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Re: What's up with Secret Seasons?

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:55 am
by FuzzHugger
Chankgeez wrote:
Tom Dalton wrote:The Snowdrift is a Fingerprint with a footswitchable fuzz in front of it. That fuzz was based on a stripped-down, non-oscillating AB-Synth (per Mike's request). So it's easily emulated.
Honestly, the Fuzzprint and its Print knob is far more effective imo, though it doesn't do that crazy wash of fuzz that the 2nd mode of the Snowdrift does, but stomp on the fuzz of your choice in front of it, and use that fuzz's Volume as a boost, and you're there and beyond.


That's interesting.

I used to have a Snowdrift and found it kind of limiting with both of the circuits on. I think I'd probably like the stand alone Fingerprint a lot better (or at least it'd probably be a lot more useable to me).


The second mode was a "love it or hate it" thing, though there seems to be far more love for it. It was over-the-top, for sure, and cranking it too far could create some impedance issues with some gear/pickups. The 1st proto I did had 25% less gain in that mode, the 2nd had 50% less gain...the 3rd proto that Mike picked had gain slammed to the wall in dual mode! There was also some oscillation when totally cranked, even when that mode wasn't engaged (something I fixed for the v2 I was working on).

I could've continued building the Snowdrift design under a different name (imo, I was in the position to--I did the prototyping, the layout, had the PCBs and parts, and was left losing money at the end of it). But I personally would have dropped the dual mode for v2, in favor of some other tricks. It's not my style to build something just because there's demand for it. And when Mike took back the rights to the names, he asked me to not use my SD layout/circuit in any pedal that would compete with it. I wasn't up to a cross-forum drama war / ethical debate.

So I'm happy with where things are. I haven't paid attention, but I hope people aren't shelling out $400-600 for Snowdrifts. $175-225ish is plenty reasonable.

Re: What's up with Secret Seasons?

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:15 pm
by Chankgeez
I don't think Snowdrifts are going for that much ... yet.

I like stacking fuzzes. So, when I had the Snowdrift, I'd stack the first mode with another fuzz. Then, when I engaged the second mode, it just got too muddy.

Interesting info though, thanks, Tom.

Maybe I should try a Fuzzprint?

Re: What's up with Secret Seasons?

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:34 pm
by crayola64
The fuzzprints sound great. I love mine

Re: What's up with Secret Seasons?

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:01 pm
by areed
I own a Snowdrift and for what it's worth I agree second mode it doesn't stack well with other fuzzes. However it does sound fantastic with a Speaker Cranker after it. The only pedal I run in front of it is a Ross style compressor, which has a far more drastic effect on the sound of the Snowdrift than it does on any other pedal I've ever used.

Re: What's up with Secret Seasons?

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 9:37 pm
by FuzzHugger
Yeah, the Snowdrift doesn't stack well in dual mode, cause it's already stacked & really can't handle more gain at that point.

Re: What's up with Secret Seasons?

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:31 pm
by sonidero
Tom Dalton wrote:& really can't handle more gain at that point.


YOU CANT HANDLE THE GAIN... I find that I always use single mode... I kinda thought for awhile that the Drifts second mode knob was useless cause I didn't seem to make any difference sound wise but then I realized I was always using something before or after it... I LOVE my Finger Print and will be getting a Fuzzprint sometime so having all three will be the bee's knees...