Ocatave fuzz options...opinions needed.

[Hiwatt25]

I've really come to appreciate a good fuzz pedal since I've been posting here and lately, I've also started liking octave fuzzes. 

So, my questions is this.  Will I get the same results as an octavia or a foxx tone machine by just building a green ringer and putting it in front of the fuzz I already have?  Or, should I just build an octavia or a tone machine?  I've never played an octave fuzz before but the sound clips I've heard make me want one really badly, that's why I figured I'd ask if the green ringer idea was worth while.

Thanks.

[jonathan perez]

the green ringer is fun, nifty device....

but i suggest the octavia. its got one HELL of a octave tone to it!

[John Lyons]

They all sound different.
The ones I have built are:
NeoOctavia (tonepad) Nice sounding octave with a few great tones. Very similar to the octavia
Bobtavia octave fuzz with a meaty warm fuzz. A Teaked Bob Star octave. Not over the edge but has a nice octave.
OUSB (octave up sick box) Gus Smalley's circuit. Nice thick fuzz overdrive with a good amount of octave. I like to put an octave switch in this one to turn off the octave in order to use the fuzz separate sometimes. Has a good amount of gain. No transformer needed...

There are some samples of the Bobtavia and OUSB on my soundclips page (look for the address in my signature.)

John

[tcobretti]

I cannot recommend the Foxx Tone Machine highly enough.  Hands down my favorite.

Another option not yet mentioned is the Ampeg Scrambler.  Here's my build report with clips.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=48637.0

[John Lyons]

Funny, I tried out a friends FTM and the octave setting was disapointing to me.
It sounded very subtle and not as ringy as the other octaves I've built. This was an original red velvet model...
Maybe something was wrong with it. The Fuzz/distortion was killer though!

John

[R.G.]

The exact tone of an octave device is very sensitive to exactly how well matched or unmatched the full wave rectification is, and how much you lose to diode forward drops. Within the same circuit, the octave will vary depending on component match.

[tcobretti]

So, RG, are you saying matching the diodes is what is critical in a Foxx TM?

[ambulancevoice]

isnt it with any diode octave circuit?

[Processaurus]

The green ringer I made didn't quite have the sustain I wanted, even followed by distortion, it seemed like it would choke off the very end of the note.

I liked the scrambler with distortion, its crazier than the GR.  All my octavias have some kind of lp filter tacked on the front, after reading this article:

http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/studio/2987/octave.html

[Pedal love]

The exact tone of an octave device is very sensitive to exactly how well matched or unmatched the full wave rectification is, and how much you lose to diode forward drops. Within the same circuit, the octave will vary depending on component match.

Thanks RG. Thats my view as well.

[Jaicen_solo]

That's something i've learned from experimenting, so it's nice to have it confirmed
It's actually interesting, i've been looking at octave pedals a lot this week, having been re-inspired by a video of Z's Octane III.
The RM Octavia was my second build many years ago (after a FF obviously!), but I could never get it sounding right to my satisfaction.
Despite matching Ge diodes till the cows come home, I could never get rid of that nasty gated fuzz sound, until I tried running it at 12v, which made a DRAMATIC improvement to the sound. I think it's able to bias itself more properly at these levels or something, so it's well worth a try. Not quite an Octane, but it's not bad

[ambulancevoice]

i love the sound of that octane 3
on the page for it, it says that its a transistor fuzz with germ diodes and a octave/ringmod circuit
and that gave me an idea for joe d's shocktave, to put germ or sili diodes after the .1uf cap before the mix pot, and have them switchable
might sound somewhat like a blue box... maybe

[Mark Hammer]

The exact tone of an octave device is very sensitive to exactly how well matched or unmatched the full wave rectification is, and how much you lose to diode forward drops. Within the same circuit, the octave will vary depending on component match.

Bingo.  If the two complementary outputs are not matched for level, then one output will dominate and you'll hear more fundamental than fundamental x 2.

I've built Green Ringers, FTMs, the Anderton Octave fuzz, a similar device in an old issue of Elektor, a Superfuzz, the Roger Mayer Octavia, and a Scrambler.  They all have their special charm or functions, but the FTM delivered the goods as far as producing a clearly heard octave up...twice (i.e., both times I built it).  Still waiting to throw a Tychobrahe and Brassmaster together, and finish wiring my octup board.

[Gus]

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/SOU2.GIF

Look close
The 1K from the opamp to the transformer then look at a tyco last transistor collector leg.
A opamp based X2 inspired by the  tyco.  Low parts count.

For fuzz try 4 Sis (2 and 2) across the gain pot

Circuit is a starting point
less bottom reduce a cap(s) value.  Less overall gain play with the feedback resistors.  I think I used a 600 to 600 transformer.  I gave the ones I built away.   I would think the transformer for the tyco clone would work well.

[Mark Hammer]

But you'd want to make sure the diodes were at least kind of close to each other in forward voltage, right?

[RLBJR65]

+1 Bobtavia. Drive it with a OD WOW.
Clips at Homewrecker with Joes easy drive http://www.home-wrecker.com/salvo.html

Tim Escobedo's Pushme Pullyou makes a nice octave fuzz with a couple of mods.
http://www.geocities.com/tpe123/folkurban/fuzz/pushmepullyou.gif
I permanently loaned (gave it away) to my buddy who just HAD to have it. The mods as I recall.
Ditched the 470 ohm
Changed the 1M to a 2M2 (it's a nice clean octave until about 3/4 gain with the 1M so maybe use a 1M fixed and 1M pot in series)
Q1 med to high gain NPN. I used a 2N5088 Hfe 465
Mismatch Q2 and Q3 as much as you can. For Q2 I used a 2N2222 with Hfe of 170 and for Q3 a 2N5087 Hfe 450.
Also used 470K on Q2 & Q3 emitter instead of 500K

Wish someone could explain why the PMPY octave is more pronounced with mismatched transistors when most other designs call for matching stuff?!

[jmusser]

There was another post on octave fuzzes that I posted on. For the thickest up octave fuzz, I can't push Tim's "Octup Blender" enough. You can mix as much of your guitar's natural tone in as you want, or dial it all out for an intense up octave fuzz. It's the only up octave fuzz that seems to show up all over the finger board. You can hear heavy fuzz from the 1st fret on up, and not just up from the 15th fret. It may be that you're hearing your guitar's standard fuzz on the lower strings, and then the up octave past the 12 fret or so, but there is enough up octave product in the lower frets that to me, the transition is seamless.

[ambulancevoice]

isnt it "Homer: Mr. Burns, your the richest guy i know, way richer than lenny!"

[aron]

Another tip, everyone should go out and buy the French Toast if you can afford it. So much fun in a tiny little box for so cheap.

[Jaicen_solo]

Agreed! Any Foxx Tone Machine clone is fine by me!