+1 I listen to the Plutonian tracks at least 3 times a day, I can't wait!
Also, here's some gear porn/Fuzzrocious collection.
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Fuzzrocious Club - *High Five!*
- Thread starter Plays_For_Dog
- Start date
- Status
+1 I listen to the Plutonian tracks at least 3 times a day, I can't wait!
Also, here's some gear porn/Fuzzrocious collection.
rratajski
Commercial User
- Jul 1, 2008
- 6,121
- 2,671
- Disclosures
- Builder for FUZZROCIOUS PEDALS
Thank you SO much!
Spread the word, please! I'd love to get a nice following going so a label would be interested in what we're doing.
+1 I listen to the Plutonian tracks at least 3 times a day, I can't wait!
Also, here's some gear porn/Fuzzrocious collection.
Oh dear God!.....
rratajski
Commercial User
- Jul 1, 2008
- 6,121
- 2,671
- Disclosures
- Builder for FUZZROCIOUS PEDALS
Fuzzrocious fans, here is one more 'hey, I hacked my OSD' post from me. It won't be the last (there's one more to come), but it's a good one. 
Below is too much detail, but the punch line is simple: I finally found the bass response I wanted in the OSD, and in my opinion I did it without trashing the OSD's native voice. Now I have the OSD of my dreams. And it is the s**t.
For a detailed explanation and the obligatory guts shots, keep reading below.
Otherwise, just have a good night!
Snaxster
________________________________
Introduction
With my new OSD, my quest for more bass output, even more touch sensitivity, and a higher overdrive threshold continues. Both reckless and rational, once again I try my luck with the 'snip and solder' technique on the component side of the PCB.
photo of OSD with one 2N7000 replaced by a 2SC1815
Swapping in one lower gain transistor
Two 2N7000 are stock in the OSD. I think they are part of the input stage. I owned a number of NOS 2SC1815 left over from my ongoing effort to repair an old Fulltone Bass-Drive v2.
A few 2SC1815 type transistors were stock in the Bass-Drive v2, now some ten years old. The OSD circuit is based on the modern Fulltone OCD, in which two 2N7000 are stock. I took a leap and assumed that these two types of transistors shared a basic architecture, and so could be interchangeable in Fulltone-derived audio circuits of similar function.
Since I have almost no understanding of how transistors work, I get little useful information when I read their datasheets. But I was able to learn that the 2N7000 is a MOSFET, and that the 2SC1815 was an all-purpose transistor. Their datasheets implied to me that the 2N7000 is a more modern and much more complex device. Also, it seemed clear that the 2N7000 featured much higher gain and lower resistance than the 2SC1815.
I thought the results of swapping a 2SC1815 for one or both of the stock 2N7000 would include a higher overdrive threshold, but could also affect other things. When I swapped the first one, I thought I noticed a slightly higher overdrive threshold. Also, I heard a more finely and evenly textured break-up. When the drive control was maxed, this change in texture was most evident.
photo of OSD with both 2N7000 replaced by 2SC1815
Swapping in the second of two lower gain transistors
Swapping the second 2N7000 with a 2SC1815, too, I heard no obvious further change in the overdrive threshold; but I did hear a further progression to the more finely and evenly textured break-up. Sometimes at all, and especially with higher drive settings, now the OSD's sound was listing toward fuzz. However, it was still tactile and had lots of envelope, so it retained its overdrive pedal character.
As I tried to learn what I thought of the change, playing in varying styles, registers and dynamics, I realized that my modifications might risk straying too far from the OSD's native voice. I decided that it was worth the risk, and that I wasn't done yet. I could still hear the OSD's voice, and was only asking it to sing with a slightly different technique.
Still seeking the bass
First changing the OSD's op-amp, I got from it more naturalness, nuance, somewhat more bass response, and sweetness. Now changing its transistors, I got a different break-up texture and slightly higher overdrive threshold.
All that remained to do was to increase the OSD's bass response significantly: whatever bass frequencies I played into it, I wanted to get out of it.
