WHIRLYGIG TREMFUZZ !

[Dragonfly]

OK...well, in playing around on the breadboard I came up with a cool "EZ BUILD" fuzz/tremolo. It screeches like crazy, and needs a humbucker (or i suppose you could tack a booster on front) to drive the tremolo oscillator, but still, its pretty cool. I'd enter it in this months FXX, but it has a few too many parts(13 parts, FXX requires 10) . In "Trem mode", the tremolo is attack sensitive  ! The 500K pot controls the bias, but ALSO gives a bit of control over the "rate" of the tremolo as well. (Also, you can sub a .047uF cap for the .022uF cap if necessary)
It definitely has its flaws (screeching in fuzz mode when not playing, and thumping in trem mode), but its pretty cool and could probably be developed further....

Anyway, heres the schemo, and a couple soundclips.

"FUZZ ONLY" MODE

"TREMFUZZ" MODE

"TREMFUZZ" MODE CLIP 2

[The Tone God]

Cool design! I like.

Will the circuit operate without all those parts ? Maybe you can remove the switch and output pot ? One more part off and you can enter it.

Andrew

[Dragonfly]

Cool design! I like.

Will the circuit operate without all those parts ? Maybe you can remove the switch and output pot ? One more part off and you can enter it.

Andrew

The output pot isn't necessary...the circuit gets a bit over unity...

Without the switch it will only be "tremfuzz" mode...still cool though. It needs the rest though to drive the cap into oscillation.

I tried to cut down the parts, but was only able to get to "11" at best...and those 2 extra parts make a huge difference in functionality

[The Tone God]

Okay. I was trying to get you. I was thinking that maybe there should be a "FX-X Extra Entries" thread that allows people to offer there designs that may have been late or did not meet the theme. That way efforts do not go to waste and people can show off and enjoy them.

Andrew

[8mileshigh]

That sounds wicked !  I really like it.  I've been busy coaching my son's baseball team for the last two months, this  may just knock me out of my Summer building funk.

Thanks for sharing !
Chris

[Dragonfly]

Okay. I was trying to get you. I was thinking that maybe there should be a "FX-X Extra Entries" thread that allows people to offer there designs that may have been late or did not meet the theme. That way efforts do not go to waste and people can show off and enjoy them.

Andrew

I tried like heck to streamline it...

Even eliminating the volume pot and switch its still 11 parts

I'd definitley put it in the "extra's" category though. Its a cool circuit that shows quite a bit of potential.

[Dragonfly]

That sounds wicked !  I really like it.  I've been busy coaching my son's baseball team for the last two months, this  may just knock me out of my Summer building funk.

Thanks for sharing !
Chris

Thanks !  Its definitely not perfect, but it shows a lot of promise.

Sons Baseball > Building pedals.

Family always comes first !

[foxfire]

i wish i had a pair of mpsa13's sitting around. it definitely has a cool sound.

[aron]

What makes it do tremolo? At a quick glance it looks like a fuzz face? Is it just the added capacitor and the biasing on Q1?

[Dragonfly]

What makes it do tremolo? At a quick glance it looks like a fuzz face? Is it just the added capacitor and the biasing on Q1?

Yep...for some reason a larger value cap (.022 - .047) makes it oscillate / pulse...provided the input is strong enough. The lower value that you make the biasing resistor on Q1, the faster it goes...crazy. Complete accident. I'm sure RG could tell us "why" it works, but for me it was a weird litle accident.

Also, a smaller value bypass cap on Q2 (100uF) takes away the pulse !

you should breadboard it...its bizarre and kinda cool...it could definitely use some refining though.

Oh yeah...the tremolo only happens when you either A) pick lightly, or B) Play a chord and the trem comes in as the fuzz dies out !

[aron]

>it could definitely use some refining though.

It looks like fun. I like strange and weird pedals. It sounds cool! Great job!

