Question #1 - Getting more output/volume from a build.

[skiraly017]

How do you go about getting more output and/or volume from a build. Example...

Unity for my Red Llama build is at about 9 o'clock.
Unity for my Boostone build is at about 12 o'clock.

I've read the post about decreasing the output for the Llama, but what if I want to increase the output for the Bosstone? Thanks for any ideas.

[Barcode80]

you can always hard wire in a booster circuit between the effect output and the jack. LPB2 does this nicely.

[tcobretti]

I've never read this rationale anywhere, but as far as I can tell, larger values for the volume pot boost output because less of the signal is shunted to ground.

So, instead of a 100kA volume pot use a 500kA or 1MA and your pedal should be louder.

[d95err]

you can always hard wire in a booster circuit between the effect output and the jack. LPB2 does this nicely.

The problem of adding a simple booster like an LPB to the output is that the signal strength into the LPB will probably be higher than a regular guitar signal. This means the LPB will add a lot of distortion, changing the sound of the pedal completely.

Using a bigger value pot will increase the output level a bit (not much), but it will also change the frequency response and add some noice.

[Mark Hammer]

The first strategy is to look for places where the potential output level is constrained.

Example 1:  I've made a couple of Tube Screamer clones.  One was not terribly loud.  Wanting to get a little more oomph, I decided to aim for a higher hfe transistor for the output stage.  The clipping diodes limit level so a hotter transistor in the input stage was going to do diddley squat.  A slightly higher feedback resistor in the tone control op-amp stage (e.g., 1k5 or 1k8 instead of 1k) can also help.

Example 2:  The MXR Distortion+ and DOD 250 both use a fixed resistor in series with the output volume pot.  From the subsequent device's perspective, the pot and resistor function as if it was a pot of the value resistor+pot.  So, a 10k resistor and 50 pot works like a 60k pot that can never be turned up more than 5/6 of the way (i.e., there is always some output attenuation built in, even at max volume).  If the pot is increased to 100k, then the same network works like a pot that can never go past 10/11 of max volume.  Not a huge leap, but audible.

Example 3: Many bipolar or FET output stages are more like buffers and have no emitter or source caps to ground that can add more gain.  You may not want to connect the cap directly to the emitter or source, but if the cap goes from ground to some partial resistance value, you can add some oomph.  For instance, if the output transistor has a 2k2 emitter resistor, swap out the emitter resistor for a 1k2+1k pair, and run a 2u2 - 10uf cap from their junction to ground to add some gain.