Boss CS-3 mods

[ianmgull]

Thanks, I'll try adding those caps. I had an other question however. I run this pedal directly after the preamp (series fx loop) to try and tame the dynamics a bit. Even at the lowest compression setting it still slams down on it pretty hard. Does anybody know of any mod that will make this thing compress less??

Thanks,

ian

[nooneknows]

I had an other question however. I run this pedal directly after the preamp (series fx loop) to try and tame the dynamics a bit. Even at the lowest compression setting it still slams down on it pretty hard. Does anybody know of any mod that will make this thing compress less??

First mod I'd suggest is putting the pedal right after the guitar, not in the fx loop. The compressor tend to dime down signal with amplitude wider than a particular threshold, in the FX loop I guess we have something similar to a line level, so the compressor could be activated too soon.
The boss one, intended for guitar use, works better with guitar type level that I suppose way lower.
ciao
Marcello

[T-Von]

Hi,

I've been checking out a few of the Boss CS-3 mods that are floating around the internet, one of the more popular ones, the Monte mod, says to change D1 from a 1N4004 to a 1N34A germanium, but from what I can see this diode can have no effect on the sound processing aspect of the circuit at its conencted to the power 'in' and is probably there to protect the circuit from a reverse polarity connection? Or am I totally wrong?!

ANy help or info greatly appreciated,

Thanks,
Chris

Hi Chris, that's not a mod that I use any more.  When I started creating mods almost 3 years ago I really didn't have a lot of modding experience.  I was sort of a loose canon back then.  I've since learned how to read schematics (thanx in large part to Brian and his great articles and books).

Not being exactly electronically literate in the beginning was a blessing and a curse.  A blessing in that it helped me not to have any preconceived notions about the circuit and a curse in trusting my ears too much.  I have become a real student of audio circuits and although I have learned a lot I still feel I have much more to learn. 

I am a guitarist first and a pedal hacker second.  I have been fortunate enough that others have liked the mods I have created.

Monte Allums

[T-Von]

I just recently finished the Monte Allums Opto Plus mod myself. I ran into the same problem with the LED being really dim. If you do have the older ACA version you simply need to remove Resistor 32 and Diode 10 and put jumpers in their place.

All and all I was happy with the mod, although there is still a lot of noise with the tone and sustain knobs maxed.

Hi ianmgull, one thing to consider about compressors is that as you compress the signal you also decrease the dynamic and at the same time raise the noise floor of the pedal.  On my Opto Modded CS3 I usually run all 4 knobs at 12 O'clock, straight up.  At this setting you get a fattening effect and almost unity gain.  At this setting the pedal has almost no added noise when compared to the original signal.  Even the very expensive compressors you'll find in top studios add a certain amount of noise when pushed.  It's just the nature of the beast.  While the CS3 will never out perform say an Empirical Labs EL8X Distressor, we can mod it to sound much better than it does stock.  I've even used my modded CS3 to record vocals. David Prater www.praterproductions.com shot me an e-mail after coming across my site.  David has worked with some great artists and uses a stock CS3 an an effect on vocals for some productions.  Here's a direct quote from David. "Monte...as God as my witness...it sounded like a really noisy UREI LA-3A.  Like singing into a sheet of soft rubber.  But, again, it was seriously noisy.  In the track, however....it ROCKED!!!" 

I think as artists we sometimes lose focus.  We concentrate on the wrong things.  The performance is always more important than the tools we use to obtain it.  It's the talent and not the tools that make a great track.  But good tools are icing on the cake.  So by modding we seek to obtain perfection.  That perfect tone.  For me modding has brought me closer to the tone I have always heard in my head.  But it's the quest for BETTER tone that keeps me doing what I do. 

Monte Allums

[chris1001]

Thanks for the info. Did you make many changes to the CS-3 mod, just wondering if its worth my while buying another CS3 mod kit from you, or I could try the mod posted above. I do like the CS-3 mod, but if its only a couple of components that are different then I dont know if I can justify the spend.

[the recluse]

I recently used one of monte's mod kits on my CS-3 and have been very happy with the results.  Much better range of usable sounds now.

[T-Von]

Thanks for the info. Did you make many changes to the CS-3 mod, just wondering if its worth my while buying another CS3 mod kit from you, or I could try the mod posted above. I do like the CS-3 mod, but if its only a couple of components that are different then I dont know if I can justify the spend.

Hi, yes, I have a new Opto Plus mod that incorporates a Burr Brown chip.  It uses an adapter that will adapt a dual opamp to replace one of the inline opamps.  The affect is even less noise and a more transparent and focused tone.

