hi fuzzhead, is the 1uf capacitor between the leds well oriented? it didn't work until i replaced that electro with a non-polar one and now it works awsome. thanks for the layout
Hey! I built this and it works but when the fuzz knob is low it has a sort of tremolo effect. I am wondering if that is normal or if perhaps I did something wrong. Thanks for posting cool stuff!
Hmmm, it seems that you have an issue in your build since there shouldn't be a tremolo effect in this build. Not sure of the cause but as usual with debugging....."triple check everything you have triple checked". Check for solder bridges, misplaced components and wrong component values....
Soundsgreat Ian! Wise decision you made, starting with small circuits like fuzz faces,the sligtly bigger circuits like this one. Sonn you will do a Big Muff!
Hi there! I completed this circuit and it sounds absolutely killer. The problem I'm facing is that the Fizz pot amplifies the 60 cycle hum so loudly as to be unbearable (at 0, the noise is acceptable, but the further clockwise, the more the noise ramps up). I understand that there will be some noise, although this is pretty bad. When I send lug 2 of the Fuzz pot to ground, the noise goes away, but it reduces the clipping and no longer sounds like it should. Any ideas?
I was just thinking of this pedal earlier. It shouldn't be that noisy. It sounds like a bad connection or maybe a small bridge on the board. Try the usual suspects and knife the tracks with a utility knife. I use a flashlight under the board to make sure all my joints are sound and the tracks are clean. And rubbing alcohol works well on the solder side. Just don't get it on any of the silicon components.
Hey, thanks... My vero tracks are definitely clean (that's a cool flashlight trick, btw!). Actually, I didn't mention this, but I built two of these and they both present the same noise. I also didn't mention that I'm using mostly carbon comp resistors -- although that shouldn't make huge difference. I'm going to go back and check the cap value after the IC. Seems like most of the noise is coming from there, although I'm not entirely sure -- the signal trace gets noisy pretty soon into the circuit.
I had them in enclosures before I realized there was noise.
Anyway, a friend of mine and I traced some of the low-end noise down to some cheap jacks I was using -- we also ensured that the jacks were grounding with the enclosure. It helped a little.
All in all, it's not a whole lot noisier than a Big Muff, but still noticeable at 100% gain.
Hello, sorry for answering an old post. I have the same problem. Could you solve it? I wonder if the original Cream Puff has the same level of noise in the low frequencies.
Turns out the noise is pretty normal. I was able to cut down on it a little by installing some quality in/out jacks and ensuring everything was grounded well (star grounding), but the thing is so high gain that it's hard to avoid the noise.
I realized today that I didn't use this layout but one on the Tagboardeffects page. The Tag layout has a 470uf filter cap on it. Very Fran to use a huge filter cap. That might eliminate the extra noise.
Interesting! Would that be to replace the 1uf cap coming from the 33k resistor on the left there? (Sorry for the inexperienced question here, but that appears to be the filter cap to me.) Or is it the 100uf cap, which is also connected to that trace?
The 100uf. Anders usually uses a 100uf as a filter cap, which in most situations seems to be plenty. Fran usually uses huge filters. Sounds like it needs it.
That didn't work, but the giant Russian cap I used looks pretty cool there. :p
Actually, the crazy noise only really occurs when the Fuzz pot is fully engaged. Dialing it down about 5% produces the desired effect with noticeably less noise. I'm going to replace it with a C110k and see if it makes everything a little easier to set just right.
Sounds like it may be some oscillation. You could try a buffer before the circuit. But generally, lotsa' gain, lotsa' noise. You might try the Peach Fuzz too. It's another cool Frantone original.
im wondering if this is correct as i saw someone had the same issue a decade ago on FSB. Of the two sets of diodes only one set seems to be clipping (lighting up). It sounds as it should from what i can tell. Does anyone know why that set isnt clipping, or maybe im misunderstanding something?
Hello! Thanks for the layout! It sounds great but i think it sounds a little scooped.Is that normal?? In some 1UF i used bipolar caps.Is that ok? Thanks
hi fuzzhead, is the 1uf capacitor between the leds well oriented? it didn't work until i replaced that electro with a non-polar one and now it works awsome. thanks for the layout
ReplyDeleteI checked on some schematics ( Baja pream cuff ) that electrolytic (1uf ) must be the other way round.
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right. Negative leg should be facing the input. layout updated.