Though I had recently found a new setting I liked so much that I stopped using a bass equalizer after the OSD, it was down to aesthetics, not authenticity. If you order chocolate ice cream and they bring you strawberry, then you eat the strawberry anyway and think how excellent it is, you may still reasonably want the chocolate ice cream you didn't get. Because you love chocolate ice cream that much.
For me, bass response from the OSD was like that chocolate ice cream. Before the evening was out, I would do one more modification to the OSD, and I would get what I ordered.
photo of OSD with 1N4148 replaced by a red LED
Swapping in a red LED as the clipping diode
After studying the OSD circuit for a while, and wondering if I could increase its bass response by changing any capacitors, my intuition was that there must be a better way; a more systemic way.
On the stock OSD circuit board, I noticed two diodes. One seemed to be acting as a rectifier in the power stage. The other was evidently used for clipping in the gain stage. I am an electronics neophyte, but that's how it looked to me.
The 1N4148 I thought was used for clipping was tiny and surrounded closely by other components. But I felt that it was the key. Inspired by my obsession with the Fuzzrocious DD, I recalled that, like the BJFE Honey Bee on which it was based, the DD used two pairs of asymmetrically arranged diodes for clipping: one pair of 1N400x and one of LEDs. Though this 1N4148 was used singly, I decided it was worth swapping it with an LED.
Since I owned no spare LEDs, I borrowed my OSD's red LED used as its on/off indicator. If the swap didn't work, I had some new 1N914 I could revert to and hope I didn't fry any other parts.
But the swap did work. It worked like magic.
Finding the Oh See Demon of my dreams
What I heard was so natural-sounding that at first I almost didn't notice the change. With the red LED as the clipping diode, the OSD's bass response was increased so much that, with most playing styles and instrument settings, and with respect to overall spectral balance, I could hardly tell the clean sound from the overdrive sound. Yet the OSD's characteristic resonances and responsiveness were retained. Wow.
The only aspect some might think is undesirable is a lack of tightness in the bass. This seems to me consistent with the personality of the pedal, though, and it sounds (dare I say it) more amp-like than artificial. Indeed, to me, this looseness in the bass contributes to a feeling of playing loud through a big old bass amp.
For my purposes, regarding both usefulness and aesthetic preference, this change elevated the OSD almost to the level of the DD, which is one of my few favorite effect pedals ever.
Also, since I drive my OSD with a flanger, phase shifter and envelope filter (each either specially tuned for or naturally having full, fat, even bass response), now the OSD faithfully translates the bass output of each.
Below is too much detail, but the punch line is simple: I finally found the bass response I wanted in the OSD, and in my opinion I did it without trashing the OSD's native voice. Now I have the OSD of my dreams. And it is the s**t.
For a detailed explanation and the obligatory guts shots, keep reading below.
Otherwise, just have a good night!
Snaxster
________________________________
Introduction
With my new OSD, my quest for more bass output, even more touch sensitivity, and a higher overdrive threshold continues. Both reckless and rational, once again I try my luck with the 'snip and solder' technique on the component side of the PCB.
photo of OSD with one 2N7000 replaced by a 2SC1815
Swapping in one lower gain transistor
Two 2N7000 are stock in the OSD. I think they are part of the input stage. I owned a number of NOS 2SC1815 left over from my ongoing effort to repair an old Fulltone Bass-Drive v2.
A few 2SC1815 type transistors were stock in the Bass-Drive v2, now some ten years old. The OSD circuit is based on the modern Fulltone OCD, in which two 2N7000 are stock. I took a leap and assumed that these two types of transistors shared a basic architecture, and so could be interchangeable in Fulltone-derived audio circuits of similar function.
Since I have almost no understanding of how transistors work, I get little useful information when I read their datasheets. But I was able to learn that the 2N7000 is a MOSFET, and that the 2SC1815 was an all-purpose transistor. Their datasheets implied to me that the 2N7000 is a more modern and much more complex device. Also, it seemed clear that the 2N7000 featured much higher gain and lower resistance than the 2SC1815.