[MarcoMike]

you can reach 10 parts by substituting the 100K and 1K resistors with a 100K trim: wiper where the two res connect to each other and terminals (of course) to the other end of the resistors...
the challenge may be to set the trim to 1K:99K, if it is possible, then you are ready for the submission (ehm, I mean the FXX thing... )

[foxfire]

i decided to do some tranny harvesting(thats sounds wrong) from a buzz fuss or 2 to build one. i socketed the tranny's and all of the caps except the 100uf. i also run it into a lpb2 i built last week because i ran out of jacks and i didn't have a 500k pot for the whirlygig's volume.

i noticed that there is a volume cut and or the gain/fuzz is cut when the trem is switched on . my pedal doesn't sound as fuzzed out in trem mode as the sound clips do. anyone else notice a volume/gain cut with the trem on?

the changes i tried,
1) i swapped out the 0.047uf output cap for a 1uf and that cleaned up the fuzz a bit. it got rid of the "spittyness," but it also takes away most if not all of your ability to change the trem's rate with the bias pot. if you go with the 1uf and swap out the 0.022uf for a 0.1uf it helps to bring back some of the trem.

2) of course playing around with the input cap will help. i think i have a 0.1uf in there now, but i tune to C so i don't need all the low end. 

3) for giggles i tried a 2n5089 in Q1. it screws with the trem, but makes for a cool fuzz.

if i can get the fuzz to sound a bit louder/better with the trem cap engaged it will definitely make it way into a box. oh and i think i may try some clipping diodes in it?

[Dragonfly]

i decided to do some tranny harvesting(thats sounds wrong) from a buzz fuss or 2 to build one. i socketed the tranny's and all of the caps except the 100uf. i also run it into a lpb2 i built last week because i ran out of jacks and i didn't have a 500k pot for the whirlygig's volume.

i noticed that there is a volume cut and or the gain/fuzz is cut when the trem is switched on . my pedal doesn't sound as fuzzed out in trem mode as the sound clips do. anyone else notice a volume/gain cut with the trem on?

the changes i tried,
1) i swapped out the 0.047uf output cap for a 1uf and that cleaned up the fuzz a bit. it got rid of the "spittyness," but it also takes away most if not all of your ability to change the trem's rate with the bias pot. if you go with the 1uf and swap out the 0.022uf for a 0.1uf it helps to bring back some of the trem.

2) of course playing around with the input cap will help. i think i have a 0.1uf in there now, but i tune to C so i don't need all the low end. 

3) for giggles i tried a 2n5089 in Q1. it screws with the trem, but makes for a cool fuzz.

if i can get the fuzz to sound a bit louder/better with the trem cap engaged it will definitely make it way into a box. oh and i think i may try some clipping diodes in it?

The trem cap cuts the high end, thus cutting the overall volume. A simple boost circuit after wards solved the issue for me.

also, in "trem mode" the fuzz was definitely "dynamically controllable"...IOW, the harder you hit, the fuzier it gets

The clips were made with a ES335 with a PAF pup.....so not really a high output humbucker.

I also tried other transistors in different positions, and can confirm that you lose the trem with lower gain trannies, but get a slightly better fuzz.

[The Tone God]

This thing is really cool. I definitely think a "Honorary FX-X Entries" thread is going to be needed so this design can be shown off.

Andrew

[foxfire]

The trem cap cuts the high end, thus cutting the overall volume. A simple boost circuit after wards solved the issue for me.

did you mean that you put it right after the trem cap or at the end of the circuit?

i really like this circuit being newish to diy. with the trem being switchable it is almost 2 pedals in 1. which makes it fun for modding cause you can see how changing one thing affects both functions of the pedal. like changing the output cap can "improve the fuzz" but mess with the trem. not to mention it's got an interesting sound also.

[Dragonfly]

did you mean that you put it right after the trem cap or at the end of the circuit?

after the circuit

i really like this circuit being newish to diy. with the trem being switchable it is almost 2 pedals in 1. which makes it fun for modding cause you can see how changing one thing affects both functions of the pedal. like changing the output cap can "improve the fuzz" but mess with the trem. not to mention it's got an interesting sound also.

  glad youre liking it !

[Dragonfly]

This thing is really cool. I definitely think a "Honorary FX-X Entries" thread is going to be needed so this design can be shown off.

Andrew

You're gonna make me blush...   

[petemoore]

glad youre liking it
  I resisted the temptation to ask is it a 'fluke' type effect or repeatable, foxfire has answered that.
  Pretty slick that a 'FF' can be made to make trem-in-fuzz with some part value swaps and minor additions.

[tcobretti]

I like that it sounds really nasty, and the tremolo aspect blows my mind.

Once again, very nice!