Death By Audio & The Edge... and pics of mine

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Edge_Orchestra

Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
Joined
May 14, 2007
Messages
8,576
Location
* The Edge's Guitar Storage Room *
I got myself some Death By Audio pedals! Good fun. I've had the DBA Supersonic Fuzz Gun for a bit. Lots of gritty fuzz goodness.

One can get "Get On Your Boots", "No Line On The Horizon" * / **, "Fez/Being Born"* and "Moment of Surrender"** tones.

One can get the siren sound, like the tone that Edge has been using between "City of Blinding Lights" into "Vertigo" during the U2:360 tour by using the Supersonic Fuzz Gun.

Here's a pic of Supersonic Fuzz Gun:
DBA_Supersonic_Fuzz_Gun.jpg


And here is the latest addition... Death By Audio "Harmonic Transformer". I've heard that this has been part of the solo tone for "UltraViolet" during the U2:360 tour. I think that it is also part of the "Get On Your Boots" tones. (But that is unconfirmed):

DSC01157.jpg


sources:
* MARCH 2009 - ROLLING STONE
** OCTOBER 2008 - Q MAGAZINE
 
theres a solo in ultraviolet? :S

Actually not the solo but the "There is a silence that comes to a house, when no one can sleep..." part.

It used to have a different guitar melody. Now Edge is using the sustainer pickup with the Harmonic Transformer for that thick fuzz bit.

Check 1:52 into this link below (from the Pasadena show) - and again at 3:00

YouTube - U2 Rose Bowl Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
 
Oh man I want one of those Supersonic Fuzz Guns sooo much. Is there any cheaper alternative to it at all? I know it's a long shot, seems a fairly unique pedal, but that big old price tag attached to it is a huge downer lol
 
Oh man I want one of those Supersonic Fuzz Guns sooo much. Is there any cheaper alternative to it at all? I know it's a long shot, seems a fairly unique pedal, but that big old price tag attached to it is a huge downer lol

Yeah me too! I wanted one a while back and needed some other pedals as well as a fuzz. If I had gotten that [Fuzz Gun] I couldn't have gotten what else I got. Instead I took a EHX Little Big Muff Pi. Not quite the same but a unique pedal that I like to use A LOT! I'd say that there is no alternative to the Fuzz Gun. Have you seen the ProGuitarShop demo of the Fuzz Gun? It really makes me want one.:drool:

YouTube - Death By Audio Supersonic Fuzz Gun
 
Wait, this thing would be perfect but there is no jack for an expression pedal, is there....?

Damn, I would love more control over that 8-bit sounding filter.
 
Now im lookimg the circuit of the harmonic transformer. If anyone have opened the pedal please could you upolad a detailed picture of the circuit? Thanxxx
 
Oh man I want one of those Supersonic Fuzz Guns sooo much. Is there any cheaper alternative to it at all? I know it's a long shot, seems a fairly unique pedal, but that big old price tag attached to it is a huge downer lol

Build any other similar fuzz box and misbias it a bit... I got some very similar sounds when I experimented with old Burns Buzzaround circuits or Joe Gagans Skyripper. Even a fuzz factory clone could work (cheap DIY kits at musikding.de).

But it's become easier today: Someone retraced the Supersonic Fuzz Gun and posted the schematic at freestompboxes.org. When it is verified, I'll definitely build it, it's a very simple circuit. $20 and two or three hours of work is everything that you'll need. I think I'll post a veroboard layout with added power supply filtering (to use wal warts) within the next week over at FSB...
 
I don't think it's worth the effort - and that seems to be common sense at FSB...
freestompboxes.org • Login

You can cover that range of sounds with a clone of Joe Gagans Skyripper Fuzz or even a Fuzz Factory (and in addition both can make some far better sounds), or have a look at Tim Escobedos circuits.
 
Harmonic Transformer, version 1:

72497596.jpg


Version 2:
Image%2013.jpg


I don't understand, why people would pay more than $100, even for version 2, which has the same build (and parts-) quality, as any DIY beginners kit for $25. Even in the new version, the pcb is held by little plastic self-adhesive pcb-standoffs. And look at the bad solder joint at the dc jack in version 2... Ouch! And version 1 is nothing but horrible.
Compare this to a cheap chinese brand like Biyang, you'll get a more complex circuit and a much better built quality for $40. And they have engineers who know what they are doing (See their version of the MXR Phase100...), whereas the Death-by-Audio guys only produce happy acidents...

The Harmonic Transformer has a simple transistor gainstage, with red LED's as clipping diodes. And a stage with two transistors wired as a differentially connected pair to produce the octave - compare to the Univox Superfuzz. In version 2, the diodes seem to be replaced with transistors (base-emitter-junctions used as diodes), or maybe mosfets wired the same way, as in the Zendrive or MP Stone Grey distortion.
Have a look at Tim Escobedos DIY circuits and all the discussions about how to mod them at the forums, and you'll be able to tackle together a much better circuit...

Really, I don't understand, why pople buy this crap.
There are so many boutique builders who really know what the are doing and who sell well-made pedals for less money. Think of Catalinbread or Subdecay, or in germany MEK - just a few examples...

Speaking of the Superfuzz: I know that The Edge has a hand-built clone of it that uses a CA3046 transistor array instead of discrete transistors. Does anyone know where this pedal was used? btw: That transistor array would be a much better way to build a Harmonic Transformer clone, as the transistors in it are very well matched. It could be used for the octave, the clipping diodes and the gain stage, only a few caps and resistors would be needed...
 
Verified, sounds exactly as the original. I paid less than $15 for the parts and needed 1 hour to build it. But I love the boutique pedal scene anyway... :doh:

DbA_SSFG_render_v1_xxs.gif
 
^ It'd be sweet to have the schematics on that one.
I don't have the same DBA pedals as Edge. I have an overdrive by them, which I absolutely LOVE, and I had a robot for a while but sold it because it was a one trick pony.
 
The Moska:

Which overdrive do you have? The 'Interstellar Overdrive'?

I like the clips that I've heard of the 'Interstellar Overdrive', 'Interstellar Overdrive Deluxe' & 'Interstellar Overdrive Supreme' (which is no longer made).





^ It'd be sweet to have the schematics on that one.
I don't have the same DBA pedals as Edge. I have an overdrive by them, which I absolutely LOVE, and I had a robot for a while but sold it because it was a one trick pony.
 
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