FX Pedals Thread: News, Views, Etc.

[justin3am]

There are a lot of really cool projects available as kits or PCBs with easily source-able parts. And most distortion/overdrive/fuzz circuits are so simple that you can just swap a few parts until the thing sounds exactly the way you want it to.

I recently built a version of the MXR Distortion+ for a friend, the PCB was $8, the enclosure was $7, the parts were $10-$15 total (I used nice switches, jacks and pots). I added a switch to select between germanium and silicon diodes. If you've got a soldering iron, I totally recommend it.

Lots of resources here: Resource Links (how to videos, parts and supplies)

[Uncle E]

What diodes did you use?

btw, the new MXR Double-Double is a Tube Screamer and OCD in 1 pedal. Not bad for $129:

https://www.jrrshop.com/mxr-double-doub ... rive-pedal

[justin3am]

I got a few different ones to try but I ended up using these for the germanium diodes: http://www.taydaelectronics.com/diodes/ ... -do-7.html
I'm sure you could get them for less, in quantity, from AliExpress or something.

The silicon diodes I used were just bog standard 4148s.

LEDs sound great in the Distortion+ circuit too. I have a version which is designed to be a eurorack module (+/-12v power instead of +9v) and I use a switch to select an asymmetrical germanium configuration or red LEDs (yeah, oddly, color makes a difference in sound ).

[Uncle E]

I tried 1N270's in my Creme Brulee circuit before, they sounded pretty much the same as the 1N34's in that application. I am now using OA1160's, which I found to sound bigger and more open. You might want to try that one out if you ever get a chance.

[nix808]

I just wanted to post the SYB, but I found this scan of the three.

The Bass Synthesizer is ace-
I play it with a monophonic sine I can get out of my MIDI guitar rig.
else- u can put a cloth under the strings on a bass on the first fret interval to stop polyphony.

The eq is a terrible eq, but a cool multiband distorsion.

Tuner is such a cool object.

I have a Metal Zone to round out my Boss collection,
and would like to know if their compressors are very high ratio?

Other than that I have the Dunlop Wahs and a Korg Toneworks.

[Uncle E]

I use Boss's bass compressor on guitar, it has adjustable ratio that goes up to limiting (20:1 or higher).

btw, I don't use it on bass. We built an Orange Squeezer into my P/J Bass using a special triple pole, triple throw switch for true bypassing. That bass has a nice vintage sounding Lindy Fralin in the P-Bass position and a really heavy, modern sounding Dimarzio Ultra Jazz in the bridge position, and those pickups into the Orange Squeezer make for a really aggressive sound.

btw, I did the Monte Allum mod on my Metal Zone and it's now a really smooth, singing, David Gilmour-esque sustain pedal.

[nix808]

Cool,
I'd like a high gain type sustain.

That's interesting there's a mod to do that with the Zone.

Inside the box I multiply 1/RMS with the signal to get the compression I want.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

...looking at, and listening to various "FSU" pedal demos, and am thinking of pulling the trigger on the Idiotbox Death Ray (and picking up an expression pedal for it).

Also, it looks like Mooer might have a decent, sort of 'mini-pog clone' -- 'Tender Octaver'; and Rowin now has entered the 'bitcrush sweepstakes' with their 'Cursh Bit' ('Crush Bit' but with a misspelling on the graphics) pedal. Maybe this 'Crush Bit' is a 'bit different' than the Mooer Lo-Fi Machine.

[resynthesis]

I like the Idiotbox stuff too but the shipping and customs charges make them a bit expensive here in the UK. Luckily the Nine Of Swords stuff overs some of the same ground for mad oscillating fuzzes. Don't think any of them have the expression pedal input which is a shame.

[Uncle E]

The Mooer Tender Octaver is very good, at least as good as the POG. Get it now while you can because Electro Harmonix is strong-arming US distributors to stop carrying it.

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

'Proof of Concept'... running stereo out of the Behringer VD400 delay into a Fender Champion (L) and Kustom PH1012 (R)...

the behringer doesn't seem to be that bad, but it's fairly certain there are better 'splitter' options available...

It goes Caline Hot Mushroom Compresser, Fulltone OCD, Behringer Delay, then:

(L) OD, Looper, Delay, Delay, Chorus, Delay, Mooer Lo-Fi Machine
(R) OD, Looper, Delay, Chorus, Hotone Krush

[resynthesis]

I'll show that picture to Mrs Resynthesis and then, maybe, she won't think my "studio" is too cluttered

[PurpleCatfishBettie]

...haven't begun soldering anything yet, but in the meantime have a Malekko Scrutator on order. Also, among other things, picked up the Death Ray, and have the Mooer Tender Octaver on order. BTW, the Moog Expression Pedal is built rock-solid for the price ($40 here).

Wish me luck getting all of this up and running in some cohesive fashion...

(anyway, i'm pretty well covered now for fsu/bitcrush fx)

[SJ_Digriz]

...haven't begun soldering anything yet, but in the meantime have a Malekko Scrutator on order. Also, among other things, picked up the Death Ray, and have the Mooer Tender Octaver on order. BTW, the Moog Expression Pedal is built rock-solid for the price ($40 here).

Wish me luck getting all of this up and running in some cohesive fashion...

(anyway, i'm pretty well covered now for fsu/bitcrush fx)

In process of buying a house so all discretionary purchases are done for a bit, but that Mooer Tender Octaver is on my list. Keep us posted on how you like it.

[Uncle E]

Check out the TC Subnup, as well. It adds the ability to modulate the individual octaves.