Latency on a BlueFool (MXR Bluebox clone)

[arma61]

Hi m8s!

I've just build, mostly for fun, this blue box clone, then I've been asked for almost the same by a friend's friend of mine..., so I gave him my one and told him, taste it, and if you like I can build it to complete box. Now he's "claiming" about some "latency" on the octave effect.
Does anybody know what part of the circuit could be creating this latency, if any?
Would a buffer in front make it any better? (he has no other pedals, he just started playing electric-guitar....).
I'm waiting for a recording of this "latency" as I didn't hear it the few time I've played with it.

Thanks for help!


Edit : link to the project http://pedalparts.co.uk/docs/BlueFool.pdf

[Mark Hammer]

The flip-flop has to be triggered twice to produce an output that is half the frequency of what you feed it.  The "latency" he hears is the time it takes for the note fundamental to peak twice, instead of just once.

As well, keep in mind that there is a teensy bit of gating in the circuit to prevent the chaos that would erupt at the start and end of whatever note you're playing.

I don't know what the heck he expected.  This is how ALL analog octave dividers work.  If he finds it problematic them he should steer clear of analog octave boxes, or perhaps stick with those that include a clean blend so that there is always some signal with NO latency.

[arma61]

Thanks Mark, clear

at the end he was looking for an effect close to the  Earthquaker Bit Commander, and I propose the only thing diy-able "close" to that , may be adding a delay...

Also can you extend the concept "include a clean blend so that there is always some signal with NO latency", what one can blend? clean and octave? isn't the latency present anyway, at least in the octave-effected signal?

Thanks again!!!