Afterlife Sensitivity

[Azure Skies]

Do you all find the stock value for sensitivity to be suitable for your instruments? I use it at the front of my chain, and find that I'm having the sustain set almost at max. If I use a low output guitar, the effect seems too subtle. Perhaps I got a higher resistance vactrol than average.

[solderfumes]

I had one on breadboard (it's now half-finished on a circuit board) and I rolled my own vactrol out of a photoresistor and an LED, but I did find that the sensitivity was heavily dependent on the LDR I used.  The first one I used was very subtle but the second one immediately put the clamps right down on my signal (that's the one I went with).  Best I can tell, the relevant quantity for sensitivity is bright resistance of the LDR.  Are you using a vactrol VTL5C3?

[Azure Skies]

I had one on breadboard (it's now half-finished on a circuit board) and I rolled my own vactrol out of a photoresistor and an LED, but I did find that the sensitivity was heavily dependent on the LDR I used.  The first one I used was very subtle but the second one immediately put the clamps right down on my signal (that's the one I went with).  Best I can tell, the relevant quantity for sensitivity is bright resistance of the LDR.  Are you using a vactrol VTL5C3?

Yes, I'm using the vactrol VTL5C3. I already boxed it up and everything, so there's not much room for tinkering. I'd like to set it once and forget it. I'm thinking of making R7 either 56K or 68K.

[solderfumes]

Mine has a 24k in series with a 50k pot, and I find with the pot on full (i.e. 74k resistance), the threshold is low enough that I get strong compression even using my Strat, which has low-output pickups in it.

Maybe also reduce R4 to increase the maximum sensitivity?

[solderfumes]

Wait... no... increasing R4 would give more sensitivity I think.  I can never get that straight.  I'll leave it to someone else to correct me.

[gordo]

I like it stock, but am using it as a non-effect.  With the gain up at about 2:30 it provides a nice clean limit with no pumping.  I kick the volume up just above unity to push the amp a bit and make up for the over-all limit.  Responds more predictably to the guitar knob as well.