Got my new King of Tone a few months ago, after a five year wait. Been getting great compliments on my tone since I got it! I had one before, but stupidly sold it. This one’s a keeper!
10:45 I've had the privilege of owning multiple KoT pedals at once and I've switched around the stock chips (some very good chips from the outside as well) and for sure there was a big difference. It's magic and a bunch of synergy. In one setting a certain opamp wouldn't make a difference, but when you have it all together, there are components that really start to rock alone. With the right side high gain options as well, those chips are made for this circuit, for sure. Not like the differences weren't noticable. They all had a lot of character. The same high gain chips could be clear, some had this character of going over the top, almost muddy, from the same pedal.
2:34 The LED look is factory. That option is called "Diffused" on Digikey... I just so happen to have LEDs up on their page, and I was looking at some that were not the other type, which is typically called "Clear", or "Water Clear".
Literally got on the waiting list the same day as you 😂😂. Happy I was able to hang in there. My helix filled the void long enough but the real thing sounds and feels better. They are very close though. Have to give line 6 some serious credit.
@@lnxguit I will definitely say it is very close to the helix version playing chords but single note stuff the actual pedal sounds much fatter/smoother compared to the helix which has a bit more bitey top end.
I spent a lot of time swapping in different op amps on my KoT and settled on using an OPA2134 for the left side (yellow LED) in clean boost mode. It has a less spitty overdrive tone than the JRC4580 (aka NJM4580), especially when driving it hard with the right hand side volume cranked up. Those mythical diodes (MA856) are only in the circuit when the distortion mode is selected with the DIP switch, which I never use. The 1S1588 diodes have about the same forward voltage drop as 1N4148 diodes which are dirt cheap and widely available. It is no surprise that Analog Mike chose them as a replacement. You can run 18V power on this pedal since those electrolytic capacitors are rated for 25V. This provides more headroom for boost before the op amps start distorting. It sounds less compressed. By the way, I managed to smoke the 4580 op amp by plugging in the input side while turned on with the gain cranked. Replacement was trivial, since it was socketed and I already had a pile of op amps.
The MA856 diodes are in the circuit when the soft clipping or overdrive is selected, using DIP SW 1 and 3. For distortion, it uses the hard clipping 1S1588/1N4148, DIP SW 2 and 4. The MA856 can be in or out of circuit for distortion. AM advises against using both switches up, whereas Wampler's Pantheon uses those diodes as a kind of pre-conditioner - you can't switch them out at all.
@@MC-hx6nkThanks for the correction! I looked up the data sheet for the MA856 diode, and it does indeed have a higher forward voltage drop than 1N4148/1N914. It's around 0.7V at 5 mA current flow. The 1N4148 is around 0.6V at that current.
@@JohnShalamskas My point was that the MA856 are in play for the OD mode ...and the 1S1588 for Distortion. The MA856 is not the key to the Distortion mode, only the OD.
Did you get yours working properly? Stereo jacks? I got KOT 2 Jacks and I wanted to have it as 2 individuals pedals to connect each pedal to a loop of my switcher.
The reason why they went with the longer leg pots instead of the standard pcb mounted pots might have something to do with the footswitches being pcb mounted. I think the footswitches stand quite a bit taller than the standard legs of a pcb mounted pot, so my guess would be that they needed that extra length in the legs to mount the pots in the pcb.
Sure, that's fair. I think I would still prefer to put the footswitches on daughterboards and connect with headers or ribbon cable rather than having to bend six sets of pot legs like this.
@@graybenchelec Couldn't agree more. That's how I've always done it and I'm not planning on switching anytime soon, but here's the catch. KoTs take forever to be manufactured as they are. Can you imagine adding 4 to 6 more solder joints? 😂
The bending doesnt take much longer then soldering. The bends dont have to be as precise as you would think. You can adjust them into place before placing in enclosure rather easily. Ribbon cables and wires break easier in my experience. : )
I actually just built a clone and it is a darn good sounding pedal. In the upper left of the PCB it has "R5 optional" and it looks like C4 is unpopulated. Any idea what those are for? Thanks, love the channel!
Alright so R5 is the 10K resistor limiting the current out of the first opamp stage. It's marked optional but I've never seen a KoT built without it. This is one of the resistors AM switched for carbon comp. Interestingly, the matching resistor (R29) on the orange side is not marked "optional". The missing cap is actually C12, and it's across legs 2 and 3 on the red side gain pot.
