Peppermill with clipping diodes help.

[Jamforthelamb]

Hey all,
I recently added a diode clipping stage to my peppermill (leds on one side of the switch, sili on the other). I added it at the end of the circuit before the volume pot. It works well, but only when the pedal volume is turned all the way up (very loud!). Is there a way I can change this so that the clipping still works at a reasonable volume ?

Thanks!
jftl

[jacobyjd]

is your volume pedal before or after the distortion in your effects chain?

[bassmasta17]

i think he means in the pedal (the volume pot). I also have the same problem in the fuzz i made but it clipps at low levels also but sounds better at a high volume.

[Jamforthelamb]

jacobyjd: Volume pedal is the 2nd to the last thing in my chain (delays are on the end for swells).

bassmasta17: That's correct. That's exactly my problem.

jftl

[doug deeper]

did you put the diodes after the volume pot?
if so youve made a clipping threshold control so to speak.
before the volume pot and you'll have clipping all the time.

[Zben3129]

try adding the diodes after the .047 but before the 8k2

Zach

[Jamforthelamb]

Doug: The diodes are just before the volume pot.

Zben3129: Thanks! I'll try that.

jftl

[Caferacernoc]

"try adding the diodes after the .047 but before the 8k2"

That will work much better. The 8.2k resistor will "seperate" the function of the clipping section and the volume section. Added bonus is that the low pass filter will be after the clipping so it can roll off any fizz.

[petemoore]

http://runoffgroove.com/peppermill.html

[Jamforthelamb]

Zben3129 and Caferacernoc: Thanks! That seemed to do the trick!

-jftl

[Caferacernoc]

How does it sound? 

[Jamforthelamb]

I made some samples so everyone can listen for themselves.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=902107

If you click the "full" link there is some text explaining what my settings are.

Thanks again!

-jftl

[Caferacernoc]

That sounds pretty good. Is that into a miked amp and speaker or straight into a recorder. I'd say if it's not a miked amp the clips sound excellent!

[Jamforthelamb]

I used the line out on my amp. The amp is a Peavey Duece twin amp set very clean (about the only thing it does well), so the pedal is responsible for any distortion. I need to get a mic stand for my sm57 then I hope to put some mic'd recordings on that same page.

-jftl

[Caferacernoc]

Yeah, then that sounds real good. I hear a bit of frazzle on the top end when you really dig in, but that would go away when played through a real guitar speaker which has almost no output above 5000hz.
Good juicy and dynamic sounds from that pedal.
Good job.

[Jamforthelamb]

I put up a new short sample with it mic'd instead of direct.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=902107&songID=7161842

[oskar]

Buddy!
Even though moving the diods took care of the problem... they should really have worked fine in the original position.
You're volume pot is probably hooked up the wrong way.


It sounds to me like you feed the middle lug and route the other lugs to out and ground respective.
That would totally explain the behavior.


oskar

[Jamforthelamb]

Well, for whatever the reason changing it fixed it. In fact I think it sounds better now! 

-jftl

[Zben3129]

Buddy!
Even though moving the diods took care of the problem... they should really have worked fine in the original position.
You're volume pot is probably hooked up the wrong way.


It sounds to me like you feed the middle lug and route the other lugs to out and ground respective.
That would totally explain the behavior.


oskar

If the diodes are placed after the 8k2, the volume pot acts as a parallel resistance to the diodes. With the pot on 10, the resistance parallel to the diodes is at its maximum, so more current can flow through the diodes. As you turn the volume down, the resistance to ground decreases, allowing the resistor to carry more current and the diodes less. Consider the volume pot on 0, the diodes are shorted to ground, so no clipping whatsoever. The way you originally had it wired is essentially a gain control, not volume control. This is why it wouldn't work.

Zach

[oskar]

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=72209.msg589693#msg589693

Exactemento! Like over at this thread, volume pot hooked up wrong...