AION [Skywave gain issue?] SOLVED?

[blearyeyes]

I built the Skywave. It has a trimmer to lower or raise the gain on transistor one. I have the trimmer/gain all the way down and there is too much gain for my taste... what should I change?

Attached is the schemo.

There is a switch for three gain structures. On the middle position is the least gain. The other two are too much fuzz and way too much fuzz. I realize this is a personal taste thing. I want to tame this beast so the middle position is rhythm hair, two is more hair and three is I give haircuts to the front row. As it is middle position, or lowest gain, I have to turn the gain pot almost all the way off for tasteful hairiness.

[blearyeyes]

Messing with different hfe on tranny two. Seem to make a difference...hmm...

[jessenator]

I have some lower gain NPNs I could send you.

BC549Cs look around 500, my good (branded) 5088s measure a bit lower. I definitely have plenty I could send you in the 400s, 300s, and 200s (or lower if you want to go extreme). Let me know.

[blearyeyes]

Thanks Christian, I have a bunch too. It's a real PITA to pull the board but I think I will. It seems that many commercial pedal builders find the right components and values to make things consistently sound good.
This thing sounds exceptionally good so it will be worth modding.

I'll get your PIF out in the next few days and drop some sardines it there.

Daniel

[jessenator]

I'll get your PIF out in the next few days and drop some sardines it there.

Haha, hope you dig it! If I gave you one of the A5T NPNs. I'll pm you

This thing sounds exceptionally good so it will be worth modding.

That's cool. I hadn't even heard of this one before, but i might have to breadboard one now.

[blearyeyes]

I have some lower gain NPNs I could send you.

BC549Cs look around 500, my good (branded) 5088s measure a bit lower. I definitely have plenty I could send you in the 400s, 300s, and 200s (or lower if you want to go extreme). Let me know.

Yeah all of my BC549Cs are close to 500 hFE. I looked and I don't have anything low enough. How low should I go? I'm gonna socket it. I could send you a couple of russian PNP Germainiums I think they are MP166. They go from 50 hFE to around 80 hFE. Depending on the weather..  if you like.

[jessenator]

Yeah all of my BC549Cs are close to 500 hFE. I looked and I don't have anything low enough. How low should I go? I'm gonna socket it. I could send you a couple of russian PNP Germainiums I think they are MP166. They go from 50 hFE to around 80 hFE. Depending on the weather..  if you like.

Not much of a related circuit I imagine, but I got to tinkering with the LPB-1 last week, and I just went by ~100 difference in gain and noted what I liked. 100s, 200s, 300s, and 400s— I'll send you that set and you can pick what works best. Seriously, some of those I have in the hundreds of pieces.