GateKeeper Docs
DISTORTION
The 4072 Filter is normalled into the Distortion OFF, 1, 2, 3 section.
This is the next step of the INTENDED SIGNAL PATH.
Unless the DISTORTION toggle has been engaged the signal will go on to the MULTA Filter unaffected.
There are three distinct DISTORTIONS. Loud, Louder and Loudest. They are controlled by the two DISTORTION knobs on the lower left of The GateKeeper.
The MULTA IN potentiometer acts as a pre-gain for the DISTORTION and the MULTA FILTER. *Same rules apply as with the 4072 IN pot. Keeping the gain at or below the default line will give you a cleaner signal. When using one of the three distortion modes it will have significant impact on how the DISTORTION sounds. Lower levels may have more of a crunchy top end.
***Be aware that both gain knobs (4072 IN and MULTA IN) can completely silence the audio signal.
VARIATION toggle will add a more low end into the mix changing the response of the DISTORTION circuits.
DISTORTION CLIPPING swings between a fuzz to harder overdrive.
DISTORTION DRIVE swings between a medium gain to hard clipping overdrive.
Depending on the mode and gain staging some of the subtle nuances can be obliterated. So you’ll get your most dynamic tone sculpting with the DISTORTION DRIVE lower.
The distortion has been left noisy intentionally. I felt that filtering out the noise eliminated the raw feel of the highest frequencies and how they interact with the OSC NOISE modes. Since this is a filter box much of that top end gets eliminated when the filters closes anyway. Something special happens when various knobs and toggle combinations start to feed off each other. When filtering the noise, some of those extreme anomalies went away. One of the characteristics that make a Moog Model D sound so good is a very bright signal going into the filter. It was decided that this approach was better. Tones should be “alive” not perfect and safe.
For best use with a guitar I recommend using another pedal pre-GateKeeper. Perhaps an Electron Fuzz Custom by Retro Mechanical Labs.
Between you and I, there is an empty spot on the circuit board left unpopulated. One could place a .01uf cap in there and tame that unruliness. But that is a project for another day.
DIRECT DISTORTION PATCHING
It is possible to patch the DISTORTION independently to use with other instruments. There are a few considerations. The DISTORTION IN mixes an external signal into the MULTA pre gain that then runs into the OFF, 1, 2, 3 MODES. Observe that this does not break the normalled connection coming from the 4072 Filter.
To break the normalled connection you must have the 7072 OUT X patched with a cable.
In practice you could send the 4072 OUT X connection to another guitar pedal (or eurorack module). And then the output of that external guitar pedal back into the DIST IN jack.
Or you could patch the MULTA OUT X, send that to a guitar pedal. Then have the return of the pedal go into the 4072 IN, the 4072 OUT X to the VCA IN X. And so on… Yes it can get complicated and hard to follow.
