Noisy Cricket too much... clean!

[karbomusic]

I don't know what exactly do the Grit switch because my issue, it make very subtle difference.

Chances are then that is precisely why they call it grit and not a distortion switch. Grit is a term that infers something far more subtle than distortion.

[karbomusic]

I get a squealing sound

Depending on what kind of squeal... Strap a 100u or 220u across the power rail for starters. At higher gains I think the unused input might benefit from a .1u to ground for stability but check the hints in the datasheet or wait for someone better than I to chime in. I know though that everyone I have built oscillated horribly without that cap on the power rail.

[Elijah-Baley]

I expected that grit was subtle, I mean, LM386 is a simple circuit and that is the gain, it can be a modern high gain afterall.

I added 100uF as filter, but nothing. Anyway, I got the squel with while I improve the smokey, on the stripboard it sounds good.

[Elijah-Baley]

Now on the board there's only: LM386, 220uF output cap, 10R and 47nF, 100nF between pin 6 and ground, 100uF power filter. The voltage on pin 5 is 4,50v.
Guess... clean.

If a take off the 100uF power filter I go gated fuzz squealing sound. Clean with it.

[Elijah-Baley]

Solved!
I worked hard, the board was perfect, I have to say I made mistake rarely on the boards.
The wiring was "wrong". I forgot, LM386, as my improved Smokey Amp, must have some kind of wiring. I can't keep the two sleeves connected with a wire, but I have to connect both of them on the board's ground.

It sounds ok. Nice the Grit Mode, nice the Bass Boost, nice distorion, and nice the sparkly clean. No more real clean, but that's ok.

Pictures when I take it.

Thanks!

[Elijah-Baley]

Hi, I made a test. I tried to insert a switch I used in My Smokey Amp VGC: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=107060.msg1057515#msg1057515.

It doesn't work fine, I got noise after the first note, a sort of oscillating, I think? Start with a 150R until a 100R resistor. This last resistor got warm after a few seconds.
Ok. No Class Switch at this time. Never mind, the Noisy has enough switches.

I'm working on the box.

[Elijah-Baley]

Stucked again. About.
I found out that if I connect dircetly the sleeves of the jacks (input and output) I got clean sound (or almost). That was the reason.
Now I have these sleeves that aren't isolated and the box is a BB aluminium. I had a plastic jack and with this I had replace the input jack. But I had some ground issue I guess, when I touched the box the amp was noisy. (And it seems to me even a bit faulty, the signal is discontinuous).

I had isolated the input jack with the tape and a washer of the plastic jack. Now it works fine and I'm wiring well the amp.

Anyway, what washer could I use for the input jack and to take off the unsafe and ugly tape and the "not-perfect-fit" washer?
I was looking for here: http://www.musikding.de/Hex-nuts-plastics and here: http://www.musikding.de/Plastic-washer.

Thanks!

[hippo]

You can try to use a BF245C fet instead of MPF 102, pay attention to the pinout ,

[Elijah-Baley]

Thanks, but why should I try the BF245? Just for try?

Anyway, I fixed, someway, the jacks. Pictures are coming, really.

Tell me about the jack washers, please.
Why isolated jack didn't work? Should I use one for input and one for output?

[Ben Lyman]

I couldn't make the Cricket work with an MPF102 or any of the other buffers I found at AMZ. It's weird because, as I understand it, a lot of people have built this exactly as in the schematic.
I ended up stripping it down to a variation of the Smokey, sounds great, tons of distortion.
I put it in an Altoids tin and stuck it to the back of a Sony bookshelf speaker that I found in the street.


Here's my version and layout:


It sounds great with a SHO Clone in front of it with about 1/2 boost.
Maybe that SHO circuit can be modified to attach to the front of the LM386 circuit?

[Elijah-Baley]

Thanks for sharing!
I have to say my Smokey Amp sounds great, too, and with even much distortion. It doesn't have a volume pot before the input, but just the Gain pot, so the "volume of the amp" is always to max, I guess. I added, because I absolutely must, a Volume Master Little Gem style.
The circuit is still a Smokey Amp basic, and so is  even simpler than yours because, except the two pots I added only a 100uF filter cap. I use it with my DIY simple cabinet with a 8" speaker. Yes, it sounds great.
A cool and easy mod is a resistor for cutting a bit of voltage and get more distortion, thought I lost a bit of volume.

The Noisy Cricket sounds good enough, but if I want more distortion I have to keep the Volume high, and of course I don't want it every time. In clean settings is enjoyable, too. The Tone control and the bass boost are useful.
If I want about the same distortion of the Smokey I don't to have connect directly the two sleeves, as I explain earlier, else I got a slight overdrive.

I remain in waiting for some advice about the isolation of the input jack, thanks.


Edit:
Pictures!

[Ben Lyman]

That looks really nice EB. I'll have to try the resistor mod for extra distortion, thanks.

I breadboarded a RAT last night and it sounds even better than the SHO as a booster for my Smokeytoid. All the benefits of the gain, tone and volume controls plus it gets really loud.

I think it would be cool to build a RAT and Smokey into an enclosure like yours.
Is there a chance of damaging the LM386 when pushing it so hard with a RAT?

[hippo]

Thanks, but why should I try the BF245? Just for try?

Anyway, I fixed, someway, the jacks. Pictures are coming, really.

Tell me about the jack washers, please.
Why isolated jack didn't work? Should I use one for input and one for output?

BF245c is a very Hi Gain Jfet, I try to use it in a AMZ splitter and it seems to play in a hi gain amp!!

[Elijah-Baley]

That looks really nice EB. I'll have to try the resistor mod for extra distortion, thanks.

I breadboarded a RAT last night and it sounds even better than the SHO as a booster for my Smokeytoid. All the benefits of the gain, tone and volume controls plus it gets really loud.

I think it would be cool to build a RAT and Smokey into an enclosure like yours.
Is there a chance of damaging the LM386 when pushing it so hard with a RAT?

My DIY Rat is a four mode clipping: silicon, germanium (+mosfet), red led and no clipping.

I have no idea if the LM386 could be damaged in somehow with a pedal or circuit in front of it.

Thanks, hippo, about the BF245C.

[karbomusic]

The Noisy Cricket sounds good enough, but if I want more distortion I have to keep the Volume high, and of course I don't want it every time.

It's a tiny amp, you can treat it like an amp and put oh heck, I dunno, pedals in front of it.   I also put an effects loop in mine between the buffer and amp sections which I use with my delay. Fun little amps...