FTL Drive

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:14 am

Seriously cool overdrive

[youtube][/youtube]

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:21 am

why call it FTL?
all that makes me think of is For The Lose.

i don't really hear anything exciting, sounds like what all other boutique overdrives do. tubescreamery.

nondas · Post by **nondas** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:48 am

FTL Drive: I'm thinking it's taken from Battlestar Galactica (TV Show) "Faster Than Light" Drive. Fraking good show that recently finished.

I like that pedal. That Clip Select, is that like the "Voicing" on the FOXROX ZIM pedal?

Maybe it should be called "A versatile drive pedal that sounds very nice indeed", may need to rehouse it into a Polychorus box to fit the name...

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:58 am

nondas wrote:FTL Drive: I'm thinking it's taken from Battlestar Galactica (TV Show) "Faster Than Light" Drive. Fraking good show that recently finished.

I like that pedal. That Clip Select, is that like the "Voicing" on the FOXROX ZIM pedal?

Maybe it should be called "A versatile drive pedal that sounds very nice indeed", may need to rehouse it into a Polychorus box to fit the name...

or flanger hoax =/

still a pretty versatile drive i think

Post by **Doog** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:30 am

FTL for real- it still sounds like a Tubescreamer with that "obvious clean signal mix" sound. Blah.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:33 am

I learnt the science behind that the other day. I'm such a fucking nerd.

Post by **Doog** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:11 am

Arm us all with that knowledge Prof. L, so we might understand and mock it.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:57 am

From Paul Cochrane, designer of the Timmy himself:

Paul Cochrane wrote: While you'd think that the diodes would limit the signal there is an odd side effect of the non inverting opamp/current limiting diode setup. Some of the input signal "leaks" (for lack of a better word) into the output. The larger the input signal the more shows up on the output. This can be seen on a scope. Run a signal into a circuit like this, and crank the gain. At low input levels you'll see a nice square like wave, but as you bring up the input level you'll start to see it sort of sine back out. The peaks will increase in amplitude, and with really loud inputs like what you'd get stacking a pedal into it you'll hit rail clipping even though there are diodes in there. This can also cause rail clipping in the output stage.

This effect is what that whole clean sound riding in the mix thing is about. The higher the B+ the greater this effect can be.

Even though the pedal has diodes this will still have an effect. It's hard to explain without pictures. One of these days I'll buy a new dig camera so i can take scope shots... For now think of the diodes clamping, and then with increased input levels the wave starts to sine back out, and at high levels it hits rail clipping and the sine wave get a hard clip on top.

this change in wave shape is one of the reasons these types of clippers don't clean up so well. At the loudest input levels you've got a fair amount of clean signal in there which gives it that mixed sound. As you roll back your guitar volume you actually turn down into a more distorted square looking wave as the loud/clean portion rolls out. Then you've got to turn down even more to get the square wave to clean up. Higher thresholds like leds or more series diodes will get the level closer to the rails cutting back on the large clean signal mixing in. Also the 4148 diodes I used down have as hard of a knee as the led/mosfets have - those drop out of distortion faster.

nondas · Post by **nondas** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 12:20 pm

Jeez, I didn't think this would this would happen but that was really interesting. Thanks. I did 1st year Elec eng about 12 years ago (oh shit, i'm old) so my brain can't conceptualise a lot of this.

Have you got, or planning on getting, an oscilloscope for troubleshooting and designing your projects?

All I have is a fork with a cork on the end of it so I don't poke my eye out by accident.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 12:57 pm

hahah. Awesome post.

I borrowed one for a while but I don't really need one, because you also need a signature generator etc and space. I have neither.

I generally use my ears for debug.

Post by **Doog** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 9:56 am

nondas wrote:Have you got, or planning on getting, an oscilloscope for troubleshooting and designing your projects?

All I have is a fork with a cork on the end of it so I don't poke my eye out by accident.

hahahaha