Yes, group 1, it's fixed now.
And I figure the difference between a clean boost, clipped by diodes, and a distorting amplifier with diodes clipping as well is worth pointing out.

Very awesome thread! Never really thought about different ways Overdrive's work. Insightful

BUT... what are the TONAL differences between the clipping methods?

I've only ever used a Tubescreamer, OD1 and Bad Monkey, so I'm not sure how they sound different to the other kinds!

Anyone willing to explain?

+1
Million dollar question.

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what would be a catlinbread scod

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Tele...

From my experience with using my MXR Distortion+, the clipping diodes to ground method seems to sound less compressed and rougher around the edges.

Anyone have a link to a good article regarding how these things actually work?

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Gretsch Synchromatic semi-hollow
Epiphone G-310 w/ Phat Cat bridge PU
MXR Distortion +
Arion SAD3 stereo delay
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Gibson GA25RVT (2x10)
Ashdown Peacemaker 40 (retired for now)

Where dose the RAT sit amoungst all of these?

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i think the rat, along with the ds-1, may be in the "diodes to ground" category? Or am I mistaking it for the turbo rat?

I have questions on the basis for the sansamp circuit (tri ac, classic, tri od, and gt-2) and the double drive?

help us out, berarduur!

I haven't even seen the sticky

Treble boosters are under the clean boost types when biased correctly, overloading FET's / transistors when they are not biased correctly

The Hotcake is a clean boost but gets clipping by overloading the IC when pushed too hard

The Rat is a diode to ground clipper, as is the turbo rat

The sansamp is a combination of overloading IC's / FET's, clipping to ground and clipping in a negative feedback loop.

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Not that much

You can use:
a. different diodes
b. different amount of diodes
c. different ratio of diodes

These will change the sound slight
a. the germanium vs silicon vs FET vs MOSFET vs LED vs power diodes vs etc.

Diodes have their own forward voltage; this determines the amount of signal is clipped (as called knee; when the voltage of the signal is bigger then the forward voltage the signal is clipped). Germanium diodes have a lower knee and will clip faster. Also the material determines the "color" of the clipping.
You can also mix diodes to get a different voice (as did Fulltone with the Fulldrive (a mix of a silicon and a power diode).

b. different amount of diodes determine the amount of knee. It is a simple equation of adding up. Again, the material determines a bit the sound.

c. This means the asymmetrical to symmertrical clipping.
A little theory
For clipping two (or more) diodes are usually used because a signal is a sinal wave that will have an amplitude over the 0 line as under. One diode clips the + side of the wave, the other one the - side of the wave.

Symmertrical clipping is when the + side is as much clipped as the - side. Asymmetrical clipping is when the + side is clipped differently compared to the - side. This is usually a bit smoother and more natural sounding as normal amp clipping happens in a same way.
You can get asym clipping by using two different diodes (for example LED and silicon diode) or by increasing the number of diodes on one side of the spectrum (as in the Boss OD-1).


Most REAL difference in tone when it comes to pedals is done by other means then clipping. For example tone circuits, the size of coupling caps (caps that block DC and are placed between the "building blocks" of the pedal (the size of these caps determine icm a resistor the bass / treble response of the pedal by high pass and low pass filters), feedback loop filters (as used in Rats and Tubescreamers), etc.

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wow, there is a lot going on in a sansamp circuit!
Are these clipping schemes happening all at once, or only in each of the three modes of the sansamps?

All at once; most pedals use a small combination of all OD types; I just split em for easy read. The Sansamp though is just a multiple clipper in which the modes just alter some high pass / low pass filters

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What of the tech 21 double drive? Is this a tube screamer clone also?

It's gain range is very "rat like" to me, as it can do a great clean boost all the way to full out distortion. But, the clean boost is very clear, in comparison to a TS or rat.

The double drive looks a lot like a tubescreamer with a booster in front of it.

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i'm not surpised

thx!

Berarduur, what sort of circuit does a Muff have and what's the difference circuit wise in the popular Muff Clones, like the Lovetone Big Cheese, Way Huge Swollen Pickle, and is the Bluebeard Fuzz a clone?

Also, I prefer a thick fuzz, so a Muff like Fuzz is obviously a good choice for me, but I like The huge sound of The Sword and Black Sabbath, the Fuzzy warmth of QOTSA, the grind of Mastodon, and the Saturation in the Melvins tone. Which fuzz would do me right, or would it be better to have one built by someone with lots of knowledge in what caps, resistors,etc=tone? Hint Hint.