (the 2k would be a protection for shorting it totally).
in the article on home wrecker it says to try socketing everything ecxept that resister, so i was intending leaving it alone, what differences to the sound would it have to vary it slightly?
and i think it will look pretty cool, a stomp switch, one knob and a load of mini switches :D
David
I think it biased better with 100k with some diodes and then with 10k for others. The note decay was better. I actually did not test other values but there might be some sweet spots hidden in there. :) I actually liked the 1n4148 diode most. I liked 0.047µF input cap also.
The next one I build, I'm going to wire in a pan pot so I can blend between diodes and no diodes. Combined with the switchable clipping diodes I have on the output, and maybe the addition of a Big Muff tonestack, we're talking about some serious tonal possibilities.
My dream is to have more pots and switches than actual on-board components.
Okay, so it's not really a DREAM, I just think it would be funny.
i thought _this_ was the bazz fuss:
http://www.geocities.com/tpe123/folkurban/fuzz/fuzz.html
looks similar, except for the diode config. I see, its a revision...Well, moral - I like how Tim Escobedo's version sounds. So...check it out if you haven't :-D
They all are Bazz Fussessessessesssss, just different takes on the same theme.
hello~
christian's original BF design had the 100k resistor.. in my experience, i thought that the 10k had a little smoother note decay with the SI 1n4148's..
Quotealso, i was intending doing the same for the input capaciters, as changing them will change the brightness and low end of the circuit,
..thats basically what the "input cap blend" in on the deluxe BF on the homewereckr site does.. all of the values
between the caps are available, by tuning the pot.. it has it's limitations, but it seems to work just fine in the BF circuit..
and if i remember correctly..
the inductor is only important if you are feeding other effects into the BF..
i wouldn't quote me on this on tho..
the bass player in our band uses a deluxe BF.. after AB'ing with alot of other commercial/boutique fuzz's, he chose the BF going away..
pretty amazing how full the circuit sounds, for such a low parts count..
QuoteI actually liked the 1n4148 diode most. I liked 0.047µF input cap also.
and the 10k resistor. Although exploring options is fun, you'll only really like a few. I've built several of these, and the 0.047 (or o.1), MPSA, 10k, 1N4148 version is excellent. Combined with a Big Muff tone section, as in a Whisker Biscuit or WASP, you'll get an even better and more versatile effect.
have fun
i usually use a dunlop tremolo/volume pedal as a buffer at the start of my chain, so it would be preferable to include the inductor so i can use it later in my chain
anyone know the value i should use then?
and i had a look at the deluxe version, but i think my way would be slightly simpler (and a row of switches would look cooler :D) as the only addition to the circuit i would be using would be the thickness control, i was going to use the caps he mentioned and one in the middle (4.7 .47 .047) for a decent enough range of sounds, and if i find one setting i like more than others, i can remake it at a later date in a more refined version
David
The "original" had 100k resistor and 1n4148 (that´s only diode I used, except sxktoxxtkys). This was just beta, I later put out a 10k there. It lost the fuzz-edge but did improve the decay.
The original one (not the beta) can be found here (http://www.angelfire.com/ego/sitruuna/mech2.html)
Notice those big 10µf caps? ITS A BASS FUZZ!! :D
what differences do changing the pinput caps and output caps, and what are the difference in the two? i know one controls the eq being input the the fuzz, and one controls the output eq, but what are the differences in sound between the two?
David
Hi. The caps only pass high frequencies. Too low and they struggle to get through. The higher the impedance AFTER the cap, the smaller the cap can be to pass the same frequencies. ie 10uF and 10k = 1uF and 100k. Because the following stage might be low impedance, most designs have a big output cap (so you don't lose lows).
Some effects have a small input cap because they are designed to lose bass. e.g. the Orange treble booster, rangemaster etc often have input caps down to 0.001uF. Typical transistor input stages have impedance of 50k to 200k, and so input caps for full-range frequency handling are mostly 0.047uF and up (for safety's sake I use 0.1uFs very often - they are small, cheap and high quality).
cheers
so in the context of this circuit, what effect would changing the caps have, and would it be a cool feature to use?
and what are the best types of parts to use, i will get everything i can from maplins as there is one in my town (no other electronics places) as in types of resisters and caps, and the best values (1/4 watt resisters? or something else?)
i think what i may do will be to build a tweakable version 9basically what i have said above) then play about with it and see what i like best, then turn that into a separate pedal (if it is any good of course)
David
If you aren´t too uncomfortable building buffers to front and back of this circuit, you could do a passive high-pass filter on both ends to change the frequency range.
With large cap like 1µF or even 10µF, you get really muzzled up fuzztone. Smaller caps like 47nF will sound more like yer-ordinary-distortion. More like cree-eek than oommphh..
Quote from: christianIf you aren´t too uncomfortable building buffers to front and back of this circuit, you could do a passive high-pass filter on both ends to change the frequency range.
With large cap like 1µF or even 10µF, you get really muzzled up fuzztone. Smaller caps like 47nF will sound more like yer-ordinary-distortion. More like cree-eek than oommphh..
im not scared of adding buffers, just for this i wanted to keep it simple as possible, yet tweakable
and would a buffer being used as a high pass be any better/worse than a simple cap?
is there a reason why i would want to cut the bass? does this make the fuzz nicer sounding or something? cause i dont want to cut much bass out from my amp as it sounds lovely as it is eq wise
also, anyone know of the value of the inductor?
David
If you´d add buffers, you could put in adjustable hipass filters. After the "input" cap(in this case, one after the buffer) put a large pot to ground. I´d say 1M log pot? Or 1µF cap followed by 100k log pot. Then you´d need a large cap after that before the transistor because you´re getting DC from the pot. Same thing for output. Except the hipass filter comes before the buffer.
