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Fuzzrocious Club - *High Five!*

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#362
Snaxster said:
...I decided to try swapping an OPA2134PA into my OSD...

...it worked. And now my OSD was socketed. So since I also own some TI NE5532AP, eventually I'll do an A/B comparison between the NE5532AP and the OPA2134PA in my OSD.
Click to expand...

Background

Last night, on learning about the practice of stacking op-amps (aka parallel op-amps), I wanted to try it in my newly socketed OSD. Since I had only a few of the expensive Burr Brown op-amps, like the one I had recently swapped into my OSD, and I didn't have the nerve to experiment with them, I stacked two TI NE5532AP instead.

Disclaimer

Don't try this at home, folks. Don't try it anywhere. If you do try it in your OSD, it's all you: I am completely not responsible for anything related to your OSD.

Hack

I followed [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Orienting two TI NE5532AP op-amps the same way, I pinched the pins of the top chip slightly, so it would sit higher. Then I soldered each pair of pins so as not to obstruct the bottom pins for their insertion into a socket.

photo of two NE5532AP stacked

8164112073_3a20eebd42_z.png


The appearance of the stacked TI NE5532AP installed in the crudely socketed OSD is a bit grotesque. But the arrangement functions perfectly.

photo of stacked hacks in the OSD: parallel op-amps in the socket

8164146674_6bf27bde26_b.png


Clearance in the case

When I started to re-seal the OSD case, I saw that the stacked op-amps might be too tall to clear the case back. Luckily, the case back has a sort of scooped design, allowing another 1/8" or so of clearance for the internals.

Had my socketing job been conventional, with the socket soldered directly into the board and lying flush, there would probably be room for three stacked op-amps.

photo of the height of the stacked op-amps installed in the OSD

8164146416_86ea1c6b7a_b.png


Sound

Compared to the single Burr Brown OPA2134PA, the stacked NE5532AP impart a very different sound to the OSD.

In the OSD, the stacked NE5532AP push the circuit into overdrive much sooner, and sound tougher, with more midrange punch and snarl, and with less bass.

When later I swapped the single OPA2134PA back in, the sonic difference was striking: relaxed, big, open bass; much higher overdrive threshold; midrange that seemed flat; slow and easy response, without the pronounced snarl.

Conclusion

For use in the OSD, the single Burr Brown op-amp is for me. It lets me easily find the point just below obvious overdrive, where I can push the OSD into overdrive with my playing dynamics. Also, its retention of my instrument's true bass frequency output is important to me.

photo of the Burr Brown op-amp in the OSD

8152294530_4c89c9fbd3_b.png


Best,

Snaxster
 
#365
So my Grey Stache showed up this week. Turns out it has Germ/4001 diodes in it. Love the Germ diodes with the tone bypass on. I only got about 10 minutes to mess with it, I ended up running everything WFO with the tone bypass on. Adjusted the volume to taste and destroyed everything. :D Need to twiddle it's knobs some more to see what else it can do.

...and my feedback loop just showed up today, so I can't wait to run the GS in its loop. Should be killer.

Love the mad scientist gut shots on the OSD Snaxster.
 
#366
Hi, slend3r. Congrats on your new pedals! I'm glad you liked the photos. ;)

For my education, please: What is a Germ/4001 diode? I am an electronics novice... at best. :hmm:

Thank you!

Snaxster
 
#370
Plays_For_Dog said:
Ry,

What's the scoop on a redesigned website? I know you've been working on it, but the same ol' website is still up.
Click to expand...

You'll see why it's taking a long time to create...
I've spent about 20 hours on it already. Every pedal will have it's own page...you'll be able to purchase each pedal straight from the site with a Paypal shopping cart...
Long story short, it'll be a much larger site with better features.
 
#371
I think I might finally have to bite the bullet and pick up a Rat Tail. I've had so many different overdrives and distortions but have never had a rat. I've been staying away from Rat pedals mainly because it seems like the standard for bass distortion among people I know and it's my natural child-like instinct to stray away from that.
 
#372
SquareWaves said:
I think I might finally have to bite the bullet and pick up a Rat Tail. I've had so many different overdrives and distortions but have never had a rat. I've been staying away from Rat pedals mainly because it seems like the standard for bass distortion among people I know and it's my natural child-like instinct to stray away from that.
Click to expand...

Go the Rat King as I love the diode blend for using with bass and the feedback and second distortion setting can be extremely useful.
 
#376
asdaf said:
Add a Dark Driving to my membership, please! Any tips on the the second footswitch? So far all it's really doing is giving me a big volume boost. Thanks.
Click to expand...

There is a bass boost too. Start with these settings: left knob fully counterclockwise, middle knob unity, right knob fully clockwise, 2nd fs off. Now...turn on the 2nd fs. You should hear a volume and bass (darkness) boost.
 
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