Output cap suggestions for meathead

[russpurdy]

So I have a meathead with switchable output caps but there doesn't seem to be an audible difference between them. I have been told this might be fairly normal. Any suggestions on output cap values that would definitely make an audible difference? It already has switchable input caps and that makes a big difference wen switched. I would like the other switch to be useful too!

[soldersqueeze]

It would help if you included the values currently on the switch, but you may have to understand what the output cap is doing- essentially filtering the output of the pedal. At the output stage that normally means getting rid of a bit of noise. Why would you want two different types of slight noise reduction...? The only reason I can think that the switch was added to the pedal was pure experimentation or just to add another switch. Not uncommon in clones.
Can't you just ignore the switch? Take it out and put in another LED because LEDs are kewl?
If you really want to try something swap the lower-valued capacitor to something silly, like 1nf or 100pf to try a serious high-pass filtering. I think some rangemaster clones use input and output caps that small. Or not. I don't like Rangemasters. And I don't know nothing about pedals either, come to think of it...

[eatyourguitar]

100pf = 1 million or , 2 million Ohms + at guitar frequencies. it will drop volume. I know cause I have tried. if you want to see for yourself try these two things. take the frequency for a note you can play on guitar and stick it in the capacitor reactance calculator in the second link. add that resistance to your output impedance from the transistor (could be close to 0 there) and the input impedance of the next pedal or amp (we dont know). so we can get the minimum impedance before adding the input impedance of the next pedal. if your minimum output impedance is greater than 100k it is time to rethink everything.

http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html

http://www.electronics2000.co.uk/calc/r ... ulator.php

[soldersqueeze]

100pf = 1 million or , 2 million Ohms + at guitar frequencies. it will drop volume. I know cause I have tried. if you want to see for yourself try these two things. take the frequency for a note you can play on guitar and stick it in the capacitor reactance calculator in the second link. add that resistance to your output impedance from the transistor (could be close to 0 there) and the input impedance of the next pedal or amp (we dont know). so we can get the minimum impedance before adding the input impedance of the next pedal. if your minimum output impedance is greater than 100k it is time to rethink everything.

http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html

http://www.electronics2000.co.uk/calc/r ... ulator.php

Hey, he said he wanted a noticeable difference- he never said anything about it sounding good/ useable!! My modz bring the quiet, reflective toanz...

[eatyourguitar]

[soldersqueeze]

Ermahgerd...

That's.... So... Cute.

Forget the output caps, it's all about teh kittehz. British shorthair queen FTW