Dvm Od2

[marnold]

As DVM alluded to in the other thread, I did place an order for an OD2 with a custom paint job. Not only will it be totally cool, but it with be 946x more Lutheran than the leading overdrive pedal.* The only MOSFET bits I'm going for are in place of the LED clipping option. At that point my TO800 will go to my son. I've wanted an overdrive that was sturdier than my TO800 and a boost pedal. This is two great tastes that taste great together! And it's fostering Fret togetherness (Fretherness?) that just gives me the warm fuzzys. Naturally pics and clips will follow, which will give me the impetus to get off my kiester and record something again.







* All stats verified by Wikipedia and Billy, the gray squirrel in the big Dutch Elm

 

[sunvalleylaw]

As DVM alluded to in the other thread, I did place an order for an OD2 with a custom paint job. Not only will it be totally cool, but it with be 946x more Lutheran than the leading overdrive pedal.* The only MOSFET bits I'm going for are in place of the LED clipping option. At that point my TO800 will go to my son. I've wanted an overdrive that was sturdier than my TO800 and a boost pedal. This is two great tastes that taste great together! And it's fostering Fret togetherness (Fretherness?) that just gives me the warm fuzzys. Naturally pics and clips will follow, which will give me the impetus to get off my kiester and record something again.







* All stats verified by Wikipedia and Billy, the gray squirrel in the big Dutch Elm

Most Exxxccceellllennntt! :rockon: I for one will look forward to seeing and hearing your version. :AOK: :AOK:

 

[Algonquin]

will give me the impetus to get off my kiester and record something again.

Sounds like a good enough reason to me :AOK:
Congrats, and looking forward to pics and clips.
Cheers :beer:

 

[Robert]

Cool, I can feel the Fretherness in us rising!

 

[piebaldpython]

Congrats Marnold and welcome to the DVM OD2 club. OD2 is just a great pedal, it does lots of nice things to your tone and having the MOSFET mod where you will have it expands your tonal arsenal.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Marnold why did you choose the Mosfet options that you did?

 

[marnold]

Marnold why did you choose the Mosfet options that you did?

A couple of reasons. 1) I wanted to keep the stock TS808 thang as much as possible--just with the mods to make it more flexible, 2) I agreed with DVM after listening to the Gearmandude clip that I could not tell much difference between the lift and LED options. DVM said the MOSFET is much more noticeable, 3) I considered going MOSFET for the boost, but DVM said he tried both and liked the silicon boost better. I still hem and haw slightly on that last one. I haven't had the chance to listen to clips showing the difference between the silicon and MOSFET boost.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Of the 5 places MOSFETs can go into the OD2 (BYOC's $8 MOSFET Conversion Kit allows you to do all 5, if you so choose), there is only one that I recommend without reservation to everyone, and that is the pair in the second clipping position. The reason is exactly the one Marnold stated--the LED clipping under most playing conditions sounds similar to or exactly the same as the middle toggle position, which turns the clipping off. That's because it takes a LARGE signal (2.0V or more) to exceed the LED voltage threshold and initiate signal clipping, and most of us don't get up in that voltage realm routinely in our playing.

For the other four positions:

• Input and output buffers - The main point here is to leverage the MOSFETs higher input impedance vs. bipolar silicon trannies to preserve top end response. Personally, I find the advice of effects guru Jack Orman compelling on this point--he suggests using a MOSFET input buffer if you're looking for maximum "sparkle", but sticking with the bipolar tranny output buffer for its stronger drive performance. Even then, if you're not concerned with the "sparkle" factor (and it's a subtle difference, not a big change), this one can easily be skipped.
• Opamp - The CA3260 BiMOS opamp included in conversion kit is really just another "flavor" of opamp that can be run in the OD2, along with a wide range of other dual-stage opamps. IMO, changing opamps in this and other TS-based overdrives is among the more subtle changes you can make, tonally. Yeah, it adds more "MOSFET" content, but this one has the least overall impact, to my ear.
• MOSFET Boost - Strictly a matter of personal taste on whether you go with the BS170 MOSFET in the boost stage or stick the the kit's stock MPSA18 bipolar tranny. Again, the impact is top-end chime and clarity with the MOSFET. But personally, I find the bipolar tranny boost--essentially the same as the vintage EH Linear Power Booster circuit--to be the better balanced boost. It still has good top-end clarity, and it definitely gives you more authority in the bass and lower mids, hence the "linear" designation. But if it's a "clean" boost you want, the MOSFET option is tops for that.

Damn--see what happens when you guys get me going on the technical mumbo-jumbo! Well, I hope that's helpful to some of you, anyway.

BTW, got my order book out--who's next??

 

[marnold]

Here's a mock-up of what the pedal is going to look like. Bonus points if you understand the Luther references.

 

[piebaldpython]

Sweet mock-up!!

 

[mrmudcat]

Yea I also dig that :master:

Mine was modded for chase and is sweet so enjoy it brother:bravo:

 

[marnold]

DVM just sent me a picture of the enclosure. All it needs is a couple of coats of clear.

 

[Kazz]

that is sweeeet Matt.

 

[duhvoodooman]

...All it needs is a couple of coats of clear.

Well, I was kinda planning on installing the electronics and hardware in it, too.... oke:

 

[marnold]

Well, I was kinda planning on installing the electronics and hardware in it, too.... oke:

True dat. It'd be hard to go "meedley meedley meeeeee!" without them.