I thought the results of swapping a 2SC1815 for one or both of the stock 2N7000 would include a higher overdrive threshold, but could also affect other things. When I swapped the first one, I thought I noticed a slightly higher overdrive threshold. Also, I heard a more finely and evenly textured break-up. When the drive control was maxed, this change in texture was most evident.
photo of OSD with both 2N7000 replaced by 2SC1815
Swapping in the second of two lower gain transistors
Swapping the second 2N7000 with a 2SC1815, too, I heard no obvious further change in the overdrive threshold; but I did hear a further progression to the more finely and evenly textured break-up. Sometimes at all, and especially with higher drive settings, now the OSD's sound was listing toward fuzz. However, it was still tactile and had lots of envelope, so it retained its overdrive pedal character.
As I tried to learn what I thought of the change, playing in varying styles, registers and dynamics, I realized that my modifications might risk straying too far from the OSD's native voice. I decided that it was worth the risk, and that I wasn't done yet. I could still hear the OSD's voice, and was only asking it to sing with a slightly different technique.
Still seeking the bass
First changing the OSD's op-amp, I got from it more naturalness, nuance, somewhat more bass response, and sweetness. Now changing its transistors, I got a different break-up texture and slightly higher overdrive threshold.
All that remained to do was to increase the OSD's bass response significantly: whatever bass frequencies I played into it, I wanted to get out of it.
Though I had recently found a new setting I liked so much that I stopped using a bass equalizer after the OSD, it was down to aesthetics, not authenticity. If you order chocolate ice cream and they bring you strawberry, then you eat the strawberry anyway and think how excellent it is, you may still reasonably want the chocolate ice cream you didn't get. Because you love chocolate ice cream that much.
For me, bass response from the OSD was like that chocolate ice cream. Before the evening was out, I would do one more modification to the OSD, and I would get what I ordered.
photo of OSD with 1N4148 replaced by a red LED
Swapping in a red LED as the clipping diode
After studying the OSD circuit for a while, and wondering if I could increase its bass response by changing any capacitors, my intuition was that there must be a better way; a more systemic way.
On the stock OSD circuit board, I noticed two diodes. One seemed to be acting as a rectifier in the power stage. The other was evidently used for clipping in the gain stage. I am an electronics neophyte, but that's how it looked to me.
The 1N4148 I thought was used for clipping was tiny and surrounded closely by other components. But I felt that it was the key. Inspired by my obsession with the Fuzzrocious DD, I recalled that, like the BJFE Honey Bee on which it was based, the DD used two pairs of asymmetrically arranged diodes for clipping: one pair of 1N400x and one of LEDs. Though this 1N4148 was used singly, I decided it was worth swapping it with an LED.
Since I owned no spare LEDs, I borrowed my OSD's red LED used as its on/off indicator. If the swap didn't work, I had some new 1N914 I could revert to and hope I didn't fry any other parts.
But the swap did work. It worked like magic.
Finding the Oh See Demon of my dreams
What I heard was so natural-sounding that at first I almost didn't notice the change. With the red LED as the clipping diode, the OSD's bass response was increased so much that, with most playing styles and instrument settings, and with respect to overall spectral balance, I could hardly tell the clean sound from the overdrive sound. Yet the OSD's characteristic resonances and responsiveness were retained. Wow.
The only aspect some might think is undesirable is a lack of tightness in the bass. This seems to me consistent with the personality of the pedal, though, and it sounds (dare I say it) more amp-like than artificial. Indeed, to me, this looseness in the bass contributes to a feeling of playing loud through a big old bass amp.
For my purposes, regarding both usefulness and aesthetic preference, this change elevated the OSD almost to the level of the DD, which is one of my few favorite effect pedals ever.
Also, since I drive my OSD with a flanger, phase shifter and envelope filter (each either specially tuned for or naturally having full, fat, even bass response), now the OSD faithfully translates the bass output of each.
if all of my gear was stolen/destroyed it would be the first thing I'd try to replace. I love that amp. Ben is awesome to deal with too, very responsive to questions and if you need any help with anything he'll take care of you.
Fuzzrocious fans, here is one more 'hey, I hacked my OSD' post from me. It won't be the last (there's one more to come), but it's a good one.
