Glamour Years
mono → stereo
Select a grid button or a stompswitch
a surprisingly accurate version of the subminiature tube distortion/filter unit
The creation of this patch got me back into making patches. And the impetus for that was the arrival of the SSBS Pretty Years, a rare distortion/filter unit that uses sub mini tubes and some wild routing.
Demo
Basic idea: overdrive/distortion/fuzz pedal on the surface with 4 gain stages and passive EQ. Underneath is this complex routing that comes about when you introduce the voltage-controlled filter section. There are 4 insert points for the VCF (between each gain stage).
There is a Zebu build as well. All controls
apply to both versions, unless otherwise noted.
Here's a quick guide on what a single activated insert looks like at each separate stage:
| Chain | |
|---|---|
| INPUT – PREGAIN – VCF – T1 – T2 – T3 – EQ – OUTPUT | |
| INPUT – PREGAIN – T1 – VCF – T2 – T3 – EQ – OUTPUT | |
| INPUT – PREGAIN – T1 – T2 – VCF – T3 – EQ – OUTPUT | |
| INPUT – PREGAIN – T1 – T2 – T3 – VCF – EQ – OUTPUT |
VCF has 3 options: LP, BP, HP. Depending on where the VCF is insert, you get very different output based on the VCF settings, gain levels, EQ, and output volume.
, , and can only select one at a time to avoid a feedback loop. Will turn off other inserts when selecting a new one, or you can toggle the same one over and over again.
| VCF Type | VCF type. Green=LP, Red=BP, Yellow=HP. |
| FM Behavior | FM toggle. Cyan=None, Magenta=inverted, White=non-inverted. |
| VCF frequency. CW is higher, CCW is lower. | |
| VCF resonance. CW is more. | |
| FM multiplier/amount. CW is more, CCW is less. | |
| Gain 1/EQ low shelf. CW is boost, CCW is cut. | |
| Gain 1/EQ mid gain (880Hz). CW is boost, CCW is cut. | |
| Gain 2 input gain. CW is more. | |
| Gain 3 input gain. CW is more. | |
| Gain 4 input gain/output gain. Sag amount (> 50% starts to really kick in) CCW is more sag, CW is less sag. | |
| EQ low shelf. CW is boost, CCW is cut. | |
| EQ high shelf. CW is boost, CCW is cut. | |
| Output volume. CW is more, CW is less. |
IO page — main routing for dirt. In left, EQ for gain 1, OD (pushed) for both gain 2 and 3, OD (classic) into Sag circuit (bit crush and bit modulator) for gain 4, EQ for passive tone, stereo output with gain control.
VCF page — VCF routing and mixer logic. CV in for VCF frequency. Filter selection via Left stomp and sequencer. Each of the 4 inputs has its own VCA, with level for each determined by the insert points on page 0. All of the VCA's go to the VCF with 3 outs (lp/bp/hp), sent to audio in switch (channel determined by Left stomp).
FM page — FM logic. Input travels to Envelope follower for CV, then into Slew Limiter with separate attack/decay. FM behavior switch takes either 0, slew output inverted, or slew output non-inverted (determined by Middle stomp and sequencer). Switch outputs to multiplier tied to page 0's FM knob for amount of frequency modulation. Only works if insert point is active.
VCA page — audio routing. 4 separate mixers for each gain stage. Channel A's are the output of gain 1, 2, 3, and 4. Channel B's are the VCF, with channel selection via insert points on page 0. Outputs to the next gain/EQ along the main routing.
I-IV page — radio button logic. Logic for determining where the filter insert is placed, responds to the UI buttons on the control page.
Step page — step logic. Step sequencer for the filter insert, works with the UI buttons as well (for instance, selecting II and stepping the right stomp will advance to III, IV, none, I, and II).