My first "design" (soundclips)

[Sam]

It started with a Bass Fuzz. Now it's something completely different. It's basically a heavily modified Buzz Box with a BMP-inspired tone control and a two-way switch - more or less "octavia" (or maybe "scrambler-like" sounds).

I'll post the schem as soon as I cleared it up, if anybody wants it. The clips where recorded straight into the soundcard. The guitar is an 1981 Tokai Silver Star (lacking a d-string). No effects, EQ or compression was used. I mess arround with the knobs. Sorry about the bad playing (it's somwhat hard to play crouched down under a desk and adjusting knob simultaneously). There is a hint of computer screen interference in the clips.

Clean:
http://home.swipnet.se/sammelin/temp/Clean.mp3

Mode 1 - less "octavia":
http://home.swipnet.se/sammelin/temp/Mode_1.mp3
http://home.swipnet.se/sammelin/temp/Mode_1a.mp3

Mode 2 - more "octavia":
http://home.swipnet.se/sammelin/temp/Mode_2.mp3

An improvised mix:
http://home.swipnet.se/sammelin/temp/Mix.mp3

[BigTexas]

was there a transformer involved in the mod? the nasty octave sounds good

[bluesdevil]

Sounds great!!! Yes, please post the schematic whenever possible.

[Dragonfly]

...the schematic doesn't happen to look something like this, does it

http://aronnelson.com/gallery/Dragonfly-FX-Schematics-%21/JOY_BUZZER?full=1

(i'm really interested in checking out what you came up with ! ...it sounds great !)

andy

[Sam]

Yes it's actually similar to the "Joy Buzzer" though I haven't seen the buzzer before. There are some design differences.

I haven't had time to get the schem online - but I'll get to it soon. I just want to make a statement prior to this: I don't have a great deal of electronical designing skills and I'm not completely sure exactly what I've done.

I've measured it and it seems to be "stable" and working. I also tested it with two diffarent guitars and a couple of amplifiers (among them my old Deluxe Reverb) and I must say it sound really good. But it sounds awesome on bass guitar. I'll probably add a "pre-gain" pot since the volume knob on the bass could be used to get alot of different textures - something that doesn't work as good with guitar.

There's massive gain in the first stage and naturally this introduces some hiss. Though the second stage - built arround a 2N3904 - is biased in a way so it almost works as an noice gate. As it happens the flaw of the "Bazz Fuss" has worked to my advantage - it's really quiet!  

[Sam]

was there a transformer involved in the mod? the nasty octave sounds good

No transformer.

Glad you like it!  

[Doug_H]

Sounds cool!

Doug

[jmusser]

Me Likey! Me Want! I could hear rudiments of several pedals in there. It had a lot of tones to it like the Bobtavia, and the Scrambler, and I even heard a little Super Fuzz in there. So, Andy are you saying that your Joy Buzzer has a lot of theses same qualities? I just never got around to building it for fear it was too close in tone to the Buzz Box.

[Marcos - Munky]

Very interesting. I like to see the schematic too. If you don't have a place to put it, I can upload it in my site for you.

[Sam]

Me Likey! Me Want! I could hear rudiments of several pedals in there. It had a lot of tones to it like the Bobtavia, and the Scrambler, and I even heard a little Super Fuzz in there. So, Andy are you saying that your Joy Buzzer has a lot of theses same qualities? I just never got around to building it for fear it was too close in tone to the Buzz Box.

Yeah. While testing it with some different amps I felt that certain settings produced Superfuzz-like tones, Pseudo-Scrambler and BMP-sounds.

Sorry about being so slow. I've been very busy. Hope to post my schem later this week. (I don't have a computer at home - so my activity on the internet is very dependent on my job)... I'm off this week and is sitting on a "internet café".

I'll get to it. I really like to get some comments on the design.

Take care.

[dev]

Sounds like its angry.  Very angry.  So congratulations!  The tone control seems useable too in changing its personality.  Does it keep the basic vibe through an amp?  If so might be better than trying to figure out which big muff or (creamy what ever) so and so used.  Any how, I too am interested in the schem but please don't feel pressured to post it if don't want to.  

Take care Dev

[troubledtom]

bump

[mgrEIGHT]

I just built a buzz box yesterday. I used mpsa5 transistors and 2 silicon diodes the first one was a 2N4001 and i dont remember the second one. this was my first serious project (true bypass and all that) and i am very satisfied. the name really fits.

[Sam]

LOL!

Oh, man. I completely forgot about this one. If you're still intrerested I'll post the schematic tomorrow.

[Ben N]

Linkies are dead! 

[troubledtom]

post it bro,
      - tom

[Sam]

Argh! I didn't fint the schem (only a earlier version with ridiculous cap values) but I've got it soldered up on vero. It isn't that often you have to trace one of your own effects, is it? 

Yeah, the files are gone. Hopefully my brother still has them on his hard drive. I'll look into it.

Don't get your hopes up to much - I've learned alot since I drew this and there might be a few questionable things in the circuit. Still I feel it has massive potential and seems to find it's place inbetween BMP, Superfuzz and Octavia. I remeber getting some hum and unwanted noice while playng bass through a large stack and i suspect it might need some overlooking by someone more electronically skilled than me.

Cheers!