Seems silly to put these out as pots, since the effect isn´t that dramatic, but you do need logarithmic pots and I´m not sure if you get log-trimpots?
If you don´t want it to sound so "fuzzy" but more like "distortion", you´d better cut the bass out. I prefer to have the bass there, cause the sound is more full.
What inductor?
the inductor was an addition i saw, basically an inductor after the input before the first capacitor, it was added to compensate against the loading of any buffered effects between the pickups and the fuzz
i think it was on the home wrecker article somewhere i saw it
as for adding a buffer, what difference to the sound would it make? and isnt it a semi ajustable low pass filter i am making with te selectable input caps?
David
you could also try a 10k to 100k resistor in place of the inductor. Cheaper :)
You can go the easy way, just switching between the caps. That would probably be better, less hassle and stuff. with a SPDT on/off/on switch, you could use 10nf, and switch between 10µF and 100nF(and the off-state,thats the 10nf). I think that would give nice range.
Quote from: christianyou could also try a 10k to 100k resistor in place of the inductor. Cheaper :)
You can go the easy way, just switching between the caps. That would probably be better, less hassle and stuff. with a SPDT on/off/on switch, you could use 10nf, and switch between 10µF and 100nF(and the off-state,thats the 10nf). I think that would give nice range.
would the resister work the same?
as far as i know (and i could be completely wrong) the inductor works as a pickup is similar in construction to an inductor, so it makes the signal appear like it was straight from the pickup
so i was wandering if anyone would be able to tell me what value of inductor would be equivalent to the transformer used (i am right in saying an inductor is a transformer without the secondary windings)
and how would an on/off/on switch be wired? im not too sure on how they work exactly, i had thought of my version as it is rather simple and i can also add the caps (two caps in parrallel equal both values added together)
David
That resistor trick is common in fuzz faces. Don´t know more about that..
on/off/on switch looks like ordinary on/on switch (like SPDT or DPDT), it just has a center state where no lug connects to no lug. Catch is that you put the smallest cap you use around the switch so that´s always on. When the switch is in off state, this cap is what you get. When you toggle the switch to either on-state, the capacitors you connected to the lugs of the switch are turned on and in parallel with the "always-on" capacitor.
So basically it´s just a switch between 2 capacitors with one capacitor just around the switch.. :?:
Sorry, I didn´t get that even myself..
Quote from: christianThat resistor trick is common in fuzz faces. Don´t know more about that..
on/off/on switch looks like ordinary on/on switch (like SPDT or DPDT), it just has a center state where no lug connects to no lug. Catch is that you put the smallest cap you use around the switch so that´s always on. When the switch is in off state, this cap is what you get. When you toggle the switch to either on-state, the capacitors you connected to the lugs of the switch are turned on and in parallel with the "always-on" capacitor.
So basically it´s just a switch between 2 capacitors with one capacitor just around the switch.. :?:
Sorry, I didn´t get that even myself..
the on/off/on switch, this is kinda like what i was doing, but in using three (or more) caps in parrallel, i can switch on only one at a time, or add them up (kinda like adding in binary) so get a bigger variation of values, though this leaves me with more switches on the outside of the pedal (as opposed to one with a on/off/on)
hmm, i always though fuzz faces are bad for having buffers infront of them, unless this is a mod to do to them. the inductor version sounds better to me, as i can see why that would work, but not by purely adding a resister in, wouldnt the resister be a negative affect on the circuit?
this is all confusing me slightly. to simplify everything...
the capacitor at the front controls the bass cut, for a fuzzier sound, i want lots of bass, and cutting it will give me a more overdrivey sound, but i dont really want to cut out too much bass as my amp sounds nice eq'ed as it is...
the capacitor at the end of the circuit does what?
i think it does similar to the input cap, so generally i want a big ass cap here too, or do i?
the diodes i have sorted from the table on home wrecker, i intend getting my hands on quite a few different caps and seeing what all works and sound nice. adding caps in parrallel does nothing, except use the cap with the lowest value, but using caps orientated opposite ways, or caps in series, will sound different
i think i may have to breadboard this, then get hold of quite a few different values of component to play with so i can get a useable range for when i build the pedal.
as for using an inductor, i am stil unsure what value would be appropriate
David
Quotewouldnt the resister be a negative affect on the circuit?
That simulates the impedance of the guitar to the transistors base, so if you are running a buffered effect before that, the resistor tames it down. So it fixes the buffering problem.
Quoteadding caps in parrallel does nothing, except use the cap with the lowest value, but using caps orientated opposite ways, or caps in series, will sound different
Caps in parallel increase the capacitance around them. If you have a 2*100nF capacitors, you get 200nF capacitor. Putting them to series reduces the capacitance. 2*100nF in that case makes 50nF.
If you put too big caps in parallel, you wont hear that much of a difference, but 10nF caps in parallel are allready so small that it´s starting to reach the ears.
Pretty much all you need to do is to switch between 10µF caps and 10nF caps. Try that with a fuzz face and you see that those values are really apart from each other. Grrrl and zzzrrlll.
so possibly using 10uf, 10nf cap, and one in the middle of these (100, cant remember whether its nf or uf) would give me both sounds and a middle ground (from which i can further tweak)
i am contemplating breadboarding this first, but using switches in the circuit so i can quickly flick between different settings to see what i like (i dont want to be continually switching components back and forth...
so my shopping list will include...
3pdt switch
mpsa13 transister
jacks
enclosure
battery snap/dc jack
led/bezel
100k audio pot
10k resister
breadboard (for prototype version)
proto board (for real version)
either an inductor/transformer or resister (between 10-100k anyone able to specify further?)
and for the fun bit,
as many diodes as i can find
capacitors, a variety between 10uf and 10nf (and probably one or two more either side)
i think thats everything i need
David