Deadend Fx just traced this rare beast and released a PCB for it. Go and get it!
If not, here is a couple vero layouts for the fuzz section. I will upload the Boost section once I can wrap my head around some of the switch connections....
There are two layouts, one stock the with internal 8-pole DIP switch and one with all switches converted into 8 external SPST toggle switches.
Schematic HERE.
Unverified stock version
Verified toggle switch version
Interesting - might have to have a play with this, once I get my head around the switching.
ReplyDeleteIf you are familiar with the big muff circuit it is quite easy to understand...
DeleteFuzz switch shorts the 390ohm emitter resistor to ground for the input stage(Q1. Wit the emitter grounded you'll get more gain.
Bass switch toggles in the 470nF cap in parallel with 100nF/1,5k which is the input cap/resistor.
Sizzle switch engages a couple of hard clipping diodes between the Filter control and recovery stage.
Clip switch is another set of hard clippers, this time between the output cap and volume control.
High switch let you select between 1nF and 2,2nF on the treble side of the filter control.(1nF+1,2nF - 2,2nF)
Mid switch bypasses the 680pF cap running parallel with the filter control.
Pres switch lifts 6,8k/6,8nF from ground. This affects the behaviour of the treble side of the filter control.
Clip 2 switch. Bypasses the soft clipping diodes for Q3.
That makes sense - I was going through the schematic matching up the nets. I might try something including the 741, with some fixed values for the BMP side of things to cut down on switching. Anyways, just ideas at the moment. Thanks Anders.
DeleteThanks for the switch breakdown. I'm a Muff junkie, but it's nice to see all the toggles played out with a description.
ReplyDeleteJust finished the lower layout with the external switches. It's fuzzing up but I'm having a few issues..
ReplyDeleteForgot to label input wire to N1.
Three of my switches are doing nothing. Sizzle, bass, and fuzz.
Also clipping switch 1 (lower clip switch on the layout) is giving a huge volume drop when engaged.
Also the overall output seems low. I'm diming the volume pot for unity.
I whipped this up rather quickly and haven't checked it over too closely yet, so the error could be on my end. Also I didn't have any 3v6 zeners on hand so I used 4v7s which could be causing output issues.
Thanks for giving it a go!
DeleteFinished the board yestreday only to find out I don't have enough switches.:-( Will report back when they arrive.
Im outta switches too, gonna get some more and give this a go. DBA stuff is usually a headache but this is intriguing. I like the Zeners in the v3 Haunting Mids so I'm gonna try this.
DeleteWired this up with temporary DPDT switches. And after removing top connection of the link left to Q2 from the emitter to collector(From E1 to G1) , it fired up.
DeleteAll the switches works, although the Bass and Fuzz switches is quite subtle but it does add more gain to the circuit.
Sizzle switch cuts the overall output drastically if the Filter control is set at noon. Not so much if it set fully CCW or CW. Makes total sense since the series resistance is pretty high at noon.
I'm going to tag this one verified. At least for the toggle switch version.
Just wondering - when all the switches are off, is that the stock config for the Fuzz War? Very excited to build both the fuzz and boost circuits. Do you know if it's Fuzz into Boost or Boost into Fuzz? Will probably put it on a switch (because what's one more when you have 16 toggles)
ReplyDeleteJust checked the schematic!
DeleteAll switches should be in off position for stock Fuzz War mode except for Pres and Mid switches. These needs to be set on.
DeleteYeah, the booster is after the fuzz circuit but as you said....nothing stops you from install an order switch:-D
Got the booster section figured out except for one of the gain switches (Sw 8 and Sw 9 in the schematic).
....and High Sw Clip2 Sw must be set to on as well. :-S
DeleteSo for stock Fuzz War mode:
Fuzz:off
Bass:off
Pres:on
High:on
Mid:on
Clip 2:on
Sizzle:off
Clip 1:off
Moving that leftmost jumper made this baby come alive!
ReplyDeleteNow I hear the fuzz switch. The sizzle and bass switch still do nothing on mine. Though I removed the 470nf cap and jumped a 1u from bass switch 1 to fuzz switch 1 and I'm now getting a good bass boost.
Also my lower clipping switch is still killing a lot of volume.. I have some proper 3v6 diodes on the way so I'll know if that's the problem once they arrive.