Below is too much detail, but the punch line is simple: I finally found the bass response I wanted in the OSD, and in my opinion I did it without trashing the OSD's native voice. Now I have the OSD of my dreams. And it is the s**t.
For a detailed explanation and the obligatory guts shots, keep reading below.
Otherwise, just have a good night!
Snaxster
________________________________
Introduction
With my new OSD, my quest for more bass output, even more touch sensitivity, and a higher overdrive threshold continues. Both reckless and rational, once again I try my luck with the 'snip and solder' technique on the component side of the PCB.
photo of OSD with one 2N7000 replaced by a 2SC1815
Swapping in one lower gain transistor
Two 2N7000 are stock in the OSD. I think they are part of the input stage. I owned a number of NOS 2SC1815 left over from my ongoing effort to repair an old Fulltone Bass-Drive v2.
A few 2SC1815 type transistors were stock in the Bass-Drive v2, now some ten years old. The OSD circuit is based on the modern Fulltone OCD, in which two 2N7000 are stock. I took a leap and assumed that these two types of transistors shared a basic architecture, and so could be interchangeable in Fulltone-derived audio circuits of similar function.
Since I have almost no understanding of how transistors work, I get little useful information when I read their datasheets. But I was able to learn that the 2N7000 is a MOSFET, and that the 2SC1815 was an all-purpose transistor. Their datasheets implied to me that the 2N7000 is a more modern and much more complex device. Also, it seemed clear that the 2N7000 featured much higher gain and lower resistance than the 2SC1815.
I thought the results of swapping a 2SC1815 for one or both of the stock 2N7000 would include a higher overdrive threshold, but could also affect other things. When I swapped the first one, I thought I noticed a slightly higher overdrive threshold. Also, I heard a more finely and evenly textured break-up. When the drive control was maxed, this change in texture was most evident.
photo of OSD with both 2N7000 replaced by 2SC1815
Swapping in the second of two lower gain transistors
Swapping the second 2N7000 with a 2SC1815, too, I heard no obvious further change in the overdrive threshold; but I did hear a further progression to the more finely and evenly textured break-up. Sometimes at all, and especially with higher drive settings, now the OSD's sound was listing toward fuzz. However, it was still tactile and had lots of envelope, so it retained its overdrive pedal character.
As I tried to learn what I thought of the change, playing in varying styles, registers and dynamics, I realized that my modifications might risk straying too far from the OSD's native voice. I decided that it was worth the risk, and that I wasn't done yet. I could still hear the OSD's voice, and was only asking it to sing with a slightly different technique.
Still seeking the bass
First changing the OSD's op-amp, I got from it more naturalness, nuance, somewhat more bass response, and sweetness. Now changing its transistors, I got a different break-up texture and slightly higher overdrive threshold.
All that remained to do was to increase the OSD's bass response significantly: whatever bass frequencies I played into it, I wanted to get out of it.
Though I had recently found a new setting I liked so much that I stopped using a bass equalizer after the OSD, it was down to aesthetics, not authenticity. If you order chocolate ice cream and they bring you strawberry, then you eat the strawberry anyway and think how excellent it is, you may still reasonably want the chocolate ice cream you didn't get. Because you love chocolate ice cream that much.
For me, bass response from the OSD was like that chocolate ice cream. Before the evening was out, I would do one more modification to the OSD, and I would get what I ordered.
photo of OSD with 1N4148 replaced by a red LED
Swapping in a red LED as the clipping diode
After studying the OSD circuit for a while, and wondering if I could increase its bass response by changing any capacitors, my intuition was that there must be a better way; a more systemic way.
On the stock OSD circuit board, I noticed two diodes. One seemed to be acting as a rectifier in the power stage. The other was evidently used for clipping in the gain stage. I am an electronics neophyte, but that's how it looked to me.
The 1N4148 I thought was used for clipping was tiny and surrounded closely by other components. But I felt that it was the key. Inspired by my obsession with the Fuzzrocious DD, I recalled that, like the BJFE Honey Bee on which it was based, the DD used two pairs of asymmetrically arranged diodes for clipping: one pair of 1N400x and one of LEDs. Though this 1N4148 was used singly, I decided it was worth swapping it with an LED.
