Ring (and/or Balanced) Modulation for the modulator masses

[lordgalvar]

703940AC-E115-4FDE-BC8E-4ED0FB208C6A.jpeg (201.87 KiB) Viewed 1309 times

Parallel telecom transformer passive diode ring

[Chankgeez]

Parallel telecom transformer passive diode ring

[crochambeau]

That's super pretty, passive rings are the best. Rejection can be a beast though.

[Chankgeez]

https://reverb.com/item/41048604-cwejma ... -modulator

[lordgalvar]

Yea, Cwejman passed away earlier this year. He was a great designer. The prices have gone insane.

Here is that passive ring mod from above. I have some other ideas using different transformers, but I guess the important thing is that it works?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tZmRa0NAo4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXeGGMFOmlk

...and picks up the radio.

Actually not bad balanced either once I got my carrier and modulator levels similar.

[Dandolin]

outstanding, lg!

[Dandolin]

missed the boat on this analog frequency shifter run outta muffmodwiggler:

three hunnert dolla

[Chankgeez]

This page though!

[Chankgeez]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oPPPEdCxsk

[Dandolin]

bookmark'd

i found this comment from Mr. Frostwave on muffs to be full of interesting tidbits:

re: the Blue Ringer:

"I used the AD633 multiplying chip in that. Designing a ring modulator without noticeable bleedthrough was as hard as anything I have ever done - often people put a noise gate in. Note that any mains hum on the signal input will modulate the carrier & be very obvious, giving the impression of bleed through. Incidentally, I found that even when the hum-modulated carrier output was buried in the noise floor in the scope image, it was still audible. I hadn't expected to be able to hear something that I couldn't see."

I wonder of there's an easy way to diagnose whether "carrier noise" issues are bleed vs. mains hum modulatin' the carrier, short of moving house to a place with modern, reliable power

[lordgalvar]

It’s usually mains power outside of generalized level imbalance Except in more rudimentary designs like the carlin and diode ring.

The old ehx mains power freq analyzer has two trim pots to really level the signal too which need adjusting from time to time.
But a lot of bleed though is just power supply keeping the stuff opening in my experience.

Also, gain, compression, stuff that ain’t good at filtering some offset and just like that can keep a carrier audible.

Havent experienced it too much since I got power figured around the house (varies widely by time of day, what’s on the same power strip, and even if the light is on or off).

Balancing the signal good and keeping the gain off line noise should be generally good enough. The frosteave stuff generally wants a hotter signal and some boost on a guitar before (like studio electric) to really balance the signal with the hotter carrier. Moog has that always on preamp to get around it (which is why it’s always on by design I’m guessing so there isn’t too much volume difference when bypassed).

[Dandolin]

y'know what's scary? i actually followed all of that.... srsly - all good points, lg - thanks!

that's my next gear frontier - getting an actual gear room/studio (went from "never gonna happen" to "maybe?" in the space of a month, so, who knows?) and getting an electrician in there

and then, the final frontier:

https://navsmodularlab.blogspot.com/201 ... bouts.html

[neonblack]

So I've been out of the loop for a while on ring mods. What's the best ring mod pedal around these days and why is it still Randy's Revenge?

[lordgalvar]

y'know what's scary? i actually followed all of that.... srsly - all good points, lg - thanks!

that's my next gear frontier - getting an actual gear room/studio (went from "never gonna happen" to "maybe?" in the space of a month, so, who knows?) and getting an electrician in there

and then, the final frontier:

https://navsmodularlab.blogspot.com/201 ... bouts.html

Buchla 100 style!

Except for the throughzero stuff. Djangofire had some videos of that in the 100 though. I think?

Invert the signal a few times and you got a phase shift (or get a an oscillator like Angle Grinder).

I got one of these to do it in guitar: https://www.foxroxelectronics.com/2boost.html

Don’t know where I out it though.

So I've been out of the loop for a while on ring mods. What's the best ring mod pedal around these days and why is it still Randy's Revenge?

Still prefer the moog, rma, hexe and diode rings myself.

[neonblack]

Dunno what diode is!

You mean minifooger or maximum fooger?