[sdiy] Mixing a Clipped fuzz-signal and source signal question

[media at mail1.nai.net]

At 12:00 PM -0500 10/29/01, Jon Darby wrote:
>
>I have a brainstorming question before I begin my next little project. I am
>not happy with how bad my Rickenbacker 4001 sounds through a Fuzz Face,

Fuzz Faces are like snowflakes.  It's a simple circuit that is dependent on
a single transistor for most of its sound.  They built them with a number
of different transistors over the years, and afaik, no effort was made to
match the transistors used during any particular run.  So you might want to
compare several different Fuzz Faces before reaching a conclusion.  Anyway,
Fuzz Faces were popular for thin screechy sounds like Strats and
Telecasters.  Otoh, Rickenbackers are very midrangy.

>it seems to get muddy really easily and could use more of the original
>>signal to fatten it back up after fuzzing my nice growlly sine waves into
>>wussy squares.

Ah, so this is a Rickenbacker bass!!  I guess someone named "Jon" wouldn't
use a Rickenbacker guitar, then again, one of the Bangles was named
"Michael"  :)

>So I want to build a simple fuzz circuit that has a blending
>function that allows the source signal to be mixed with the fuzzed signal
>right before being sent out to the world. My question is: Is it this simple
>or are there some unforseen side effects of mixing the original sine on the
>resultant squarewaves of the fuzz like a cancellation of the whole effect?

People do it all the time -- it's not like your signal would disappear.

>My "sitting at work brainstorming when I should be programming video games"
>mind is telling me it is the equivilent of splitting the original signal
>into two, fuzzing one, and then sending both into seperate channels on a
>mixing console, thus the whole world gets the sound of fuzz-bass and clean
>bass. I appreciate any direction on this, I need something to keep me busy
>away from the nagging voice of my girlfriend.

Well, I can't help you with your relationship problems, but what you are
imagining makes sense.  Building a summing amp only requires a dual op-amp
and a couple of resistors.  I'm guessing you want to have this effect
before your amp, but you might try mixing the two signals on your board to
see if it sounds like what you want.

Another approach might be building a "fuzz" circuit that sounds better with
your bass in the first place.  I'd get on the web and look up a bunch of
pedal circuits.  Have you tried placing a simple LPF before your
comparator/diode clipper/whatever??   Otoh, the Fuzz Face may sound "muddy"
because it is flattening the attacks of your notes.  I'd try playing around
with the EQ on your bass and amplifier and see what helps, then take it
from there.