Someone cracked the Animato

[Crowella]

Yes, it has a higher pitched hiss/noise when running. It's usually only noticable in some occassions (at practice, it was hissing then all of a sudden stopped). That higher pitch hiss is what is making me think the first stage has the wrong cap.

 

[johnk_10]

i think that it's correct. all muffs have hiss/noise and I hear it in the clips of the animato too.

 

[Crowella]

The 2.2uF is a go. It practically nailed the attack sound IMO. Actually, I'm using 500n at the moment to match it. 2 x 1uF in parallel. Holy heck!

 

[johnk_10]

yeah, just tried it in mine too.
and it keeps the distortion from completely overloading at the high gain settings.

 

[Crowella]

I think we have a winner.

Just putting a video up on youtube to quickly show it. Only shooting with my camera phone but hopefully it picks up how close they sound (so much closer with that cap change!)

 

[recnsci]

The 2.2uF is a go. It practically nailed the attack sound IMO. Actually, I'm using 500n at the moment to match it. 2 x 1uF in parallel. Holy heck!

Just to be clear, you got pretty much same sound with generic silicon transistors in first stage instead of germanium?

 

[Crowella]

Yeah, very close. I think mine is ever so slightly softer in the highs and slightly louder in the lows but I mean the difference isn't that huge. The attack was the main thing and I think with what I have right now, you'd fool people easily. If I play with the trim pot I may be able to balance it even better.

I realise in the video too that the tone settings may not be perfect. Was the best I can do with an audio pot instead of a linear for the tone (d'oh!)

EDIT:
Video is here

 

[johnk_10]

what transistors are you using instead of the germs?

 

[Crowella]

2N3904/2N3906. I actually switched the capacitor to a 1uF for an even closer match. Still not perfect. I think that I need to use higher gain transistors all around. I had some BC549's laying around so I chucked in the high gain ones wherever I could in the BMP stages. It helps.

At the moment, If you crank the clone to full tone and distortion (5 o'clock), it reaches about the same as almost full on the real one in both the tone and distortion (like, 3:30-4 o'clock). Just needs a little bit more of a helping hand IMO.

 

[johnk_10]

well, I actually like it with a little more low end so I might go with a 4u7 or a 10u .
and did you say that you changed a resistor for the silicons?
if so which one(s)? (R#'s)?

 

[nshuman]

Yeah, very close. I think mine is ever so slightly softer in the highs and slightly louder in the lows but I mean the difference isn't that huge. The attack was the main thing and I think with what I have right now, you'd fool people easily. If I play with the trim pot I may be able to balance it even better.

I realise in the video too that the tone settings may not be perfect. Was the best I can do with an audio pot instead of a linear for the tone (d'oh!)

EDIT:
Video is here

Cool video. I really love the work you guys are doing.

 

[gregmon79]

Yeah, very close. I think mine is ever so slightly softer in the highs and slightly louder in the lows but I mean the difference isn't that huge. The attack was the main thing and I think with what I have right now, you'd fool people easily. If I play with the trim pot I may be able to balance it even better.

I realise in the video too that the tone settings may not be perfect. Was the best I can do with an audio pot instead of a linear for the tone (d'oh!)

EDIT:
Video is here

Awesome. Thanks for sharing. I'd really like to get my hands on one of these one day. So when will you guys be making a clone of the slow gear by boss

 

[MightyMiloQuinn]

If you want a Slow Gear, check out VFE's Bumblebee.

 

[johnk_10]

I tried a 2N5087/2N5089 for the first two transistors and i'm diggin' it. it might lose a little bit of the germanium 'mojo', but the hiss/noise was reduced by 90% so I may end up going with those..

 

[Crowella]

Thanks everyone!

well, I actually like it with a little more low end so I might go with a 4u7 or a 10u .
and did you say that you changed a resistor for the silicons?
if so which one(s)? (R#'s)?

I thought I did then I remembered I replaced it, so same resistors all around.

I'm a little mesmerised that I reduced the original capacitor value and it still sounds like it has a little more low end. I found that while the attack is near on perfect, the band pass is kind of shifted a little to the lower end , so it's the sustain that sounds slightly different. I actually prefer it but then I'm a bassist, what could you expect.

How much different does it sound with that pairing? I think I'm using transistors that aren't high enough gain there.

 

[johnk_10]

yours sounds great, but without having an original to compare mine to, i'm still getting the best distortion tones using the germaniums, but it's quite a bit noisier than i'd like it to be.

 

[johnk_10]

well, after quite a bit of experimentation, i'm going with the germaniums (like the original). I added a little bit of low end to the circuit (using a 10uf bypass cap on the emitter of the first transistor) and I think that i'm going to add a tilt control to the output. I tried with a clean blend, and while it sounded pretty good, I actually preferred the tilt over it.

 

[nshuman]

well, after quite a bit of experimentation, i'm going with the germaniums (like the original). I added a little bit of low end to the circuit (using a 10uf bypass cap on the emitter of the first transistor) and I think that i'm going to add a tilt control to the output. I tried with a clean blend, and while it sounded pretty good, I actually preferred the tilt over it.

Cool, I think any way to actually add low end over blending would be cool.

 

[johnk_10]

Cool, I think any way to actually add low end over blending would be cool.

me too.
I was hoping to fit it in a 1590B (mxr sized enclosure) and I can if I don't add the blend, but IMO, it's a lot nicer with the tilt control for using it with a bass.
the next size up is a 125B so that's probably what i'll use for it, and it's still a lot smaller than the original Animato enclosure.

 

[johnk_10]

well, after a little trimming, I think that I should just be able to fit the two boards in a 1590B afterall.