Wolf Computer/Fox Calculator: favorite settings, combos, etc

[DhanoSuzuki]

Hello fellow fuzz people, this my first post here. Wasn't sure to post this here or in the Fuzzhugger forum, so if this is in wrong place, sorry.

I had the great fortune of scoring a Fox Calc off of eBay a couple weekends ago, and it finally arrived late last week. First impression seemed like it only got about two general tones, but the subtlety of the controls slowly reveal themselves, and it has become clear that this thing is capable of a wide variety of beautiful and bizarre sounds. I've never been so satisfied with a gear acquisition. So much fun, its even quelled my GAS for the time being.

Anyway, I think that I have probably read every thread on ILF that mentions the Wolf/Fox, and while I have learned a wealth of information, there doesn't seemingly to be much out there regarding specifics.

Such as: cool knob settings, cool pedal combos, neat tricks people have figured out, etc.

So I think it would be nice to compile all of that knowledge in one place. Specifically, it'd be nice to develop a small library of unique knob settings, similar to what they have for the Fuzz Factory. Wolf Computer/Fox Calculator is already a cult favorite, so it seems like a good time to start compiling this info.

So, what are your favorite knob settings? How about amp settings? What other pedals sound really cool stacked with ol Wolfy here? Has anyone noticed certain types of pickups having differing effects with this pedal?

I'm still very early into my experimentations with this pedal, but I'll start with my current favorite pedal combo out of all the pedals I have.

Fox Calculator + the Antichthon by Catalinbread. It almost seems like the Antichthon's crazy mode was made to use alongside the Wolf. To be specific, thr Fuzz and Sag knobs both interact with the Antichthon's Gravity knob. If you have seen any demos or reviews of the Anti, you probably know what I mean when I say "space dolphins." Well, with a Wolf you now have control over the pitch, timbre, and other interesting aspects of those space dolphins. Turn those dolphins into a grimy neo-industrial sub-bass pulse. Turn them into a screeching fire alarm. Turn them into whatever you want. Run an octave fuzz after the Anti and Fox and you'll give those oscillations a nice fuzzed out synth pulse sound.

Also, an interesting little trick that I've noticed: lower fuzz knob settings seem to clean up the signal when you are running your amp dirty with a bit of natural OD. I can get a tone that is largely clean, even if the amp is heavily distorted. Probably well known knowledge here, but I haven't seen it mentioned yet.

Anyway, sorry if there is another thread like this, but I didn't see one in my search.

*EDIT* also, I can't be the only person who thinks "Fantastic Mr. Fox Calculator" when they see this:

[chuckjaywalk]

This is relevant to my interests as a Wolf Computer user.

[Eivind August]

Running an AB-Synth (now it's called Sonic Shroom) into a Wolf CPU yields amazing results.

Here's a demo I made for the WC, full of my favourite settings:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVMay7Dmyps[/youtube]

[DhanoSuzuki]

Running an AB-Synth (now it's called Sonic Shroom) into a Wolf CPU yields amazing results.

Here's a demo I made for the WC, full of my favourite settings:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVMay7Dmyps[/youtube]

Nice, the AB-Synth/Shroom is fairly high in my queue of fuzz that I just need to have.

Sorry if this is a dumb or obvious question, but what in your opinion makes a fuzz "synthy?" It seems like gated and octave fuzzes are typically mentioned in reference to synthyness. Is it more of a feel than a real? The Wolf is obviously a very synthy fuzz, but whenever I'm synthing out real hard with it, I'm consciously playing my guitar differently than I normally would. When I go ahead and play like I normally would with just a regular ass fuzz, we're back into normal garage rock territory.

To counterpoint this, I have a tiny "vintage" "germanium" fuzz from China, that I am sure no one would mistake for some crazy synth fuzz. Yet depending on how I'm playing the guitar and hitting the strings, I can get some tones that I would consider "synthy." Not like the Wolf, but still. What makes a fuzz definitively "synthy" is a bit elusive to me.

That said, the Fox Calculator is my first experience with a "crazy" synth fuzz, so my personal experience here is extremely limited. The glitchy 8 bit arpeggiation is so so cool, and very easy to dial in.

*EDIT* Just watched your video, I've actually seen it before while browsing YouTube. And that is actually probably my favorite demo of the WC out of all the ones I've watched, even the "official" ones. Still haven't parsed out how to get all the tones that you are getting in that video, but ill rewatch and note down the different knob settings. Maybe post the settings here with my personal experience after I've played around a bit.

Thanks for the video!

[D.o.S.]

Sorry if this is a dumb or obvious question, but what in your opinion makes a fuzz "synthy?" It seems like gated and octave fuzzes are typically mentioned in reference to synthyness. Is it more of a feel than a real? The Wolf is obviously a very synthy fuzz, but whenever I'm synthing out real hard with it, I'm consciously playing my guitar differently than I normally would. When I go ahead and play like I normally would with just a regular ass fuzz, we're back into normal garage rock territory.

To counterpoint this, I have a tiny "vintage" "germanium" fuzz from China, that I am sure no one would mistake for some crazy synth fuzz. Yet depending on how I'm playing the guitar and hitting the strings, I can get some tones that I would consider "synthy." Not like the Wolf, but still. What makes a fuzz definitively "synthy" is a bit elusive to me.

That said, the Fox Calculator is my first experience with a "crazy" synth fuzz, so my personal experience here is extremely limited.

'Artificial' sounding attack and decay play a big part of it which is why heavily compressed/gainy, gated and octave fuzzes get rotated in here.

One classic example would be the MXR Blue Box.

Also your username is rad.

[Strange Tales]

I've always wanted to try a wolf computer/fox calculator but I've missed the 4 or so that have shown up in the past forever.

[D.o.S.]

Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 7:14 pm

Forever is in the eye of the beholder,I guess.

Also you could hit Eric up I think he has a few? (not Eric! Eric, but mellowtone Eric)

[Strange Tales]

Man, since I joined here; so forever in the tense of since I joined.

He just sold his last one I believe, so I'm boned there.

[DhanoSuzuki]

Man, since I joined here; so forever in the tense of since I joined.

He just sold his last one I believe, so I'm boned there.

They seem to pop up on eBay a few times a year. I wasn't even searching for one when I found mine, just got super lucky. I think the Fuzzgods must have known it was my birthday.

I know the circuit diagram is out there if you're feeling adventurous...

Also your username is rad.

Thanks, I knew at least one person would get the reference. And thanks for answering my questions, that does clear up some confusion.

[Eivind August]

Yeah, D.o.S is correct on 'synthy'. Fuzzes that produce tones (ie. oscillation/feedback) and arpeggiates and shit have something extra synthlike about them, and can be used as instruments in themselves. Pretty neat. Though I think PLL's and pitch shifters will get you more synthy toanzies.

Anyways, thanks for thine kind evaluation of my humble demonstration. I actually don't have a WC laying around anymore ( ), but I do have Shoe Pedals' Silver Apple, which is fairly similar, and somewhat expanded. There's something really attractive in the simple straightforwardness of the WC, though.

[UglyCasanova]

WC, hehehehe

[Faldoe]

I like to keep the gain at noon-2pm and have he gate up and pick lightly. You get these cool almost soft-horn like notes that gate out. With some delay its awesome.

I also like to have the fuzz up with the sag knob just up a little - in the WC case - fully CW and then back it off to where it starts squealing. Then playing single notes and then when the note start to decay they glitch octaves. It's been some time since I did that but if you dial it in right/ have consistent pick attack, you can get replicable results where the notes will do the octave shift after X amount of time after the initial note is struck.