MXR Microamp w/Master Vol.

[Johnny Halo]

Talking with a buddy and he said he likes his Microamp but not the fact that it gets louder as you turn it up.  He thought one with a master volume would be better.

Would modding a Distortion+, i.e. get the boost/drive without the dirt, be a solution since they are related cricuits?  Effectively turning it into a "Distortion Minus?"

Would it be a matter of subbing caps/resistors?

[Ben N]

Talking with a buddy and he said he likes his Microamp but not the fact that it gets louder as you turn it up.

?Is that a little like saying he likes his tone control, but not the way it changes his tone???

He thought one with a master volume would be better.

Meaning he wants IC distortion? Why? You might want to check out the various Crowther Hotcake variations out there.

Would modding a Distortion+, i.e. get the boost/drive without the dirt, be a solution since they are related cricuits?  Effectively turning it into a "Distortion Minus?"

http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=6

[Johnny Halo]

He said he likes the sound of the Microamp (presumably the tone), just not the volume boost that goes with it.

Yes, the Tonepad layout was the reference.

[Mark Hammer]

My sense is that the Microamp was not intended to provide ANY coloration at ANY gain, so what it is that your friend likes about the higher gain settings, I don't know.

But, that being said, if you replace the 10k fixed resistor on the output with a 10k log pot (outside wipers connected to the same place the resistor would go) and take the output signal from the wiper,you'll be able to set the gain control for max and still get a signal at lower volume levels.

[MikeH]

A "distortion -" would basically be a microamp.

I recently made a micro amp with a 100K audio pot tacked onto the end for a master control (mainly because I had an extra hole in the enclosure I was using) and it gets pretty harsh sounding with the gain way up and the master rolled off.  But it does have it's applications.  Basically, sounds like your friend just likes a little bit of fatness added to his tone- so why not just set the gain at or a little above unity?  You don't have to use a booster to rattle your fillings loose.

[jaysg]

It's just a non-inverting op amp circuit with no accomodation for tone...distorted or otherwise.  You could modify it so that the bypass switch is a short across the feedback instead.  That way, it would be unity gain or gain, but always on.

[drewl]

I built a microamp and Distortion plus in one box so it has the master volume from the D+ always in the circuit.
It's usually up enough so in microamp mode it's still a pretty clean boost.

[Johnny Halo]

Thanks for the tips and info. I will have to talk to him more and see what we can do.

[DougH]

I guess I don't understand what the point of a micro amp is if it doesn't "get louder as you turn it up"...

[Johnny Halo]

I guess I don't understand what the point of a micro amp is if it doesn't "get louder as you turn it up"...

I am guessing here, he likes the tone from most Tube Screamer/4558 pedals. (I think he has had them all  )  So, I think he may be going for that sound without the other stuff that a TS brings, i.e. the tone control, circuit "goo", etc.....

[earthtonesaudio]

Make R10 a volume control.  Done.

From this layout:
http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=6