A Few Booster Questions

[markm]

This was a circuit I did based on another boost.  I did this Vintage Booster with the help of Markm.

I can attest to that....
Let's just say there was alot of "creative inspiration" involved! 

[343 Salty Beans]

Let's all chill, now. Like a lot of pedals, his design is probably another pedal with the same basic circuits, but modded beyond recognition with some snippets removed and others added, changed values, adding extra filters/low-high passes...There's plenty of commercial pedals designed out there that are based mostly on another circuit.

Personally, I've never been a fan of impedance myself. As for that input filter, isn't that just a high-pass filter? Those values both look to be pretty freaking big. I haven't done the calculations myself (never had the need to), but calculating the high frequency can be done as so:

f = 1/(2*PI*C1*R1). I haven't done your math, but I'd bet you don't need those huge values. A good value to start rolling off at, according to RG Keen, is 40,000hz. I learned most of this from his 'how to cook your own distortion' article found here:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/richardo/distortion/index.html

[KerryF]

Mark- haha yea creative inspiration.

343- I have to say that this pedal I am designing now is almost definately something you havent seen before.

I think that having a high impedance for a boost circuit is somewhat of a good thing from what I know.  When you think about the Zvex SHO they say when you engage it with no boost it cleans up your sound because of the high impedance.  I think this is a good thing so I want it for my boost  .

Dont quite know what that formula accomplishes, but ok...  When I went to the Impedance article at the AMZ website, I found that little input filter section (the one I posted) and it said that it was a good high impedance input section.  So thats what I thought to use.  Anyone know a better high impedance input filter?

[markm]

Tell ya what,
Reading all the Booster articles at AMZ is well worth it.
I have learned lots from Jack and he doesn't even know it!!   

[aron]

Sorry to bring this up, but it really seems like you have something against me in the ways you have said things in two of my threads.

Well, there are a couple of things going on here.

Most if not all of your questions have been answered or could be answered simply by searching and by looking a schematics. Because of this, I suppose we have to assume that you are asking these questions because you either haven't checked out many booster circuits or haven't searched many threads re: boosters.

Then you say:

I have to say that this pedal I am designing now is almost definately something you havent seen before.

I know you meant it to 343, but how can you say this when you ask a rudimentary question such as:

What are the parts that make up a booster

I understand you are young, but a great part of learning is not only asking questions but searching for the answers yourself. Especially when the answers you have asked are really easily found.

[KerryF]

1. I just wanted to tell him that last time we got into an arguement, the thread ended badly.

2. I have looked at almost all the boost circuits I could find to compare certain things.  I just wanted to make sure of what the parts inside each circuit was so that I could follow them all, especially ones that may be a bit different from the average booster.

3. I have looked up and read everything everyone has suggested so far.  I read the GEO and AMZ Impedance articles which were suggested.

[aron]

I just wanted to tell him that last time we got into an arguement, the thread ended badly.

I understand. What I said in that thread was that if you go and search back through the archives, one thing you will find is that Jay and many others know a LOT! They've helped out a lot and I don't see the questions he's asked as being combative at all. 

2. I have looked at almost all the boost circuits I could find to compare certain things.

Then you know what goes into a booster. I think the problem is that you ask such rudimentary questions that it seems like you didn't take the time to check out the facts yourself.

Take a look at the NPN booster. That's not your typical booster at all.

Do a google search on "guitar effect booster schematic"

I think it might do better to ask questions that are more specific like: "I have heard that higher impedance in a booster is important, I have taken a look at the SHO and have decided I'd like to incorporate this into my circuit that I'm working on".

This is much better than: "What goes into a distortion pedal (overdrive, fuzz, octaver etc....)? Please tell what goes into them? What makes a fuzz, overdrive, distortion etc?

Much too generic and lacking specifics.

[idlechatterbox]

You should name your booster  "Big Fat TS Elliott" or something like that, since you're designing it during your english class.....

Just kidding.

