Shaman is based on the classic 70’s Electra Distortion circuit, tuned for a transparent, dynamic, amp-like experience. Housed in a Dark Galaxy enclosure with spacey white pointer knobs lie three interactive controls; Gain, Blend and Volume.
Gain is a bias control, adjusting how driven the single NOS Philips CV108 Metal Can transistor can get all on its own. Quite a bit of the character of this circuit comes from the single amplifier stage being driven to its limits.
The Blend control adds in the clipping diodes, they hard-clip on the output of the circuit. Germanium asymmetrical and Silicon symmetrical options are available to blend into the signal path. At the center position the clipping diodes are effectively out of the circuit, allowing for pure transistor drive. Blend to the right to add in more Germanium diode clipping, a softer and more ragged tone with more compression and texture. Blend to the left for Silicon diode clipping, louder and more aggressive with more articulation and bite.
Lastly the master volume allows you to play at any volume, either reigning in or boosting the signal strength. This is helpful when adjusting the diode Blend or Gain control as the volume fluctuates based on where the other knobs are set.
NOS components are used throughout the build from caps to diodes and transistors. Simple and clean layout on PCB, battery or standard 9v center negative power jack with true bypass and LED indicator come standard.
