simple 2 knob hi gain distortion..collaboration?

[davidallancole]

I've got National N1's.

[arma61]

yes it's the big daddies b.... on the breadboard with a JC8RA LM386N-1 I still have to test an UTC WMAD LM386L and a JR56RQ LM38N-1
will report later on about these last 2 ICs

Hi all

so.... I just did a couple of tests (sorry I'm not set up atm for recording yet),
....hmm none of them did the trick! I'm almost convinced, as I red somewere here, that "N-3" should be the one, I've found a shop here in Italy that sells them (€0.88) and even an "N-4" (€0.67), but it'll take a month before I 'll put together an order worth a trip to them.



Ciao
Armando

[Slade]

So, what's the trick with this: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=65308.msg517338#msg517338 ??

[arma61]

that's what I was talking 'bout !

[deadastronaut]

So, what's the trick with this: http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=65308.msg517338#msg517338 ??

hi slade the problem is that nobody ever records the decay of a note..(which is prone to fizz/rumble/short decay etc)...
which is where the problem lies...

the 386 distortion is easy to accomplish....but not so easy to perfect!...whether its a n1 or n3 or n4....

[deadastronaut]

yes it's the big daddies b.... on the breadboard with a JC8RA LM386N-1 I still have to test an UTC WMAD LM386L and a JR56RQ LM38N-1
will report later on about these last 2 ICs

Hi all

so.... I just did a couple of tests (sorry I'm not set up atm for recording yet),
....hmm none of them did the trick! I'm almost convinced, as I red somewere here, that "N-3" should be the one, I've found a shop here in Italy that sells them (€0.88) and even an "N-4" (€0.67), but it'll take a month before I 'll put together an order worth a trip to them.



Ciao
Armando

hi guys...so no difference on the 386's then...

anyway been tinkering again....

ive redone the original schematic with 2 j201's..sounds good..just need to sort out where to put the gain control....
i thiink im going to put it straight after the 1st or 2nd fet..will try both...have also gone for the pin 2 on the 386
and it cleans up better too....still experimenting...so i may remove the gain pot from the 386 altogether and stick a
100r and a 47uf to ground from pins 1 and 8 instead.....and use the gain of the fets..(which i think someone suggested)..

am going on holiday for a week or so.....so will be unable to finish it soon..but it will give me time to step back and think ...!(logically).

the way it is on this schematic sounds good..just no real control over the gain..but when the gain is turned right down its a nice straight rock
sound..with no issues at all...... its sounding promising so far!..heres the scheme without the gain pot mods i was talking about!.

if any of you have got it on ya board, have a play and see what you think!.....!!!!!!!



have fun guys...see ya soon...........

[blooze_man]

Has anyone tried this with a JRC386? I've heard they're more stable than the LM.

[davidallancole]

I have heard the same thing.  It seems like you can never buy the two from the same place, except Small Bear!

[deadastronaut]

back in town again!....had a good break from it all!...

anyone messed with this yet?...ive still got it on bread board..


jrc386's..hmmmm..will have a look around the uk!...

[will queue for free stuff]

 The sound clips of your circuit sound unbelievable.
In my experience with the 386 it has a tendency to be too bright. If that's what your looking for I wouldn't change a thing
as I said, the circuit sounds great!
If you want to warm the tone, have you considered inserting an alembic stratoblaster into your circuit in place of a J201? 
To my ear, the stratoblaster responds well to pick attack and sweetens the tone.   
Sorry if this is coming along a little too late, but the circuits are so similar, it seems a shame not
to try it while it's still breadboarded. Just a thought.

[deadastronaut]

The sound clips of your circuit sound unbelievable.
In my experience with the 386 it has a tendency to be too bright. If that's what your looking for I wouldn't change a thing
as I said, the circuit sounds great!
If you want to warm the tone, have you considered inserting an alembic stratoblaster into your circuit in place of a J201? 
To my ear, the stratoblaster responds well to pick attack and sweetens the tone.   
Sorry if this is coming along a little too late, but the circuits are so similar, it seems a shame not
to try it while it's still breadboarded. Just a thought.

cheers craig, all suggestions are welcome...have u a schematic for it...?..
and would it be replacing both j201's...or just 1...sorry not familiar with that circuit..

i do like the bright sound. it tends to fatten up through a proper amp etc...but hey i'll try all sorts while its breaded ..
im not a fender strat player..more of a humbucker dude....ibanez /les paul....rob.

