TS7 Tonelock Mod questions

[dev]

I would agree that what you might want to try is:


increasing the value of the .047 uf cap from the clipping stage=more bass and gain

decreasing the value of the 51 pf cap in the clipping stage=more highs and rougher crunch... more hiss

larger input cap= more bass

decreasing the .22uf cap on pin 5=more highs

better quality caps in the signal path=more note definition and more highs (but this will probably be subtle)

decrease the or jump the 51k from the clipping diodes=lets the pedal clean up more less gain at min drive less mids too

increase the 1k between pin 6 & 7= more gain and more highs less bass

add a diode in seires to one side for assymetrical clipping= reduce compression open dynamics and add bass and volume

If you can live with increased bass and highs this might help a flatter response.  More bass and treble=less mids.
but realize If you increase the lows too much you will create intermoudulation distortion(muddy bass) that this pedal minimizes. If you really need scooped mids you'll have to look to an active EQ.  

Try what you like, something might suit your needs or someone elses.
dev

[MrGuitardeath]

Here's the odd one I tried to see if I could at least smooth over the pedal and maybe get rid of the shrilness to the highs.

I replaced the clipping diodes with some of a higher quality and the shrilness was reduced dramatically. Then I said ok, I'll slap on another. Did an even better job so ....need I really say it??
Anyway I slapped on one of the old dirty ones and am running 4, the two added ones being piggy backed.
With the excessive clipping, the midrange isn't so nazally or in your face anymore.

Since it is a TS7, I am not seeing the bass cap or anything really quite within that range. I'm really hoping to get that extra bass.

I did think of a great way to kill the midrange. Torres Engineering has a simple pot based circuit that cuts mids when you turn it left of center and boosts midrange when you turn it right of center. I bet I can squeeze that in there on a trim pot.
....definitely gotta pull one of the piggy backed diodes off. Hopefully I can figure out which caps exactly you are refering to. I assume this alone will maybe help flatten the mids out more....

[SonicVI]

Maybe you could try putting the Big Muff tone circuit in there?  The schematic is here:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/cnews/mods.html

[Mark Hammer]

1) The bass end of the signal typically has higher amplitude and is generally closer to the clipping threshold, wherever that threshold happens to be.  The TS strategy for providing approximately the same amount of clipping across the spectrum is to attenuate the bass end *before* it hits the clipping diodes.

2) Since clipping itself adds high end (not all of which is desirable), and since bass attenuation accentuates whatever treble is present, the TS strategy is to use lowpass filtering to compensate for this "unreasonable" treble increase.  That lowpass filtering can be found in the 51pf feedback cap in the clipping stage, the 1k/.22uf network just after the clipping stage, and of course the tone control.

3) The bass cut and treble cuts leave a big midrange hump.  Like any hill, you can make the peak seem a little flatter by adjusting the sides.  So, this would involve increasing the series caps leading up to the clipping stage to provide a bit more bass (as well as the .047uf ground leg cap in the clipping stage), and adjusting the lowpass filters after clipping.  The input caps and .047 ground leg cap roll off the bass around 720hz, and the 51pf feedback cap provides a rolloff starting at about 5.6khz.  The 1k/.22uf network after the clipping stage adds another pole of lowpass filtering at about 720hz.  

4) In view of all this, consider upping the .047uf ground leg cap to .1uf, and its accompanying 4k7 resistor to 6k8.  This will drop the bass cut from 720hz down to about 230hz.  It will also reduce the maximum gain of that stage from 118 to 82.  That may seem large, but given the anticipated increase in signal amplitude hitting the clipping diodes it won't seem as large as on paper.  If the min gain setting is too clean, replace the 51k resistor in the feedback loop with 100k.

The 51pf feedback cap, in conjunction with the changed resistor and pot, will yield a treble rolloff from 31khz at min gain to 5.2khz at max gain.  Up that cap to 100pf, and the treble rolloff will shift to 15.9khz at min gain and 2.6khz at max gain.  

In principle, that should make the hump less exaggerated.  Let us know how it turns out.

[Ed G.]

I'd suggest checking out to buy/build the Ibanez SD-9, it's got a beefy bass boost, I've always liked that one. I think JD at generalguitargadgets.com sells the boards for that one.

[MrGuitardeath]

Mark you're definitely speaking my language for these things.

Sonic VI that's a great idea about the big muff tone circuit and the links are exactly what someone of my skill level and methods of modding needs for reference.

