MXR Dist+ with oil caps

[bdunlap]

Should I buy a Dist+ to put oil caps in it? How would you think that would sound/work out? Should I go for a vintage one?

[Scruffie]

If i'm honest... oil caps wont make a blind bit of difference to the sound at 9V (other than pure awesome mojo appearence) no cap probably will, you'll probably get more tone change from the drift in value from tollerance than you will from the type of cap so you'd be better off buying 100s of cheap mylars for the same cost and changing them out till you found a set that sounded better or measuring them individually.

Caps have a wide tollerance, the widest part of a circuit (usually 20%) which is why people swear that changing them changes tone, but if you use them all measured to the exact same value, I bet you wont any difference at all with any different type of cap made (except for perhaps in your head, you'd need to blind test it for it to be fair) in a tube amp though, perhaps a different story on the cap vs tone front.

Old Vs New, I'm not sure but I think a fair amount of the new MXR pedals use surface mount components so modding them would be stupidly difficult and modding a vintage pedal could be an expensive move.

So my answer is no... buy an MXR to use it, perhaps change the clipping diodes if you want a decent change in tone but unless you just want the fun of mojo appearence inside the pedal, putting in oil caps is going to be an expensive exercise (unless you don't measure them... and the change in tollerance makes it sound different... but then you might aswell use cheap caps)

*Waits for the disagreement of someone who swears by different caps *

[smallsnd/bigsnd]

agree... unnecessary unless you want it to look rad.

which can be fun, too!

[Mark]

changing the caps wont make a difference

Scruffie is totally right here. The main difference is the drift in values that loose tolerances allows. If you really want to make a difference, take a look at the schematic. Changing the tone stack's caps will make a big difference, as will the input filter's caps. Changing the bias resistors will change the gain response, and changing the actual pot's values will change the range.

[nbabmf]

I don't necessarily agree that changing the type of caps doesn't change the sound. I've played the swapping game with mil spec caps that have very tight tolerances and there is a difference with ceramic vs. film vs. tantalum. I haven't tried traditional electrolytics in the signal path yet, though.

[Mark]

Idk, honestly, it's all about your personal ear. To my ears, changing caps don't really make a difference unless it's changing the values. To others, it does make a difference. Maybe it's just in their heads? Maybe I just can't hear it, and they can? Who knows?

edit: Actually, I think the only definitive way to tell is to run it through a oscilloscope both times and SEE the difference... then again, who's gonna go and do that?

[metalmariachi]

Idk, honestly, it's all about your personal ear. To my ears, changing caps don't really make a difference unless it's changing the values. To others, it does make a difference. Maybe it's just in their heads? Maybe I just can't hear it, and they can? Who knows?

edit: Actually, I think the only definitive way to tell is to run it through a oscilloscope both times and SEE the difference... then again, who's gonna go and do that?

I have found that changing to different types of caps does make a difference.
On low value caps (Pico Farad) changing from ceramic to silver mica will give more clarity to high notes and harmonics.

It is fun and some what inexpensive (NOS Blackcaps, Vitamin Q are exceptions) to swap different brands and types.

It is a bitch on surface mount pedals though.
Something like a TS-9, Muff, Rat II have through hole boards so swapping is easier.

I’d probably save the oil caps for an amp though if the voltage rating is high enough.

Oh side note; all caps drift and ceramic caps absorb moisture over the years which probably explains the biggest change in tone when swapping them for polyester in old amps.

Oh I have looked at it with a scope, poly caps have a cleaner wave form. But do you want a cleaner wave form in a fuzz?

MM

[nbabmf]

I love these little brown monolithic ceramic caps in fuzz pedals.