DeleteHey! I built this and it works but when the fuzz knob is low it has a sort of tremolo effect. I am wondering if that is normal or if perhaps I did something wrong. Thanks for posting cool stuff!
ReplyDeleteHmmm, it seems that you have an issue in your build since there shouldn't be a tremolo effect in this build. Not sure of the cause but as usual with debugging....."triple check everything you have triple checked". Check for solder bridges, misplaced components and wrong component values....
DeleteFired up first time and works perfectly!
ReplyDelete(My biggest board yet)
Thank you!!!
https://youtu.be/hS5US63O9RU
ReplyDeleteWhat a monster.
Soundsgreat Ian!
DeleteWise decision you made, starting with small circuits like fuzz faces,the sligtly bigger circuits like this one. Sonn you will do a Big Muff!
I only just saw this comment! Thank you, and you were exactly right!!!
DeleteHi there! I completed this circuit and it sounds absolutely killer. The problem I'm facing is that the Fizz pot amplifies the 60 cycle hum so loudly as to be unbearable (at 0, the noise is acceptable, but the further clockwise, the more the noise ramps up). I understand that there will be some noise, although this is pretty bad. When I send lug 2 of the Fuzz pot to ground, the noise goes away, but it reduces the clipping and no longer sounds like it should. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking of this pedal earlier. It shouldn't be that noisy. It sounds like a bad connection or maybe a small bridge on the board. Try the usual suspects and knife the tracks with a utility knife. I use a flashlight under the board to make sure all my joints are sound and the tracks are clean. And rubbing alcohol works well on the solder side. Just don't get it on any of the silicon components.
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks... My vero tracks are definitely clean (that's a cool flashlight trick, btw!). Actually, I didn't mention this, but I built two of these and they both present the same noise. I also didn't mention that I'm using mostly carbon comp resistors -- although that shouldn't make huge difference. I'm going to go back and check the cap value after the IC. Seems like most of the noise is coming from there, although I'm not entirely sure -- the signal trace gets noisy pretty soon into the circuit.
DeleteIt's pretty gainy. Maybe sticking it in an enclosure will shut it up.
Delete"Gainey"...sorry I'm dumb.
DeleteI had them in enclosures before I realized there was noise.
DeleteAnyway, a friend of mine and I traced some of the low-end noise down to some cheap jacks I was using -- we also ensured that the jacks were grounding with the enclosure. It helped a little.
All in all, it's not a whole lot noisier than a Big Muff, but still noticeable at 100% gain.
Hello, sorry for answering an old post. I have the same problem. Could you solve it? I wonder if the original Cream Puff has the same level of noise in the low frequencies.
DeleteTurns out the noise is pretty normal. I was able to cut down on it a little by installing some quality in/out jacks and ensuring everything was grounded well (star grounding), but the thing is so high gain that it's hard to avoid the noise.
DeleteI realized today that I didn't use this layout but one on the Tagboardeffects page. The Tag layout has a 470uf filter cap on it. Very Fran to use a huge filter cap. That might eliminate the extra noise.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! Would that be to replace the 1uf cap coming from the 33k resistor on the left there? (Sorry for the inexperienced question here, but that appears to be the filter cap to me.) Or is it the 100uf cap, which is also connected to that trace?
DeleteThe 100uf. Anders usually uses a 100uf as a filter cap, which in most situations seems to be plenty. Fran usually uses huge filters. Sounds like it needs it.
DeleteThat didn't work, but the giant Russian cap I used looks pretty cool there. :p
DeleteActually, the crazy noise only really occurs when the Fuzz pot is fully engaged. Dialing it down about 5% produces the desired effect with noticeably less noise. I'm going to replace it with a C110k and see if it makes everything a little easier to set just right.
Sounds like it may be some oscillation. You could try a buffer before the circuit. But generally, lotsa' gain, lotsa' noise. You might try the Peach Fuzz too. It's another cool Frantone original.
Deleteim wondering if this is correct as i saw someone had the same issue a decade ago on FSB. Of the two sets of diodes only one set seems to be clipping (lighting up). It sounds as it should from what i can tell. Does anyone know why that set isnt clipping, or maybe im misunderstanding something?
ReplyDeleteHello! Thanks for the layout! It sounds great but i think it sounds a little scooped.Is that normal?? In some 1UF i used bipolar caps.Is that ok?
ReplyDeleteThanks