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DIY Stompboxes => Building your own stompbox => Topic started by: azrael on February 19, 2010, 11:23:24 PM

Title: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: azrael on February 19, 2010, 11:23:24 PM
My dilemma is this: I would like to use a noise suppressor to cut down on hum from both my amp's FX loop and my Strat's single coils.
However, as many of us know, fuzz pedals don't react to buffers well. So my Boss NS-2 effect on the input impedance makes the fuzz all sputtery and ugly.

However, I also love fuzz pedals! Is there a buffer I can stick between my NS-2 and my fuzz pedals, to make the fuzz pedal think it's seeing the pickups?

What about a Foxrox buffer? Would that work?
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: WhenBoredomPeaks on February 20, 2010, 04:42:46 AM
I have a fuzzface which sounds bad not just after but before a buffered pedal. It sounds good on it's own but it sounds shit (more treble and high-end clip/fizz) before my two buffered pedals. (one digitech, one behringer) The perceived volume is about the same as bypassed but i have a feeling that my FF boosts some frrequencies so much that the buffers start to clip.
I have a feeling that my buffers could be bad. Altough they work with ODs and other stuff.
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: Mich P on February 20, 2010, 05:00:49 AM
Yeah the foxrox is the best i have tried !
Mich P.
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: Processaurus on February 20, 2010, 06:02:21 AM
The fuzz is the problem, not the buffer.  You can mod the fuzz into modern life with a pickup simulator, like at AMZ (muzique.com), or more simply, a series resistor between the switch and the fuzz circuit.  The latter 1 cent part may be what makes the Foxrox the best anyone's heard.
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: Gus on February 20, 2010, 10:08:52 AM
Look at the buffer part of the link.  You can adjust the cap and series resistor to the FF type part of the circuit for the RC high pass and series resistance you want.
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/3tran.JPG
been in schematics for years and IIRC there has been posts about buffers for years here and ampage and other forums
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: azrael on February 20, 2010, 11:09:31 AM
Quote from: Processaurus on February 20, 2010, 06:02:21 AM
The fuzz is the problem, not the buffer.  You can mod the fuzz into modern life with a pickup simulator, like at AMZ (muzique.com), or more simply, a series resistor between the switch and the fuzz circuit.  The latter 1 cent part may be what makes the Foxrox the best anyone's heard.
Pickup simulator?
I looked around, is this it?
http://www.muzique.com/schem/mosfet.htm

Quote from: Gus on February 20, 2010, 10:08:52 AM
Look at the buffer part of the link.  You can adjust the cap and series resistor to the FF type part of the circuit for the RC high pass and series resistance you want.
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/3tran.JPG
been in schematics for years and IIRC there has been posts about buffers for years here and ampage and other forums
Hmm....You might have to be a little more straight forward, I'm not sure I follow.



My goal here is to simply be able to use my fuzz pedals with my NS-2 on, so they can be less noisy, without altering their tone.
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: ianmgull on February 20, 2010, 11:12:50 AM
This in between your gate and your fuzz. I've never tried but many here seem to like it:

http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm

Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: azrael on February 20, 2010, 01:30:35 PM
Ohh...okay. never struck me to look in the lab notebook.  :icon_biggrin:

If anyone has tried it, it would be awesome to let me know how you like it. :D
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: John Lyons on February 20, 2010, 05:04:35 PM
Quote from: Gus on February 20, 2010, 10:08:52 AM
Look at the buffer part of the link.  You can adjust the cap and series resistor to the FF type part of the circuit for the RC high pass and series resistance you want.
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/3tran.JPG
been in schematics for years and IIRC there has been posts about buffers for years here and ampage and other forums

This worked well for me before a couple vintage low impedance fuzzes.
Thanks for the help a while back Gus!!

Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: azrael on February 20, 2010, 05:52:55 PM
^im trying to wrap my head around that schem, so the second part looks like a darlingtone pair, yes? That's the fuzz face?

The first section would be used as a buffer? Does it change the tone at all?
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: John Lyons on February 20, 2010, 10:18:34 PM
Gus tells you what to use in the schematic.
Just use everything up to and including the 10K resistor.
Chose a cap value. .1uf should be fine for most everything.
Adjust the 10k higher if you need a higher impedance.

