New rat spoted..

Johan · March 15, 2005, 01:56:32 PM

I saw a new ProCo rat in the store today, called "you dirty rat" ( or someting like it )
peaked inside and the only difference I could spot was what looked like Zeners in the place of the 1n4148 that usualy sit there..but the sound was different, much warmer and softer, more like a early -70's fuzzpedal and less "barbwirey" than a regular rat...just thought I'd let you know...

Johan

dosmun · March 15, 2005, 10:07:45 PM

There is actually another coming out in a few months. They don't even have a set name for it. It is supposed to clip differently than any of the current designs.

RGW · March 15, 2005, 11:35:19 PM

Quote from: JohanI saw a new ProCo rat in the store today, called "you dirty rat" ( or someting like it )
peaked inside and the only difference I could spot was what looked like Zeners in the place of the 1n4148 that usualy sit there..but the sound was different, much warmer and softer, more like a early -70's fuzzpedal and less "barbwirey" than a regular rat...just thought I'd let you know...

Johan

Actually, I think they are germanium diodes. I haven't seen inside one myself, but a friend and I traded notes on my newest version Rat2 and his You Dirty Rat. So evidently the clipping diodes are as follows in the three listed pedals:

Rat2/Vintage Rat=1N914 or 1N4148
Turbo Rat=LED's
You Dirty Rat=Germanium's

Aside from the clipping diodes the circuits are identical as far as I can tell. The Turbo Rat and Rat2 no longer use the FET LED switching, but rather a 3PDT set up with the LED switched off the 3DPT.

take care,
Robbie

petemoore · March 15, 2005, 11:44:34 PM

2 Ge's, replacing 2 Si's in identical clipping cct.s, I guess output would be lower on the first one.
RatS to step on..everyone needs at least 1...ClonE Your RaT.

rubberlips · March 17, 2005, 06:21:16 AM

when I cloned mine, I just put a 2D3T switch to switch between In4148's, red LEDs and IN34's...you got the best of both worlds...or three worlds.

I actually like the red LEDs - they give a higher output with a bit more grind. The germaniums sound a bit weak for me. Some people will like them.
Each to their own

Pete

Khas Evets · March 17, 2005, 01:20:43 PM

Not a lot of R&D going on at Proco. There's also the Duecetone, which is a double Rat allowing you to switch diode pairs. Pretty much what rubberlips built. It's on my list of builds.

WGTP · February 23, 2006, 11:33:02 AM

I was just looking at the ProCo site. I guess the GE diodes account for 3 db more compression in the Dirty Rat?

Are the 2 sections of the Duece in series or parallel? Interesting how the clipping level and EQ of each section is varied for the different recommended settings.

jonathan perez · February 23, 2006, 11:50:50 AM

yeah ive seen those on ebay...and i STILL dont know what to think of them. 10 years gone by now, and ive still YET to play a rat...forgive me for being ignorant, but do any of them have a good amount of mids? i dont care for transparent...

petemoore · February 23, 2006, 12:16:03 PM

"Spotted Rat"
New species...lol.

spudulike · February 23, 2006, 12:36:12 PM

WGTP · February 23, 2006, 04:51:42 PM

I think it has pretty solid mids, not like a Tube Screamer though. You could probably increase them by cutting the treble and reducing the input cap (to reduce bass) if you wanted to mod it for more mids.

Would that be a Leopard Rat. Mine has spots where the finish has been scrapped off.

Sam · February 25, 2006, 02:05:45 AM

Quote from: RGW on March 15, 2005, 11:35:19 PM
Quote from: JohanI saw a new ProCo rat in the store today, called "you dirty rat" ( or someting like it )
peaked inside and the only difference I could spot was what looked like Zeners in the place of the 1n4148 that usualy sit there..but the sound was different, much warmer and softer, more like a early -70's fuzzpedal and less "barbwirey" than a regular rat...just thought I'd let you know...

Johan

Actually, I think they are germanium diodes. I haven't seen inside one myself, but a friend and I traded notes on my newest version Rat2 and his You Dirty Rat. So evidently the clipping diodes are as follows in the three listed pedals:

Rat2/Vintage Rat=1N914 or 1N4148
Turbo Rat=LED's
You Dirty Rat=Germanium's

Aside from the clipping diodes the circuits are identical as far as I can tell. The Turbo Rat and Rat2 no longer use the FET LED switching, but rather a 3PDT set up with the LED switched off the 3DPT.

take care,
Robbie

IIRC there are some differences in the output buffer. "Normal" RAT uses a bipolar transistor and "Vintage" a FET...

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New rat spoted..