[sdiy] Alltime best ring modulator circuit... ever?

[Grant Richter]

The Blacet Klangwerk is the best Ringmod I have at the moment.

It is based on the AD633.

The internal 8038 local oscillator has a THD of ~5%, which is the  
weakness of the module.

To really appreciate the clarity, use an digital external sine source  
of the lowest possible THD (24 bits will get you 0.001% THD).

You end up with a Ringmod useable for the finest "musique concrete".

Acoustic piano is especially beautiful when processed by an ultra- 
fidelity Ringmod.

Ham radio sites have free "function generator" software which can  
turn your laptop into a high quality sine source.

On Feb 18, 2008, at 10:58 AM, anthony wrote:

> I was wondering what people think is the best ring modulator  
> circuit, both for use in a modular synth and maybe as an effect for  
> other instruments like guitar.
>
> I suppose different circuits have their merits, but I was wondering  
> things like: are the circuits with MC1495 or MC1496 or even the  
> MC1595, MC1596 better than something built from an OTA? And is  
> there a big difference in results between the MC1495 & MC1496? I  
> think the latter is more readilly available and they seem like  
> nearly interchangeable parts, but the former seems to be more  
> sought after. And I wonder if this is just because there were some  
> classic early circuits that used the early chip and people haven't  
> thought to use the latter chip?
>
> And how about AD633 ring modulator circuits?
>
> And since I'm using the old term for what is generally called a  
> four-quadrant multiplier, I should ask about the grandaddy of them  
> all: the simple Ge (or schottky?) diode ring/2-phase-splitter  
> transformer combo. Ken Stone makes a case for this and even sells a  
> popular ready-built circuit (that is always on my Christmas list  
> but I never get...). He speaks of the raw, gritty power of these  
> units that just don't seem to obtain with other ring modulator  
> units. I personally like this circuit. I have built one using  
> classic Hewlett Packard Ge diodes that I matched and 2 transformers  
> (600Ohm:600Ohm CT roughly) that I got from 2 identical telephones  
> (crude tests on my scope showed a relatively high impedence on both  
> sides), but I have yet to test it. I had wanted it to work like a  
> tremolo sometimes, but responses from an earlier post said that  
> that wouldn't really be possible because I couldn't get a really  
> low LFO frequency through that transformers.
>
> OK! So I think the general answer to which circuit is best would  
> be: it depends on your application. But I do want to know the  
> relative merits of the MC1495, MC1496 & the AD633 and others I've  
> forgotten or just didn't bother to think of.
> And THEN I would like some opinions on the alltime best ring  
> modulator circuit ever. (Hence the subject of this message...)
>
>
> cheers,
> Anthony
>
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