Everything after the first stage is a tweaked fuzz face.

john
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: earthtonesaudio on February 20, 2010, 10:23:34 PM
Make a box with an input and output jack.  Put a 10k resistor between the jacks.  Use this box between the noise suppressor and the fuzz.
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: azrael on February 21, 2010, 12:50:53 AM
John Lyons: Okay, that's what I understood, too. Just wanted to confirm, thanks.

Does it affect the tone at all?

earthtonesaudio: Yeah, some people were saying that, but does that change the tone?

I really want to retain my tone. :)
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: Gus on February 21, 2010, 01:21:16 AM
The fuzz circuit I linked has a low pass filter (high cut) at the output and a simple 10K series input to the FF type section. 


azrael what fuzz circuit are you using, is it a FF type or an opamp type or a BMP etc ?
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: John Lyons on February 21, 2010, 01:28:25 AM
Does it affect the tone at all?
Not that I noticed.
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: azrael on February 21, 2010, 11:57:23 AM
Awesome. Do you or anyone else know what I could potentially substitute for the MPSA18? I don't have any on hand. 2N5088, maybe?
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: aziltz on February 21, 2010, 12:51:22 PM
Quote from: ianmgull on February 20, 2010, 11:12:50 AM
This in between your gate and your fuzz. I've never tried but many here seem to like it:

http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm



I wonder if its possible to make a pup-sim using a gyrator?
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: John Lyons on February 21, 2010, 02:43:17 PM
A high gain 2n5088 or 89 will be fine as a sub for the MPSA18

The gyrator thing came up in another thread

Quote from: bool on January 24, 2010, 09:36:08 AM
Has anybody ever used a gyrator to buffer a fuzz? Perhaps this would be the most
configurable, smallest and cheapest way to get near the kOhms and henries of a typical pickup configuration(s).
[/b]

Bad, bad hiss in most cases. Semiconductor gyrators have noise issues that real inductors don't in most cases.
R.G.
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: earthtonesaudio on February 21, 2010, 09:25:45 PM
The resonant peak followed by a steep rolloff is not all that different from what you'd get with a mis-tuned second order lowpass.  Just make the feedback cap a little too big.
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: azrael on February 21, 2010, 10:36:34 PM
Quote from: Gus on February 21, 2010, 01:21:16 AM
The fuzz circuit I linked has a low pass filter (high cut) at the output and a simple 10K series input to the FF type section. 


azrael what fuzz circuit are you using, is it a FF type or an opamp type or a BMP etc ?
mostly FF type, also Tonebenders.
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: zombiwoof on February 25, 2010, 03:47:28 PM
Quote from: earthtonesaudio on February 20, 2010, 10:23:34 PM
Make a box with an input and output jack.  Put a 10k resistor between the jacks.  Use this box between the noise suppressor and the fuzz.

Could you just make a patch cord with that resistor soldered into one of the plugs, instead of using a box?

Al
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: azrael on February 25, 2010, 04:56:42 PM
Does the resistor method allow the fuzz to clean up properly? Why does this work? Is it because the fuzz's input impedance is no longer directly in parallel with the output of the buffered pedal?
Title: Re: Is there a buffer that will work before a fuzz?
Post by: earthtonesaudio on February 25, 2010, 10:00:58 PM
Quote from: azrael on February 25, 2010, 04:56:42 PM
Does the resistor method allow the fuzz to clean up properly? Why does this work? Is it because the fuzz's input impedance is no longer directly in parallel with the output of the buffered pedal?

That depends on what you mean by "properly."  If you mean, the loading on the pickup is substantially reduced resulting in an increase in brightness and vastly reduced clipping, then no.  The buffer between the guitar and the fuzz presents a constant load on the pickup/guitar volume control, so this interaction can't happen.  Lowering the guitar's volume going into buffer and then fuzz will result in attenuation only, and none of that extra stuff.


Basically the Fuzz Face-type of circuit can be thought of as having a current input, rather than a voltage input.  The passive guitar has very little current, gets heavily loaded by, interacts strongly with, and sounds "right" with, the FF.  The buffered signal has LOTS of current and overloads the FF.  The resistor limits current going into the fuzz, bringing it somewhat back in the "right" direction.