Thoughts on Asymetrical Clipping

['59]

I've got a modded DS-1 that sounds pretty phenomenal. Currently it has the stock 1N4148 clipping diodes at D4 and D5. What would I expect if I replaced D5 with a red LED?

 

[Chistopher]

It would lower the gain a bit and have less fizz at higher gain settings.

LEDs have a higher clipping threshold and slower "taper" to that threshold than what comes stock in the pedal. What this means is that the pedal is not only going to have asymmetric clipping (which is a good rabbit whole to go down if you've never looked into it) but it will alter the dynamics of the pedal in a way that is really easier to try out for yourself than describe.

 

[FuseG4]

I did the Wampler jcm mod which has different pairs of series diodes in D4 and d5 which is asymmetric clipping if I understand that right... and the pedal has more natural sounding attack, a bit more dynamics, and the fizz is more musical than stock. I really like that mod so I haven't tried any others. More amp like than stock, not perfect but totally worth the time and cost which was like a few bucks Gain is less than stock but you put a tube screamer on it and it can do 80s metal all day

 

[GuitarStv]

I prefer asymmetical clipping most of the time - you clip the waveform differently on the positive and negative end . . . and this usually seems to give more clarity in the distorted sound to me.

If you want to know what the effect will be when swapping diodes, you need to pull up the spec sheets for the diode currently in there and the one you want to swap - there are quite an array of LEDs out there. Typically swapping silicone diodes like the1N4148 for an LED will give increased headroom in the pedal.

 

[dave74]

For distortion I prefer asy, but for overdrive into a dirty amp I like sym better.

 

[Aceman]

For distortion I prefer asy, but for overdrive into a dirty amp I like sym better.

This is me too.

That's why I love my Proco Solo...

 

[dave74]

That is one of the cool features within the vfe ice-scream internal controls. You can select 2x1, 2x2, or 3x1 clipping, and you can also bypass the diodes completely for a cleaner boost.

 

[devastone]

This is me too.

That's why I love my Proco Solo...

I thought you were a SD-1 guy too? Those are asymmetrical clipping.

 

[devastone]

I've got a modded DS-1 that sounds pretty phenomenal. Currently it has the stock 1N4148 clipping diodes at D4 and D5. What would I expect if I replaced D5 with a red LED?

It would add more even order harmonics, the output will increase a little, and the gain will seem "cleaner" in a good way. The Keeley Seeing Eye Mod (that Vai and Satch both used at some point) were based around an added LED along with some other changes.

 

[El Dunco]

That is one of the cool features within the vfe ice-scream internal controls. You can select 2x1, 2x2, or 3x1 clipping, and you can also bypass the diodes completely for a cleaner boost.

I have the exact same in my Cornhole pedal (custom build, named after what it does to an amp heh) sym/asym and diode bypass as well as a mid-push/flat voicing switch and an LPB-1 in series. Needless to say it’s extremely versatile for whether I want a clean push without taking too much away, more saturation or pure overdrive and have a lot of control over the character of each.

As above, I find sym or bypassed is best for boost and asym for when the overdrive gain gets cooking. You can’t get one though because it’s a one off, the pedalmaker A/B’d every component until I was happy with it and it didn’t end up with anything that’s available stock on the circuit it was based on.

 

[Aceman]

I thought you were a SD-1 guy too? Those are asymmetrical clipping.

TS9 for OD. I have a few SD-1's, but prefer TS9