Go! Do everything!
The Factotum started with a very clear constraint, I wanted this to be both a digitally modelled plugin, as well as a buildable analog stompbox. So it is purely developed as circuit emulation and will also be available as a physical build. (perfboard layout, parts list, etc)
It started life as my tribute to one of my favourite gain pedals, the EA Parallel Universe. But wandered off to become its own thing. At its heart is an LM386: a favourite of the DIY community that’s been making tiny practice amps and gain pedals sound huge for decades. Colin’s (Experimentalists Anonymous) original “starve” circuit remained to provide sweet spluttering gated fuzz, but instead of the oscillator it gained a clean blend that keeps low end and pick attack intact, a mid-scoop borrowed from the Marshall Shredmaster, and a vintage octave-up on its own footswitch.
What it sounds like
Overdrive, fuzz, gated splutter, scooped metal, ring-mod-ish octave squeal. It’s all in there. And my thanks to @zwabo (clean blend control!) for some feedback on the prototypes. I’m sure there’s some tweaking left, but it’s reached a point where it’s earned it’s keep.
Install:
Cloudbuilder install link (version 1.0.8):
Github: GitHub - Kiwooky/NHE-Factotum: New Horizon Electronics - Factotum Octave Fuzz Drive · GitHub
A perfboard layout and parts list will be added to github for physical builds.
PS some of the presets have not been gain matched yet, so they could be quite boosted. 