A Fake Guitar for Effects Testing LENGTH

R4 C9
Sometimes you get tired of strumming a guitar to test that
effect you’re working on. Other times you just need a test R5

tone. This little one-IC circuit does both. TR1 R3

C3 C2 VOLUME
I needed a test oscillator, but I wanted it to look like a guitar
signal, but predictable. So I got out my “Quick and Dirty C4
R2 R1
Oscillator” circuit and tinkered it. C1 Output
Jack
D3 D4
Using a dual opamp instead of transistors made both design
and construction easier. The top half of IC1 is our friend, the
Twin T oscillator from the Q+D. The network of R1...R3 and TONE
D1 D2
C1...C3 determine the feedback null, and hence the oscillator
frequency. The values chosen are something below 1kHz. If NOTES
SW1 1/2 IC1
the exact frequency matters to you, either tinker the values or
get a proper test instrument. C5
+9v
R6
A Twin T can be adjusted so there is just barely not enough R8 D5
GND
feedback gain to keep it ringing and so it will ring when it’s
disturbed, but die out, just like a guitar string. Resistor R4 and SPEED

the Length control set this up. Large values of resistance C7

between the opamp output and its inverting input make the R10

circuit oscillate more easily, and values over about 300K more +9v
or less will make it oscillate continuously. 1/2 IC1

C6
There is a somewhat delicate balance between oscillating R11 C8
forever but distorting and dying out. That is why the trimmer
R9
TR1 is there, to let you get a moderately pure sine wave. This
may need tinkering from time to time, but not all that often.
R7

Switch S1 chooses either TR1 or the “Length” control for a feedback trimmer. The length control can be set to make the thing
oscillate forever, like TR1, but it can also be set to let the note die out. The value of the pot was chosen for a range of
shortest notes that I liked. You may want to change the value a bit. Shortest notes were about 1/20 of a second for mine,
which is pretty fast playing for a human.

The second section of the circuit, the other half of IC1 is an automated electronic string picker. With the switch set to select
the Length control for feedback, the other half of SW1 connects the output of the second half of IC1 to the non-inverting input
of the ringing section of IC1 through C5 and R8. When the switch is set in this position, transitions on the output of the lower
section of IC1 will disturb the Twin T amplifier, triggering a “note”.

Astute observers will recognize that the lower section of IC1 is set up like the LFO in the MXR Phase 90, but with the output
of the opamp used, not the voltage on the capacitor. This signal is a square wave which can be set between about ten cycles
per second down to about one cycle every two seconds. Both positive and negative edges trigger a ring in the tone
generator, so the note frequency is about twice the frequency of the LFO.

Diodes D1-D4 limit the size of the note output to a realistic guitar level, and the output pot lets you turn down the guitar
volume.

R1 = 100K C1 = 10nF D1...D4 = 1n4148 or * Note that frequency is inversely proportional

R2 = 100K C2 = 4.7nF any of 1N4002...4007 to C1, C2 and C3. Doubling them all makes
R3 = 10K C3 = 4.7nF D5 = 1N4002...1N4007 frequency go down by half; halving them
R4 = 270K C4 = 2.2nF makes frequency go up by 2:1.
R5 = 10K C5 = 47pF IC1 = TL072 or LF353
R6 = 100K C6 = 2.2uF SW1 = DPDT Be sure to change them all the same amount
R7 = 100K C7 = 100uF VOLUME = 10K and direction.
R8 = 1M C8 = 100uF LENGTH = 50K
R9 = 100K C9 = 1uF TR1 = 50K Can you switch different sets? Sure! Keep
R10 = 10K SPEED = 1M the ratio the same.
R11 = 10K
Copyright 2010 R.G. Keen. All rights reserved. No permission for local copies or serving from any web site except www.geofex.com