Red Llama- adding an EQ and gain recovery

[spectraljulian]

I've got a red llama on the breadboard and I like it a lot.  I also breadboarded the James EQ and tried them out together and the results were decent (except it needs a lot of gain recovery).  I read on Jack Orman's site that the 4049 has problems driving a tonestack, though I see a lot of Red Llama/Tube Sound Fuzz type designs where they have it directly driving a Big Muff tonestack. 

Anyways. . . for gain recovery would another 4049 stage add extra grit?  I like the way the Red Llama's gain response is and I don't want to alter that so much.  Would a FET, transistor, or op-amp based boost on the tail end work better? 

[nbabmf]

It works fine driving a BMP tone stack without a recovery. I know of one person building them like that

[Mark Hammer]

The basic design is capable of providing a fairly sizable output level, tolerant of a wide array of tonestacks that result in passive loss.  Now, if your intent is to absolutely pummel your amp, rather than simply having a very noticeable increase in level when you kick in the RL+tonestack, then perhaps you'll need some sort of gain recovery.  But my experience is that there is plenty of signal left over, even if you waste some.

[mikemaddux]

an EQ would be nice....id like my RL to have just a bit less treble and more midrange

[spectraljulian]

The basic design is capable of providing a fairly sizable output level, tolerant of a wide array of tonestacks that result in passive loss.  Now, if your intent is to absolutely pummel your amp, rather than simply having a very noticeable increase in level when you kick in the RL+tonestack, then perhaps you'll need some sort of gain recovery.  But my experience is that there is plenty of signal left over, even if you waste some.

Well the reason I wanted to try something with the James EQ is because I like that it functions as a mid boost when you turn the treble and bass down, but the gain loss is so extreme there that I was getting below unity gain with the volume and gain cranked.

I'll guess try the Big Muff tone stack and just throw in a mid boost switch.    A lot less dB loss. 

[Brymus]

I have done that to the 3LD(3 legged dog by ROG) which is another CMOS distorter like the Red Lama.

I added the BMP tonestack and the mid control from AMZ,both using different values from posted.
This was at the end of it,after.
Where I also added Ge diodes shunted to ground through a variable resistance,bypassewd with a small value film cap.
I also added the gain recovery stage after and that wasnt really neccasary but it does add alot of volume.

I played around with alot of tonestacks at the end of it and they all sound different of course.
IF you add the gain recovery stage you will want some diodes to limit the output a little.
If you dont add diode clippers then you wont need a recovery stage after the EQ.