Shin-Ei Companion + Boost (PRE or POST) suggestions

[glops]

Been playing with this on my breadboard for over a week now.  It's nice and nasty.  I love it.

I have read a million of Mark Hammer's posts regarding this circuit.  And Mark, the enthusiasm you express towards this circuit is highly regarded in my book.  It's beautifully sick in it's sound and I want to put this puppy down!  

I have been swapping caps made from different materials in and out, and have played with numerous transistors, as well.  Did the scoop mod on Mark's page with different pot values, etc.  Getting close to what I like but I'm still trying out Boosts...

Tried Tim Escobedo's utility boost in front of the circuit, which was ok.  Was going to try his Duede boost and a JFET boost in Dragonfly's gallery but noticed a couple of extra pots in these circuits.  So then I breaded the NPN boost by Gus and tried it in front and then after the circuit.  It seems to have worked better after.  It sounds good but I want to consider more options before I box it.  

So, it would be greatly appreciated if any of you folks would kindly recommend a simple boost for this circuit that either goes before or after the fuzz.  I would like to incorporate this into an extra stomp switch or toggle.  All of Mark Hammer's praise for pre boosting this fuzz has made be a believer.  So I guess I want ideas on a simple pre boost.  The possibility of giving this puppy rabies makes me excited...

Thanks a bunch!

- Richard

[FunkyGibbon]

Hi,

You could use the Flipper Switch described here:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=36392.msg621183#msg621183

so that your boost could be EITHER before or after the fuzz.

Also, consider the Omega:

http://runoffgroove.com/omega.html

as a boost. The range of sounds is fantastic. I replaced the bias trimpot with a pot so I can change the bias at any time. This produces quite a wide array of tones. Combined with the Range control, there's just no end to the fun!

I boxed it with an SRV Special and a Flipper Switch. The sound of an SRV Special into a boosted tube amp is quite different to the sound of a boosted SRV Special into a (non-boosted) tube amp. The Flipper Switch was just the ticket for someone as indecisive as me!

Cheers,

Christopher

[fuzzo]

before the fuzz circuit you'll boost the fuzz  (like you can do with a tubescreamer with a overdrive amp)  . I'm not sure the companion fuzz needs that .

After would be a better choise to increase the output level of the pedal (really low indeed) . I put the one shows on the GGG schematic and it worked good . but any AOP/jfet/bipolar will do the job.

[glops]

Thanks for your suggestions, guys.  FG, I had never seen that diagram for the flipper switch, I like it.  Don't know if I will incorporate it in this beast but definitely refer back to it for future builds.  I guess I have been playing with my Companion for too long and am getting anxious to perf it...  I may fiddle with the omega, though...

Fuzzo, I read some of your previous posts concerning this circuit.  It seems like you didn't care for it much?  I have found that it can have a lot of output under certain circumstances.  As the stock circuit with the stock values, including the scoop, it can have very low output or high output depending on transistors used.  I have auditioned numerous transistors in the Q1 and Q2 positions and have found that using transistors in the 200-300 hfe range sound closer to the stock circuit.  When I used higher hfe's it tended to not sound good at all.  Last night I had a BC108B and a BC109B in and it sounded pretty loud.  I have some really low gain metal can 2222's that sound good, too, although the output is low but with the post afterwards it's pretty nice.

When pre boosted the fuzz I got some nice sounds but only tried one booster.  Gonna try some others.  I really like it now with the boost after the fuzz but I guess I am going to keep experimenting pre boosting due to all of Mark Hammer's praise.

[glops]

Final breadboard report:

I'm finally done with the Companion Fuzz (until I decide to build another ).  I have decide to build the circuit stock minus a few details...

All of the transistors I tried in Q1 and Q2, with hfe's between 200-300 didn't sound nearly as good as metal can 2N2222's that have a much lower hfe.  In Q1 I have a 2222 with a hfe around 100 and in Q2, a 2222 with a hfe at about 50.  This combination sounds really good!  It has the most sizzling vibrating fuzz compared to all of the other transistor combos I tried.  When I perf it I m going to socket the transistors and add an additional socket at Q1 to put in another 2222 for a Darlington configuration.  This makes it sound even sicker.  I have decided to leave out Mark Hammer's mid scoop mod because I want to fiddle less and want to not have another pot.  There were definitely some great sounds with the mod but I am trying to keep this one simpler. 

I am still deciding whether or not to put Gus's NPN boost in front or after the circuit.  It's pretty loud as it is, but boosting before the circuit takes it over the edge a notch.  Maybe I'll put a boost before and after. 

I have had a long run with this on the breadboard.  It has taken me awhile to get it to sound right but it is a completely beautiful nasty fuzz!  It was hard to get it to run without being super splatty.  Now it's thick nasty and and has ugly fuzzy growls. 

[fuzzo]

Hi,

putting the boost "after" is really necessary. The output volume is really low , I remember I had to put the pot at max to have the same level between bypass and effect.

For the transistor, I'm not sure different ones  will change the sound, the feedback resistor is really high and the signal really big (any works on filtering) . Looks like two booster in serie .

The mark's mod is also good, but you need a 2Kpot for the "mid" control, 10K (like mentioned on the document, I think)   is too big .

[Mark Hammer]

2k can be hard for some people to find.  A 5k or 10k with a parallel resistor to set max resistance is fine. Or, what else I recommend is a toggle that simultaneously lifts the scoop and compensates for the volume-level change.

Note that the difference in loudness with the scoop lifted is substantial enough that a gain-recovery stage after the FY-2 is not really necessary.  If you want to switch between stock and scoop-lift then you will need an additional stage to produce the sort of output level many want.  But if you build it or wire it with the mids lifted (and it is a very nice sound, I have to say) and NO scoop at all, then you won't need the extra stage.

[glops]

I really like the sound of the mid scoop lifted and the boost in volume is really huge but really love the sound of the stock scoop.  I wanted to finalize this last night but kept playing around with it.  Going to give myself today to finalize it.  Going to play it through my Music Man 212-65, so I can get a real reference.  At home I use a Crate practice amp with headphones and it really just gives me an idea of the sound.  Without the headphones plugged in, the Companion sounded pretty loud compared to clean.  But this amp has fooled me before.  The Music Man will be exciting to try out.

I think I'm going to put the scoop on a switch but going to play a little more with the scoop mod with a parallel resistor on a 10k pot.  Gonna put a boost before the circuit on a switch for when I want it to get really nasty and maybe a recovery stage after the scoop if it's not loud enough tonight on the Music Man.

[fuzzo]

Actually I supect the designer put the mid-scoop tonestak to hide a little bit the "harsh" and "nasty" sound produced by his circuit. You can find the same tone section on a lot of fuzz from the 70's. 

[glops]

For me, the tone scoop makes this thing nasty.  Without it, my version sounds more like a really heavy growly overdrive/distortion and less fuzzy.  I would love to find a clip of the circuit with the tone scoop bypassed. 

Played it through my big amp but can't crank it for a few hours.  With the amp at a reasonable low volume, the effect isn't much louder than bypass and maybe a little quieter.  Maybe my opinion will change when I crank the amp later.

I guess I will put a recovery stage after the circuit.  Is the volume boost addition to the GGG schematic a good one to add?  Is there a boost you recommend, Fuzzo?
I would really like to bring the volume without color the sound of the stock circuit...

Thanks so much...