Tube Screamer Clone Mod

[duhvoodooman***]

OK, here are some clips I recorded using my "Zonkin' Yellow Screamer" modified TS-808 clone pedal. To summarize the mods I made, the main changes were threefold:

• Three switchable clipping diode arrays to change the character of the overdrive. In addition to the stock diode type (silicon), I also added germanium diodes (an early, soft-clipping type that gives a more subtle, smooth tone reminiscent of when a tube amplifier just starts "breaking up") and yellow LED's (a late, hard-clipping type that gives a more aggressive, chunkier distortion, often referred to as "Marshall-like" in its quality).
  
• Normal and high gain modes. Using two switchable resistors, the stock gain range or a "TS-on-steroids" range can be chosen. The latter has a maximum gain of almost five times the stock maximum. But it's also noticeably noisier, as you might expect.
  
• Three switchable bass rolloff values. The stock TS-808 was built such that the distortion rolled off sharply below 720Hz, and was a key reason why the Tube Screamer had a characteristic mid-range "hump" in its output. By using different capacitors, I've added the ability to extend the bass distortion range down to either ~340Hz or ~160Hz. These lower ranges, particularly the 160Hz, can get rather muddy sounding, especially with humbuckers, so you have to be careful with their use.

Below are posted three audio clips. All are recorded through the clean channel of my Peavey Delta Blues 30W tube amp, mic'ed into my PC's sound card and captured/edited with the Audacity program. Here's a brief description of each:

1. The first clip is a demonstration of the gain and bass rolloff selectable settings. The stock silicon clipping diode type is used throughout, so these clips should all have the characteristic Tube Screamer distortion character. Recorded using my Strat on the bridge/middle series pickup combo. Two riffs are played consecutively a total of seven times. Here are the ZYS settings for each:
   
   
   
   For the final two pairs of riffs, recorded at the higher gain range setting, I intentionally strummed and held a chord at the end to demonstrate the pedal's sustain.
   
   
2. The second clip shows the difference between the three clipping modes. Recorded using the same Strat setup as the first clip. Here, a single riff is played a total of seven times, with the following ZYS settings:
   
   
   
   The last set of three riffs at the higher gain range don't convey the gain impact as much as I would have liked, since I had to dial down the volume some to maintain domestic tranquility. With more volume, these really scream--trust me!
   
   
3. The last clip is another comparison of the three different clipping modes, but this time with a humbucker guitar, my Epi Elitist LP Standard, using the SD "Pearly Gates" bridge p'up. A familiar Who chord riff is played four times, with the following ZYS settings:
   
   
   
   The last of the four riffs, using the yellow LED diode array, captures Townshend's Marshall crunch pretty well, I think!

Here are the links to the three clips:

Clip #1

Clip #2

Clip #3

[tot_Ou_tard]

OK, here are some clips I recorded using my "Zonkin' Yellow Screamer" modified TS-808 clone pedal. To summarize the mods I made, the main changes were threefold:

• Three switchable clipping diode arrays to change the character of the overdrive. In addition to the stock diode type (silicon), I also added germanium diodes (an early, soft-clipping type that gives a more subtle, smooth tone reminiscent of when a tube amplifier just starts "breaking up") and yellow LED's (a late, hard-clipping type that gives a more aggressive, chunkier distortion, often referred to as "Marshall-like" in its quality).
• Normal and high gain modes. Using two switchable resistors, the stock gain range or a "TS-on-steroids" range can be chosen. The latter has a maximum gain of almost five times the stock maximum. But it's also noticeably noisier, as you might expect.
• Three switchable bass rolloff values. The stock TS-808 was built such that the distortion rolled off sharply below 720Hz, and was a key reason why the Tube Screamer had a characteristic mid-range "hump" in its output. By using different capacitors, I've added the ability to extend the bass distortion range down to either ~340Hz or ~160Hz. These lower ranges, particularly the 160Hz, can get rather muddy sounding, especially with humbuckers, so you have to be careful with their use.

Below are posted three audio clips. All are recorded through the clean channel of my Peavey Delta Blues 30W tube amp, mic'ed into my PC's sound card and captured/edited with the Audacity program. Here's a brief description of each:

1. The first clip is a demonstration of the gain and bass rolloff selectable settings. The stock silicon clipping diode type is used throughout, so these clips should all have the characteristic Tube Screamer distortion character. Recorded using my Strat on the bridge/middle series pickup combo. Two riffs are played consecutively a total of seven times. Here are the ZYS settings for each:
   
   
   
   For the final two pairs of riffs, recorded at the higher gain range setting, I intentionally strummed and held a chord at the end to demonstrate the pedal's sustain.
2. The second clip shows the difference between the three clipping modes. Recorded using the same Strat setup as the first clip. Here, a single riff is played a total of seven times, with the following ZYS settings:
   
   
   
   The last set of three riffs at the higher gain range don't convey the gain impact as much as I would have liked, since I had to dial down the volume some to maintain domestic tranquility. With more volume, these really scream--trust me!
3. The last clip is another comparison of the three different clipping modes, but this time with a humbucker guitar, my Epi Elitist LP Standard, using the SD "Pearly Gates" bridge p'up. A familiar Who chord riff is played four times, with the following ZYS settings:
   
   
   
   The last of the four riffs, using the yellow LED diode array, captures Townshend's Marshall crunch pretty well, I think!

Here are the links to the three clips:

Clip #1

Clip #2

Clip #3

3 chips? This guy made clips of 11 chips!

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho...d.php?t=239977

Time to make the Mega Zonker with a rotary chip selector that goes up to 11!

[duhvoodooman***]

3 chips? This guy made clips of 11 chips!

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho...d.php?t=239977

Time to make the Mega Zonker with a rotary chip selector that goes up to 11!

DOOD!! None of those clips I posted demo'ed different chips, i.e. IC's or "opamps" as they're often called. The point was to show the ZYS's switchable features--two gain ranges, three clipping modes, and three different bass cuts.

BUT FEAR NOT!! For lo, the ol' Voodoo Man has that one covered, too. I made a couple of clips to demonstrate the differences (subtle though they are!) between 6 popular opamps, including 5 that the GearPage guy did plus one he didn't include. I posted it HERE at the BYOC forum back in early Feb.

Since that time, I've tried another chip I'd read good things about and currently have in my personal ZYS--the TI TLC2272. It's my favorite TS chip thusfar. More articulate than the JRC4558D but not sterile sounding, as the GearPage guy correctly describes the Burr Brown OPA2134PA. It's definitely possible to be too high fidelity is this application!

[tot_Ou_tard]

DOOD!! None of those clips I posted demo'ed different chips, i.e. IC's or "opamps" as they're often called. The point was to show the ZYS's switchable features--two gain ranges, three clipping modes, and three different bass cuts.

BUT FEAR NOT!! For lo, the ol' Voodoo Man has that one covered, too. I made a couple of clips to demonstrate the differences (subtle though they are!) between 6 popular opamps, including 5 that the GearPage guy did plus one he didn't include. I posted it HERE at the BYOC forum back in early Feb.

VOOD! It just goes to show that when I say that I know nothing, I mean it!

Cool! I knew you'd have it covered.