electro-music.com   Dedicated to experimental electro-acoustic
and electronic music
 
    Front Page  |  Radio
 |  Media  |  Forum  |  Wiki  |  Links
Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
 FAQFAQ   CalendarCalendar   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   LinksLinks
 RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in  Chat RoomChat Room 
 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software
distortion circuit for drummachine
Post new topic   Reply to topic Moderators: jksuperstar, Scott Stites, Uncle Krunkus
Page 1 of 1 [17 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
Author Message
synthesist



Joined: Feb 17, 2011
Posts: 79
Location: austria
Audio files: 2

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:23 am    Post subject: distortion circuit for drummachine Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

hey there!

I got a mfb 522 drum machine. It is completly analog and sounds a lot like the TR808.

I breadboarded some distortion circuits and played the machine through it.
The sound is pretty o.k. but not what I am searching for.

I am searching for the distortion sound or a similar one, that you get with "propellerheads rebirth".

Can someone recommend me a circuit that would do the job?

All of the breadboarded circuits also dont wanne distort a signal out of a VCF, why is this?

thanks.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
bubzy



Joined: Oct 27, 2010
Posts: 594
Location: United Kingdom
Audio files: 64

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

which ones have you tried?
_________________
_Richard_ Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
synthesist



Joined: Feb 17, 2011
Posts: 79
Location: austria
Audio files: 2

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 4:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I tried an experimental one using a cd4069 in different configurations. with and without clipping diodes...

And I tried the audio to gate converter for the soundlab. -there is also a distortion/ amplification included. This one doesnt sound bad, but I thought maybe there is something like a circuit that's specially for drum machines?

edit:
and those circuits do not distort a signal from the VCF. Except when the resonance is turned all the way on.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jumunius



Joined: Apr 19, 2010
Posts: 346
Location: San Francisco, CA
Audio files: 13

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Although for guitars, I find Cook Your Own Distortion Pedal useful. In my experience, hard clipping diodes alone add something to a drum machine, although you then need a way to make-up gain.
_________________
-Jim
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Psyingo



Joined: Jun 11, 2009
Posts: 248
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

You could try the bass fuzz, seen here

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.


Or maybe some other kind of distortion, i love using the fuzz face on my drum machine. I also use something similar to the 4049 type distortion, and it works well.

Do you have a sample of the propeller heads distortion? That'd help narrow it down.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cynosure
Site Admin


Joined: Dec 11, 2010
Posts: 966
Location: Toronto, Ontario - Canada
Audio files: 82

PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2012 4:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

If you are talking about the scream distortion, it adds a lot of noise in the upper frequency range too. you might want to try splitting the signal, sending one split through a 4069 or similar for clipping and sending the other split through an overdriven highpass filter. then mix them together.
_________________
JacobWatters.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
synthesist



Joined: Feb 17, 2011
Posts: 79
Location: austria
Audio files: 2

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I cant post a sample because the program doesnt work with my new windows.
On youtube I only find clips where they use the distortion for the TB303 and not for the beats.

@cynosure
that's a good idea - to split the signals! I am gonna try this for sure.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cynosure
Site Admin


Joined: Dec 11, 2010
Posts: 966
Location: Toronto, Ontario - Canada
Audio files: 82

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 6:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Here is a sample. Sorry about my bad job riding the level pot.

The options for modifying the sound are Tone and Presence. The tone probably gives it the brighter sound along with the slight spacial reverb effect from the presence.

Try the highpass filter with a bit of resonance, but to duplicate the exact sound you might need a stereo widening and/or reverb circuit too.


drumdist.wav
 Description:

Download
 Filename:  drumdist.wav
 Filesize:  6.73 MB
 Downloaded:  1176 Time(s)


_________________
JacobWatters.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Psyingo



Joined: Jun 11, 2009
Posts: 248
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Rebirth is different from reason.
The rebirth distortion only has amount and shape.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cynosure
Site Admin


Joined: Dec 11, 2010
Posts: 966
Location: Toronto, Ontario - Canada
Audio files: 82

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Oh sorry. I misread the original post. I dunno if I still have rebirth installed...
_________________
JacobWatters.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jumunius



Joined: Apr 19, 2010
Posts: 346
Location: San Francisco, CA
Audio files: 13

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 11:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

So the goal here is to do a hardware emulation of a software emulation of a hardware drum machine, no?

Wink

_________________
-Jim
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cynosure
Site Admin


Joined: Dec 11, 2010
Posts: 966
Location: Toronto, Ontario - Canada
Audio files: 82

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I just record a sample with Rebirth and looked at the waveform.

It is a typical clipping type of distortion that is applied equally across all frequencies. The 4069 distortion I have used in the past has a cap to ground between the two linear amps, which is a mild lowpass filter. Just try a regular linear amp on the 4069 that has the ratio set to amplify a bit too much.

Also try an opamp instead of the 4069. Make the feedback resistor larger than the one on the input and you can overdrive the amp. Be careful though - you will be maxing it out at the maximum output level of the opamp, which is usually a volt or two below the + supply voltage.


drumdist2.mp3
 Description:

Download
 Filename:  drumdist2.mp3
 Filesize:  533.13 KB
 Downloaded:  1058 Time(s)


_________________
JacobWatters.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Psyingo



Joined: Jun 11, 2009
Posts: 248
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

i've read that the rebirth distortion is a foldback type, might be worth researching. sometimes known as a waveshaper or wavefolder.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cynosure
Site Admin


Joined: Dec 11, 2010
Posts: 966
Location: Toronto, Ontario - Canada
Audio files: 82

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Psyingo wrote:
i've read that the rebirth distortion is a foldback type

it doent look like foldback when I look at the waveform. I can clearly see the sine wave being clipped.

_________________
JacobWatters.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Cynosure
Site Admin


Joined: Dec 11, 2010
Posts: 966
Location: Toronto, Ontario - Canada
Audio files: 82

PostPosted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Attached is an image with a side by side comparison. I wasn't adjusting the knobs (as Psy pointed out in chat) so I wasn't seeing the other effect that the distortion has.

It looks like there are two types of distortion.

AMOUNT controls the amount a clipping distortion. In the second and third track you can see the sine wave being clipped into a square shape.

SHAPE controls a different type of distortion that adds noise and a bit of resonance to the sound. You can see that in the lower two tracks. This must be the foldback part that Psy read about.


drumtest3.jpg
 Description:
 Filesize:  307.97 KB
 Viewed:  325 Time(s)
This image has been reduced to fit the page. Click on it to enlarge.

drumtest3.jpg



_________________
JacobWatters.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
synthesist



Joined: Feb 17, 2011
Posts: 79
Location: austria
Audio files: 2

PostPosted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 7:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I thought it wouldnt be that easy.
Because it's the shape control that I like so much. But I rather keep it simple, cause there is some other projects that I wanna finish.

So I think I will just overdrive an opamp for distortion.

BTW:
I tried to split the signals with the cd4069. Very interesting results although I only build a passive highpass filter for the second split. Thats also something I want to look in closer.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
richardc64



Joined: Jun 01, 2006
Posts: 679
Location: NYC
Audio files: 26

PostPosted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

http://www.muzique.com/lab/sat2.htm
http://www.muzique.com/lab/sat.htm
http://www.muzique.com/lab/tclip.htm

_________________
Revenge is a dish best served with a fork... to the eye
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic Moderators: jksuperstar, Scott Stites, Uncle Krunkus
Page 1 of 1 [17 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Copyright © 2003 through 2009 by electro-music.com - Conditions Of Use