Since I owned no spare LEDs, I borrowed my OSD's red LED used as its on/off indicator. If the swap didn't work, I had some new 1N914 I could revert to and hope I didn't fry any other parts.
But the swap did work. It worked like magic.
Finding the Oh See Demon of my dreams
What I heard was so natural-sounding that at first I almost didn't notice the change. With the red LED as the clipping diode, the OSD's bass response was increased so much that, with most playing styles and instrument settings, and with respect to overall spectral balance, I could hardly tell the clean sound from the overdrive sound. Yet the OSD's characteristic resonances and responsiveness were retained. Wow.
The only aspect some might think is undesirable is a lack of tightness in the bass. This seems to me consistent with the personality of the pedal, though, and it sounds (dare I say it) more amp-like than artificial. Indeed, to me, this looseness in the bass contributes to a feeling of playing loud through a big old bass amp.
For my purposes, regarding both usefulness and aesthetic preference, this change elevated the OSD almost to the level of the DD, which is one of my few favorite effect pedals ever.
Also, since I drive my OSD with a flanger, phase shifter and envelope filter (each either specially tuned for or naturally having full, fat, even bass response), now the OSD faithfully translates the bass output of each.
Woah, I wish I had the skills to even begin to think I could pull off trying that. good work!
Hello, MrThunderfoot. Thank you!
Honestly, I am making it up as I go. I'm taking unwise risks, too. But I'm learning a lot. And when I luck out, the payout is great!
Enjoy that wild amp and your excellent pedals. You're a lucky man.
Best,
Snaxster
I wish I knew more about pedal guts. I like modifying everything else, so why not work on my pedals?!
Hello, Josh. Same here! Recently, I started modding because of curiosity and being broke.
Since you're already a tinker, I'm sure you know: when you try modifying things, you take the risk of breaking them.
So far, I've broken only one pedal, the Fulltone Bass-Drive v2 I mentioned. At least it's fun rebuilding it and hearing it gradually revive.
If I break my OSD now, I can't afford to ask Ryan to fix it. So it's a real risk!
rratajski
Commercial User
- Jul 1, 2008
- 6,121
- 2,671
- Disclosures
- Builder for FUZZROCIOUS PEDALS
Snax - try LEDs in place of the mosfets. It will change your life.
I did this in Andy Williams' OSD/Pedalphiliac. I'll be offering this mod soon.
I did this in Andy Williams' OSD/Pedalphiliac. I'll be offering this mod soon.
Ryan, thank you!
That's what I wanted to try also, but I didn't understand the pinouts. The mosfets have three pins to most LEDs two.
I need to hit the books again... or you could just tell me where the LEDs' leads should go.
Haha! Again, thank you. I'm getting an assortment of LED colors now!
+1 I listen to the Plutonian tracks at least 3 times a day, I can't wait!
Also, here's some gear porn/Fuzzrocious collection.
Holy fvcking sh!t. That,good sir,is one mighty fine head backed up by some mighty fine pedals.
How well does your amp take effects?
I must admit that I`m totally jealous of your Meat Smoke. I really wanted one a few years back but didn`t have the cash,now they`re even more money. D`oh.
Hey,did I ever mention that I recently bought a Oh See Demon? I wasn`t sure if that got tacked onto my list of Ry`s pedals.
Plan on offering some comparison clips between the two?
Worth it IMO.
No, but your updated now.
rratajski
Commercial User
- Jul 1, 2008
- 6,121
- 2,671
- Disclosures
- Builder for FUZZROCIOUS PEDALS
rratajski
Commercial User
- Jul 1, 2008
- 6,121
- 2,671
- Disclosures
- Builder for FUZZROCIOUS PEDALS
Snax-
Long leg of LED to "s" on MOSFET spot, short leg to middle of MOSFET spot. (Remove MOSFET, obviously)
Long leg of LED to "s" on MOSFET spot, short leg to middle of MOSFET spot. (Remove MOSFET, obviously)
- Status
