Mysterioso

[Cortexturizer]

This circuit has been recommended to me by jubal81. Indeed, reading about it here
http://blackstoneappliances.com/
has increased my interest considerably. The way the circuit behaves [according to the creator] seems to be just what I am looking in a dirt pedal for years. I have never even heard about it before. Then I did a quick search on it, and what do you know, some of my heroes are using it.

A search on the forum produced little to no result. Anyone built the thing in the meantime? And if you have, what do you make of it?

Also, looking at the build doc, the only thing one has to do to include the second channel is to wire the Boost to another switch and of course make it as a  on board pot instead of a trimmer? Cool.

P.S. Also, I hear that mr Bean is planning a new version so I might wait up for it. In what way will the new version differ from the mysterioso jr? Thanks!

[muddyfox]

There's a vero layout (I think on Harald's site) for it, I've actually gotten all the components for it but somehow never got around building it.

[Droogie]

I built a vero of this (single channel) a few years back from a layout on FSB and really love it with my ES335 (haven't found the right setting with the Tele yet). It cleaned up extremely well in reactive mode. In "Reactive Mode" it would go from totally clean to mild overdrive to fairly high-gain distortion (not like a chunk chunk, tho) by adjusting the volume knob. Definitely needs to be first in your signal chain to do this if I recall.

I liked the pedal so much I bought an original from the designer (very nice guy) just out of respect. The original has two drive controls and two volume controls so it's more than just a boost. It's a fairly midrange sound—the original having a bit more scoop possible than the vero build. The buffer/reactive switch is internal (a bit of a PITA).

Built a couple of Mysterioso boards—one with the Boost as an external pot, one as a trimmer. The Boost is fun because it can take the sound into glitchy fuzz territory at the extreme end. Unless you want to have that kind of flexibility, a trimmer is fine. I hard wired the second one in reactive mode since I really like the clean up possibilities.

Curious about the new version also!

[Cortexturizer]

Awesome! I am a heavy user of the volume knob hence my interest. So would you say the vero modeled the original fairly well?
what about the two types of voicings available for the red channel,I dont recall seeing any mention of that in the mysterioso doc? (I need that)

Oh dang...now i have another dirt to build

[midwayfair]

There's a perf layout for this one in my library with a halfway decent mod for making the mids switch a real second channel/leads boost (rather than just swapping out the volume and boost pots). I found the circuit almost unusable without the mids switch on, so I hardwired it "partly on" with a higher cutoff (to boost the treble) and made the mids switch turn it "more on." I actually did this mod right before selling it on the forum (I think Layton got it?) and almost regretted letting it go after that since it was so much better.

In the original, there are very, very minor differences in the capactitors associated with the two channels. One big reason the channels sound different is because the circuit is considerably darker at lower distortion levels.

Also, like all 4049 circuits, the thing is a "little" noisy. I think the reason it's not as noisy as the Red Llama isn't that it's better engineered or anything, it's just that it has a steep treble cut at the end of the circuit. I would actually describe the bandwidth of the circuit as "crappy."

[Vallhagen]

I have played a lot with the 4049. Among other boxes, Mysterioso is fantastic, but it has its downsides. Definately worth a build though:) ... As an alternative, there might be something coming soon up from someone, called ACE ... notch notch hint hint.

Cheeeeers:)

[madbean]

P.S. Also, I hear that mr Bean is planning a new version so I might wait up for it. In what way will the new version differ from the mysterioso jr? Thanks!

It's got most of the same elements: switchable input buffer, gain and tone. The tone is a more traditional Big Muff and is also bypass-able. The boost section takes advantage of the unused inverters on the 4049 to make a sort really low gain Red Llama.

[Cortexturizer]

Haha both midway and Bengt made me laugh here haha great stuff...
It's no rush of course, I have 4 dirt pedals in the queue before this one, so I will wait for the mysterioso the sequel from mr.B and of course always a treat looking at what our good Swede will cook in his kitchen of dirt

@mr B, thanks for the teaser, a worthy succesor for sure

[micromegas]

I've just bought a bunch of 4049 so this looks interesting to me.

I'm also interested in the reezafratzitz, looks and sounds like it deserves a fabbed pcb.... If I have enough time on February I'll may practice some layout-making with eagle.... my skills are getting kind of "rusted"

[Cortexturizer]

This is what my local store has
http://www.mikroprinc.com/proizvodi/poluprovodnici/integralna-kola/digitalna-ic/logicka-ic/4049/index.php
http://www.mikroprinc.com/proizvodi/poluprovodnici/integralna-kola/digitalna-ic/logicka-ic/74hc4049/index.php

I can see that one is CMOS and the other one ain't. Which one to use with this project? Probably either one right

What the creator of the circuit says here:
"Like a good amp, the Mosfet Overdrive imparts harmonics that seem integral to the tone, as opposed to a disconnected fizz. This is not just filtering after the distortion, but a tailoring of each stage to prevent the generation of high-order harmonics in the first place. It's glassy at low settings, becoming fat and midrangey when cranked. This is the opposite behavior of most pedals, which get thinner and fizzier at high settings."

This kinda sounds much different than what Jon was experiencing (a darker sound at lower distortion settings).

[micromegas]

I think the IC has to be the UBE type. If you have problems finding those, I can buy some from my local dealer and send it to you.

[Droogie]

If you need really scooped mids or anything approaching a jangly high end, this is probably not going to do the trick. It's cleaner at low volume and fat as you crank it. I used it to get a clean sound for chords, John Scofield-like breakup at mid volume, and crank it to get a fairly compressed, gainy lead sound with the 335.

With low output Tele pups, I just lose too much when I set my volume low enough to be totally clean. Had much better success with buckers.

Interestingly, the first vero I built has been my favorite version of this one, and I gave it to a friend. The original has been the one I have the hardest time finding my sweet spot with.