Big muff power supply

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SonicC
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Big muff power supply

Post by SonicC » Sat Dec 14, 2019 7:00 am

I’m thinking of replacing my fuzz face because it can’t go after any pedals, so if I’m using any other distortion after the fuzz then it actually gets quieter after I turn it on. I’m thinking of getting a big muff so I can boost it with other pedals and get more reliability. Can I use a boss PSA adapter (Center negative) with a daisy chain, then put one of these where the big muff is going? https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-B ... 6TEALw_wcB

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somanytoys
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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by somanytoys » Sat Dec 14, 2019 10:22 am

If that's the adapter that the Muff you get needs, that adapter should work with the daisy chain. I used to use an adapter like that with the older EHX models take that type of power supply, but I have no experience with the newer ones, although I'd think that EHX would have come around to using the much more common center negative by now. It seems like I remember one of the newer nano muffs someone had using center negative. I guess a lot may depend on which Muff you buy (?).

Also, for the daisy chain, keep in mind how many mA's are needed for all of the pedals in your daisy chain. A Boss PSA doesn't produce much (I can't remember, but maybe like 200 - 300 mA?) - many pedals don't need much, especially dirt pedals, but others (like delay) need a lot. You need enough for the sum total of all of the pedals you have chained. FWIW, a One Spot adapter produces much more, maybe like 1700 mA or so, if I remember correctly. Just a suggestion if you run into any problems with certain pedals not working correctly or cutting out. Eventually you should consider getting a power supply with isolated feeds (Voodoo, DB11, Ciocks, etc.)
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by timtam » Sat Dec 14, 2019 5:01 pm

What exactly is the issue with the fuzz face ? It may be because of your daisy chain. And I personally wouldn't use an adaptor that flips the voltage and ground pins on a daisy chain. Nothing's going to explode probably, but it's less than optimal noise-wise. As with all things pedal-power-related, YMMV. But I think you've probably reached the point where you need a decent fully isolated supply.

Look up the current draws on all your pedals to get the total current draw. Re voltage requirements, I'm assuming all 9V DC from what you've been using for power. Fully isolated supplies are now available relatively inexpensively (almost the same as what a OneSpot costs where I am). The only trick is telling which are fully isolated. These are .. they have 8 isolated outputs, 2000 mA max total current draw, and have some multi-voltage/higher current outputs (for the future ?) ...
Vitoos ISO8
Harley Benton Iso Pro-2 (actually it is the same supply as the Vitoos)
https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_ben ... _2_pro.htm
"I just knew I wanted to make a sound that was the complete opposite of a Les Paul, and that’s pretty much a Jaguar." Rowland S. Howard.

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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by s_mcsleazy » Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:13 am

ok. i want to be honest. big muffs are cool but if you're going to get one to use live/in recordings. get one of the reissues over the big box nyc. i'd say the op amp is the best to buy.

the issue with the NYC (other than the adapter) is they can get completely lost in a mix..... depending on the amp you use. i have a black russian and a modded NYC. the black russian has more mids so that's the one i use live and the NYC is mainly for recording.
offset guitars resident bass player.
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'

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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by c.13 » Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:15 am

“What exactly is the issue with the fuzz face?”
I think it’s something to do with the low input impedance, and when a more modern boss/Ibanez pedal is put in front of it there is excessive noise.

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SonicC
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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by SonicC » Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:19 am

s_mcsleazy wrote:
Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:13 am
ok. i want to be honest. big muffs are cool but if you're going to get one to use live/in recordings. get one of the reissues over the big box nyc. i'd say the op amp is the best to buy.

the issue with the NYC (other than the adapter) is they can get completely lost in a mix..... depending on the amp you use. i have a black russian and a modded NYC. the black russian has more mids so that's the one i use live and the NYC is mainly for recording.
I use a Vox AC10 reissue, so I’m not sure how the big muff will sound with the Top Boost channel. For my ‘clean’ sound I have the TS9 on, then will turn the fuzz on but if the fuzz is before the TS then it sounds muffled when I turn it on, but if the fuzz is after the TS then the sound is boosted and has more mid range. Here’s a YouTube video to demonstrate this - https://youtu.be/QgnFVk3Ci18
I also have a Dunlop wah for when more high end is needed.

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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by SonicC » Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:22 am

c.13 wrote:
Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:15 am
“What exactly is the issue with the fuzz face?”
I think it’s something to do with the low input impedance, and when a more modern boss/Ibanez pedal is put in front of it there is excessive noise.
Surely I could fix this issue by using a noise gate then? This would eliminate the need for a new pedal, but I’d probably end up modifying it with higher gain silicone transistors.

