Franky Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 I just finished building the Tube Sound Fuzz from the Electronic Projects for Musicians book using a Paia kit and it works great! I would like to experiment with some mods, such as using different capacitor values, brands and types(such as ceramic disc or mylar) to change the tone. Are there specific capacitors that anyone would recommend using? Also, in general in musical electronics, does anyone have a favorite brand of capacitors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyRubberDuck Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 Frankie, Well, Mylar are typically considered to be superior quality than ceramic, and I know that caps made in Belgium have a reputation as being top-notch, but in my experience, you are hard pressed to notice any sonic difference due to the cap. Capacitors are typically used to make filters, and filters will affect the sound quality based on the cutoff frequency and slope of the cutoff. The slope is largely a function of the filter design, not the cap. But the cutoff frequency can vary as the capacitor value changes. It takes a significant shift in capacitance to affect the cutoff frequency to the point where it's audible, however. Hmmmm, one thing that could affect your sound is that caps are notoriously variable, especially at temperatures, so a cap with a tighter tolerance over temp could help as your effects box heats up during use. There is also a small internal resistance that capacitors have, but I can't see that having a real affect on the sound, since it is so small, compared to the other resistances in a typical fuzz circuit. Does the "tube sound" kit use diodes? You can get some radically different fuzz sounds using different types of diodes. That may be a more interesting way to experiment with the unit. Check out my site at geocities - I built a fuzz unit a year or so ago and there's some info/sound files/wave pictures that may be of interest. http://www.geocities.com/dirtyrubberduck/ and click on the "music electronics" button on the left. Please ignore the info on my latest CD so nobody here accuses me of SPAMMING! DRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar Geezer Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 Hey Guys...wander over to the Guitar Forum and find "BLUESTRAT". He's built several effects and amps (he's an ee student at UNC) He will LOVE to discuss this stuff ( he's even doing an online build your own fuzz thread for us electronic deprived folks! Lynn G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.