Technical Specifications:
DRIVE gain (max):
+54dB
DRY LEVEL gain (max): +8dB
EQ Frequencies:
LOW 50Hz, HIGH 3KHz
EQ boost/cut:
+/- 14dB
DRY blend LP filter:
Full-band, 160Hz, 1600Hz
OCTAVE LP filter:
Full-band, 500Hz, 4000Hz
Pre-fuzz HP filter:
55Hz, 110Hz, 220Hz
Maximum Output:
14.5dBu
Frequency Response:
20Hz
– 20KHz -1.5dB @ 20Hz
(Bypassed)
Input Impedance:
1M ohm
Output Impedance:
1K ohm
Current Consumption:
Approx. 40mA
Battery Life:
Approx. 14 hours continuous use
Power adapter (optional): 9VDC 2.1mm negative center pin
About the design:
The Photon Fuzz MK2 gets its name from an active component in the
circuit that utilizes infrared light to control the fuzz distortion element.
Light is made up of photon particles, so the name represents the
action that is at the heart of this very unique fuzz circuit.
The Photon Fuzz was designed with versatile features for both bass
and guitar players. There are three controls for the fuzz and its level,
with a 2-band EQ to shape the fuzz tone. A dry blend level control is
included for bass players and there is an octave distortion level
control that is selected via footswitch. The ACNR (Active Coring
Noise Reduction) control covers a wide range, from no affect on the
fuzz signal, to a gated fuzz effect.
The two controls that define the type and depth of fuzz are the drive
and bite. The drive control sets the overall gain for the signal in the
distortion circuit. The bite control sets the activation point where the
fuzz distortion engages upon the signal and it behaves differently for
lower and higher drive settings. Using the bite control with lower drive
settings will give the player dynamic fuzz that will react and clean up
well with the signal from the instrument. With higher drive settings the
bite control will set depth of fuzz and sustain. This combination of two
controls for the fuzz distortion allows for a wide range of textures from
classic to modern.
There are two DIP switches located on the back of the circuit board
that select the frequency for the pre-fuzz high-pass filters. These
filters provide 55Hz, 110Hz and 220Hz high-pass filtration before the
fuzz circuitry.
For bass players there is a dry level blend. The blending of a dry
signal with the fuzz is useful to restore the lower bass frequencies that
can get masked with heavy fuzz. This blend control is also very
useful for players that want to retain their instruments natural sound
and only need a bit of fuzz to cut through a dense mix. The dry signal
has two low-pass filters that are selectable from the DIP switch
located on the back of the circuit board. This allows the user to run
the dry signal with the full audio spectrum or with the higher
frequencies filtered. The filters have cut-off frequencies of 1600Hz
and 160Hz.
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