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Rich_S
Silver Member
USA
219 Posts |
 Posted - 09/10/2007 : 05:32:12
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I have a black-knob MIJ BF-2 flanger that just doesn't sound like the one I had back in the 80's. I used it for Police-type stuff, with the manual turned all the way down and the feedback fairly low. It gave a big, folded-up clanging chorus-type sound, rather than the peaky whooshing sound that guys like VH and Pat Travers used.
I set the controls on this one the same, but I still hear that little rising and falling peak. I just can't get it "right".
Are there any tweakable controls inside that might be 1) out of whack, or 2) adjusted to make this one sound like my old one? |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2007 : 07:06:41
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There are controls inside, and they are tweak-able.
But be careful, and please mark their original positions, if you regret you moves.
You can usually see if someone has tweaked it before you; There shold be small blobs of glue on the trim pots (to hold the setting in place). If they are gone or look strange, your BF-2 is probably teaked. |
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ronster
Gold Member
Australia
645 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 02:42:25
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Hey I didn't know you could do this!?!?
Goran, do you know if other pedals are like this? |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 07:12:46
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Well, Ronster, there is a possibility to do this on some of the Boss pedals, they are inside the box for a reason
. And they are usually glued in their position to protect them from being rotated by people like you and me
I have been on my way several times to perform this operation, and BF-2 is known to be the easiest one to do the trim pot-mod on.
But it can be very hard to get it back in the original position if you donīt mark it up.
Boss Freak, who was very active in the early stages of this forum ruined a PH-1 or PH-2 by tweaking the trim pots. And I have heard that many DM-2/3 are sounding really bad because people have been trying to get more delay-time out of them.
I donīt know how many of the pedals that have trim pots, I suppose the choruses and the ones mentioned above. I have been on my way many times, believe me
Ronster, or any of you, who do things like this, please report to the forum! And be careful...
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ChristoMephisto
Platinum Member
Canada
1288 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2007 : 12:17:00
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| The PD-1 Rocker Pedal has trim pots inside |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 09/12/2007 : 11:00:19
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i would be very interested in this if if doesn't wreck the pedal..i have a taiwan bf2 and a ph2 sitting on a shelf at the moment 'cause i couldn't get them to sound excatly the way i wanted....if they can be tweaked....... ...... |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2007 : 07:50:22
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If there is a trim pot or more of them inside, itīs tweakable. BUT the main point is that it should be done with care, always mark up the original setting.
There is always the risk of more or less damage until someone try it and report the results to the forum.
And let DM-2/3 alone
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niftydog
Copper Member
Australia
4 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2007 : 05:16:34
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There are three trimpots in the BF-2: one sets the max resonance and is tuned in the factory to prevent feedback and self-oscillation. This is the one you can have the most fun with. Over-resonance sets up some very cool sine wave oscillation sounds that can be modulated by the external knobs - somewhat akin to the DM-2 self-oscillation, but not as nasty sounding.
The other two are used to adjust the bias and clock frequency for the BBD chip. DON'T touch the bias control - you can cause the pedal to stop working if you set this incorrectly and there's no benefit in tweaking it. The clock frequency does have some affect on the sound, but it too is tuned in the factory for optimum operation and noise performance. |
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timbo
Silver Member
Australia
252 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2007 : 09:53:42
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| heh, old timbo here found the bias control the hard way... but its all good now, im really glad a "tweaked" my bf-2. it is such a hard pedal to nail that one in your head, but after moving the internal pots i got the sweet spot. very worthwhile having a crack imo. |
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ronster
Gold Member
Australia
645 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2007 : 17:05:47
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good tips, thanks. I'm not one to mess with mods let alone go for a trip pot adjustment! 
I figure if I can't get the sound I want using the knobs then I'm just using the wrong pedal!  |
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Rich_S
Silver Member
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2007 : 18:46:30
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| Thanks for the info, Nifty & Timbo. I'll post back if I get up the guts to tweak it. |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2007 : 19:00:14
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looks like there is modulation mayhem going on in the land of oz.....between niftydog and timbo tweaking their bf2's.... Dr Bobs quadrophonic ce2 set up and shake the devil getting his 70's fuzz wah back on the road....sonic meltdown is just up the road....trust your uncle franzoni it's all gonna end up like a scene from a mad max movie........ .........
thanks for the tips on the bf2 between this thread and the shoegazer one i've put the bf2 and the ph2 back on the board......
BTW... i haven't tweaked them yet...i thought i would just mess around with them in my rig first and take it from there..... |
Edited by - FRANZONI on 09/14/2007 19:13:37 |
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ChristoMephisto
Platinum Member
Canada
1288 Posts |
Posted - 09/15/2007 : 03:02:38
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| If you want to go one step further, by lifting one end of R28(47K) you can get the vibrato mod like on the chorus pedals. Likewise by lowering the value of R28 you can get distortion/fuzz |
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exodia333
Silver Member
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - 09/15/2007 : 05:43:40
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| Or try the HF-2. its an octave higher but you could get a ambulance siren or an acid like effect if you play with the settings enough |
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Rich_S
Silver Member
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2007 : 17:40:49
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OK, so we have three trim pots to deal with...
You've sufficiently frightened me that I will stay away from the bias.
I don't see any benefit from messing with the max resonance trimmer - I want low resonance, and the regular pot goes all the way down to zero regardless of the trimmer's position. Looks like tweaking the trim pot is just for folks who intentionally want to get it to feedback.
That leaves the clock frequency as my likely canidiate for tweaking. Can anyone describe its effect on the tone? (Other than messing it up completely and/or making the pedal noisy?) |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2007 : 20:05:18
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Rich_S...all the talk of bf2's and ph2's lately made me feel sorry for my two lonely boss pedals in the back room so i put them back on the board.... ....we play some of the early police stuff in the set so i think i have an idea what sort of sound you mean that big early ce1 chorus sound...i set my bf2(its one of the later taiwan ones,white knobs) to rate at 10 o'clock....depth at 2 o'clock and res and manual off...i have the same depth and rate settings on my analog ch1 running in stereo with a bit of delay and compression from my dd3 and cs3 and is sounds tops on the arpeggios at the start of 'message in a bottle'...if you have a stereo chorus and a spare pratice amp try it and see what you think....btw i'm not too keen on tweaking the internal trim pots as i think your right in your guess that this for the more avant garde of our fellow forumites................. |
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Topic |
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MIJ BF-2: Tweaks inside?
