Aion Electronics RIFT Manuale utente
1RIFT (BASED ON THE UNIVOX SUPERFUZZ)
Rift
Based on the Univox Superfuzz
Rift Project LinkOverview
The Rift is a modied version of the Univox Superfuzz, a
classic octave fuzz. It was originally developed by the Shin-
Ei company in Japan and called the FY-6, but they also
rebadged the circuit for over a dozen other brands such as
Apollo, Electra and Hohner. However, the Univox Superfuzz
was the most well-known of the brands and is considered
the denitive version of the circuit.
The Rift includes two modications that lend more exibility
to this circuit. While the original unit only had a tone switch
to go between two presets, here you have the option of
using a pot instead to blend between them. There is also a
clipping switch to allow you to choose between two dierent
sets of diodes, or lift them altogether for a dierent (and
much louder) sound.
Controls & Usage
The controls for the Superfuzz are pretty standard:
• Expander controls the fuzz level of the eect. (This acts as a volume control after a xed-level input
boost stage, very similar to the Sustain knob on a Big Mu.)
• Volume controls the overall output level.
• Tone allows you to switch between two xed tone sections, one with a mid-scoop and another with a
atter and less aggressive sound. This can be wired as a pot instead of a switch, allowing you to fade
between the two settings.
• Clip allows you to select a dierent set of diodes or lift the diodes altogether.
Modications & Experimentation
If you want to use a tone pot instead of the switch, you’ll nd it convenient that the pot ts in the exact same
pads and you just need to drill the enclosure dierently. This allows for blending between the two xed tone
settings, which makes it a much more exible control.
The clipping switch lets you choose from two sets of diodes. The stock unit uses germanium, around 0.3V
forward voltage, but lots more sounds can be had by using dierent diodes with a higher clipping threshold, or
by removing the diodes entirely in the center position. For the second set of diodes, I recommend using two
1N914s in series, but you should socket them and experiment.
Expect to make signicant volume adjustments when switching between the dierent clipping diode options.
This circuit uses hard clipping by way of anti-parallel diodes going to ground. As a result, the volume level is
directly aected by the total clipping threshold (forward voltage) of the diodes being used.
2RIFT (BASED ON THE UNIVOX SUPERFUZZ)
Parts List
Resistors
R1 22k 1
R2 100k
R3 100k
R4 1k8
R5 47k
R6 470k
R7 10k
R8 47k
R9 3k3 1
R10 220k
R11 150k
R12 10k
R13 10k
R14 470R
R15 470R
R16 100k
R17 22k
R18 10k
R19 1k8 1
R20 22k
R21 100k
R22 47k
R23 10k
R24 22k
R25 10k
R26 100k
R27 15k
R28 10k
R29 1k
R30 100k
RPD 2M2
LEDR 4k7
Semiconductors
Q1-6 2SC828 2
D1 1N4002
D2-D3 1N34A 3
D4-D7 1N914 4
LED 5mm LED
Potentiometers
EXPANDER 50kB
VOLUME 50kB
TONE 50kB 5
OCTAVE 10kB trim (3362P)
Switches
TONE SPDT 5
CLIP SPDT center o
Capacitors
C1 10uF electro
C2 2n2 1
C3 10uF electro
C4 100n
C5 10uF electro
C6 10uF electro
C7 10uF electro
C8 10uF electro
C9 10uF electro
C10 10uF electro
C11 10uF electro
C12 1n
C13 100n
C14 10uF electro
C15 10uF electro
C16 100uF electro
Mouser Parts List (Spreadsheet)
Additional Part Notes
• Capacitors are shown in nanofarads (n or nF) where appropriate. 1000n = 1uF. Many online suppliers do
not use nanofarads, so you’ll often have to look for 0.047uF instead of 47n, 0.0056uF instead of 5n6, etc.
• The PCB layout assumes the use of lm capacitors with 5mm lead spacing for all values 1nF through
1uF. I prefer WIMA box lm: the FKS2 series for 1n to 10n and the MKS2 series for 10n to 1uF.
• Potentiometers are Alpha 16mm right-angle PCB mount.
• I recommend using these dust covers / insulators from Small Bear to insulate the back of the pots from
the board and prevent shorts. If you don’t use these, use some electrical tape or cardboard to act as
insulation. The right-angle pots will make direct contact with the solder pads otherwise.
Footnotes can be found on the next page.