I did some searching because the Torres Engineering mid cut passive tone circuit uses and inductor that they do not give the value of on sites diagramming this circuit... I don't have $22 to blow on one of their premade ones either.  
I did a search though and found a site that has several versions of the midrange cut circuit, the primary one being based off of the big muff tone control.

There is a version of this simple circuit that offers nothing but midrange cut but to hell with finding that, I know have more than enough information to work with and spare parts and pocket change to spare at rat shack so I can ge this thing into it's finishing stages.

Thanks a shitload guys.
I'll be back to tell you how everything works out cuz so far so good.

[Mark Hammer]

I don't know why this didn't occur to me sooner.

Why not replace the 1k/.22uf network with a simple passive notch filter, engineered for a gentle scoop in the 720hz zone.  You wouldn't have to change anything in the clipping stage.

A working example of such a stage is the 4-component scoop in the Superfuzz ( http://www.geofex.com/FX_images/univox1.gif ).  This is the "bridged-T" network just before the output stage, comprised of the .001uf cap, .01uf cap, 10k and 22k resistors.

There *would* be a bit of signal amplitude loss, but there doesn't have to be a lot.

[MrGuitardeath]

Well, what I ultimately did was pull 2 capcitors on the input and jumper them. This leaves only the .47 uf cap in place. The caps pulled were a .22 uf and .47 uf but now the hot switch just turns the pedal silent when it is set in the low position. Obviously I bypassed that stage with my jumper.

The mids definitely seem smoothed over because the bass has suddenly arrived. I'm not sure how this switch was affecting the arrangment of these caps but I am pretty damn sure it changed something in the hot modes sound.

I lowered the value of the cap in the network leading from pin 6 I believe it is and raised the value of the cap on pin 7's network I believe it was.
This REALLY pushed the sound of the guitar in your face above all other qualities of the gain tone and I now have damn near a flat frequency response.

I'm not so sure what to do about the caps I pulled and jumpered. I jumpered them to bypass but I see I can toy with other caps and jumper settings so I'll give that a try.

As of right not it's the best overdrive I have ever heard....

[Mark Hammer]

As of right not it's the best overdrive I have ever heard....

Is that supposed to be "now", rather than "not"?  I'm not trying to be a fuddy-duddy about spelling.  I'm just not sure whether you're happy with it or ...not.  Your degree of happiness will direct how much effort I put into thinking up other solutions.

[Penguin]

place between gain circuit and tone circuit.. helpfull to remove the .22uf to ground.

i will let you figure out the values for yourself 

http://www.muzique.com/schem/filter.htm

2.7k .068uf LPF  470k  330pf  is what i would start with.

basically a little over 1k-900hz little dip there. 

[wampcat1]

I agree with CD in that you'd be happier with a different pedal. Just for fun, though, try this:
r85: 1k
c34: .47uf/1uf for mega bass
d3: 1n4148 & led connected in SERIES
d4: 1n4148 & led connected in SERIES

I forget the circuit board location, but find the electrolytic .22uf cap going to the tone control, try two different caps here. a .1uf, and a .47uf. See which you like better for your setup. If you use the .47uf, you will want your tone control ran nearly all the way up.

If at all possible, though, I'd sell it and get a dano daddy-o, and tweak the clipping section on it and/or remove the clipping to ground and run a clipping circuit in a feedback loop. Cheaper, easier, and 3 band eq already in place.

Take care,
Brian

[wampcat1]

Also, let's practice NOT posting when we are mad, all the cussing and finger pointing is best suited for Harmony central effects forum. CD didn't mean anything other than you were wanting to make a race car out of a yugo.

Take care,
Brian

[cd]

CD didn't mean anything other than you were wanting to make a race car out of a yugo.

Precisely.  If you want to hack up your pedal, when you can drop $14.99 on a Danelectro FAB Metal and be completely happy with zero effort, it's no skin off my nose.  Man, if you can't have fun with those $14.99 FAB pedals, you're not a real effects junkie   Price, construction, and unfair labor practices aside, it's stupid how good those pedals sound.

[wampcat1]

CD didn't mean anything other than you were wanting to make a race car out of a yugo.

Precisely.  If you want to hack up your pedal, when you can drop $14.99 on a Danelectro FAB Metal and be completely happy with zero effort, it's no skin off my nose.  Man, if you can't have fun with those $14.99 FAB pedals, you're not a real effects junkie   Price, construction, and unfair labor practices aside, it's stupid how good those pedals sound.

I haven't tried those new dano's yet -- I'll have to try them! I'm kind of anxious to compare the behringer clones to the real thing too -- more out of curiousity than any sort of modding...

Take care,
Brian