BLACK FOREST High Gain Preamp - Based on the Bogner Uberschall

[pakrat]

Ok, What's next? New Black Forest, Krankenstein, Buzzefall (whatever the hell that is? but it sounds cool!), VHT, Modern Soldano 100, Mesa Triple Rectifier - jfet/mosfet version or what else? Requests?

Ok, I know... Slow down, right? It's just that all of the above schematics are almost the exact same except for values and some small differences so, I can use/modify the same layout!

Krank or VHT please? 

[stormbringer79]

Would love to see a MKIV, but actually i'm so happy with the combination of Black Forest, My 7-string ESP LTD MH-417 and my Randall RH100 i doubt i will replace it. It's perfect!

My next step is gonna be trying to make it digitally controlled, together with my AMZ boost and Delay in the same enclosure to make presets instead of all the stomping required at the moment, but the pedal will make it's third gig now this Friday, and the Release Party for our album the 29th.

[pakrat]

Finally, another Randall user 

[J0K3RX]

No tin foil,i can't find it here in my location.i have one with tin foil but for mic cable very big in diameter and next to impossible to install.Jim did you replace your gain pot to 50k?I'm still using same as the schematic.

Gain pot is still 100k on mine and I am using a J201 for the first stage.

[J0K3RX]

Would love to see a MKIV, but actually i'm so happy with the combination of Black Forest, My 7-string ESP LTD MH-417 and my Randall RH100 i doubt i will replace it. It's perfect!

My next step is gonna be trying to make it digitally controlled, together with my AMZ boost and Delay in the same enclosure to make presets instead of all the stomping required at the moment, but the pedal will make it's third gig now this Friday, and the Release Party for our album the 29th.

You mean like this?
http://www.sabrotone.com/?p=814

[stormbringer79]

Actually built that one, but it has some big flaws. :/ Insane oscillation, couldnt get any gain whatsoever without squealing worse than the guy in the Burt Reynolds movie "Deliverance". Posted it on ssguitar, where it got shot down really bad.

[J0K3RX]

Actually built that one, but it has some big flaws. :/ Insane oscillation, couldnt get any gain whatsoever without squealing worse than the guy in the Burt Reynolds movie "Deliverance". Posted it on ssguitar, where it got shot down really bad.

lol, I kinda figured something was not quite right or we would hear more about it... Thanks for the verification   Wonder why it was shot down though? Looks like a good idea to me!

Whats up over at ssguitar? Seems like a ghost town... not much activity

[chromesphere]

Hey, you guys built a madbean upper decker?  I just finished mine on the weekend.  Brian Wampler is correct in saying it sounds like 'an amp in a box'.  The bottom end from this thing is amazing!  I (personally) have never heard so much bottom end 'chug' from a distortion pedal.  its a gain-tsunami.  (its based on the wampler triple wreck btw) I'm going to upload a video of it tonight, ill post it here if you want to see it?

Sorry just thought this was a good place to mention it

Paul

[pakrat]

Please post the vid Paul, I love madbean's stuff 

[chromesphere]

Will do!  It takes alot to impress me these days, this pedal is awesome i love it.  I'll post the link after its uploaded to metube.

* dont mean to hijack your thread joker, just thought that it was full of like minded people \m/  \m/ 

Paul

[J0K3RX]

Will do!  It takes alot to impress me these days, this pedal is awesome i love it.  I'll post the link after its uploaded to metube.

* dont mean to hijack your thread joker, just thought that it was full of like minded people \m/   \m/  

Paul

Paul,

Anything "like minded" is more than welcome by me!!! I loosely followed the whole Triple Wreck post over at FSB but never got around to building it... Seemed there was a bit of a question or problem with the boost circuit but I don't know that it really needs the boost, does it? I would be inclined to use the good old tube screamer for boost myself... I am not sure if this is a "preamp" or more of a distortion pedal and I am not really sure what the hell the difference is anymore with some of these pedals? In any case, I would really like to hear what this sounds like running into the fx return of an amp or even running direct!?

