Deviever Soda Meiser/Noise Floor Question

[Stone.d.cologne]

1. question: I have a Noise Floor that the Fuzzgoddess crated as a bright version, using 103 type capacitors. I changed them back to 104, using capacitors from an electronics store nearby. Now, while it was too bright to my ears before it's too dark sounding now. Question: do I have to use other caps? Another brand? Would that make a difference? It's not near anything that you hear on YouTube.

2. Question: could I add an intensity pot (noise floor only has volume) like the soda meiser has it?
And where in the schematics would I add it. Description would be cool as I'm not a schematics nerd. 😉
Thanks and hello everyone!

[Fancy Lime]

Hi Stone,

welcome to the party! 103 and 104 are not the types but the values of the capacitors. This is a bit of a strange shorthand at first sight. It works like this: The last digit is the number (3 or 4 here) of zeros that comes behind the first two digits (10 in both your cases). The resulting number is the capacitance in pF (pico Farad). So 103 means 10000 pF and 104 means 100000 pF. Since 1000 pF = 1 nF (nano Farad) this means: 103 = 10 nF, 104 = 100 nF. If it is too bright with 10 nF but too dark with 100 nF, try 22 nF (aka 223), 33 nF (aka 333), 47 nF (aka 473), 68 nF (aka 683) or 82 nF (aka 823). Because sound perception is roughly logarithmic, 33 nF should approximately "sound like the middle" between 10 and 100 nF, but that is just a very rough guideline. Psychoacoustics are complicated.

To tell you if you can replace the capacitors with other values and what effect that would have on the tone, we would need to know what schematic you are referring to. Same goes for your second question. Please link to the schematic you are using and refer to the components by their numbers (like C1, C2,... R1, R2...). Then I'm sure we can figure this out together.

Cheers,
Andy

[Stone.d.cologne]

Thanks, Andy!
About the values, I already new that. Sorry for going with 'types'. My bad.

The originals are 104. Devi used 103s on a bright version.
The noise floor is essentially a soda meiser with a 'noise' option, which I found pretty useless and the chaos mode the soda meiser has too.
It however has no i tensity pot.
If you do a quick google pic search for soda meiser schematics you will find one that's pretty solid.
I could add some pictures of my NF when I come home.

[brianq]

I would split the difference & go with .047uF(473) I built a Soda Meiser few years ago & tried  .022uF,.033uF,.1uF & ended up with .068 because I didn't have .047 or .05 available


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Fancy Lime]

Well, I know the Soda Meiser circuit and I can google, but that's not the point. The reasons why I asked you to reference the specific schematic you are using are; 1) there is more than one capacitor, we need to make sure we are talking about the same one; they don't need to have the same value and changing different ones to different values will have different effects; 2) some schematics on the interwebs are wrong and sometimes versions change over time; does not seem to be a problem in your case, but it often is. So the request for a specific schematic as the basis for discussion is not super important in this particular case but it kind of is forum etiquette because it helps people with less experience follow the thread. It will also be very important with any more complicated builds and questions you may have later.

So to get back to your original questions: The first capacitor after the input has the biggest influence on the bass content. Try lowering only that to 10 nF and have the others at 100 nF and see what happens. If its too bright, try 33 nF here.
The gain pot configuration on the Soda Meiser is one that theoretically works on any pedal (although it may not be the best way of controlling gain for other designs). It will certainly work for the noise floor and have much the same effect as on the Soda Meiser and for this general type of design it is actually a reasonably good way of controlling gain.

Have fun,
Andy

[PRR]

> split the difference

Agree. But the logarithmic nature of most audio suggests "mid-way" between 10,000 and 100,000 is 31,600 (333). 

Put the too-big and too-small values in the same range (pF, nF, uF for caps, r k or Meg for resistors). Multiply them together. Take the Square Root. That is the Geometric mean. This will often be "half way" on the ear.

Windows and Mac have good calculators, though you may have to find Scientific Mode to get a Square Root. I had to argue with my Android and I do not recall if I ended up with an add-in app.

Yes, of course away from calculator (or slide-rule), between 10 and 100 I would try 47 (still big), then 22 (still small), and probably 33. Since we do not KNOW that "half way" is the exact answer, try-this-n-that is perfectly valid also.

[Stone.d.cologne]

Wow! I must have poked into a nerds nest here!😄😉

Thanks for the answers!
I didn't think I would end up with tinkering with cap values.
Devi said: just swap 103s with 104s
Actually I don't want to go too scientific here. But are there differences in brands or tolerances? With all caps 104 it just sounds too dark. But I will try and find out.

Back to the pot question: am I guessing right when I just put the pot behind the input (between input and board)?

Another question: I want to replace the chaos switch by a Dptb switch. Which pins of the 9 possibilities do the job here?

I want to put the whole thing in a new and bigger self made housing.
Be prepared for sth fancy!😉

Btw, I referred to the pic shown below.

[Fancy Lime]

Wow! I must have poked into a nerds nest here!😄😉

Ya think? You are aware what this forum is, aren't you? 

Yes, the Intensity pot goes right after the input.

Another question: I want to replace the chaos switch by a Dptb switch. Which pins of the 9 possibilities do the job here?

What kind of a switch is that? Double Pole Tasty Beer? Any chance you mean a DPDT (double pole double throw), which would have 6 contacts or 3PDT (tripple pole double throw), which would have 9? In either case: use a multimeter to check which pins are connected in which switch position.

Cheers,
Andy

[Stone.d.cologne]

Or the most simple version

https://www.musikding.de/Carling-1PST-Fussschalter

Simple on/off, right? No ground needed I assume.

And yes, judging from the stuff you guys build, this is a big nerds nest! 😄
Thanks for finding the right words for my noobiness!