3RIFT (BASED ON THE UNIVOX SUPERFUZZ)
Build Notes
1Shin-Ei FY-2: The Shin-Ei FY-2 has a few small value changes from the Superfuzz:
R1 = 100k
C2 = 1n
R9 = jumper
R19 = 2k
2Transistors: See the next section titled “Transistor selection” for a discussion on how to choose the right
transistors for this circuit.
3Clipping diodes: Any germanium diodes will do ne here—the part number isn’t important. You could also
use a more readily-available diode such as the BAT41 Schottky for a very similar sound.
4Optional clipping diodes: To provide good contrast with the stock germanium diodes, I recommend using
1N914s for D4-D7. They’ll be a good bit louder than the germaniums but not as loud as the diode lift mode
(center switch position). However, feel free to socket these diodes and experiment. You may nd something
you like even better!
5Tone switch or pot: The original unit uses a switch to select between two tone settings. You can put a 50kB
pot here instead to act as a balance control to fade between the two. It ts in the same pads as the switch.
Needless to say, you can only use one or the other. Make sure to follow the correct drill template depending on
whether you use the pot or the switch, as the knob layout is dierent.
Transistor selection
The original Superfuzz usually used 2SC828 transistors, sometimes 2SC539. There is nothing special about
these transistors, but being early silicons, they were much lower gain than modern silicons—and this makes a
big dierence in the circuit.
You’re looking for any silicon transistor with a gain of about 180 hFE, with Q1 maybe being a little higher,
around 220 hFE. Many 2N3904s fall in this range, but since the datasheet species a range of 100 to 300, you
may have to sort through several of them to nd six that are right for this circuit.
2SC945 is a good NOS substitute that typically falls in the recommended gain range. These are readily
available from Small Bear Electronics. If you buy them elsewhere, you want the “Y” (yellow) designation.
For the most pronounced octave eect, you want to make sure the Q4 and Q5 transistors are matched as
closely as possible for gain (hFE). Most multimeters have an hFE function to test them. The OCTAVE trimmer
is there to compensate for unmatched transistors (and in fact Shin-ei implemented this trimmer because it was
easier and cheaper than sorting for matched transistors)—but you will get the best eect if you use the two
transistors that are closest in hFE for Q4 and Q5 and then use the octave trimmer to ne-tune the eect.
Important note: The Rift PCB layout uses the USA-standard E-B-C pinout (2N3904, 2N5088, etc.) for the
transistors. If you do use a vintage transistor like the 2SC828 or 2SC945, make sure to adjust accordingly.
Most Japanese transistors with the 2SC prex use the E-C-B pinout, so it’ll require twisting legs 2 and 3 to get
them to t correctly.
4RIFT (BASED ON THE UNIVOX SUPERFUZZ)
Schematic
GND
+9V
2M2 4k7
5MM
1N4002
220uF
50kB
50kB
GND GND
22k
100k
100k
1k8 47k
470k
10k
47k
220k150k
10k10k
470R
100k
470R
10k
1k8
22k 100k
47k10k
22k
10k
100k
100k15k
10k1k
3k3
22k
10uF
GND GND
2n2
10uF
GND
100n
GND
10uF
GND
10uF
10uF10uF
10uF
GND
GND GND
10uF
1N34A
1N34A
10uF
1n
100n
GND
GND
GND
GND
10uF
GND GND
10uF
GND
10k
GND
GND
+9V
SW
IN
OUT
RPD LEDR
LED
D1
C16
1
2
3
VOL
1
2
3
EXPANDER
R1
R2
R3
R4 R5
R6
R7
R8
R10R11
R12R13
R15
R16
R14
R18
R19
R20 R21
R22R23
R24
R25
R30
R26R27
R28R29
R9
R17
C1
Q1 Q2
Q3
Q4 Q5
Q6
C2
C3
C4
C5
C6
2
3
1
TONE
C7C8
C9
C10
D2
D3
C11
C12
C13
C14
C15
OCTAVE
1
2
3
2
3
1
CLIP
D4D5
D6 D7
5RIFT (BASED ON THE UNIVOX SUPERFUZZ)
General Build Instructions
These are general guidelines and explanations for all Aion Electronics DIY projects, so be aware that not
everything described below may apply to this particular project.
Build Order
When putting together the PCB, it’s recommended that you do not yet solder any of the enclosure-mounted
control components (pots and switches) to the board. Instead, follow this build order:
1. Attach the audio jacks, DC jack and footswitch to the enclosure.
2. Firmly attach the pots and switches to the enclosure, taking care that they are aligned and straight.
3. Push the LED1 into the hole in the enclosure with the leads sticking straight up, ensuring that the at side
is oriented according to the silkscreen on the PCB.
