Tape Saturator?

[magicchord]

I've been fooling around simulating this "passive" distorter for some time but haven't had the chance to actually build it. Anybody who wants to try this for his/her own use is welcome.

 

[Kev]

magicchord ,
that does look interesting and I'll have to take tine to digest. Something like this has been on my list to do for a very long time.

Thanks to Jack.
yes it is nice to use sruff from another site but I think it is important to give good references to the original and keep yourself up to date. I still get questions about Group DIY stuff long gne and in Non-English. Many pages are translated and sit on others sites.

It can be hard work keeping up with my email.

Also some like to relocate some of the good stuff because some original sites have lots of adds and pop ups. This can be difficult for us on Slow Net.
BUT
where sites are fully funded and load quick like many of the LAB boys sites do then please do cross-link and/or get permission as things are always changing and/or an amendment may be just around the corner.

 

[DrFrankencopter]

Hmmmm, how about take Steffen's pre-emphasis/de-emphasis circuit, and replace the clipper with a gapped transformer (maybe an LO1166 type). Run some DC through the primary of the transformer to a variable resistance to ground so that the current through the transformer can be varied.

Maybe for good measure run a nice high power op-amp in front of the transformer to boost the level up even more. Set up the gain switching so that the 'drive' into the circuit adjusts pre-transformer boost, and post transformer attenuation so that unity gain throughput is established.

I likethe idea of using a transformer to do the overdriving...anyone know of nice small core (i.e. easily overdriven) gapped transformer with reasonable frequency response???

Cheers,

Kris

 

[Ethan]

I like the idea of the transformer, but I think incorporating an EQ (even a simple shelving deal) is kind of superfluous since you could just use an EQ for pre-emphasis before going into this box, no?

 

[DrFrankencopter]

I like the idea of the transformer, but I think incorporating an EQ (even a simple shelving deal) is kind of superfluous since you could just use an EQ for pre-emphasis before going into this box, no?

You'd need de-emphasis as well....copying a NAB or AES EQ curve probably would be a good place to start, but I don't think that the frequency response of a tape head is all that similar to that of a gapped transformer. We'd probably want a custom EQ curve that makes our overdriven transformer produce distortion artifacts similar to that of overdriven tape (which is then subject to NAB or AES de-emphasis).

This is an interesting discussion allright.....

Cheers,

KRis

 

[AMZ-FX]

[quote author="magicchord"]Lemme see if this link works:

http://tinypic.com/view.html?pic=pxeld[/quote]
magichord, what's the idea behind using the battery bias voltages?

regards, Jack

 

[magicchord]

It's just to bias the 1N4001 silicon diodes so they're conducting just a bit even when there's no audio. 3 volts might work even a little better than 1.5 volts. The drain on the batteries is less than 100 microamps so I think they will last a while.
You could, of course, use a power supply since the voltage sources are referenced to common. Batteries would allow you to "float" the circuit and use it with balanced audio sources if desired.