Paul Marossy Posted December 12, 2004 Report Share Posted December 12, 2004 Anyone here have a Z. Vex Fuzz Factory? If so, what's your favorite setting(s)? For single note stuff, I think this one is cool: Vol - 12:00 Gate - 2:00 Comp - 11:00 Drive - 5:00 Stability - 2:00 It's a very interesting circuit. I scratched out a schematic for it out of curiosity because I was very curious about how it works. The other thing that is kind of neat about it is that you can get some really long sustain notes, almost like a "fuzz infinite sustain" until the signal dies off enough for it to stop. Great noise toy! Z. Vex is a genious... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 12, 2004 Report Share Posted December 12, 2004 it is a really cool piece of kit and a very nifty little circuit (yes i have a schem lol but i aint building it) at some point im planning to drop the cash to get a fuzz factory and a machine as well. pity that its so much of a dent in the budget for Z's stuff, but its worth every penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 Johnny G have you noticed the new Z-Vex vexter series of the Fuzz Factory. They are aluminium casing and cheaper thasn the hand painted stuff. I have a Fuzz Factory, it is that pedal that I built into my guitar. Can one of you send me the schematic of it, i'd be interested in having a copy. Lol, why wont you build one? Is it due to copywrite reasons or not? I also have a question that isnt linked to the Fuzz Factory but I didnt want to make a whole new thread. Does anyone have, or know of anywhere that I could get hold of a schematic for the now discontinued Zoom Ultra Fuzz? I've heared that it is a good pedal and can do similar noises to the Fuzz Factory. I'd be very interested in seeing a schematic on it. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 I saw some of those vexters on ebay. They look cool. Not sure about the Zoom Ultra-Fuzz schematic. If it's analog, it ought to be fairly easy to build with a schematic in hand. If it's digital, well, it's quite a bit more complicated for the average DIYer. In fact, I wouldn't even attempt it, and I have built a lot of stuff in the last three years. It'd be simpler to buy one off of ebay or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 hhhmmm, a cheaper fuzz factory you say. ill look into this tho partof thereason for wanting a fuzz factory is the damn cool paint design lol. as for not building it its partly because i respect since he really knows his shiznit and also my miniscule stock of NOS germanium transistors isnt up to scratch in the slightest. in truth ive built meself an SHO and used it for a bit but untill ive got my tube amp sorted there aint really much use for me in it. and even then im gonna buy one, the bee is damn cool lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 The ultra fuzz is apparently analogue. does anyone have schematics for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 You might also try asking the same question at Aron's Stompbox Forum. http://www.diystompboxes.com I haven't heard of a schematic floating around for it, but someone at the stompbox forum might know of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 i had a quick scout for a schem of the ultra fuxx but didnt turn anything up. if you come up with anything id love to know. im looking for a really versatile noise fuzz and am trying to build my own but there are only so many ways to arrange transistors before you have to get really creative. transistor in paralel with the emiter resistor controlled by the origional signal being sent through a flip flop octave down . hellz yeah i need a breadboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 You might be able to get a lot of weird noises on a Fuzz Face type circuit just by adding a variable resistor in series with the positive side of the 9V battery, as long as the circuit uses positive feedback. Similar scenario as the Z. Vex Fuzz Factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 i always asumed that the resistance inthe battery line that simulates the dieing battery cased funny things because biasing and clipping went funkeh. and where is the positive feedback in a FF circuit? im fairlly sure the 100k resistor from emitter of Q2 to base of Q1 was negative feedback? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 (edited) Maybe I shouldnt have said "Fuzz Face type circuit", as the Fuzz Factory isn't based on any old design. In something like the Fuzz Factory, though, it works well. That would be an interesting experiment to try it on a Fuzz Face circuit. Quoting Paul Perry: "Some amplifiers will oscillate when there is resistance in the power supply, because of positive feedback. Where does this come from? The first time I saw this, it was a two transistor amplifier, where the current drain through the power supply resistance caused the voltage at the amplifier power input to ripple in sympathy. And, depending on the design of the circuit, this ripple can get to the input stage & if it is the right phase there, cause feedback. Note that the effect can be present without being strong enough to cause oscillation, in which case you wonder why none of the maths work!! Too much gain, input impedance nothing like you expected etc. And that is why a "flat" battery can make a different sound (as well of course as the voltage being lower)." All that to say that it may work on a Fuzz Face circuit. Edited December 13, 2004 by Paul Marossy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 ooohhh ok i get it. its actually fairlly easy to explain. circuit draws a certain amount of current from battery. when you introduce resistance inbetween the battery and the circuit the current being drawn through the resitance causes a voltage across it. thats all easy. nowwhat i reckon happens with it is that when the resistance is large enough, the voltage drop across it will be so great that the biasing on the transistors goes funny and there isnt enough voltage at the base to turnthem on. this means they turn off. now when they're off, they wont be drawing any current. so there wont be a voltage drop across the power supply series resistence. hence there will be enough voltage to turn the transistors back on. but hang on, when they turn on the whole thing happens all over again, and again, and again. and so you will get the oscillation. wow i amaze myself sometimes lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 Well, that sounds like a reasonable explanation to me. I really don't understand transistors all that well. A tube triode I get, but transistors are somewhat cryptic to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted December 14, 2004 Report Share Posted December 14, 2004 Sorry I didnt undrstand that, how does the stab control on the Fuzz Factory work again (or all the controls for that matter lol). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2004 On the Fuzz Factory stab (stability) control, the simple answer is that the resistor in series with the positive terminal of the 9V battery causes oscillation in the audio range. BTW, I looked at the waveforms of this circuit on my scope last night. Once again, not quite what I expected on some of the controls. What I did see is that the circuit takes a sine wave and turns it into an asymmetrical square wave. The vol, drive and gate controls all made sense to me. But, the comp control didn't quite do what I expected. I guess I don't know how to interpret compression on a scope, if that is even possible to see on a scope... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted December 15, 2004 Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 Hmm, can you explain exactly how the Fuzz Factory is working at all in detail? I'm really intrigued? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren wilson Posted December 15, 2004 Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 Have you guys seen the demo videos of the Fuzz Probe? That thing looks like a LOT of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 can you explain exactly how the Fuzz Factory is working at all in detail? I'm really intrigued If you go to the Z. Vex site (zvex.com), on the Fuzz Factory page, it basically explains what all the controls do. There isn't that much more commentary to add to that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 15, 2004 Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 fuzz factory has 5 controls. volume and drive are obvious. stability is simulation of a dieing battery compression and gate alter biasing levels for the transistors which gives wierd effects. explaining exactlly what they do would require really knowing what ur doing electronics wise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 And, to add to that, many of the settings will oscillate (squeal), and you can actually control the pitch as well. You could almost use it to produce a tone for testing audio circuits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted December 15, 2004 Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 Could controls like that be added to any fuzz circuit if they are put in the right place with the right resistors and capacitors etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2004 (edited) Could controls like that be added to any fuzz circuit if they are put in the right place with the right resistors and capacitors etc. Possibly. Got breadboard? I think the resistor in series with the positive lead of the battery might work to some extent. Also, a control that messes with the transistor bias is bound to have some kind of affect. Edited December 15, 2004 by Paul Marossy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biohazard Posted December 16, 2004 Report Share Posted December 16, 2004 Hi, ok cool, thanks for the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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