Ring (and/or Balanced) Modulation for the modulator masses

[echorec]

I don't love the jack placement, but this one looks pretty rad.

https://www.perfectcircuitaudio.com/xr1 ... pedal.html

[lordgalvar]

Talked to Chankgeez about that one a while back. I dunno, more curious about how they are ring moding than anything.

[Chankgeez]

Not much info on 'em. I subscribed to their YouTube channel after LG and I talked about it:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zDMeQAN_4I[/youtube]

[duffmcshark]

Let me know if there are any to add to the list!

Eventide ModFactor / H9 has a ring mod that isn't too shabby.

[HighDeaf1080p]

This thing is sooooooo good:

[HighDeaf1080p]

On a mildly related topic, the VFE Tractor Beam has enough reach on its rate (speed) knob to get into ring modulation at the extreme end, and then the "center" knob acts just as a frequency knob does on a ring modulator...but since its based on phasing it sounds unique.

This might be a great choice for someone who only needs a ring modulation sound on rare and limited occasions, but the rest of the time wants access to countless different and amazing phaser tones.

[Chankgeez]

On a mildly related topic, the VFE Tractor Beam has enough reach on its rate (speed) knob to get into ring modulation at the extreme end, and then the "center" knob acts just as a frequency knob does on a ring modulator...but since its based on phasing it sounds unique.

This might be a great choice for someone who only needs a ring modulation sound on rare and limited occasions, but the rest of the time wants access to countless different and amazing phaser tones.

Eh, I had a Whetstone that could get up to those speeds. Not really a fan of fast phaseing in place of a real ring mod. It's a poor substitute.

This, on the other hand, is a beautiful sounding ring modulator :

This thing is sooooooo good:

[HighDeaf1080p]

Yea, Randy's Revenge also produces the most lush and sexy tremolo I've ever heard, phenomenal low resolution 8-bit computer/atari noises, and this rhythmic pulse on square wave when playing bass notes that should be illegal. besides the gorgeous crystalline bell noises and sci-fi frequency warble. Dangerous pedal.

[Chankgeez]

Danger never looked (or sounded) so pretty.

[Eivind August]

That UFO looks sad.

[HighDeaf1080p]

LOL. Poor thing.

[lordgalvar]

That UFO looks sad.

It's because he works here:
[youtube]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WQih643ifRU[/youtube]

Adding carrier osc information to the big list...

[lordgalvar]

Some of these IC based ring modulators (ringworm (I think, never looked inside), Saturn, etc) seem to have a problem being ring modulators at high carrier freqencies (and sometimes other spots). They seem to become more DC coupled than AC (meaning they pass the original signal and carrier signal through un-modulated with maybe a faint actual modulated signal passed also though it is hard to hear because of the volume of the other signals). Is this from the style of ring mod (probably AD633 or something like it) or a problem with rising amplitude of the carrier with increased frequency (essentially taking the carrier out of gain balance in the system) or another problem?

It is fairly annoying when you just want to ring mod...and it is fairly common. However, on the SPK1, Moog, Melos and others, I do not notice this problem. Could it be that the preamps/carrier are just well balanced on some and not on others? Or do some have nice Automatic Level Control setups or something? It's one of those things that would be worthless trying to record for youtube and something that is more easily heard in person (though I did capture some of that in the Saturn video I did).

This may have also been the blend problem I was experiencing on the Randy's Revenge v1 too, but I am not sure...the word is that the blend just isn't 100% either way.

Anyway, anyone else experience this loss of balance?

[HighDeaf1080p]

I haven't ever run Randy's Revenge full wet, so I can't say for sure, but I will be sure to test that out as soon as I get my board all wired and fired, and let you know. Probably 75% wet is as far as I've gone on that thing, except when doing a low frequency square wave. At that point, fully wet definitely gives me total silence in the gated sections, with no dry signal bleeding thru.

[lordgalvar]

I haven't ever run Randy's Revenge full wet, so I can't say for sure, but I will be sure to test that out as soon as I get my board all wired and fired, and let you know. Probably 75% wet is as far as I've gone on that thing, except when doing a low frequency square wave. At that point, fully wet definitely gives me total silence in the gated sections, with no dry signal bleeding thru.

I'm talking more in the 1000-4000hz range for carriers, full wet...not LFO range.

What you'll hear, if the RR v2 does this, is you'll hear your guitar tone and the carrier oscillator at a steady pitch but will gate with your signal (meaning when you mute the guitar the carrier will shut off from the output too because of balancing//carriers never truly are off, they just are heard with the signal because of balance...can't ring mod without the other signal). The actual modulated signal will be behind them in the mix.

100% is the only true way to ring mod by the way haha.

My ring mod collection is embarrasing...haha, I might just be moving beyond the limitations of all these IC ring mods and need to just build my own.

One thing to note is that the PCB for the Saturn is really really small and it doesn't seem like there is and AGL built in, so maybe it is 'tuned' in volume with trim pots? Which, I guess, would lead to it becoming out of balance when increasing certain voltages in the circuit and the opamps work their magic...I don't know though.

If, lets say the gain is set on the input buffer to raise it up to what they expect it to be in most of the range of the carrier circuit but then the carrier circuit changes voltage somehow (through less resistance or more resistance to change the overall frequency) then I guess it could maybe throw off the whole thing? I know that there is a bleeding part out of the AD633 that needs to be shifted out of audible range or else it will bleed into the signal (if grounded at it's set frequency).

I dunno...more curious about other people's experience and the functional result...the electronics side is something I will read up on.