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Something that may be of interest to OD2 builders would be the ability to switch the order of the overdrive and boost circuits. The stock configuration has the overdrive first and the boost behind it. But you may want to be able to reverse that, so that your boost gives the overdrive stage a kick in the pants. This is easily done, and can be set up either as switchable mod, or a permanent "hard-wired" configuration.

Here are two diagrams, showing how to wire this. The first is the "hard-wired" version--use this one if you want to have the boost feed into the overdrive on a permanent basis:



If you'd like to set this up to be a switchable modification, then use this second diagram. You'll need an on-on 3PDT switch for this one (available HERE, among other places), and you'll have to figure out how to fit in into the enclosure, but it should be doable without too much hassle. A big tip of the hat to resident circuit wizard Stephen on this one, because this uses his clever "flipper switch" scheme to make it work:



(If the images don't display, click on the broken image icon to display them directly in your browser.)

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

Looks interesting. What´s the significant difference of having the boost in front of the overdrive instead of after it?

In back of the overdrive, it boosts volume but doesn't add further distortion to the OD2 output. In front of the OD stage, it's like cranking the OD gain higher. Handy way to have two levels of overdrive coming out of the same pedal. For example, you could set the baseline OD for the rhythm part of a song and then kick the boost stage in to push the overdrive higher for soloing.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

very interesting.
How will this work compared to the "boost gain" mod I´m planning om my build?

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=17020
(you´ve posted there before, I think)

I might reconsider my plans...

Independent mods, really. I would certainly expect them to "play nice together"--increasing the gain of the boost circuit will give you more available volume in back of the OD, or a bigger gain boost in front of it. Since you're going to a bigger enclosure anyway, you shouldn't have any trouble finding space for the "before & after" 3PDT toggle, if you decided you wanted to try this.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

I just implemented this mod, and it sounds GREAT! I can't wait to try it out on Saturday. This is the way the pedal should come in the first place!

_________________
William S. Marsh
guitarist - composer - educator
http://www.wmarshmusic.com

Cool! Glad to hear you like it.

Just curious--did you hardwire the boost in front of the OD or use the switch method? If the latter, where did you decide to mount the switch?

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

I hardwired it as per the first diagram. This is great, now it's like having three pedals in one instead of just two! thanks DVM

_________________
William S. Marsh
guitarist - composer - educator
http://www.wmarshmusic.com

Super mod! Thanks.

I should look here first!
I just drew out this very mod for myself!
Having liked the results of having a boost in front of the (older) OD, it seemed the way to go.

Y'all have a great day
Red

_________________
If you plant ice
you're gonna harvest wind

I just did this mod and love it...I dont use a boost too often but in front of the overdrive adds more gain so I can get some pretty sweet fuzzy sounds with it.

hmm...did this mod yesterday, and it unfortunately didn´t sound as I had hoped. I expected it to give the drive more drive, but it really just oversaturates it and makes the sound mushier/fuzzier. With boost volume any higher than about 7, it´s not very useful to me. Lower than 6, it gradually decreases the drive (or gain) of the OD, so it´s probably possible to use it in the opposite way, though...
Guess I´d have to add clipping devices to get what I´m after..?

Well, it was worth a try, and I´ve got the miniswitch to flip it back to the original state anyway, so it´s not a big deal. Maybe it will grow on me..

Nice work, duhvoodooman! I acutally did the flipper thing a few months ago. I built a GGG 808 board up and a SHO clone. If you put the boost before the OD, and crank it (boost) and then control the rest from the OD side, you can get some pretty cool synthy fuzz-type sounds.

Here's the pedal I made for a friend:

hey duhvoodooman

big up up to your work! is it possible to label the wire? i dont know witch on ist the output, etc...cheers!

raffa

HI,

I did this mod a few weeks ago. it is awesome. I did the hard-wired version/ I just noticed that if I put the Gtr volume all the way down with both the boost and OD kicked in I can hear a very faint low level cycling hum in the background. If I turn the boost off it goes away so it is really only when the boost is kicked in. The mod works great, has anyone encountered this or is there an area I should target looking at?

Thanks,
Michael

I think what you're hearing is just a byproduct of the increased gain. It's pretty much a fact of life that more gain = more noise. That's why I run most of my OD/distortion/fuzz pedals in the noise reduction loop of a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor.

BTW, what kind of pickups are on the guitar you're running through it? Single coils or humbuckers?

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

OK, That is what I thought. Time for a noise suppressor!

Yeah, if you like to use "gain boxes" like these pedals, a good noise suppressor is really, really helpful. Especially if you play single-coil guitars....

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

So I hate to be dumb about this but it seems that I would run a chain something like:

GTR --> wah --> OD pedal --> Noise Suppressor --> AMP ??

I never used one before.

Actually, the noise suppressor I'm familar with, the Boss NS-2, uses a loop that you place your noisy pedals in, basically like so:

guitar --> NS-2 in --> NS-2 loop send --> gain pedals --> NS-2 loop return --> NS-2 out --> other pedals --> amp

You can also have "early in the chan" effects between the guitar and the NS-2, like a wah or a compressor.

Here's a photo of the NS-2:

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

I just finished the OD2 build with pre/ post boost switch and pedal is not working. I think that I got everything right but I don't think that the orientation of the pre/ post switch is clear. It can go two ways. The way it is put physically in the case will rule what the pin numbers on the switch are. How do I know what is pin one? Which way does the lever throw in the diagram... left to right , or up and down? Thanks I really don't want to re-wire that switch!

The switch throw is up & down for that diagram, as indicated by the horizontal lug orientation on the switch. Depending upon the toggle position, the middle horizontal row of lugs are connected to their counterparts in either the top row of lugs or the bottom row. The toggle movement is the opposite direction of the connection that's made, so as drawn, having the toggle down would connect the middle lugs to the corresponding upper ones, and the toggle up would connect the middle lugs to the lower ones. For the wiring shown, that would mean that toggle up = boost into OD and toggle down = OD into boost.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

Thanks.No I can stop staring at the circuit board looking for problems. ( I hope )

Just hard wired this (no switch) I'm very happy with the results!

Great mod

Not sure what you're asking here.

If the OD is off, the boost sounds the same whether it's switched to be before or after the OD. Keep in mind that these circuits are wired with true mechanical bypass, so the idea of "before" or "after" doesn't even apply unless both effects are engaged.

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2