What to put in this box?

[syndromet]

I have a BB box drilled for two switches and 4 pots. I also have an unboxed Kay Trem. When i stick the kay in the box I still have room for another effect with two pots. What sound good before or after tremolo? I dont need a overdrive or distortion, but something else. The circuit shouldn't be to big, and should be possible to make on vero.

What would you put in this box?

The box is drilled like this one. ( I'll post a build report, more pics and soundclipps of the sonic destroyer later to night.)

[mutant_guitar]

how about an auto-wah? i bet that'd sound weird/cool. one of my favorite things to do with wah is trem pick, but that really only works with single notes. it'd be neat to hear what a trem/wah chord might sound like.

just a suggestion, i don't even know if it'll sound good.

[syndromet]

I'we been thinking about an auto wha myself, but i don't know if I really need that since I allready have a wha. But i bet it would sound cool. I'll check the auto wha schems, build one and see what it sound like. it might even be cool with an auto wha after a regular wha?

[Mark Hammer]

I've made two versions of a modded E-H Bass Balls, that I affectionately call the Ultra Ballz. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/mhammer/ULTRA.png  One of these is made in a plastic case I bought a bunch of cheap (using Alex Petrini's layout), and the other is made in a 1590BB (using Ambrose Chappel's "Clone Wars" layout).  With a couple of changes to the circuit, this makes a terrific little unit that will do things your wah can't.

See the schematic here for reference purposes: http://topopiccione.atspace.com/pjimages/EHBassBalls.sch.gif

1) Replace the 100k/47k network for the "fuzz" signal with something like a 2 x 1N914 or maybe a 1N34+1N914 diode clipping network.  This will give a fuzzier sound and provide better volume balance between fuzz/nonfuzz outputs.

2) Move the two 10k trimpots to panel mount pots for retuning the filters.  If you wanted to keep it simple, just do this for the upper filter to adjust stagger and leave the lower one preset.

3) At first I thought varying the attack would be important, but it has the side-effect of requiring a sensitivity adjustment because simple attack-time adjustments alter envelope drive to the transistors.  The resistor value needed to really slow down the attack time tends to be too high to permit sufficient sweep without adjusting other things.  A simple "fast/slow" switch might be better, selecting between the stock values (100R/4u7) and a set of larger values (try 470R/10u).  See here for an example of this: http://hammer.ampage.org/files/fast-slow.png

4) Varying decay time, however, permits a much broader range of adjustment without impacting too much on functioning and sweep width.  In this instance, replace R7 (330k) with something like a 47k fixed resistor in series with a 500k variable resistor.  This will permit decay times similar to what you can here on the soundclips here: http://topopiccione.atspace.com/sndpics.html , plus much faster decays that sound much more synth like, especially when coupled with fast attack and a bit of fuzz.

All together, you could get away with having control pots for Sensitivity, Decay Time, Hi Filter, Lo-Filter, and switches for Fuzz and Attack time.  On the units you see, the yellow one has a switch for two different decay rates, plus another switch I put in to send each filter to a different output jack or keep them mixed to mono.  The beige one I like more.  It has no "split" function (so, its mono), but does have variable Decay.  The Attack time is variable here, but it could sound just as good with a simple fast/slow switch instead.

Since it seems your box has holes drilled for two stompswitches, one could easily be assigned to the Fuzz function.

[syndromet]

I've made two versions of a modded E-H Bass Balls, that I affectionately call the Ultra Ballz. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/mhammer/ULTRA.png  One of these is made in a plastic case I bought a bunch of cheap (using Alex Petrini's layout), and the other is made in a 1590BB (using Ambrose Chappel's "Clone Wars" layout).  With a couple of changes to the circuit, this makes a terrific little unit that will do things your wah can't.

See the schematic here for reference purposes: http://topopiccione.atspace.com/pjimages/EHBassBalls.sch.gif

1) Replace the 100k/47k network for the "fuzz" signal with something like a 2 x 1N914 or maybe a 1N34+1N914 diode clipping network.  This will give a fuzzier sound and provide better volume balance between fuzz/nonfuzz outputs.

2) Move the two 10k trimpots to panel mount pots for retuning the filters.  If you wanted to keep it simple, just do this for the upper filter to adjust stagger and leave the lower one preset.

3) At first I thought varying the attack would be important, but it has the side-effect of requiring a sensitivity adjustment because simple attack-time adjustments alter envelope drive to the transistors.  The resistor value needed to really slow down the attack time tends to be too high to permit sufficient sweep without adjusting other things.  A simple "fast/slow" switch might be better, selecting between the stock values (100R/4u7) and a set of larger values (try 470R/10u).  See here for an example of this: http://hammer.ampage.org/files/fast-slow.png

4) Varying decay time, however, permits a much broader range of adjustment without impacting too much on functioning and sweep width.  In this instance, replace R7 (330k) with something like a 47k fixed resistor in series with a 500k variable resistor.  This will permit decay times similar to what you can here on the soundclips here: http://topopiccione.atspace.com/sndpics.html , plus much faster decays that sound much more synth like, especially when coupled with fast attack and a bit of fuzz.

All together, you could get away with having control pots for Sensitivity, Decay Time, Hi Filter, Lo-Filter, and switches for Fuzz and Attack time.  On the units you see, the yellow one has a switch for two different decay rates, plus another switch I put in to send each filter to a different output jack or keep them mixed to mono.  The beige one I like more.  It has no "split" function (so, its mono), but does have variable Decay.  The Attack time is variable here, but it could sound just as good with a simple fast/slow switch instead.

Since it seems your box has holes drilled for two stompswitches, one could easily be assigned to the Fuzz function.

Thanx Mark
I have been looking at the Ultra Ballz for my next build, and will uit it in a box like this one, along with the parallel Universe. both those seems like something I would love.
However, I need something to go along with the kay tremolo for this box, and I don't relly know what that should be. Is there an easy autowha somewhere? I've been thinking about the penfold. How does it sound?

[Mark Hammer]

Haven't heard the Penfold one yet.  Have the parts sitting around, but parts are easier to find than time.

The Dr. Quack is a pretty easy and dependable build.  The MXR Envelope Filter is also an excellent unit.  The layout over at GGG is based on the original that fit into a 1590B box, though JD tells me it will be a tight fit.  If building into a 1590BB, though, you should be able to fit in a tremolo and EF.

[Cliff Schecht]

One trick I use my tremelo for is making the guitar sound like an old school organ. Roll your tone control on your guitar all the way back, add some tremelo and play around with small chord vamps and things of that nature.

[syndromet]

One trick I use my tremelo for is making the guitar sound like an old school organ. Roll your tone control on your guitar all the way back, add some tremelo and play around with small chord vamps and things of that nature.

Cool!!! I love organs. This will be my first trmoly, o I'm really looking forward to play around with it.