forms of asymmetrical clipping

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dilboskwisgaar
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forms of asymmetrical clipping

Post by dilboskwisgaar » Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:13 am

I understand the difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical clipping, but I can't figure out how orienting the diodes differently affects the sound of the asymmetrical clipping. In the diagram below, how would the 4 different configurations affect the waveform/sound?

Thanks!

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vale
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Re: forms of asymmetrical clipping

Post by vale » Thu Mar 23, 2017 2:11 am

i think it's something to do with cycles but i gave up trying to understand pedals a few years ago because it made my brain hurt. but i just flicked through my bookmarks & found this which may help.
http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/dio ... cuits.html
i learned my clipping from beavis audio but i think site died. try searching beavis & clipping & diodes or something & you may get lucky.
i may even have the beavis diode stuff backed up somewhere, so when i am not at work (haha!) i will dig around & post it up. if i can find it.
i am an animal.

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jorri
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Re: forms of asymmetrical clipping

Post by jorri » Thu Mar 23, 2017 5:38 am

For all intents and purposes the same surely.

If you see that the direction/polarity of the diodes is simply acting on either the up or down cycles. Well between the first two they have opposite 'phase' of distortion characteristics, though the input signal remaining the same. The direction of AC is analogous to the up/down cycles. Could this matter? Well perhaps you might feed it with an assymetrical signal, or use more than one pair of assymetrical clippers in a circuit, i guess it might?

the lower two just directly correspond to the ones above them. The diodes are just in a different place so would be electronically the same.

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DaveC
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Re: forms of asymmetrical clipping

Post by DaveC » Thu Mar 23, 2017 7:42 am

Can't remember exactly, but I'm sure I read somewhere that it alters the amount of odd and even order harmonics in the signal... Does this sound familiar to anyone...?
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Re: forms of asymmetrical clipping

Post by jorri » Thu Mar 23, 2017 10:46 am

DaveC wrote:Can't remember exactly, but I'm sure I read somewhere that it alters the amount of odd and even order harmonics in the signal... Does this sound familiar to anyone...?
symmetrical distortion produces odd harmonics and assymetrical distortion produces even essentially.
Think of just chopping off a wave, it gets closer to a square wave which contains both odd and even.
If you've ever seen a wave that's only odd, its basically irregularly shaped asymmetrical sine wave (they don't tend to be on synths I guess! well its not really a wave function as you'd include the 1st harmonic which is technically odd, I guess otherwise its an octave fuzz idk!?).

But anyway, that's the degree of how assymetrical it is, whilst all the above have equal degrees of symmetry, just clipping in reverse polarity is one way to put it which by most situations would be effectively the same. Another variance is whether its soft or hard clipping, but afaik that is more to do with the place in the circuit.

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Re: forms of asymmetrical clipping

Post by vale » Fri Mar 24, 2017 1:41 am

here's the most wonderful thing i remember learning the basic principle from. useful to you i hope.

professor steve of albini explains odd & even order harmonics in relation to fuzz pedals. on stilts.

(there is not a 'hall of fame' big enough. we need an air hangar or hadron collider of fame for steve).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5GKgLTVkpQ
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aliraza2925
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Re: forms of asymmetrical clipping

Post by aliraza2925 » Fri Mar 13, 2020 9:13 am

I think it is better to do the simulation for each case. This will provide you enough idea how you sounds will be for asymmetrical clipping. the below link may can help you in this case.
http://electronicslab4u.com/clipper-circuits/

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