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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by s_mcsleazy » Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:33 am

SonicC wrote:
Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:19 am
s_mcsleazy wrote:
Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:13 am
ok. i want to be honest. big muffs are cool but if you're going to get one to use live/in recordings. get one of the reissues over the big box nyc. i'd say the op amp is the best to buy.

the issue with the NYC (other than the adapter) is they can get completely lost in a mix..... depending on the amp you use. i have a black russian and a modded NYC. the black russian has more mids so that's the one i use live and the NYC is mainly for recording.
I use a Vox AC10 reissue, so I’m not sure how the big muff will sound with the Top Boost channel. For my ‘clean’ sound I have the TS9 on, then will turn the fuzz on but if the fuzz is before the TS then it sounds muffled when I turn it on, but if the fuzz is after the TS then the sound is boosted and has more mid range. Here’s a YouTube video to demonstrate this - https://youtu.be/QgnFVk3Ci18
I also have a Dunlop wah for when more high end is needed.
i can tell you how it's going to sound. great for recordings but in some rooms at gigging volume, you're going to get completely lost in the mix. the thing about using a tube screamer to boost the mids back up is it kinda seems like a bit of a waste. just get an op amp. it wont suck out as much of the mids and you can use your tube screamer as a tube screamer.
offset guitars resident bass player.
'Are you trying to seduce me Mrs Robinson? Or do you just want me to solder a couple of resistors into your Muff?'

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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by somanytoys » Sun Dec 15, 2019 9:04 am

SonicC wrote:
Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:22 am
c.13 wrote:
Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:15 am
“What exactly is the issue with the fuzz face?”
I think it’s something to do with the low input impedance, and when a more modern boss/Ibanez pedal is put in front of it there is excessive noise.
Surely I could fix this issue by using a noise gate then? This would eliminate the need for a new pedal, but I’d probably end up modifying it with higher gain silicone transistors.
The first question is - do you like the sound of the fuzz as it is?

Modding it with silicon is up to you, but you would lose the germanium sound that makes that pedal what it is. I personally love the germanium sound, but some people like the silicon sound or like the flexibility of it not having to be first. Because I love the germanium sound, I've learned to just put those first in the chain and work around it.

One thing to consider is to put the TS9 (or Boss) right behind it, and turn it off when you engage the fuzz. This is tricky with the TS9's footpad/switch, but you could get a looper with at least 2 loops (controllers are better, but more expensive). That way you can step on the 2 footswitches on the looper that are right next to each other at the same time, to swap the pedals out immediately. I've done that, it's the easiest way to do something like that without a controller.

If you like the sounds of each of the pedals alone, I'd look into doing this, rather than buy other pedals instead. A looper should be a somewhat similar price as another pedal, and you'll likely be getting other pedals down the road anyway. And the looper will always come in handy.

Edit: A couple of examples are Saturnworks and Loopmaster, but there are probably others, and there should be some for sale on Reverb or Ebay, new and used.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by Severed Hand » Sun Dec 15, 2019 4:06 pm

Get a OP amp big muff reissue dial down the TS9’s volume, gain or distortion and stick it in front of the muff.

Muff cuts when it’s not fighting for volume and headroom on your rig.

Or just buy a rat and stack the rat and OP Big Muff.

Maybe consider getting a pedal power plus they’re a game changer.

Think noise reducer pedals are a waste of space on a board.

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Re: Big muff power supply

Post by somanytoys » Mon Dec 16, 2019 1:53 am

SonicC wrote:
Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:19 am
I use a Vox AC10 reissue, so I’m not sure how the big muff will sound with the Top Boost channel. For my ‘clean’ sound I have the TS9 on, then will turn the fuzz on but if the fuzz is before the TS then it sounds muffled when I turn it on, but if the fuzz is after the TS then the sound is boosted and has more mid range. Here’s a YouTube video to demonstrate this - https://youtu.be/QgnFVk3Ci18
I also have a Dunlop wah for when more high end is needed.
This is all assuming you like the fuzzface, and can get some good sounds out of it alone.

Like in the video, on one small amp setup, I use a TS9 first, set for more of a clean sound than not. I leave it on to push a BD-2, to fatten up the BD2's sound, with the BD2's settings appropriate for the TS9 pushing it. The BD2 sounds hollow without the TS9 pushing it with those settings, but stacking them and kicking on the BD2 for heavier sounds is easier than switching them both on & off. And they sound good together that way. I haven't found that the TS9 makes a very good pedal to stack things into, personally, I think it sounds like the other pedal or the amp is being put in a box with a blanket over it. But others may have different experiences with that.

Normally I find that having a pedal on, or a pedal's buffer active (not true bypass) before a germanium fuzz squishes the fuzz, and robs the top end. It's also very possible that if you have the wah pedal hooked up before it, and the wah is buffered all the time, and the wah's buffer will also squish the fuzz and steal the top end, all the time.

If you're happy with the sound of the fuzzface alone, I'd put it first, and figure out how you want to control and separate the sounds of the fuzz & the TS9, with a looper or whatever. Also check to see if the wah pedal is messing with the fuzz if it's before it in the chain, by trying just the fuzz with nothing in front of it, and see if there's any difference in the sound when you put the wah in front of it, off. If not, fine, if it does, move it after the fuzz, see how that works.

This is all just trying to let you use what you have as much as possible. If you're dead set on getting another pedal, that's cool, but if you ever decide to break out the fuzz again, you'll need to know what can go in front of it and what can't.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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