Effect of buffering on Fuzz Face-like distortion circuits

[David]

(Ladies and) Gentlemen:

I have tried every search I can think of and have been unable to obtain definitive information that would tell me conclusively how to do what I would like to do, or that it cannot be done.  I have engineered (Notice I did NOT say "designed"!  I only put the building blocks together into a new shape) a cool distortion circuit that starts with Howie Anderson's "Metal Simplex".  The tone control on this circuit functions fabulously and it gives me an added bonus I haven't been able to achieve from other circuits.  I can clean up the signal with my guitar volume control.  I know this is old hat to Fuzz Face aficionados, but I can finally quiet my keyboard player, who's always telling me I need "crunch", not "distortion".  I also have an Adjusticator after the Metal Simplex to provide any needed makeup gain or even cut if the distortion gets too hot.

Here's where I need help.  I don't want to sound like a whiny, spoiled child, but I need more.  I would like to be able to install a pot in front of the Metal Simplex to shunt input signal to ground.  This would take the place of using my guitar's volume control or my volume pedal to do the cleanup.  This isn't hard, it's just one more operation to perform that I'd rather "program" into the pedal if at all possible.  Now, the problem enters because I at least was under the impression that Fuzz Face variants like to have the guitar connected directly to them.  My guitar plugs into either a Boss compressor or into a wireless which then feeds the Boss.  The compressor feeds a volume pedal, which then feeds my distortion pedals.  Given this scenario with buffered effects, can I still get the "volume control cleanup phenomenon"?  If not, can I get the capability back somehow?

If I can get this capability back, I could then use two Adjusticators and an additional DPDT switch to give me rhythm and lead presets and I would only need one distortion pedal on my board!

[ianmgull]

What about using a DPDT, connecting your input and output to the common lugs, and having two pickup simulators (one tweeked for lead, one for rhythm) in the same box that you toggled between?

http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm

[David]

What about using a DPDT, connecting your input and output to the common lugs, and having two pickup simulators (one tweeked for lead, one for rhythm) in the same box that you toggled between?

http://www.muzique.com/lab/pickups.htm

Sorry, Ian, I don't follow.  Is this supposed to address my buffering question, or does this address the rhythm / lead output scenario?  The latter I think I have resolved.  It's the former I need help with.  I want to make sure the cleanup effect happens even when my input is a buffered signal.

[jacobyjd]

I think he's saying that you should drop a pickup simulator (with the ability to toggle between 2 settings) after the input buffer. This would essentially give you exactly what you need in terms of the 'turn-down' effect you get if the input is unbuffered, and you'd have the bonus of being able to toggle between one or the other.

[David]

Ah, I get it now.  Interesting idea...  this would make the distortion circuit think that it has a guitar plugged directly into it.  Hmmm...  that bears some looking into.  I'd still like to know what would happen if I didn't have this, though.

[Gus]

look at this schematic for some hints
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/3tran.JPG

The 10K after the input buffer (EF) works with the 47K feedback resistor and the open loop gain of the first transistor to be a crude sim of the guitar.  No it does not sound like a direct connected guitar to a fuzz face but it might be close enough.

Try a volume pot before the buffer section and 10K resistor section before your circuit.  Can you post a link to the circuit you have you might want to adjust the 10K a bit higher if you are using >47K feedback resistor.

The guitar is part of the first stage feedback math.  Thats why people select the first transistor and feedback resistor for the "touch control" with different guitars or bass.

[David]

look at this schematic for some hints
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/3tran.JPG

The 10K after the input buffer (EF) works with the 47K feedback resistor and the open loop gain of the first transistor to be a crude sim of the guitar.  No it does not sound like a direct connected guitar to a fuzz face but it might be close enough.

Try a volume pot before the buffer section and 10K resistor section before your circuit.  Can you post a link to the circuit you have you might want to adjust the 10K a bit higher if you are using >47K feedback resistor.

The guitar is part of the first stage feedback math.  Thats why people select the first transistor and feedback resistor for the "touch control" with different guitars or bass.

Gus:  this is the distortion circuit:  http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/mtlsim.bmp

I'll look at that schematic.