Question for Tim Escobedo

[jmusser]

Tim, I built you Octup awhile back, and the Pushme-Pullyou this morning. I'm not sure what I need to do to them to make them more distinct. The octave up effect is there on both of them, and just a hint of ring mod as is usual, but it's like the effect is ghosted onto the clean signal, and the clean signal overwhelms the octave up effect. I built your Octup Blender the other day, and I would compare these circuits to having the octave almost completely turned off on that circuit. The Octup Blender I believe, is right up there with the best circuits you've designed. I love that thing, but it's (at least mine is) an octave up fuzz, instead of clean octave up. I have built several octave up boxes, and I rate your Blender as maybe THE premier octave up fuzz, just for the extremeness of it, and the way it tracks. It tracks as good in the octave up mode, as your Ugly Face tracks octave down. It doesn't do a lot of other back ground stuff, just straight fuzz with no frills. I got off track there a little, but mainly I'd like to know what would make these two circuits more "in your face" type effects?

[RLBJR65]

J, I built the Pushme-Pullyou and found that the choice of transistor made a huge difference in the amount octave you get. Seemed that the more mis-matched I could get Q2 and Q3 the more pronounced the octave got. I don't understand why, maybe Tim or someone with more knowledge than me can answer that. (please !!!!!)

Haven't boxed it yet so I pulled the transistors out and checked them again - Q1, 2N5088 HFE 465 - Q2, 2N2222 HFE 170 - Q3, 2N5087 HFE 450

I don't think I subbed or changed anything else, I'll have to check it out again. I do remember that running full gain it has a great oct. up / fuzz with just a hint of ring :twisted: Funny, I can't seem to remember what it sounded like at any other setting than wide open :wink:

[jmusser]

I downloaded someone's sound sample the other day, and it sounded good at the time. The way it acts, I'd have to say it's lack of gain somewhere. I will give some other transistors a try.

[jmusser]

I was just trying to get this moved up, in case Tim is cruising. The Octup had a note on it that said "probably needs more gain going in". In the Superfuzz, the transistor circuit shows the the collectors and emitters together, so I'm assuming this circuit has the two drains and the two sources together of the J201s. If not, that the main problem right there. I don't know if there would be a higher gain Darlington to use up front or not. Like I said, the effect is there, but just very faint.