OmniMuff v1.0
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5
Components
Since the OmniMuff can be used to build so many different types of Big Muffs, we split off the
components section in to
a separate configuration document
with all possible configurations.
My advice: Capacitors with values
< 1nF
should be
MLCC or Ceramic
, values of
1nF
–
1µF
should be
SMF/MKT/Wima
and all values
> 1µF
are
Electrolytic
.
Then there is always the magic question:
“
Will it really sound like a <your favorite Big Muff version>?
”
Well, that depends on the quality of the parts you are using. I will not go into a rant about parts
(vintage or not) but I will give you my personal view based on building all the configurations and
comparing some of them to the original.
Transistors
First, you could buy the real vintage ones. You will have a very hard time finding genuine vintage
FS36999s/2N5133 and it will cost you a lot. Alternatively you can consider buying a (modern)
alternative like the 2N3904, 2N5088, 2N5089, BC549C, BC550, BC239, SE4010, 2N5210 etc. Either
way you should consider to socket the transistors and try more than one type and even try to mix.
Experimenting is fun! PS 2N5089 and 2N5210 are very close for the Russian Big Muffs.
that the original vintage FS36999 has a H
fe
between 160 and 200.
Resistors and capacitors
Ok, this is going to get me some hate mail. I found no (real) tonal difference using vintage carbon
composition resistors or modern metal film resistors. I am NOT a certified electrical engineer so this
is based on simply experimenting.
Ditto goes for the capacitors.
I used mostly WIMA, SMF and electrolytic capacitors from Panasonic™
and they sound great everywhere. I know that there is a lot of discussion about this on the internet
so feel free to totally disagree with me.
None the less the value and tolerance of these components influence the sound greatly. Components
have a spread in their values. Every part is sold with these values inside a certain tolerance. Carbon
Composite are +/- 5% and while metal film mostly are +/- 1%. Capacitors are even worse. Generally
the tolerance is about +/- 10% but can also be +/- 20% or even +/- 5%. It depends. This is (only) one
of the reasons that no 2 effects of the same type really sound the same. To conclude: sound is more
influenced by the tolerance (and change of that over the years) of the components then the brand.
Recreating an effect should also mean that the exact value of the components should be measured
and not just their advertised value. An old 20% 4.7µF will range between 3.76 µF and 5.64 µF. This
can and will have a lot of influence in a RC filter!
To conclude, there is also the influence of temperature. Every component will measure different
under different temperatures. So, at -20
o
C an effect might sound different then at +40
o
C.
But if you really want to read up on the different Big Muff versions and components, you should go
to the Big Muff page that Kit Rae made. It is a true gem!
Содержание OmniMuff
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