Revisiting old failures – Roland AD-50 Double Beat Fuzz section

[Mark Hammer]

Hi,

- The LPB daughterboard did the trick perfectly ! It allows me to have the LEVEL knob not at the maximum all the time and have plenty output!

- So, I played a bit with every modes, and I would like to thank Mark Hammer for the added modes : it adds even more versatility to an already well featured pedal.
I even like mode 4 better than mode 3 : I find the mode 4 to be warmer and richer, while mode 3 sounds quite similar but a bit duller... Is there any suggestion to spice it up a bit, and make it sound slightly different? I am thinking maybe some added resonance around the cutoff point, maybe, or some added filtering?

I am going to build an enclosure for this little gem tonight, thank you again all for your help

Congrats, and pleased you like the extra modes.  Note that ALL of the 6 different filters are passive.  Increasing the resonance of any filters would require adding active stages to them, since resonance require selective amplification.

With the exception of those "modes" that involve diodes in some manner, everything else is really just a fixed EQ adjustment.   They SOUND like "modes" because one moves through highly contrasting tones without having to rotate continuous controls to get to them. Feel free to dicker around with component values.  For instance, mode C is essentially a bandpass.  The 150k and 6800pf cap to ground form a lowpass filter, and the series 6800pf cap reduces the low-freq content allowed to pass.  Make the 6800pf to ground a lower value, and the result will have more mids.  Make the 250pf cap in Mode B a little larger and you'll get more mids.  And so on,

[snk]

Thank you for the tips, Mark, it's dully noted.
In the end, after playing for a while with the pedal, I also like the third mode, so i will leave it like that (also because it is one of the stock settings).
I am really enjoying this pedal!

[iainpunk]

what do you think of mode 5, with the crossover diodes?
when i breadboarded this circuit, i liked the low rumble and bite of that mode, and i'm curious about your opinion on crossover distortion in this circuit.

cheers

[kimonostereo]

I made an account here just to say thanks to Mark for sharing his experiments. I built this pedal this month and really love it! What a great sounding effect. I don't know why Boss/Roland doesn't re-release this one and the BeeBaa.

[Mark Hammer]

Thanks.  The AD-50 is a ton of fun.  I hope someone from Roland is lurking here.  Mind you, given how old the circuit is, perhaps it's public domain and some other enterprising manufacturer will start making it.  Josh, Robert, are you out there?

[iainpunk]

kimonostereo - welcome to the forum,
hope you have fun here!
there's a lot to learn on this forum, and even things that out of your comfort zone become withing reach through this forum.

Mark has inspired me to do things i never done before, am currently developing an overdrive... which i have never done before, i never liked overdrive, untill he inspired me to get experimenting.

so, Mark, thanks for the inspiration!

cheers