Want to see Pedal Scope Traces?

[Geoff Hunter]

I've got a nice digital 2 channel scope and a frequency generator just sitting on my desk at work gathering dust at the moment, so I thought I might as well make some use of them.

Just about to do a clone of a Boss Hyperfuzz for a laugh, so thought lets see what the waveforms look like (schematic in the "Schematics" directory i think.)

Input waveform: SINE: Freq 1Khz (hmmm maybe a little too high to be interesting), Amplitute 100mV p-p

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/jolem/Scope%20Traces/BOSS%20FZ-2/Sine_IN.jpg



Now mode one is a nice standard fuzz sound, tone controls at middle, level at middle, Dist at min

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/jolem/Scope%20Traces/BOSS%20FZ-2/Sine_Mode1_Min.jpg

Nice bit of frequency doubling there!



Same settings but dist at max

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/jolem/Scope%20Traces/BOSS%20FZ-2/Sine_Mode1_Max.jpg



Now for mode 2. Really nasty scooped fuzz sound!. Dist at min

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/jolem/Scope%20Traces/BOSS%20FZ-2/Sine_Mode2_Min.jpg



Dist at max (had to change the Y level on the scope to fit the waveform in!)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y41/jolem/Scope%20Traces/BOSS%20FZ-2/Sine_Mode2_Max.jpg

Didn't do the "clean" boost, as nothing interesting to see there.

I've got the scope for a few weeks, and a whole heap of pedals I can bring in and have a peek, (mainly BOSS pedals mind  ).  Anyone interested in seeing some traces?

[birt]

you're doing a nice job

[petemoore]

  I like lookin' at 'em.
  I'd like to look at 'em then hear 'em and vice versa.
  But I can pretty much 'envision' the tone you and the 'shapes' have described.
  Cool stuff...

[Dave Eason]

That looks like one of those expensive Agilent scopes.. I'd love one of those!
I know a guy who works for agilent.. He was dealing with a Network Analyser - a pinch at $76,000 RRP! there's an awesome LCD scope they do, top of the range, oscilloscope for $28,000...  It'd be nice though!

[RaceDriver205]

Mate, thats a fantastic idea. I think being able to recognise the way a waveform relates to its sound would be very usefull, both in describing an effects characteristics, and in improving an effect.
Kinda reminds me of a book on ECG waveforms I saw, and how doctors can tell whats wrong with a heart just by looking at the tiny changes in the shape of the wave.

[Geoff Hunter]

Thanks for the feedback 

Got a whole heap of hi tech equipment in the office (500Mhz scopes, spectrum analyser etc), but i don't normally get a play with them.

Heres an wierd one. the Boss DC-3 Digital Dimension!

Photos of this one don't do it justice so I've tried to make a movie.

It was in .3gp format, but Photobucket decided to change it to .flc and wanted FLASH player installed 

If you can view it, then have a look! its mad!

Sine wave in, 0.1V p-p 500Hz.  Looking at both outputs.



I'll do a longer movie if anyone is interested!

[birt]

what does the DC-3 sound like?

[Geoff Hunter]

Thats actually very hard to answer!

Bossarea gives a go at explaining.

http://www.bossarea.com/loadpage.asp?file=boxes/dc3.xml

What you get its a chorus/thickener effect without the wobble, if the Rate knob is less than half.  More than half and you start to hear this step detuning effect that isn't so useful IMO, anywhere from min to half gives you a nice slight change in sound.

The Depth knob give you a subtle chorus type effect even at min, and gets very thick as you go to max. very nice at all levels.

The Tone knob is standard Boss style.  For clean sounds you get a nice variety of tones, for dirty sounds however you need it much less than half otherwise its icepick central!

The Effect knob only starts to come into play after about two thirds, but its still useful in defining your level.

When plugged into two amps you get a VERY nice stereo effect which you can dial in different levels of thickness depending you what you want, but you won't get many different types of sounds out of it though.

If you listen carefully, you can sometimes hear a slight flanging effect, but its very much in the background.

The samples at http://www.modezero.com/ for the DC-2 are sort of similar.... but then again.......