Need Tone Bender MK-I data

[mac]

I breadboarded the Tone Bender MK-I, posted recently, very similar to the Maestro Fuzz and the Zonk Machine.
Except for the Zonk data at GEO I do not have any other reference. So I have a couple of questions.

First thing I noticed is that Q3 collector is almost half a volt below Vcc (*). And as the leakage increases Vc3 decreases, but not much. I tried both high and low hfe & leakage Ge but they all sound unbiased, like a ring mod out of focus. If this is the way it has to sound, I do not like it. But a 1M resistor from Vcc to base set Vc3 to near 7v which gives a very nice fuzz.

The 1k8 resistor is too low for all the Ge I tested. When the 50k-A pot is at zero Vc2 is almost equal to Vcc. I found that a +6k8 is better, and maybe a 100k-A pot.

Ve1 depends on the leakage more than on hfe. If leakage increases Ve1 goes up. A (80, 160uA) Ge bias at Ve1 = 0.65v, which is ok. And a (90, 450uA) bias at 1.4v. This value can be increased with the addition of a big resistor from base to Vcc.

I replaced the 8k2 resistor at Q1 emiter with a 10k-A pot with the center lug going to the 22uf cap. It controls the amount of fuzz better than the 50k-A pot, which is more a texture pot.

With this mods I have a pretty fuzz.

However, I'm not sure about the original sound, if someone has any sound clip, voltage values, best hfe and leakage, or any other data please let me know.

mac

[frankclarke]

I want to know too. The schematic gave me a misbiased Foxx Tone Machine which nobody would want (although it appears nobody did). I put a 1k pot between Q3 emitter and ground, which stops Q3 being ridiculously overdriven. As well as fiddling with the bias on the bases, which is reasonable with different Ge transistors.

[tatter]

Hi (first post)

Here is an informative thread on the MKI:
http://dam.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=744

And on this myspace page are some clips of the D*A*M 1965 (MKI clone build by David Main who has an original):
http://www.myspace.com/damsoundclips

The MKI clips are tracks 4 and 5.

The MKI was the first ground up DIY pedal i attempted and i'm still tinkering with it now. It seems very sensitive to different transistor gain levels. I've found Q1 needs to be around 50 - 70 hfe for this pedal to sound good, but i am a total noob so don't take my word for it 

Hope this is of some help

[frankclarke]

Thanks, the soundclips were plausible, I could get something vaguely similar with tinkering.
The Buzzaround schematic might be out soon, looking forward to that too.

[mac]

Welcome Tatter, and thakns for the info.
I listened to the clips, somewhere in the middle of my results with and without tweaking Q3 bias.

mac

[foxfire]

Hi (first post)

Here is an informative thread on the MKI:
http://dam.10.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=744

And on this myspace page are some clips of the D*A*M 1965 (MKI clone build by David Main who has an original):
http://www.myspace.com/damsoundclips

The MKI clips are tracks 4 and 5.

The MKI was the first ground up DIY pedal i attempted and i'm still tinkering with it now. It seems very sensitive to different transistor gain levels. I've found Q1 needs to be around 50 - 70 hfe for this pedal to sound good, but i am a total noob so don't take my word for it 

Hope this is of some help

you beat me to it. Rylan

[Dragonfly]

Thanks, the soundclips were plausible, I could get something vaguely similar with tinkering.
The Buzzaround schematic might be out soon, looking forward to that too.

[frankclarke]

This makes more sense, but I'll check the photos:
http://usera.imagecave.com/simonm/schem/buzzaround.jpg but I don't see it being correct.
TBIII with blend tone control and bias knob.
The Dizzy Tone had 25uF electros instead, and larger resistance on the Balance pot. Otherwise, same animal.

I see 3x 100k resistors (DAM and EBay photo), and possibly a 290k offboard near the balance knob (not on the DAM).

[Dragonfly]

This makes more sense, but I'll check the photos:
http://usera.imagecave.com/simonm/schem/buzzaround.jpg but I don't see it being correct.
TBIII with blend tone control and bias knob.
The Dizzy Tone had 25uF electros instead, and larger resistance on the Balance pot. Otherwise, same animal.

I see 3x 100k resistors (DAM and EBay photo), and possibly a 290k offboard near the balance knob (not on the DAM).

I see 10k's...only 1 100k....

10k brown-black-orange

100k brown-black-yellow

my schemo is the dizzytone with adjusted values and added 470k bias on the darlington pair...it should be correct for the buzzaround...also the burns unit differs from the DAM in the 47u...DAM has a 47u, Burns is 100u

this pic of the buzz clearly shows the 10k's...

[frankclarke]

I meant to say 10k, I got confused somewhere  . But I don't see 4x 10k. Anyway, there seems to be a resistor coming off the Balance pot. The DAM has it too. http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c162/TheZonkMachine/FUZZAROUND13.jpg
Thanks for the schematic, I forgot to say!

[Dragonfly]

I posted the final version schematic for the ultra rare Burns Buzzaround on my website. I reverse engineered it/confirmed it from detailed pictures posted by an "Buzzaround owner", and he built a clone from my schematic. He confirmed they sound the same. His comments : "How happy am I ? Just finished my clone circuit and not only did it work, it sounds fantastic !" ....and "First impressions of the clone: it sounds like a Buzzaround ! All in all, I am SO happy with my clone."

Click HERE to go to my website and see the schematic !

[frankclarke]

I love it when a plan comes together, well done!

[gigimarga]

Nice work Dragonfly, as usually!
Where i can hear it?

[Dragonfly]

Nice work Dragonfly, as usually!
Where i can hear it?

Thanks....

Here's a link to a Buzzaround video. The Buzzaround in the video is the same one that was reverse engineered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZViQ2H-5s4

[gigimarga]

Thx a lot!
It sounds killering