Tube Sound OD build and pics

Barcode80 · October 20, 2006, 02:39:11 AM

I just finished the tube sound OD from Dragonfly's layout, and this is my favorite sound of all the pedals i have built thus far! Mean, but smooth overdrive that sustains and feeds back wonderfully! I built it into a red hots tin I had, and though there is some messiness inside, I think it turned out very nice!

Comments?

I only made one sub, in that I used a 2n4401 in place of the 2n3904, because i ran out

Xavier · October 20, 2006, 03:33:13 AM

Yeah this one seems to be interesting. What kind of OD tone does it have? TS-type? When you say mean but smooth...can you please elaborate a little bit more?

Thank you

Dragonfly · October 20, 2006, 05:06:58 AM

SWEET !!!

did you do any soundclips for it ? if so, i think there is now a soundclips "gallery" in the layouts gallery....

rock on.
AC

Dragonfly · October 20, 2006, 05:11:30 AM

oh...and be sure to leave a comment in the gallery...just click on the layout and then "leave comment"..

thanks,
AC

Barcode80 · October 20, 2006, 01:42:38 PM

i would compare it to a grittier TS, but i guess that would depend on your TS settings! I will post sound clips when I get a chance to record. I just played it through my jap strat into a kustom bass practice amp, and it sounded freakin' MEAN! I can only imagine what it will sound like through my Carvin 100w tube head!

I think I want to find a yellow or red knob around here to put on it though...

I probably will build another in a regular enclosure, since this one is a little lighter duty than i prefer. though with a couple of braces inside around the switch and jack areas, it would be road worthy. I like neat enclosures...

kusi · October 20, 2006, 02:17:59 PM

hi

after reading this thread, i build it on a experiment-board.

sounds absolutly fantsatic! i`m very impressed!

i did some changes on the circuit;
- i add a simle transistor-buffer in front. without, the low input-impedance of this circuit loads the guitar too much.
- after the buffer, i added a simple gain-controll. ( variable voltage-divider)
- i changed the 4n7 cap to 22n
- i used BC564B and a BC556B tansistors

i will made some experiments in the next days. i post the results here!

regards,
markus

Barcode80 · October 20, 2006, 02:26:13 PM

be sure to post an updated layout with your mods on it if you can! i can't get enough of this pedal. Dragonfly, is this an original?

kusi · October 20, 2006, 02:39:22 PM

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=40452.0

i think, this is the origial thread with the circuit.

btw, i powerd it with 18V now...

regards,
markus

Dragonfly · October 20, 2006, 03:11:53 PM

Quote from: kusi on October 20, 2006, 02:39:22 PM
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=40452.0

i think, this is the origial thread with the circuit.

btw, i powerd it with 18V now...

regards,
markus

nope...different circuit entirely...i have one "based" on that circuit in my gallery called "revolution fuzz"..

the "tube sound overdrive" was from a schematic i found posted in the "early days" of the internet...heres my "redrawn" schematic...

http://aronnelson.com/gallery/Dragonfly-FX-Schematics-%21/TUBE_SOUND_OVERDRIVE

i tried to find the name of the originator of the circuit...i "think" its arsenio novo...thats the best "creator" i could find....

AC

kusi · October 20, 2006, 03:36:00 PM

hi dragonfly,

have a look at rely #8 in my posted link...

are there any more desings of mr. novo out there?

regards,
markus

Dragonfly · October 20, 2006, 04:34:50 PM

Quote from: kusi on October 20, 2006, 03:36:00 PM
hi dragonfly,

have a look at rely #8 in my posted link...

are there any more desings of mr. novo out there?

regards,
markus

aha...i just say the fuzz link in the thread !

i havent seen any more of mr. novo's designs...i looked around a bit when i originally found that one, and was unsuccessful....

AC

Barcode80 · October 27, 2006, 08:39:23 PM

now that i've played this through my rig, it sounds a bit brittle. any mods anyone could think of to bring some meat and bones into it? i would usually up the input cap value, but this one inputs to a resistor, and i'm not familiar enough with caps and resistors yet to make a call on how to mod it for more low end.

Dragonfly · October 27, 2006, 09:13:21 PM

Quote from: Barcode80 on October 27, 2006, 08:39:23 PM
now that i've played this through my rig, it sounds a bit brittle. any mods anyone could think of to bring some meat and bones into it? i would usually up the input cap value, but this one inputs to a resistor, and i'm not familiar enough with caps and resistors yet to make a call on how to mod it for more low end.

...put a small (somewhere from 470pF to .0022uF) cap from the end of the circuit to ground...it'll "bleed off" excess high end....

brett · October 28, 2006, 08:35:47 AM

Hi

Quotethe "tube sound overdrive" was from a schematic i found posted in the "early days" of the internet...heres my "redrawn" schematic...

Yeah, the circuit dates back to the 70s or 80s.
I also found an ascii picture of it on the web and built one. I called it the "Tubey", though I'm not sure whether that was its original name. I built it and Alf Hermida did a spice analysis back in 2003.
Here's a pic of the spice output:

I later built this version, with a non-invertaing gain stage in front of the two transistors, so that the "tubey" section could be driven harder. Back then I didn't know much about anything (as you can see from the layout), and I'm not sure whether this worked out well or not.

In my notes, I commented that different transistors didn't seem to matter very much, including using Darlington devices such as the MPSA13.

It's cool to see people working on this again. It would seem to have some considerable potential.
Also, anybody interested in this circuit might also want to check out the Fuzzrite, which uses interference between out-of-phase NPN transistors to clip and distort the signal.
cheers

Barcode80 · October 28, 2006, 08:46:53 PM

funny you mention the fuzzrite, the mosrite fuzzrite was my most successfull build, though i i have a similar high end problem with it. i built it the same night as the tube od.

smnm · October 29, 2006, 05:09:01 PM

Quote from: Barcode80 on October 28, 2006, 08:46:53 PM
funny you mention the fuzzrite, the mosrite fuzzrite was my most successfull build, though i i have a similar high end problem with it....

See this thread on the Fuzzrite - seems there are diff versions of the schematic around http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=48591.msg360279#msg360279

Increasing the value of the 10K resistors (to 470K) tames the oscillation and general sound - I actually thought it tamed it a bit too much till I found the right combination of transistors - metal can 2N2222 and epoxy 2N2222A did it for me.

Barcode80 · October 29, 2006, 07:05:09 PM

i've repackaged my TSOD into a 1590 and renamed it "Tube-Tied overdrive. I'll post pics as soon as I take em. I also painted the box that cool Big Muff Russian green color!

Barcode80 · November 12, 2006, 12:18:27 PM

markm · November 12, 2006, 12:31:43 PM

Nice work fellas!
It's strange how alot of us work on the same circuit almost simutaneously

I was waiting to post my layout for this circuit until it could be verified......
You can find my layouts (perf and PCB) here>http://aronnelson.com/gallery/view_album.php?page=1&set_albumName=album15

Barcode80 · November 12, 2006, 12:46:33 PM

DANG! i soldered in a .0022 uF cap from the circuit out (going to 100kA lug 3) to grnd, which STILL hasn't reduced the trable out put of this circuit, which is the only thing i don't like about it. anyone know of a simple low pass circuit i could incorporate? or maybe should i move the extra cap to the lugs between lug 3 and lug 2? i'm pulling my hair out.

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Tube Sound OD build and pics