Another "what's the best drive" thread

[markeebee]

I'm looking for something uber-versatile that goes from a tubey crunch, through distorted tones, to mad fuzz at the twist of a pot.

So, a fuzz that cleans up nicely, or a drive that goes bonkers if you put a boost in front of it.

Also, I think I will make it on a single board with a compressor, so nothing too complicated.

I'm thinking modded Rat, but anyone have any other suggestions, or is it an impossible dream?


PS - sorry if this has been covered a billion times before, I did a search but couldn't come up with anything.

[Derringer]

ever done a 386 design?

I think you could find something using a 386 chip that'll get you where you want

[spargo]

I was going to say rat.  I recently made one with a 3-way switch to go between different clipping diodes.  It can definitely get pretty clean to pretty fuzzy.

[phector2004]

I'd say mess around with FETs... A few months back, I had aron's Shaka Express 4558 drive section going into a fet with a pot on its drain. By adjusting the voltage I was able to sweep through clean boost to overdrive to distortion to fuzz to very unstable fuzz. I didn't save the circuit anywhere, but I think it was JRC4558D into a 2SK117GR into an LED-LED or an LED-1N914 clipper, running off 18v. Don't know how well it would work with a J201, but it sounded great at the time!

[zambo]

+1 on the 386. Dont know about the others but i got some rude drive out of a 386. Play around with the big muff tone stack as well. Duncan tone calculator is a sweet tool for that. the amz tone control with two knobs is pretty sweet too. I love that thing. Cant remember where i found it. I think its linked to hear.

[zambo]

this was the one. http://www.muzique.com/lab/tone3.htm

[slacker]

Bad form to pimp your own designs but what the hell, this will go from a clean boost though overdrive to a fair amount of dirt.

A Rat with a switch or pot to disable the clipping diodes will do boost to fuzz.

[MmmPedals]

omni drive