Aside from these small issues, this thing rages!
I built the stock version, bass switch cuts signal when on (have checked my build and everything looks good, I think) and sizzle loses a lot of volume (maybe that's normal I think it just makes unity)
ReplyDeleteAll the other switches operate normally and it's sounds pretty damn good
I've been playing around with mine and I've got it pretty close to 100%. My bass switch was doing nothing so I removed the 470n from the board and put it between fuzz SW1 and bass SW1 which made it work. My sizzle does work but it's very faint and only when the Tone pot is set really high. The only other thing is my one clip switch kills a lot of volume but Im thinking once my 3v6 zeners arrive, everything will be good. Everything else is working as it should and I'm absolutely loving this pedal.
ReplyDeleteThere is no proper demo online that shows how exactly how the switches should work. Only this one from DBA. One of the switch settings have a wuite big volume drop...
Deletehttps://youtu.be/5f7PFBnBwsQ
Finally ordering switches for this! Have you considered doing an Evil Filter layout? That feels like the missing crown jewel for here!
DeleteI know there’s a lot of cases of folk trying to get the Exp to work but I saw this comment on Tagboard’s take at it :
http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2015/10/death-by-audio-evil-filter.html?showComment=1594991687710&m=1#c8394236983702446052
Thanks for all you do!
Ended up building Tagboard’s layout after looking it over haha! Would be amazing to get that EXP fixed!
DeleteYeah, it is the expression function that holds me back for this one. It is the dealbreaker IMHO.
DeleteAlso, I'm not sure the fuzz section is correctly traced since it sounds sort of weak in one of the switch positions. And I saw a gutshot of the first version of the Evil Filter and it had four transistors...
However, I do have a two verified layouts for the filter section (without EXP) and and the fuzz section (AKA Evil Fuzz) with an extra gain stage.
Not sure if I will upload it since the fuzz section isn't confirmed but maybe I should if there is interest.
I ended up gutting an old broken wah that a friend had gifted me years ago and just used a switching jack socket to swap between the pot I’d installed in there and the layout’s potentiometer. Not the prettiest or most ideal solution but definitely provided some fun sounding results. Looking forward to building the SFW!
ReplyDeleteGot some DIP switches so I tried out the first layout. It works... sizzle cuts crazy volume, but that seems to be the norm. All other switches seem, at least on first test, to work. I don't know if I would go for the full verified tag but if it's not there it's almost there.
ReplyDeleteHad to sub 47k and 470K instead of 43K and 430K. And used 1N4729As for the 3.6v diodes. Pretty scooped sound for me using humbuckers, more than the demo. Could be from different values. Also, never really like the fuzz war filter, but that's just my preference.
Did you manage to figure out the boost section for this? Any parts that are sticking that we can all try to figure out here?
ReplyDeleteNo I'm still scratching my head when I think about the boost section.
DeleteI have a layout finished but I haven't uploaded it since it isn't finished.
But I can create a separate post for it tomorrow including the layout and links to the schematic and PCB images at Deadend Fx.
I really need some help figuring it out and more than two eyes usually helps.
The problem is the slider switches that set the amount of boost/gain. They selects vetween several resistors (both in series and parallel) in the feedback loop of the op amp.
LOL "I have a layout finished but I haven't uploaded it since it isn't finished."
DeleteNO, it isn't finished! :-p
Haha! Yeah, I see what you mean in the schematic. Hopefully a few of us can figure it out :)
DeleteHey Ross. Just uploaded the booster section.
Deletehttps://dirtboxlayouts.blogspot.com/2021/06/death-by-audio-super-fuzz-war-boost.html
The big question is pin 8 and 9 for the slider switch. According to the schematic they are joined together which makes no sense. But the the PCB images at DeadEnd Fx reveals that there is seprate traces for pin and 9...
https://www.deadendfx.com/product/skirmish
We can continue the this topic in the "Boost section" post?
Hey Anders, the stock version is verified also. DIP switch positions seem to work as described, subtle changes in some positions but it works
ReplyDeleteThere's an error on the toggle switch layout... Input should be on row N not O
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBuilt along with the boost section. Got myself a super fuzz war with the dip switches showing outside the case too :-)
ReplyDelete