Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

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Shadoweclipse13
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Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Mon Feb 07, 2022 8:13 pm

So, we all know the classics... Tubescreamers, RATs, Fuzz Faces, Muffs, Tonebenders, and so on. But I want to know what modern gain and dirt pedals you guys like! Things that are either new circuits, or so far removed from their original circuits as to be something new. What new circuits are do it for you?
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Embenny
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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by Embenny » Mon Feb 07, 2022 8:26 pm

My Moog MF Drive does some cool things that you sure don't get out of classic circuits.
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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by elektrovac » Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:05 am

I am biased because I made this, but I think it fits the bill, in representing a new idea in overdrives.

The Epic Overdrives features two complete and independent drive circuits which are complimetary in character and tonal response, which can be freely mixed and balanced, and mixed with clean signal too. The drives work in parallel, so it is not one stacked into the other. The input signal is split into the two drives (and the clean channel).

One drive is based on a TS/Boss SD-1 circuit (can be preset for symmetrical or asymmetrical clipping) and features the midrange hump and has a grainy and compressed character. The other drive is smooth, natural and amp-like and features a scooped-mids tonal character, a bit like a BF Fender amp.

The two drive circuits are individually adjustable for gain and tone, so you can set one to drive more than the other, and one can be brighter or darker than the other. In this way you have endless combinations at hand, to create some completely new overdrive effects. And you can blend in clean signal too, to preserve punch and clarity. Each drive can be preset for extended low-end response via internal switches (one octave lower than a standard OD pedal).

On the downside, the Epic OD has a lot of knobs, and it is way less intuitive to dial in than a standard 3-knob overdrive, but once you get to master it, it is endlessly more flexible.

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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by Veitchy » Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:33 am

elektrovac wrote:
Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:05 am
Mate, that's incredible. I'm positive I've never seen that done before. Such a good idea.
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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by CorporateDisguise » Tue Feb 08, 2022 4:25 am

In the modern fuzz department the Earthbound Audio Supercollider is incredible. Somewhere between fuzz and heavy distortion. It’s what Big Muffs want to be when they grow up.

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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by higgsblossom » Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:46 am

One fuzz pedal that I really like is the Death By Audio Fuzz War: https://deathbyaudio.com/products/fuzz-war

I don't know if its circuit is that "modern", but the sound I would describe as an overdriven Big Muff. Like someone put a lot of gain in front of a Muff and more gain behind it, is the best way I can describe it.
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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Tue Feb 08, 2022 6:25 am

Great suggestions everybody!!

I didn't say in my first post, but I may be looking for a modern fuzz, and there are a few that have caught my ear. This isn't meant to be a "help me find this sound" kind of thread, as I'm genuinely interested in what people like for modern stuff. I will say that the OBNE Haunt/Alpha/Alpha Haunt has caught my ear, and I'd also love to try a Catalinbread Giygas as well.
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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by fuzzjunkie » Tue Feb 08, 2022 10:23 am

Fairfield Circuitry makes some interesting dirt boxes. Some are built on JFET components, but not sure if they all are.

The Barbershop is a great overdrive. Musical and versatile. There’s an always on version if you like to ride your volume knob.

The Unpleasant Surprise is rude and industrial sounding.

The 900 is a modern sounding fuzz based on the discontinued Four Eyes Fuzz that can model some OG fuzz boxes.

The Four Eyes was a 3 stage fuzz that took 3 EQ shapes, fuzzed the signals and blended them back together. It could also do overdrive, fixed filter, wah, and octave fuzz sounds. One of my favorite pedals.
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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by fuzzjunkie » Tue Feb 08, 2022 10:28 am

Basic Audio takes classic circuits and updates them. He’s taken Germanium circuits and modified them to Silicon while retaining the sound and feel of Germanium.

He adds extra controls for EQ and Bias that makes the circuits more versatile and adds a volume boost that most of those old circuits lacked.

He has a several where he took the best parts of old designs and mashed them up into something new, like The Gnarly, Spooky Tooth, Zippy, and Scarab Deluxe.

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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by smitty1981 » Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:12 pm

The smallsound bigsound mini is pretty versatile. Too bad they are impossible to find reasonably now.

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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by hulakatt » Tue Feb 08, 2022 7:44 pm

I'm still really impressed with the Boss FZ-1w. I do not know the architecture of it or if it's based on anything in particular but it's a really, really good sounding, all-rounder fuzz. It's not super gainy but it really is flexible and very musical. There aren't many fuzzes that I like with playing chords but the FZ-1w really does well under that kind of use.

I also really like the Leqtique drives I've played lately. I believe one of them is based of the Tubescreamer circuit but it's moved way beyond that level of gain to Uberschall levels. All of them, despite their incredible gain, have a dead quiet noise floor too.

I've long been a fan of BJFe pedals too and they're pretty original circuits and extremely touch sensitive across the board. BJFe makes a few fuzzes and a wide variety of amp-in-a-box drives.
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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by JackFawkes » Tue Feb 08, 2022 8:09 pm

I only just came into possession of a Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler a couple weeks ago and haven't gotten to play with it as much as I'd like, it can make a lot of great fuzzy sounds; and from what I've read, it's circuit is at least a little creative.

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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by redchapterjubilee » Wed Feb 09, 2022 3:45 am

Second the good word on the smallsound bigsound mini. It does many things, boost to drive to distortion to fuzz.

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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by fever606 » Wed Feb 09, 2022 3:55 am

You mentioned the Old Blood Haunt, which I liked but always more on bass than guitar. The Excess is based on the Ibanez Session Man (the dirt portion of which is loosely based on the Boss HM-2), so you get a modernized “80s mid-to-high-gain” dirt with the bonus of a chorus/slapback for maximum 80s-ness… oh and I guess they just released a “V2” in a smaller format, for people that wear pointy-toed shoes and crave maximum pedalboard density.

The ss/bs Mini is great but for my money you gotta go with the Fuck Overdrive. The same JFET distortion as the Mini but with an envelope-controlled crackle (read: lofi sputtering decaying gloriousness). Or if you can cop any of Brian’s earlier/smaller production pedals like the Hawk, Year 4545, etc… all killer.

Finally, shout out to the Electronic Audio Experiments/Mask Audio Eldritch Blast. John and Alec made an absolutely massive fuzz that has a lot of unique, usable sounds. But really everything these two are putting out is great…

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Re: Modern Drive And Fuzzes?

Post by Ftoronado » Fri Feb 18, 2022 3:49 am

In the fuzz family, my nominees are :
- DOD Carcosa, modern sounding fuzz, very versatile. Not the sound I was looking for but can't recommand it enough.
- Smallsound/bigsound Buzzz : a modern take off of the superfuzz. Many features, great sound, tried the Mini and prefered this one.

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