[will queue for free stuff]

I'm just working on drawing the idea up in Eagle.
The perfboard layout is here:
www.aronnelson.com/.../ALEMBIC_STRATOBLASTER_PERFBOARD_001.gif.html -
The schematic is at General Guitar Gadgets.
You can find a soundclip of the pedal alone here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5xu34mrIFg
Thanks for considering the idea
Good luck!

[deadastronaut]

I'm just working on drawing the idea up in Eagle.
The perfboard layout is here:
www.aronnelson.com/.../ALEMBIC_STRATOBLASTER_PERFBOARD_001.gif.html -
The schematic is at General Guitar Gadgets.
You can find a soundclip of the pedal alone here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5xu34mrIFg
Thanks for considering the idea
Good luck!

cool, i'll take a look. cheers . rob.

edit:. top link broken...will search ok..

yeah thats a cool booster...youtube..

edit: ahhh just found it as a schematic..and a vero!...

so im guessing this would go after the first j201-into the alembic then the 386?...yes?

[will queue for free stuff]

Sorry about the link.
I was trying to direct you to another UK builder since he's already attacked the problem of
parts available to you in the UK.
You'll notice he's used the 100uF cap to filter power also. A nice fit.
http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/album174/ALEMBIC+STRATOBLASTER+2N3819.gif.html

[deadastronaut]

cheers craig, thats a tidy little circuit!..very neat...

i found a j201 version too..

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26g2_itemId%3D11258%26g2_serialNumber%3D2&imgrefurl=http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/v/DRAGONFLY-LAYOUTS_0/album14/album150/ALEMBIC_STRATOBLASTER_PERFBOARD_001.gif.html&usg=__pSoX_L_J7_Bn-pVa1H56ltPWdws=&h=343&w=415&sz=11&hl=en&start=1&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=n1odGQix145cfM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=125&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dalembic%2Bstratoblaster%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dopera%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

i dont have those value transistors.!.  what a link !

[will queue for free stuff]

One last thing I forgot to pass along.......
Try removing your 10uF cap from the 1 to 8 jumper you have for gain
(keep the pot of course) and insert it in place the 100nF cap.
If you have a larger value cap, another 100uF perhaps, try it.
I've found this really helps to clean up the decay.
In response to your question re where the stratoblaster might be inserted,
I was drawing it up in the primary position.
At the very least, I hope the stratoblaster circuit gave you some ideas about boost
options with your circuit (with a dual gang pot?)
See ya!

[deadastronaut]

yeah cheers..its always helpul to see other designs, especially for general gain stuff.....i will give it a go..

before i do though, its funny i just did that pot thing with pin 1 -8 ...took out the 10uf...!

heres a clip of what ive got so far..you hear the gain go right up halfway through ok...it cleans up nice too...

i'll try the other ideas as well, thanks again man .rob.

heres the latest clip!..

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7464107/latest1.mp3

heres the schematic for the clip!..the gain does get hissy though on full gain ok...needs sorting!...but will try craigs ideas too!..and post results!..

[will queue for free stuff]

If I could play like that......
Nice.
Wouldn't change a thing.

[deadastronaut]

If I could play like that......
Nice.
Wouldn't change a thing.

cheers man, yeah i like it...gets a bit too hissy on max gain though!...gotta sort that out!...

oh yeah i see what you mean with the dual gang pot too!...cool.

[will queue for free stuff]

Rob,
I had an idea for you.....
but I'm not sure it'll work.
I guess thinking about dual gang pots and putting it together
with your comment about the circuit  getting hissy at high gain
lead me to the idea of a dual gang pot here too.... channeling the output of the 386 through the second tier of the pot
and using the pot as a variable resistor as part of a low pass filter.
IF, and I say IF, my math is right, by placing a 15nF cap to ground, as the resistance
increases to 1K the frequency attenuated should be about 10kHz. When the gain is set low, frequency attenuation should be
well above 50kHz leaving your signal unchanged.
So lug 1 would be signal in, lug 2 would be signal out, and lug 3 would be to 15nF and then to ground.
Of course this needs to jibe with your wiring for the gain on the LM 386.
Hopefully someone will jump in and tell me how wrong I am before you waste money on a dual gang 1K pot.
Good Luck.