[LAU] Octaver or fuzztone effect

[Paul Winkler]

On Sat, May 26, 2007 at 10:27:47AM -0400, robert lazarski wrote:
> Pretty simple, but I live in Brazil and getting these parts may be hard and
> I am currently tight for time. Here's a guy who actually built these and has
> some tips:
> 
> http://www.slinkp.com/pw_toys/foxx

That's me :-)

> Still trying to do this in software though for now. Any ideas?
> Robert

I predict that perfectly emulating a Foxx fuzztone would be tricky if
you don't have one handy to experiment with... but if you're satisfied
by getting in the general ballpark, you're in luck: the octave effect
is very simply generated by rectifying the signal. In hardware, this
means using diodes to invert the negative half of each wave. In
software it's even easier:  just use abs()  :-)

You might try making a trivial rectifier plugin using abs(), then
experiment with combining that with other plugins: various distortions
such as Steve's fast overdrive before and/or after the rectifier;
various EQ plugins before or after the rectifier; and you'll probably
want Steve's DC offset remover or something similar after your
rectifier.

The Foxxtone sounds really weird with chords, by the way. Non-linear
distortion, sort of like a ring modulator.  Most people used it only
for single-note lines.

Jimi Hendrix had a similar effect on the "Purple Haze" solos, though I
don't know whether it was a Foxx or something else.

-- 

Paul Winkler
http://www.slinkp.com