Moody Sounds - Baby Box Noise Generator v5
Baby Box Noise Generator is a chaotic noise machine. Use it to destroy your guitar signal, take in sounds from space, make spooky backgrounds or odd beats. Baby Box is a combination of several effects, but basically there is a "Noise oscillator", which is based on several astabile multivibrators. The signal from the Noise oscillator passes through filters and the various effects.
Baby Box Noise Generator is a chaotic noise machine. Use it to make spooky backgrounds or create strange beats or plug in a guitar or other sound source and mix it with the BabyBox sounds. Baby Box is basically a combination of three effects, a Noise oscillator a Fuzz and a Delay circuit and you can run it in three different modes: Auto, Constant or Trig. In Auto and Constant modes, it generates sound itself and you control parameters such as noise pitch and tempo, delay interval and length with its eleven control knobs and its two noise mode switches.
The sound is generated in the oscillators of the BabyBox circuit. Their signals are superimposed and a “noise” is present at the output. One of the oscillators has a much lower oscillation frequency than the others. It sets a form of rhythm to the noise (alternates between sound-silence-sound…) and the tempo is adjusted with the Sun and Earth knobs, on the left of the panel. Earth sets how long the sound pulses should be and Sun sets how long the silence should be between the pulses. You can therefore set everything from short bursts of sound to long screaming tones with short pauses. If both knobs are turned to maximum, the circuit comes in a mode that is close to the Constant position, i.e. a continuous tone without pulses. Constant mode provides a consistent tone. The oscillators are connected in such a way that it is difficult to predict how they affect each other. Each setup is unique and the word “sound kaleidoscope” could describe this circuit.
In Trig mode, it is possible for other sound generators to “talk” to the Baby Box – a signal on the input causes it to sound. The big knob, Pluto, adjusts the mix between dry and wet. If Pluto is turned all the way to the left, the input signal will not be affected much by the circuit and a clean signal will be heard at the output. As Pluto turns up, classic guitar fuzz mixes in. The BabyBox’s noise circuit is triggered if Pluto is close to max.
The noise circuit is connected to a delay circuit and this adds a bit of “width” to the sound. The Delay circuit has two controls: number of repetitions and time between repetitions (Neptune and Uranus). In other words, you can use the pedal as a boost with clean signal, classic guitar fuzz, delay with clean signal or with fuzz or as a noise pedal that is triggered by input signals. Or as a sound generator without input.
The circuit also has an effect loop and you can connect another circuit there. The noise signal will pass the circuit in the effect loop before it comes back to the BabyBox.v
Baby Box Noise Generator has stereo output. The signal is split into two at one point in the circuit and different sounds are heard in the two output channels. Plug in a pair of headphones and drive around in space!
BabyBox has true bypass switch that bypasses the input signal directly to the output. Despite using the same components, each circuit sounds a little special. That’s one of the reasons it’s fun to build this circuit.
History
Baby Box has been changed, modded and tweaked several times over the years. The first Baby Box was built by Johnny Roslund in 1976. It consisted solely of a noise generator, more or less the same as the one used now. The first version also had a small amplifier with a speaker, all built in a wooden box. Baby Box number 2 was built in 2004, also in a wooden box. Number 4 got a metal box and the circuit was adjusted a bit. The circuit was further developed in the following years and it received stereo output and delay circuit. A little later, it was equipped with an input with fuzz and true bypass, version 3.0. Version v3.2 Nov 17 had an additional noise tempo knob and a jack for expression pedal but the EXP pedal jack was removed in versions 4 and 5. Version 4 was a deluxe variant with engraved metal box with oak sides. V.5 was completed in Sep 22. New with version 5 are two extra noise-mode switches. The box has an engraving, just like version 4 but sits in an ALU box 1590D.
engraving and wooden sides.
TECHNICAL INFO
Power supply: 9 or 12 V DC
Power connector: 2,1 mm DC jack, negative center
Current draw at 12 V: 30 mA
Weight: 1,17 kg Dimensions (HxWxD): 110x260x180 mm
Marke | Moody Sounds |
---|