can you name me 4 very different distortion / overdrives please :-)

[james1]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking to design a multi-distortion unit with 4 mixable distortion circuits running in parallel - then into an eq and possibly a compressor in there somewhere 

can you name 4 distortion circuits on here that I could build?

Ideally:
1 valve sounding overdrive
2 bit crushed type
3 low end sound
4 harsh sounding tops

any ideas would be great!!

thanks, James 

[Joe Hart]

can you name 4 distortion circuits on here that I could build?

Ideally:
1 valve sounding overdrive
2 bit crushed type
3 low end sound
4 harsh sounding tops

1 - BSIAB or DOD250
2 - An op-amp design where all the distortion is produced by overdriving the op-amp itself (no diodes)?
3 - This could be anything, just adjust the tone shaping (input and/or output caps) for no high end
4 - MXR Distortion+

Just my thoughts off the top of my head.
-Joe Hart

[james1]

Thanks joe, really appreciate the reply - I'll be sure to check those asap

[jkokura]

TS808 is also a good standard for #1.
I found the Blue Magic to be some what #3.

Jacob

[Quackzed]

1.tube screamer type
2.bronx cheer/bazz fuss type (low parts circuits)
3.big muff has nice gritty low end when tone is low
4.simple octave up/o.u.s.b type for nasty sustain and high end edgyness (also low part counts)

[goulashnakov]

1)  Ditto on the tube screamer.  Also, check out RunOffGroove.  They have some good valve-emulating distorters.

2) gonna have to be a bit more specific.  "bit crushed type" makes me think "kinda busted up sounding" ?  maybe (silicon)fuzz-face/supafuzz/bazzfuss/prettymuchanyfuzz

3) gonna have to be more specific.  But I think I might echo sentiments on the blue magic, or anything that might be described as a "warm overdrive"

4) Mockman 2.0 from RunOffGroove.  Lots of gain and sustain, plenty of harshness up top, with the "classic" mode engaged it can thin out pretty nicely.  "I told you not to touch that darn thing!  That's what she was made for."

Alternate #4:  Blue clipper.  I've gotten protos of this one to get pretty harsh with a little tweaking.

[studiostud]

For a bit crusher sound, take a look at John Hollis' Crash Sync.  That thing is sick if that's what you're going for.  I built one a couple months back and that thing has by far the most gain of any high gain pedal I've ever built.  I've tried to come up with an adequate description of what it sounds like and the best I can come up with is that it sounds like Optimus Prime taking a dump.

[james1]

Haha thanks guys - very helpful!!!

Can't wait to have a go at some of these :-)

[CynicalMan]

IMO:

1 BSIAB, Professor Tweed, or (self-promotion) Atomic Overdrive II
2 Mis-biased fuzz
3 Big Muff Pi
4 Mockman 2.0 or MXR Distortion+ (maybe without the filtering)

[WGTP]

I tend to think in terms of types of circuits

Not sure about the bit crush thing:

Dual-Mu - BSIAB
Op Amp - Tube Screamer
Mosfet - Obsidian
Fuzz - Tone Bender