4. Fit the PCB onto all the control components, including the leads of the LED. If it doesn’t t, or if you need
to bend things more than you think you should, double-check the alignment of the pots and switches.
5. Once you feel good about everything, solder them from the top2 as the last step before wiring. This way
there is no stress on the solder joints from slight misalignments that do not t the drilled holes. You can
still take it out easily if the build needs to be debugged, but now the PCB is “custom-t” to that particular
enclosure.
6. Wire everything according to the wiring diagram on the last page.
1For the LED: You can use a bezel if you’d like, but generally it’s easier just to drill the proper size of hole
and push the LED through so it ts snugly. If you solder it directly to the PCB, it’ll stay put even if the hole is
slightly too big. Make absolutely sure the LED is oriented correctly (the at side matches the silk screen) before
soldering, as it’ll be a pain to x later! After it’s soldered, clip o the excess length of the leads.
2Note on soldering the toggle switch(es): It will require a good amount of solder to ll the pads. Try to be as
quick as possible to avoid melting the lugs, and be prepared to feed a lot of solder as soon as the solder starts
to melt. I recommend waiting 20-30 seconds between soldering each lug to give it time to cool down.
“RPD” and “LEDR” resistors
The resistors marked “RPD” and “LEDR” are generally not original to the circuit and can be adjusted to
preference. “RPD” is the pulldown resistor to help tame true-bypass popping, while “LEDR” controls the
brightness of the LED. I generally use 2.2M for the pulldown resistor and 4.7k for the LED resistor.
Sockets
Since double-sided boards can be very frustrating to desolder, especially components with more than 2 leads,
it is recommended to use sockets for all transistors and ICs. It may save you a lot of headaches later on.
6RIFT (BASED ON THE UNIVOX SUPERFUZZ)
Drilling & Placement
Print this page and cut out the drilling template below. Tape it to the enclosure to secure it while drilling. Note
that the holes are shown slightly smaller than they need to be, so drill out the holes as shown and then step up
until they are the correct size for the components.
Parts Used
• Switchcraft 111X enclosed jacks
• Kobiconn-style DC jack with internal nut
Hammond 1590B
(bottom/inside view)
EXPANDER VOLUME
TONE
TONE
(SW)
(POT)
CLIP
7RIFT (BASED ON THE UNIVOX SUPERFUZZ)
Standard Wiring Diagram
This diagram shows standard true-bypass wiring
with a 3PDT switch. When the switch is o, the
input of the circuit is grounded and the input jack
is connected directly to the output jack.
The SW pad is the cathode connection for the
LED. This will connect to ground to turn it on
when the switch is on. Usage of the on-board
LED connection is not required if you have
specic placement needs for your enclosure,
but’s incredibly convenient.
The wiring diagram also makes use of star
grounding principles where all of the grounds
connect to a single ground point (in this case the
sleeve of the input jack). This is best practice
to avoid added noise caused by improper
grounding. The sleeve of the output jack is
unconnected.
If using a painted or powdercoated enclosure,
make sure both jacks have solid contact with
bare aluminum for grounding purposes. You may
need to sand o some of the paint or powdercoat
on the inside in order to make this happen.
Make sure to double-check the markings of the
pads on the PCB for your particular project – they
are not always in the order shown here!
License / Usage
No direct support is oered for these PCBs beyond the provided documentation. It is assumed that you
have at least some experience building pedals before starting one of these. Replacements and refunds will not
be oered unless it can be shown that the circuit or documentation are in error. I have in good faith tested all of
these circuits. However, I have not necessarily tested every listed modication or variation. These are oered
only as suggestions based on the experience and opinions of others.
Projects may be used for commercial endeavors in any quantity unless specically noted. No attribution
is necessary, though a link back is always greatly appreciated. The only usage restrictions are that (1) you
cannot resell the PCB as part of a kit, and (2) you cannot “goop” the circuit, scratch o the screenprint,
or otherwise obfuscate the circuit to disguise its source. (In other words: you don’t have to go out of your
way to advertise the fact that you use these PCBs, but please don’t go out of your way to hide it. The guitar
eects pedal industry needs more transparency, not less!)
IN GND OUT SW
+9V
SLEEVE
TIP
TIP
Altri manuali per RIFT
1
Indice
Altri manuali Aion Electronics Pedale musicale
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