Level
Clean boost amount — makes you louder without heavy dirt.
- Turn up Bigger, more present signal into whatever follows.
- Turn down Closer to unity; subtle lift only.
Pedals / Clean level + treble lift
Gold Touch
Clean level + treble lift · play-tested
seth — fish
seth@ninevolt:~$
Knobs
In the TUI each knob runs from low (left / 0%) to high (right / 100%). Start near noon, then nudge while you play.
Tone
Treble emphasis of the boost.
- Turn up More sparkle and pick clarity.
- Turn down Fuller, less glassy top end.
Inspired by
Dallas Rangemaster (1965–1968, Dallas Musical Ltd.) — single-stage OC44 germanium treble booster. Brian May, Tony Iommi, Rory Gallagher. The original had one Volume knob only; Level maps that log 10 kΩ pot. Tone is a Ninevolt control modeled on ElectroSmash’s popular input-cap mod (switching C1 between 5 nF / 47 nF / 100 nF) — same circuit family, exposed as a continuous knob in the TUI.
Signal path
| Step | What it does |
|---|---|
| Input HPF | C1 (5 nF) + ~12 kΩ Z → stock fc ≈ 2.6 kHz; Tone shifts 700 Hz–4.2 kHz (5/47/100 nF mod range). |
| Log gain | Level → audio-taper volume: 1× to ~80× (38 dB, ElectroSmash gm × Rc). |
| Ge asymmetric soft clip | Off-center bias compresses hard strums — even harmonics on treble. |
| Output | Clamped to ±1. |
How we modeled it
Rangemaster path: Tone-variable input HPF (C1 / cap-mod network) → log volume gain → Ge asym soft clip. Tone at noon ≈ stock 5 nF; lower = wider (47–100 nF mod territory); higher = narrower treble focus. Hard picking soft-clips into warmth.
Simplifications
- One-pole HPF vs full C1/R1/R2/transistor input network - Tone is a continuous knob; the real mod is usually a 3-way switch - No output coupling cap rolloff or emitter bypass detail - Mono only; no battery sag