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New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 8:25 pm
by culturejam
A buddy of mine that is a master's EE grad has put together a bad ass stutter tremolo type circuit.
Here's a demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbJv42Lb2iIWe're still working out the fine details, but it should end up being a really fun and useful project.

Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:13 pm
by Gone Fission
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acYDNlMYAaI[/youtube]
Sweet FSM, yes! I've been looking for a good anti-EA Trem project. To hell with that smooth sine-wavey stuff.
Really, really impressive that it sounds so clean and clear at such an aggressive chop.
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:19 pm
by culturejam
There is also an option to switch to "smooth mode", which gives more of a traditional tremolo sound. But the main point of it is maximum clean chop.

Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 4:34 am
by Officer Bukowski
Nice! I want one!
Will it have the ability to go hella fast and hella slow? I used to have an EQD Hummingbird and loved it this seems like it might be even better.
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 10:13 am
by eatyourguitar
pulse width aka duty cycle is a good idea but I think its been done before by seymour duncan. it would be cool if you can make it smaller, qiueter, cleaner, simpler.

check the shape control. thats your duty cycle. this pedal has an analog audio path but the tap tempo and modulation is some kind of microcontroller.
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:52 pm
by culturejam
I'm not saying that a super square-wave trem hasn't been done before. I'm just saying this circuit was developed independent of any existing commercial product or DIY project. So it's a "new" design.

Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:35 pm
by eatyourguitar
culturejam wrote:I'm not saying that a super square-wave trem hasn't been done before. I'm just saying this circuit was developed independent of any existing commercial product or DIY project. So it's a "new" design.

I hear ya. I was just saying that it would be nice to keep it simple and small. an expression pedal jack for rate would be excellent. maybe even a switch so the expression can modulate depth from zero (clean signal) to full modulation. it really only needs a rate and a depth knob. whats your opinion on unity gain pedals without the volume knob. and also, I think it should be buffered bypass soft switching. if it is soft switching, momentary option would be cool but I think I'm adding too much stuff to fit it in a 1590B. maybe a JR version and a deluxe version?
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:41 pm
by multi_s
ya thumbs up either way. nice to see someone using a setup a bit more intelligent than an LDR.
also i did a light mod to someones shape shifter trem, iirc it was a pic24 controlling some sort of VGA. (Like a pga2311 but i dont think that was the actual chip they were using). pretty nice unit.
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 3:06 pm
by culturejam
eatyourguitar wrote:an expression pedal jack for rate would be excellent. maybe even a switch so the expression can modulate depth from zero (clean signal) to full modulation. it really only needs a rate and a depth knob. whats your opinion on unity gain pedals without the volume knob. and also, I think it should be buffered bypass soft switching. if it is soft switching, momentary option would be cool but I think I'm adding too much stuff to fit it in a 1590B. maybe a JR version and a deluxe version?
There's no reason you couldn't implement any of those mods on what we're working on. But that kind of thing isn't going to be incorporated onto the board to save space. Also, whether or not it's buffered bypass or true bypass is not something we would address; that's up to whoever builds it. We're not launching a new pedal, we're launching a new schematic.

It has Rate, Duty Cycle, and Volume. And there is a switch for "hard/smooth" that could easily be adapted to a pot for a Depth control. It's quite modable.
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:18 pm
by kosta
That trem sounds good, but damn - THAT BLUE BUZZARD! That thing is killing!
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:44 pm
by bob the r0bot
I've been needing somethings like this for a while.
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 6:42 pm
by ashdown
maximum clean chop that can goes hella fast or hella slow is what i have been looking for for a long time
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Sat Aug 27, 2011 7:33 pm
by culturejam
Prototype PCBs are on order!
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 2:48 pm
by jrmy
culturejam wrote:Prototype PCBs are on order!
Any idea of pricing? This is exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for in a trem...
Re: New "stutter" type tremolo design
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:49 pm
by culturejam
Not sure about pricing yet. But there will be a group buy organized at BYOC forum. I'll keep you guys in the loop.