 

[marnold]

Now fully assembled!

Insert maniacal (yet extraordinarily Lutheran) giggling here.

 

[Monkus]

sweeeeeet !!!! :AOK:

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Looking good Matt! I would love to hear some tones from it sometime.

 

[SharkUSMC]

Heh, Thesis 96, as in, "But this one goes to 11!" I love it. (So sayeth he that works for the LCMS headquarters.")

 

[pes_laul]

Sweet looking pedal, can't wait to hear it:dude:

 

[marnold]

The pedal is here! I only had a quick chance to run it through its paces this morning to make sure nothing was damaged in shipping. I was concerned that given the size of the pedal and the two switches that stomping on one could cause the pedal to flip. Having used it a bit I suppose that would be technically possible, but it's not very likely--even for someone as uncoordinated as I. More details will follow as I have opportunity. This is my first day back from vacation which means that I've got a ton of stuff piled up.

 

[marnold]

Some further quick observations in lieu of a full-blown review:
1) The boost is exactly what I hoped it would be. Much better than using my OD with the level boosted because it doesn't color the tone as much. There's just more of what you need, when you need it. Worth the price of admission right there.

2) The OD is going to take more time, not that it sounds bad, but just because there's so many options! Do I want stock TS clipping, lift those clippy bits, or go MOSFET? Do I want the mid-range honk or a fuller EQ? I kept playing with the switches and saying, "That sounds cool. Hey, that sounds cool too. What about this? Yep, cool." DVM did tweak the tone control so it is much more flexible, but it takes some getting used to because what the knob reads is not the same as a TS-808 would be at the same position. There's also quite a bit more gain on tap, which requires some rethinking.

Guess I'll just have to spend more time playing. Sigh.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Darn, I really feel bad for you . . . . . .

I felt the same way with the Rodent, I had great tones right away, but there were/are so many options, it took me a while to acclimate. Not a bad thing, just tons of options in one little box. Have fun with your experimenting!

 

[marnold]

Here's a couple of pictures taken in my very own dining room:

First, the outside of the pedal to show off the custom (and painfully Lutheran) finish:

Next, a gutshot, including DVM's hand-written note. It is superabundantly clear that DVM's soldering skillz far outstrip my own. Not that I expected anything else.

I'm still messing with settings, trying to come up with the best way to demonstrate the power of this pedal.

 

[Kazz]

Where is the...this thread is useless without clips smilie?

 

[marnold]

Where is the...this thread is useless without clips smilie?

Working on it. Patience, grasshopper.

 

[ibanezjunkie]

sweet pedal, i assume youve been jamming with it all day?

is it legal to have something that boutique and not jam with it all day?

 

[marnold]

OK, here are the clips you've all been waiting for. Here's the scoop. All knobs are set at noon for all the clips. In the "lick" clips I play one of Doug Marks' Classic Metal Licks. In the "chord" clips I play "Sweet Jane" again because it's easy All clips were played using the Jazz neck pickup on my Jackson DK2M into my AD30VT using my Black 2x12 settings into my SoundBlaster Audigy and then into Audacity. All clips are unedited except a little amplification on the licks.

Clipping Test:
I keep the tone switch at "normal." I play the lick or progression once clean, then I play it with the standard TS-808 silicon diodes, then with the "lift" mode (aka no clipping diodes, opamp only), finally with the MOSFET diodes.
Lick clipping test
Chord clipping test

Tone Test:
I keep the clipping switch in TS-808 mode. I play the lick or progression once clean, then I play it with the "Full" tone setting, then with "Normal," finally with "Fat." Normal = TS-808 mid-hump.
Lick tone test
Chord tone test

Boost Test:
Finally, I play the lick once in TS-808 mode with the tone switch on "Normal." The second time through I kick in the boost.
Boost test

A couple of notes: the "lift" mode is considerably louder than the two diode clipping modes since less clipping is actually occurring. There are internal trim pots on this to control the amount of gain. I believe DVM set the max gain at towards the top, so it has a lot more gain on tap than a standard TS-808. That can be adjusted to taste. My AD30VT's line out doesn't capture the tone as well as I'd like, but it gives you an idea anyway.

 

[aeolian]

The sound clips really show off the different tones. Great job!

I know the pedal has some customizing options (or did I just get confused) with chips and stuff. Is yours a 'straight forward' OD2?

 

[marnold]

I know the pedal has some customizing options (or did I just get confused) with chips and stuff. Is yours a 'straight forward' OD2?

There are some difference between this one and a stock OD2. The main one is that I've got MOSFET diodes instead of LEDs for the third clipping option. Here's some other bits that DVM changed (copied from an email he sent me):
1) The max pedal gain is set for 2x the TS stock value, so that you can get more drive. I also changed the capacitor ratings accordingly in the 3-position "Fat" toggle so that the bass response stays equivalent to the stock build (otherwise, you lose bass).
2) I installed sockets on the four PCB eyelets where the two stock clipping diodes attach. That allows you to change the clipping mode for that "TS" position. I've installed the stock silicon diodes, but have also fitted up a pair of red LED's that can be installed, if you want to try that clipping mode.
3) 5K pot for the tone control to give a more useful sweep range. The stock 25K puts all of the useful range up between about 2 to 5 o'clock.

I'll let DVM chime in if there were any other modifications I missed. He had originally changed a couple of other bits, but he went back to stock when he didn't like how it turned out.

I may do another clip today just to show the range of the gain.