A "unique" octave fuzz project

[culturejam]

I really like the sound of a cranked LM386 (and who doesn't?), but I thought it would be cool to pipe it's massive output into something octave-ish. So I tuned up the dirt portion of the circuit and tacked on the octave portion from Tim Escobedo's "PushMe PullYou Octave Fuzz". It's pretty crazy shit. I've never seen a fuzz set up quite like this, so I'm going to call it semi-original.

Anyway, here's a pair of sound clips for your (possible) enjoyment:
http://www.archive.org/details/WhatTheF ... SampleClip

I know this crowd tends to like pedals that sounds half broken, so this might work for a lot of folks here.



Project details:





Print at 166 dpi for proper sizing:




Here's the finished prototype:

[futuresailors]

Chip, chip! Hear, Hear! Well done lad, I do say.

[kosta]

I wouldn't be mad about having that between my guitar and amp... if ya know what I mean. Sounds awesome! You taking orders?

[Bobby D]

nice! an octave fuzz and a 386 based circuit is a kool idea

[culturejam]

You taking orders?

I'm really not crazy about building stuff specifically for other people (takes the fun out of it for me). But you can buy the prototype if you want. It's the one pictured in this thread.

[kosta]

[fuzzmax]

Will definitely give it a shot!!

[Jero]

Sounds great, will be building one some time! Do you sell those 3pdt pcbs by chance? They seem like such useful pieces.

[culturejam]

Do you sell those 3pdt pcbs by chance? They seem like such useful pieces.

I got a few from Smallbear to try out. In some ways they are easier, and in some ways you have to think more when using them. So the +/- on them is a wash, in my opinion.

For example, while you don't have to dick around getting the bare wire through the switch lugs, you end up making almost twice as many solder joints with the PCB vs just soldering the wire to the switch.

[fuzzmax]

i have the same opinion about those switch pcbs. they were confusing me more than anything else and i ended up breaking my switches when i want to remove them. not worthy imo.

[Jero]

Haha, see I would have thought it easier to remove/keep the switches clean.

[fuzzmax]

I just built this effect with an etched pcb and it does not sound exactly like the sound sample provided in this thread. The fuzz section works perfectly but the octave/gated swell effect is not being heard. The filter pot (10K) also does not making any big difference in the circuit, only a little brighter when completely rolled back. Does anyone knows what components or portion of the circuit responsible for what's not working in my circuit? The components that I use are the same in the list except for Q2 wich is also a 2N3904 and film caps instead of small boxes.

slowly but surely learning!!

thanx

[culturejam]

The components that I use are the same in the list except for Q2 wich is also a 2N3904

There's the problem. Q2 has to be PNP transistor. It can be almost any PNP transistor, I just chose 2N3906 because they are cheap and easy to find (Radio Shack has them).

Without a PNP in Q2, there can be no octave. And the filter is mostly only useful with the octave.

Put a PNP in there and see what happens.

[fuzzmax]

The components that I use are the same in the list except for Q2 wich is also a 2N3904

There's the problem. Q2 has to be PNP transistor. It can be almost any PNP transistor, I just chose 2N3906 because they are cheap and easy to find (Radio Shack has them).

Without a PNP in Q2, there can be no octave. And the filter is mostly only useful with the octave.

Put a PNP in there and see what happens.

YES!!!!!but lucky me, one of the legs of the only 2N5087 that I had broke off but i was able to test it!
Thanx a lot

[culturejam]

but i was able to test it!
Thanx a lot

So does it sound right now? Are getting some octave?