Orange Squeezer Distortion

[GibsonGM]

Thanks, Marc!  (And Mark!)    Do you know if the 'bright' pot is external, or a set & forget trimmer?

[Phend]

Please include in GibsonGM's question above about "bright" ....

1) Is R13 Level (which was Volume) now "Compression" ?
2) Is Gain now "Volume" ?
3) Or is there no Volume now ?

Woops, guess this quote from Mark might answer my question.

In the modded version I made, the gain of the first op-amp (hence compression amount) is variable, and a second op-amp compensates for the altered gain in order to keep volume level up.

I believe in the GGG OS I built, the 10k Volume is/was "Volume"

I am thinking of doing this modification.

Thanks for the help

[GibsonGM]

It DOES look like it could be a big improvement over the stock version, which seems a little like a one-trick pony.  It would be nice to see what varying compression would sound like in the OS!

[GGBB]

I think this may be the version at GGG that Mark mentioned:

There's a problem with that schematic - noted here: https://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=40135.0

It would be nice to see what varying compression would sound like in the OS!

Mark took the squeezer to another level with his Tangerine Squeezer: https://hammer.ampage.org/files/Tangerine_Peeler.gif

I did a variation of the squeezer inspired by the Tangerine Peeler called the Orange Smoothie a few years back:



The threshold control is quite effective and useful. The "compression control" on the other hand is only marginally useful. It creates a voltage divider on the incoming signal between the FET and the input resistor and pot to vary the ratio of the FET resistance to total resistance. It has an effect but it's rather slight. The threshold control is far more effective.

[GibsonGM]

I checked out the 'Peeler' yesterday when looking up 'Mark's Mods', looks like another cool variation.   The Smoothie likes really cool, too!   I don't LIKE compressors on electric guitars, though (lol)!   Acoustic is another thing entirely.

The beauty of the OS for me was that it's like a booster that sort of gives a dynamic overdrive..the thing we all look for in a tube amp on edge of breakup, in a way, or at least the natural compression a triode gives.  So a modded version of the original is enticing if it can offer some more control over that.

[Phend]

Reading through this and the other diy link, ...
When implementing Mark's modifications shown, I / we should add a .47 cap between R13 (wiper) and R15R16 connection.
Good ?

[Phend]

It works. It works much better.
Believe it has to do with the "other half" of the op amp.
The unmodified circuit is just leaving the "other half", call it "plain".
Although I did get some help here when I built it almost a year ago.
Which included adding 2 100k resistors, to gnd and 9v off pin 3 of the "other half".
(my halfs are visa versa)
In this mod I,
Didn't include the C9 .01 and P2 10k Bright pot.
Used 2n5457 Jfets from China, but they work. (Prior I was using J201 and 2n5458)
Bottom line,
Clean : Soft sounds soft and Hard sounds hard
Squeeze : Soft sounds close to Hard
Plus it has boost. Lots of boost if turned up.
I like it.
At first I wasn't sure that it was doing anything, now I am pleased.

[Phend]

And it works even better using "real" 2N5457's.
I have tried J201, J112 and more with questionable results.
So I ordered some china 2N5457 from Amazon. They improved this OS.
But since I was getting some parts from Small Bear I decided to also purchase their 2N5457.
It works much better, the voltages are more in line and the trim pot works as instructed.
Check out the pictures of my handy tester.
Note the Hfe of the china Jfet which is indicated as an NPN tranistor. wtf  ?
As opposed to the SB "real" Jfet which is indicated as a Jfet.