@@graybenchelec They use the nylon ones because it cuts down on the fact the switches are kind of poorly designed and can make microphonic clicking sounds and other stuff. Try putting one in a wah pedal and you can hear the actuator in the signal path when its toe down even though you're not fully engaging the switch. I just avoid the 3PDT switches and would rather use Millenium bypass if I need an LED.
I agree. But most guys in the general public have no awareness of circuit design and how pedals work. Also most guys in the general public have never picked up a soldering iron.
For those who just want the standard setting left ( yellow ) side , there's many , many pedals out there to try . There isn't a single pedal I couldn't live without , whereas I couldn't live without my '54 wraptail or the HPTT . YMMD
No way! I had no idea any one gave a shit about the boards I build. Awesome tear down.
Very nice video. I work at AM and am building several of these while I watch this lol.
oh and yeah we scrub each LED with a brillo pad lol
I wanna work there😟
Got my new King of Tone a few months ago, after a five year wait. Been getting great compliments on my tone since I got it! I had one before, but stupidly sold it. This one’s a keeper!
Best video I’ve seen about the KOT. Thanks so much
I'd love to see Origin Effects represented. They've got some complicated insides there!
nice episode I love looking at pedal guts
Or it could be that the top of the IC and box cap are simply convenient places to mark the "high gain" channel...
Love the simplicity and thoroughness of this series
Great Video
10:45 I've had the privilege of owning multiple KoT pedals at once and I've switched around the stock chips (some very good chips from the outside as well) and for sure there was a big difference. It's magic and a bunch of synergy. In one setting a certain opamp wouldn't make a difference, but when you have it all together, there are components that really start to rock alone. With the right side high gain options as well, those chips are made for this circuit, for sure. Not like the differences weren't noticable. They all had a lot of character. The same high gain chips could be clear, some had this character of going over the top, almost muddy, from the same pedal.
Awesome channel!
2:34 The LED look is factory. That option is called "Diffused" on Digikey... I just so happen to have LEDs up on their page, and I was looking at some that were not the other type, which is typically called "Clear", or "Water Clear".
I can't say I agree with the bending of the pins on each of the pots like that. But I guess they know what they are doing.
Hope you upload high quality pics of the circuit board. Thank you! 🤘
Haha, sure I'll put them up on photobucket 😉
@@graybenchelec Thank you so much! 🤘
Literally got on the waiting list the same day as you 😂😂. Happy I was able to hang in there. My helix filled the void long enough but the real thing sounds and feels better. They are very close though. Have to give line 6 some serious credit.
As far as I'm concerned, the king of tone is the best overdrive on the HXFX
@@lnxguit I will definitely say it is very close to the helix version playing chords but single note stuff the actual pedal sounds much fatter/smoother compared to the helix which has a bit more bitey top end.
Could you do a comparison with those Chinese clones? It would be interesting to see all
Love the KOT and the channel! 🔥🙌🏻
Only 3 more years left for me!
Nice
Could you do Ibanez TS7 teardown?
Anyhow, really like your videos
I spent a lot of time swapping in different op amps on my KoT and settled on using an OPA2134 for the left side (yellow LED) in clean boost mode. It has a less spitty overdrive tone than the JRC4580 (aka NJM4580), especially when driving it hard with the right hand side volume cranked up.
Those mythical diodes (MA856) are only in the circuit when the distortion mode is selected with the DIP switch, which I never use. The 1S1588 diodes have about the same forward voltage drop as 1N4148 diodes which are dirt cheap and widely available. It is no surprise that Analog Mike chose them as a replacement.
You can run 18V power on this pedal since those electrolytic capacitors are rated for 25V. This provides more headroom for boost before the op amps start distorting. It sounds less compressed.
By the way, I managed to smoke the 4580 op amp by plugging in the input side while turned on with the gain cranked. Replacement was trivial, since it was socketed and I already had a pile of op amps.
The MA856 diodes are in the circuit when the soft clipping or overdrive is selected, using DIP SW 1 and 3. For distortion, it uses the hard clipping 1S1588/1N4148, DIP SW 2 and 4. The MA856 can be in or out of circuit for distortion. AM advises against using both switches up, whereas Wampler's Pantheon uses those diodes as a kind of pre-conditioner - you can't switch them out at all.
@@MC-hx6nkThanks for the correction! I looked up the data sheet for the MA856 diode, and it does indeed have a higher forward voltage drop than 1N4148/1N914. It's around 0.7V at 5 mA current flow. The 1N4148 is around 0.6V at that current.
