• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

FEA fan club!

#981
So quick question! My Elrick, when in active mode, clips the crap out of the Opti. I've adjusted the threshold to fully on and the gain up and it takes that away. But maybe I'm missing something. I didn't realize how powerful the pre is in my Elrick. I just want a smooth even signal/tone. Any suggestions? Also, it drops in volume significantly in passive mode, but I'm afraid the only way to fight that is to get a dual compressor like I had before! LOL!!!
 
#985
jwr said:
So quick question! My Elrick, when in active mode, clips the crap out of the Opti. I've adjusted the threshold to fully on and the gain up and it takes that away. But maybe I'm missing something. I didn't realize how powerful the pre is in my Elrick. I just want a smooth even signal/tone. Any suggestions? Also, it drops in volume significantly in passive mode, but I'm afraid the only way to fight that is to get a dual compressor like I had before! LOL!!!
Click to expand...

Check the DIP switches under the back cover. Switch 1 & 2 are for different degrees of warmth and with hot input signals the warmth circuit can sound like slight clipping with switch 2 on. The circuit of the Opti can handle signals of 10Vp-p without issues, so I think there is something else going on other than typical clipping.

-Frank
 
  • Like
Reactions: blindrabbit and jwr
#986
boomertech said:
Check the DIP switches under the back cover. Switch 1 & 2 are for different degrees of warmth and with hot input signals the warmth circuit can sound like slight clipping with switch 2 on. The circuit of the Opti can handle signals of 10Vp-p without issues, so I think there is something else going on other than typical clipping.

-Frank
Click to expand...

AHHH!!! Didn't know there were dip switches in there! You are the man Frank!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: boomertech
#987
Deadsound said:
Hi Frank, sorry if I missed it, but can you tell me what the acnr is all about? Thanks!
Click to expand...

ACNR is Active Coring Noise Reduction. Some dirt pedals pass the post distortion signal thru back to back diodes for a noise blocker for when the instrument is silent. So, the signal level has to be greater than the forward voltage drop of the diodes before it passes on to the output. This type of signal blocking is called coring, because it removes a section of the signal around the zero signal axis. Many times you will find a potentiometer in parallel with these coring diodes so that there is somewhat of an adjustment of the intensity of the effect.

I made an active circuit with these coring diodes that effectively makes the forward diode voltage drop completely adjustable. With this active circuit, I'm able to adjust the pass threshold from zero to the diode forward voltage drop. Some will call this a gated fuzz control, but I think of gates differently, so I gave it a name of what it technically is.

-Frank
 
  • Like
Reactions: blindrabbit
#988
boomertech said:
ACNR is Active Coring Noise Reduction. Some dirt pedals pass the post distortion signal thru back to back diodes for a noise blocker for when the instrument is silent. So, the signal level has to be greater than the forward voltage drop of the diodes before it passes on to the output. This type of signal blocking is called coring, because it removes a section of the signal around the zero signal axis. Many times you will find a potentiometer in parallel with these coring diodes so that there is somewhat of an adjustment of the intensity of the effect.

I made an active circuit with these coring diodes that effectively makes the forward diode voltage drop completely adjustable. With this active circuit, I'm able to adjust the pass threshold from zero to the diode forward voltage drop. Some will call this a gated fuzz control, but I think of gates differently, so I gave it a name of what it technically is.

-Frank
Click to expand...

I knew I should have patented that last night...
 
  • Like
Reactions: blindrabbit and boomertech
#989
nshuman said:
I knew I should have patented that last night...
Click to expand...

:laugh:
This circuit is so cool that I was concerned that it would either be patented or much of its function would be covered by patent... so I spent days researching patents. There are several patents for coring noise reduction for video signals that use very different techniques, but no one has patented this method.:thumbsup:

-Frank
 
  • Like
Reactions: andrew, blindrabbit, nshuman and 1 other person
#990
with active/ passive basses a low battery can cause volume spikes and volume drops.. even though I would think the passive mode would not be effected.. if everything is routed thru the battery.. voltage sag can do weird things
 
  • Like
Reactions: jwr
#993
jwr said:
@boomertech that helped a bit, but it didn't solve the issue completely. I'm wondering if I just need to tweak the eq of my amp a bit. Maybe that's the issue.
Click to expand...

Have you tried the Opti alone, without any other pedals connected? The Opti-FET can output a healthy 10Vp-p signal, so it has the ability to overdrive pedals behind it.

-Frank
 
  • Like
Reactions: blindrabbit
#994
boomertech said:
:laugh:
This circuit is so cool that I was concerned that it would either be patented or much of its function would be covered by patent... so I spent days researching patents. There are several patents for coring noise reduction for video signals that use very different techniques, but no one has patented this method.:thumbsup:

-Frank
Click to expand...
You should patent it. I know a guy :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: boomertech and andrew
#995
willsellout said:
You should patent it. I know a guy :)
Click to expand...

:laugh: Haha!

It is a cool circuit that I really like, but I don't think it is worth a patent. Patents are very expensive to protect and although this circuit is unique for me, I can create a similar function with an under-biased class AB amplifier. But with my recent discovery of an awarded patent (that should have never been granted), I would not be surprised if class AB amplifiers will soon be patented. My respect for patent examiners and for the whole patent system is basically nonexistent now.

-Frank
 
  • Like
Reactions: willsellout, Teijo K. and andrew
#996
boomertech said:
But with my recent discovery of an awarded patent (that should have never been granted), I would not be surprised if class AB amplifiers will soon be patented. My respect for patent examiners and for the whole patent system is basically nonexistent now.
Click to expand...

Can you can share the story on the A/B patent?
 
#998
andrew said:
Can you can share the story on the A/B patent?
Click to expand...

Aidenn7 said:
AB amplifier as noise reduction limiting amplifier is what Frank was talking about. The real story is about Fultone patent..
Click to expand...

Exactly! My remark about class AB amplifiers being patented was just a sarcastic dig at the patent system.
I am still really bothered by a guy taking public information and others work and getting a patent for it. It should have never been granted by the patent examiner and it maybe says a lot more of the character of Mr. Fuller.

Patented Tube Screamer + RAT pedal

-Frank
 
  • Like
Reactions: willsellout
#1,000
So I happened upon a photon fuzz in the classifieds instead of waiting for my name to come up on the current build list, and I'm really glad I did. It is an amazing little box. For starters, it makes an amazing clean, clean-ish, or dirty preamp. With bite set towards CCW and drive low there is tremendous clarity and punch as an overdrive that is strongly reminiscent of the transboost circuit Frank designed with John k. You can run it as a light OD and the octave footswitch will still transform it into a gnarly fuzz. I'm absolutely in love with it as a slight dirty preamp right now and haven't seriously explored it's capabilities as a fuzz, which I'll do in time. (I'm actually really glad to have this now older version with the mid control since that's quite handy for the preamp role). But wow, this thing is a gem.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrwood4, Teijo K., boomertech and 2 others

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back