[chris1001]

Hi,

Yeah I tried the Burr Brown mod a while ago, it didnt make the kind of improvement I was banking on, never mind though, I might try changing D6 to a germanium as advised by another poster, cant do any harm, although its not as clear as to exactly why the change will have any effect, unlike D2 and D3 which control the opamp gain. I put D1 back to the original 1N4001.

[Sava]

Sound sample of my moded CS-3:

http://www.box.net/shared/38ekjmsqow   
http://www.box.net/shared/gxd8qrm8s8   
http://www.box.net/shared/cyy3w20w0c   
http://www.mediafire.com/?ay2zygtinwm

Coupling capacitors are original electrolytic capacitors 1uF (less distortion than tantalium), filter capacitor C1  is tantalium 47 uF/25V, C3 tantalium 47 uF/16V, all resistors are metal film, diode D2, D3 and D6 are original Si (less distortion).

[wampcat1]

Sound sample of my moded CS-3:

http://www.box.net/shared/38ekjmsqow   
http://www.box.net/shared/gxd8qrm8s8   
http://www.box.net/shared/cyy3w20w0c   
http://www.mediafire.com/?ay2zygtinwm

Coupling capacitors are original electrolytic capacitors 1uF (less distortion than tantalium), filter capacitor C1  is tantalium 47 uF/25V, C3 tantalium 47 uF/16V, all resistors are metal film, diode D2, D3 and D6 are original Si (less distortion).

you changed all the resistors to metal film?

[Sava]

Sound sample of my moded CS-3:

http://www.box.net/shared/38ekjmsqow   
http://www.box.net/shared/gxd8qrm8s8   
http://www.box.net/shared/cyy3w20w0c   
http://www.mediafire.com/?ay2zygtinwm

Coupling capacitors are original electrolytic capacitors 1uF (less distortion than tantalium), filter capacitor C1  is tantalium 47 uF/25V, C3 tantalium 47 uF/16V, all resistors are metal film, diode D2, D3 and D6 are original Si (less distortion).

you changed all the resistors to metal film?

Yes, unless resistors near flip-flop (Q2, Q3).

[welcomb]

Sorry for bringing up an old thread but came across this when comparing CS-3 mods on the Internet.

Siva did you mean C17 instead of C18 in your mod? C18 is a 0.01uF cap to ground. C17 is the 1uF electrolytic.

[Gila_Crisis]

I wanted to share with you some mods I've done to my CS3

Resistors
R5 470ohm
R6 12k
R9 12k
R32 Jumper
R36 100ohm

Caps
C1 pots-pcb 330nF
C1 330uF
C2 100nF
C4 1uF NP
C5 5.6nF
C6 1uF NP
C7 27nF
C9 27nF
C10 100nF
C13 1uF NP
C14 1uF NP
C15 120nF
C16 100nF
C17 1uF NP

Diodes
D2 Ge
D3 Ge
D6 Ge
D10 Jumper

And also new:
R2 pots-pcb 68k ("less attack range" for a more smooth response)
R4 pots-pcb 5.6k (reduce a bit the avaiable sustain, which is already a lot, and by doing so you reduce a bit also the "maximum noise")

After the mods you have a really great compressor! Still love/like better my trusty Tc Electronics Sustainer & Parametric EQ, but I like it a bit better than my Compulator clone.

btw here you'll find a pdf with a list of known mods and the schem/layout of the pedal:
http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/Gila_Crisis/boss_cs3_mods_factory_schem.pdf.html

[adielricci]

My CS-3 is equipped with the THAT2181 as IC3, and two NJM4558LD for IC1 and IC2.  I changed IC2 and IC1 for two NE5532 and added a 100n capacitor in parallel with C2.  Now it is usable.

[Renegadrian]

Anyone tried LEDs at D2-D6?!

[GGBB]

Anyone tried LEDs at D2-D6?!

Not personally.  But looking at the circuit, since D2 and D3 are input over voltage protection diodes, they probably won't change anything sonically.  Germaniums there however could allow input signal to leak around the input buffer op-amp, so I don't think that's a good idea either (in fact, LEDs might be a better choice than Silicons).

D4-D6 do affect the nature of the compression (especially D6).  From what I've gathered, the lower Vf of germaniums here make the compression kick in quicker.  If that is so, LEDs would slow down compression onset, and possibly prevent it altogether if the signal doesn't reach Vf.  I'm not completely sure about that though - my understanding of this circuit is limited.