Home Forums Help/Technical Questions Inconsistent levels with a Little Big Muff + a Memory Toy.

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  • #80969
    FreeFrog
    Member

    Hello,

    I have a pedalboard with only analog pedals. The first one is a MXR microamp, used as an input buffer at unity gain. Then I have a couple of “true bypass” effects, either because they are designed like that, either because I’ve modified them with DPDT or 3PDT footswitches. Here is my main FX chain:

    Micro amp > Cry Baby > Dynacomp > TS 808 > Little Big Muff > Small Stone > Chorus (a CE2 clone) > Memory Toy.

    Sometimes I add a digital harmonizer controled by a true bypass “looper” footswitch in the chain.

    Often, there’s also a (buffered) Blackstar HT Dual between the Small Stone and the chorus.

    Here is my problem:

    If I plug only my “main chain” (without HT Dual nor Harmonizer) and if I pull on the Little Big Muff + Memory Toy together, the MT delay Boosts the level of the Muff. It’s really annoying because it requires a new “blend” setting on the Memory Toy each time I enable or disable the Muff…
    If I plug a buffered pedal between the Muff and the Memory Toy, this boost disappears and the Memory Toy behaves “normally”, whatever is the FX engaged before. But it adds some hiss, of course.

    How do you explain this issue? Can someone give me a solution against it?

    You can use technical words, I’ll understand (I’ve built several pedals myself and have modified most of my guitars and amps).

    Thx in advance for any documented answer! :-)

    FF, little French muzo.

    #124145
    Gosp Deni
    Member

    I think whats happening is that both the Memory Toy and that other Pedal that you are using between muff and toy have buffers. therefore the first bufferd Pedal-unit in this part of fx chain is dominating and the Memory Toy buffer (that usually leads to an increased volume) is NOT pushing that much anymore

    love and peace =)

    #124147
    gvelasco
    Member

    It sounds like something you might be able to fix with the trim pots in the MT. It has eight of them, and some of them are notoriously interactive and sensitive. I got this from another forum. If you just do a search on Memory Toy trim pots, you’ll find lots of info:

    Quote:
    I bought a Memory Toy on ebay and opened it for inspection and possible fine tuning (it did’nt oscilate as expected when one max the feedback knob).

    There’s not much information regarding this particular circuit, so I thought it could help someone if I’d spread some info. By what I saw on the Memory Man schematic, on BL3208 datasheets and making some measurement with my multimeter I’ve found out that for Revision D of the Memory Toy PCB we have:

    4 bias trimpots, one for each BBD chip, trimpots marked with numbers 1, 2, 3 and 5
    1 modulation depth control trimpot, marked “MOD DEPTH”
    1 Balance adjustment trimpot, marked with number 6, placed at the output of the last BBD
    1 feedback loop gain adjustment trim, marked with number 4
    1 unity gain adjustment trimpot (Trimpot #7), placed on the main board

    Yesterday I’ve played a little bit with the #4 and found out that finding a sweet spot wasn’t easy I’ve measured the bastard and found out that a slight turn made a huge change in the resistance value (0-20k). I’ll do some more experimentation tonight.

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