I wonder if Isaac Newton had what might be a relevant quote here. After being praised for his ideas, Newton replied that he was able to see as far as he did only because he "stood on the shoulders of giants."

Of course, he was less than humble when it came to bickering later with G. W. Leibniz over the invention of calculus... But nobody's modest ALL the time, and history regards GWL as the more gracious, and in some circles, the more brilliant mind overall 


Good luck 1800. Grab your parts and solder up a winner. Come back with photos and sound clips. It doesn't have to be something that no one's ever seen before (lots of eyes on this forum, and they've seen a lot). Seems to me the important thing is that it sounds cool and gives you motivation to build/design your next pedal.

Of course, who can say, you might hit the jackpot and come up with a pedal that inspires others and at the same time pays homage to the great advice on this site! Talk about a win-win situation   

[KerryF]

haha thanks idle.  Everytime I try to start a new design I say to myself "Ok, now I will create a simple pedal that I will actually be able to throw together fast, instead of that mildly complex but cool last one".  But I can never seem to make it simple.  As I draw up the schematic, I think of something new, then another thing, then another.  By the time I am done, its a few times more complex than I wanted it to be, and I have thought of 5 new ideas to use in that pedal, or the next one.  Hopefully this does become a success and it can help others in research and in finding ideas much like the boosters I looked at for research. 

Kerry

[markm]

I must say that some of my favorite circuits involve a very minimal parts count but sound Incredible.
Dragonfly is famous for those type of circuits!

[343 Salty Beans]

I must say that some of my favorite circuits involve a very minimal parts count but sound Incredible.
Dragonfly is famous for those type of circuits!

+1 

and +1 more for effect 

You should name your booster  "Big Fat TS Elliott" or something like that, since you're designing it during your english class.....

Just kidding.

I wonder if Isaac Newton had what might be a relevant quote here. After being praised for his ideas, Newton replied that he was able to see as far as he did only because he "stood on the shoulders of giants."

Of course, he was less than humble when it came to bickering later with G. W. Leibniz over the invention of calculus... But nobody's modest ALL the time, and history regards GWL as the more gracious, and in some circles, the more brilliant mind overall 


Good luck 1800. Grab your parts and solder up a winner. Come back with photos and sound clips. It doesn't have to be something that no one's ever seen before (lots of eyes on this forum, and they've seen a lot). Seems to me the important thing is that it sounds cool and gives you motivation to build/design your next pedal.

Of course, who can say, you might hit the jackpot and come up with a pedal that inspires others and at the same time pays homage to the great advice on this site! Talk about a win-win situation   

To be honest, I like f(x), f'(x) better than dy/dx.

[petemoore]

  I must say that some of my favorite circuits involve a very minimal parts count but sound Incredible.
Dragonfly is famous for those type of circuits!
 I wired myself up a Cream Pie Today !!!
 7 parts, biases tranny's, sounds great !! I'm a big fan of minimal parts too.

[Dragonfly]

I must say that some of my favorite circuits involve a very minimal parts count but sound Incredible.
Dragonfly is famous for those type of circuits!

a bit more "blushing" involved.... 

i like simplicity...what can i say...my favorite guitars are simple, my favorite amps are simple....maybe its because my tiny brain can only process "so much" info...   

thanks for the kind words...

AC

[MartyMart]

.maybe its because my tiny brain can only process "so much" info...   

thanks for the kind words...

AC

Andy, you may have a "tiny brain" but you've got a GREAT pair of ears  !!! 
( that's all that matters in the end )

Marty.

[amz-fx]

  When I went to the Impedance article at the AMZ website, I found that little input filter section (the one I posted) and it said that it was a good high impedance input section.  So thats what I thought to use.  Anyone know a better high impedance input filter?

Actually that is an example of a bad input section       ...re-read the article.  The input pull-down should be 10M...

Best regards, Jack

[KerryF]

Oh thanks for clearing that up AMZ.  The first one is a better input selection then?