Harmonic Percolator (George Giblet's schem) build report

[alex frias]

DDD, Oh boy, you don't know what you have done... I'm an addict for this kind of project, so I will apreciate very much your offer and I ask you gently to send it to my personal mail:
alexfrias@viainterior.com

Last night I played guitar a lot and tried a number of things.

First, I did a personal version of Jordan Bosstone. It uses a NPN/PNP 2 trannies arrangement but in a different conception, anyway it makes good sounds and have some similarities with HP.

Regarding our beloved HP, I've tried some of your ideas. To my personal taste, or lack of it, I didn't find one Si/Si combination with interesting and complex tones like those I  found with Ge/Si. It's important to note that I used the last version I presented here in this topic, with the same component values. As DDD wrote, maybe some values will need to be changed or even some new components added in order to get more interesting tones.

Then I changed the transistor combination point of view, trying Q1 Si PNP/ Q2 Ge NPN. An interesting result was achieved, but this time leakage is not very wellcome. Leaking devices (as Q2) tended to sound misbiased. I've tried a lot of thannies (both Si and Ge) with low to high hfe's. As the fatigue arrived, my hearing tests turned blurred and inconclusive at this time, at least regarding the hfe's combination.  ASAP I do more tests, if relevant information arise from it, I will post again.

I hope Dough are doing well and accompanying this funny topic.

[DDD]

alex frias,
pls check for the e-mailed schematic.

[alex frias]

Thanks, ASAP I hope to return with news!

[DDD]

Waiting impatiently for your news. ;-)

[Ben N]

OK, time to see about reviving this very fascinating thread. Has anybody but Alex and Doug bitten the bullet and built one of these puppies? The demos are most amazing, just the whole component sensitivity thing is a bit daunting. Inquiring minds want to know...

[noelgrassy]

Ben, Actually I have built it and I'm in the process of tuning it to have a little more bass. I used the original xistors with gains around hFE=200.
I'm probably the only goomer to use the slide pots. That added a level of unnecessary fabrication complexity. I had an itch to build it like the crazy man from Milwaukee did. I recommend it if you like Fuzz of many flavors. The folks that are happy with their typically voiced distorshums need not concern themselves with FX like the HP.

I have a WMD Geiger Counter coming in the mail this week and the HP was a perfect "stepping tone" to that.


Have yerself some fun! 

[Ben N]

Thanks, Daevid. I have to get me some Ge's, but maybe I will put it together with 2N3906 in a socket for the time being. It is right after Andy's Simple Fuzz on my list. Does your sound anything like the demos? How is it with HB as opposed to SC?
Thanks

[alex frias]

Huuummmm, I'm happy seeing that this thread is still alive!

I rehouse my Expresso Tone Machine and decided not to keep the "Harmonics" knob as I use the Volume Guitar Control to get several textures from it. It's one pedal that I used in every gig.

Recently I usedid before a Scrambler I just built (following a Mr Hammer advice) and "Wow!!!" is the minimum I may say... You really have a "octave-up-coming-in" control at your guitar volume knob! Amazing and useful.

I tried some projects from Dimitri, a really nice and clever guy, in order to achieve a more "easy-to-find" parts HP circuitry. Sadly I had no success without the critical parts I've used. The project has some good sounds but nothing close to the character lof my ETM.

One issue I am convinced is that if you are planning to avoid the Ge PNP tranny, some modifications will be needed to keep the sound.

[noelgrassy]

Can someone post the pinout for the "button" kine 2N3565? I don't see those in the data sheets.

I'm building one with 1uf lytics in the 100n ceramic positions and paralleling a 1n poly cap with
the 20K to gnd. I'm so feeble that I can't remember where I saw the thread showing the current layout
in Therimaniac's HP builds. This is apparently what works with a 2N4040A/2N3565 design.
Thank you in advance,

Noel.

[moose23]

Hey I'm new here, this is actually my first post. Anyway I have what seems to be a real life HP1 here in front of me, belongs to a friend. I can post gut shots and details of what is written on each component if ye want? I'm uploading scans of the guts to my flickr account right now. I presume this is a later version as the none of the components have been disguised.

Here's my parts list so far or at least the writing on each component:

Clipping diodes:   1 N 695 and 1or4Js 595 both read from the black line.

Red cap: 390 +/- 5% ODE? 9CCWV

C3/C6 Orange caps: 104

Green: 2D473K Tracon

Yellow: 47u 10

Backside: 102

PNP Germanium: 0533 2N404A (c interlocked with c logo)

NPN Silicon: 2N3565

Resistors starting at bottom of pic:

Hidden under green:    red-red-yellow      gold
                 Red-black-orange       gold
         White-brown-orange           gold
         Purple-green-yellow           gold
         Yellow-purple-red           gold

[Ry]

Cool!  What is the address of your flicker account?  Component and trace sides of the board would be great.

The clone I built from this thread has become my favorite fuzz pedal by far.  So much grunt and high end all at the same dirty time...

[moose23]

I need to buy a multimeter in the next few days so once I do I can take any measurements people want too. I plan to build one for myself anyway.

[moose23]

Oh my flickr address if you want bigger pics.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moose23/

[noelgrassy]

The Laconic Carbonator rears it's spastic head:
I just lashed one together with the new component data. I tried to keep the original mojeaux content
up there where ever possible. I'll finish fabbing the box for it and wire everything up so I can report
on the sound. The reason I'm posting these perfboard portraits because I'm only slightly too boastful
of my homage to the ones built by the crazy hombre from Milwaukee. Thanks to all the original folks
who worked so diligently to produce the actual effect. As has been stated, WTF were the folks at Barge
Concepts trying to build? LOL...

It's really remarkable, at least from my perspective, how accurate the "Brick" was all along. Another
freaky dealy was Alex Frias' experiments with crazy gain [hFE] xistor juxtapositions. The more offthewall
the numbers got, the circuits seemed to get more inline with the desired result.

Thanks to everyone that makes this hobby so rewarding,

Noel Grassy.

[JJ Gabor]

I have a Chuck Collins clone and mine has 1uf polarised electrolytic coupling caps.

The pin voltages are

PNP 2N404A

E 1.61 v
B 1.46 v
C 1.46 v

NPN 2n3565

E 1.62 v
B 1.93 v
C 2.49 v

I drew up a schem for mine:



Pic


Mine also has the 102 ceramic cap on the trace side.

[birt]

a harmonic percolator clone made with the schematic in this thread has been used on the new Simple Minds album.

[punkin]

Looks like a nice yet simple build...it's on my list.

[Gus]

a harmonic percolator clone made with the schematic in this thread has been used on the new Simple Minds album.

Interesting.

[alex frias]

"It's alive, it's alive!!!"

Well I'm happy to see this recent movement about this thread. I'm absolutely obcesed by this little monster. And, yes, I will try those last tips just to say something about it.

Noel, what can you tell us about the glass encapsulated resistors you used?

And if the known band is using a kind of HP in its new record, good for them. So we must hope they use it for the light side of the force!

[DougH]

I've got a pair of 1n695's and am ready to try it on the breadboard again when I get some time. I suspect the diodes will be key.