Paul, can you do a "direct demo" of some sort? Just curious what it sounds like...?

To quote indyguitarist "BW" from that thread:
"On the boost side, if you are experiencing gating it\'s because you need to either sort through a batch of transistors in order to get the voltages and gains right, or you need to use a trimmer and set it up that way. We sort through a ton of \'em to make sure they have a specific gain and voltage."

I think I would do without the boost myself... I did build the boost circuit at one time and tried it on some other pedals and didn't like it.

Seems like BW has a fondness for the 4580's since they are in almost every pedal he designs... I tend to like those as well!
I know RCustoms made a layout using a TL074 and a TL072 instead of three 4580's with real good reports. The thing is nobody ever does any F#$%ing demos and that blows my mind since that's really what it's all about, huh? I mean I ain't the best player in the world but at least I will make some F#%$ing noise! Somebody says "this is the best pedal I have ever heard" and then no demo? wtf  

So, after that little rant I am looking forward to hearing your demo...  

Edit: Upper Decker lmao! I think I am gonna use the Urban Dictionary to name all of my pedals from now on As a matter of fact I think I will re-name the Black Forest to the Angry Dragon!
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=angry%20dragon

What should I name the Engl?

[chromesphere]

Ive recorded 2 videos of it (on the weekend).  I upload 2 videos a week to my channel usually, I find if I spam my channel, people don't have time to watch them and they tend to go unnoticed.  So the first one (the sound demo) is uploading now, and the build report will follow probably on sunday.

I hadn't seen the FSB thread about it!  Just built it off madbeans layout.  You are right!  I said in the 'build report' how I found any other IC to not sound anywhere near as good as the 4580.  Even replacing one.  Sounds like a different pedal.  3x4580 was the best sounding combo to my ears.

I messed up the offboard wiring.  The boost ended up after the effect.  I just couldn't wire it the other way around...tried 3 times and keep stuffing things up.  So I figured something is better then nothing and wired it up after the effect.  Like you said, any boost infront of it will probably do anyway...

Someone brought that definition up on madbean forum (upper decker) and we all had a laugh hadn't heard of that one before. lol angry dragon

Paul

[stormbringer79]

That would work as a band name too "The angry dragons"

[chromesphere]

I probably went a bit high on the top end and low on the volume, but heres the demo anyway.  Into the front, amp is a bad cat hot cat, good amp, but only 1x12inch.  Guitar is a Gibson sg.  Its a cool pedal, I really like it!

Paul

[pakrat]

Good vid Paul, sounds nice and fat but not flubby. Love those knobs!

[chromesphere]

Thanks pakrat!  This was a slap together build.  I didnt have much time to spend on it, so it was a bit rushed.

I usually dont post my sound demos around here, but this pedal just sounds so dam good i couldnt resist.

Anyway, hope you like it.  Now its back to you joker

Paul

[J0K3RX]

Paul,

Damn! That thing has a crap load of gain huh!? Sounds damn good to me!!

[meffcio]

Honestly, as always, I lost track where's the final version of this project, if there is one. It's always the same, it's finished, but wait, there's a lot of hum, and then a whole bunch of debugging goes on. Seriously, same shit already happened.

[chromesphere]

Honestly, as always, I lost track where's the final version of this project, if there is one. It's always the same, it's finished, but wait, there's a lot of hum, and then a whole bunch of debugging goes on. Seriously, same sh*t already happened.

There are multiple projects in this thread, and just to confuse it further i added a video demo of a build that has absolutely nothing to do with any of them

Paul

[pakrat]

Honestly, as always, I lost track where's the final version of this project, if there is one. It's always the same, it's finished, but wait, there's a lot of hum, and then a whole bunch of debugging goes on. Seriously, same sh*t already happened.

I think the latest version of the Engl is on page 16 post#304... Post#307 for the latest PCB transfer. I think there is a new version of the Black Forest coming, so you might want to wait on that one.