@@JohnShalamskas My point was that the MA856 are in play for the OD mode ...and the 1S1588 for Distortion. The MA856 is not the key to the Distortion mode, only the OD.
Love your videos. They have inspired me to start building my own pedals. I would love to see a teardown of the Honey Bee Amps Clean Drive.
I’m on the list! Let’s see if it’s worth it!🤣
Great video. Thanks. About the closest I'll ever come to seeing a KoT 🤣
You didn't even measure the MA858 voltage drops!
Do you not know how exciting that is as pedal fodder? 😊
Haha you should check out that link I put in the description!
Answered my question about stereo jacks. Now I know my satellite board can plug into the left side and then to a switcher to switch betweem boards.
Did you get yours working properly? Stereo jacks? I got KOT 2 Jacks and I wanted to have it as 2 individuals pedals to connect each pedal to a loop of my switcher.
Chase Bliss Automatone please.
Nice! Thanks for doing this! 🔥
Cool, I learned a lot!
ETA on the K.O.T for myself is 10 months and counting...😵💫
You still hanging in there lol??
@@chrisdee5032 5yrs and 2 months and counting...
I sub'd!
The reason why they went with the longer leg pots instead of the standard pcb mounted pots might have something to do with the footswitches being pcb mounted. I think the footswitches stand quite a bit taller than the standard legs of a pcb mounted pot, so my guess would be that they needed that extra length in the legs to mount the pots in the pcb.
Sure, that's fair. I think I would still prefer to put the footswitches on daughterboards and connect with headers or ribbon cable rather than having to bend six sets of pot legs like this.
@@graybenchelec Couldn't agree more. That's how I've always done it and I'm not planning on switching anytime soon, but here's the catch. KoTs take forever to be manufactured as they are. Can you imagine adding 4 to 6 more solder joints? 😂
@@alexisdrosopoulos Soldering is quicker than custom bending all those pot legs.
@@JohnShalamskas yes and no. I mean, I can't really argue with that but I'm not absolutely sure that's true either.
The bending doesnt take much longer then soldering. The bends dont have to be as precise as you would think. You can adjust them into place before placing in enclosure rather easily. Ribbon cables and wires break easier in my experience. : )
So how does your KOT measure up to the ones with the original diodes used. Lovely channel btw.
Might have to test that one of these days, I think not much difference haha!
Great info. Meanwhile the Blues Breaker gets reissued. I bet these will still be sought after tho, at least for it's 2-in-1 design.
Absolutely, the King of Tone has it's own following now, far surpassing the bluesbreaker.
I actually just built a clone and it is a darn good sounding pedal.
In the upper left of the PCB it has "R5 optional" and it looks like C4 is unpopulated. Any idea what those are for?
Thanks, love the channel!
I’m not sure, I’ll check it out and get back to you!
Alright so R5 is the 10K resistor limiting the current out of the first opamp stage. It's marked optional but I've never seen a KoT built without it. This is one of the resistors AM switched for carbon comp. Interestingly, the matching resistor (R29) on the orange side is not marked "optional".
The missing cap is actually C12, and it's across legs 2 and 3 on the red side gain pot.
❤
I just wish companies would ditch the plastic white washers on the footswitch
I can’t help but agree, metal washers just look better don’t they?
@@graybenchelec They use the nylon ones because it cuts down on the fact the switches are kind of poorly designed and can make microphonic clicking sounds and other stuff. Try putting one in a wah pedal and you can hear the actuator in the signal path when its toe down even though you're not fully engaging the switch. I just avoid the 3PDT switches and would rather use Millenium bypass if I need an LED.
Hi Joe, was it worth the wait?
To make this video? Sure!
To just get the sound? Nah, just buy a clone haha.
You wait 5 years and you get nylon washers...:)
I've always wondered what part the length of the waiting list plays in the expections around this pedal once it arrives.
Why would anyone wait this long for a pedal and not just build/buy a clone is something I'll never understand
Stupidity, zero taste, etc.
I agree. But most guys in the general public have no awareness of circuit design and how pedals work. Also most guys in the general public have never picked up a soldering iron.
The most bland, overhyped, blues lawyer pedal since the Klon.
How’s your HM-2?
@@andrewsirois2357 Well, the HM-2 is a different story entirely :D
For those who just want the standard setting left ( yellow ) side , there's many , many pedals out there to try . There isn't a single pedal I couldn't live without , whereas I couldn't live without my '54 wraptail or the HPTT . YMMD