Been a while since we had a HARMONIC PERCOLATOR thread, no?

[BetterOffShred]

So I took some of D rock's advice and made a few changes to my circuit, and let me tell you it sounds fucking incredible. It has loads of volume now too. I've been working on shoe-horning everything into that BB box, but it sounds fantastic. I used a super leaky AC128 with like 53 hFe.. still like the MPSA13.. I won't divulge his secrets, but my man knows his percolator. I'm convinced

[Chankgeez]

Where are the sound clips to prove it?

[BetterOffShred]

I don't have any recording gear man. I can make a cell phone video..

Though honestly it sounds so good I may just do that.

[Chankgeez]

I like cell phone videos (they're nice & lofi).

[MechaGodzilla]

I don't have any recording gear man. I can make a cell phone video..

Though honestly it sounds so good I may just do that.

If something sounds good on an Instagram video recorded on a phone/tablet, it will probably sound good through anything.

[D Rock]

So I took some of D rock's advice and made a few changes to my circuit, and let me tell you it sounds fucking incredible. It has loads of volume now too. I've been working on shoe-horning everything into that BB box, but it sounds fantastic. I used a super leaky AC128 with like 53 hFe.. still like the MPSA13.. I won't divulge his secrets, but my man knows his percolator. I'm convinced

That's Rad, glad you've found some success, it is just such a badass sounding circuit. I actually picked up a cheap condenser mic on Craigslist the other day and decided to test it out. Just happened to record some Perc stuff so figured it would upload it to soundcloud to give you guys a listen. This is one of my five knob versions.

https://soundcloud.com/mk-ultra4/percolators-a-percolatin

To me a good sounding perc is ratty, fuzzy, in your face, and has a load of clarity. Problems of getting lost in the mix are long gone. Hope you guys enjoy.

[actual]

K I'm gonna need one of those. Are the bias and starve in use on the bassy-line?

[D Rock]

K I'm gonna need one of those. Are the bias and starve in use on the bassy-line?

Not sure where the starve was set but the Bias was set to bring out the most lower octave. That was just a strat on the neck pickup with everything tuned down 2 steps so my E is a D and so on. PM me if you are serious and maybe we can arrange something.

[MechaGodzilla]

https://soundcloud.com/mk-ultra4/percolators-a-percolatin

sounds like the black keys when they're on form, very very nice

[actual]

K I'm gonna need one of those. Are the bias and starve in use on the bassy-line?

Not sure where the starve was set but the Bias was set to bring out the most lower octave. That was just a strat on the neck pickup with everything tuned down 2 steps so my E is a D and so on. PM me if you are serious and maybe we can arrange something.

Sent you a pm.

[BetterOffShred]

I told you guys

[BetterOffShred]

I tried a few more things in my percolator, I recently acquired a few fairly hot AC128 and a couple MP21 near 140 hFe, but they didn't sound very good to my ear. I tried them with a 3904, 550c, 337, 338, 5088/9, 4401.. everything. They just didn't sound as good as the 55 hFe 128 and the mpsa13.. Which according to my tester is 23k hFe.. Being a darlington I believe it.

I've had literally no time to work on this lately so it was nice to sit and try out some more gain combos. I'm still on the fence about having an order switcher for the boost.. It gets loud as fuck after the percolator, and as someone mentioned earlier in the thread, it really bumps up the harmonic content before the percolator.

I just keep on talking about it ..

[Chankgeez]

Listen to what I just found:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te1geJhQucI

[actual]

It's really too bad they changed the looks of the Cafetiere. I preferred the landscape format with the pink graphics. Made it look like a big joypad. The graphics were a sticker though, the new ones are nicely done.

[BetterOffShred]

I wonder how close it is to a Harmonic Jerkulator by Escabedo.. I haven't built one, but it's ridiculously low parts count, and uses a simple 3904/3906 combo. Though the original Jerkulator didn't include diode clipping, it's easy to add back on just before the balance pot/out. He definitely gets some good tones out of it in the video.

I'm digging this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dNyNZyY5rw