Kingmaker Fuzz User’s Guide Welcome Thank you for purchasing the Kingmaker Fuzz. This powerful stereo effects pedal features a collection of meticulously crafted Fuzz sounds ranging from subtly driven sustain to highly saturated fuzz to screaming octave fuzz and beyond. With a simple control set, the Kingmaker can work in a wide variety of musical settings, and the powerful MIDI and Neuro control options under the hood provide access to a vast array of additional tonal possibilities.
Enjoy! - The Source Audio Team Overview Diverse Fuzz Sounds – Choose from traditional Fuzz tones such as Heavy, Normal, and Octave, or delve deeper into unique sounds cooked up in the Source Audio lab. Compact Design – The durable, anodized aluminum housing has a slim profile, a small footprint, and sturdy hardware that will withstand the rigors of the road. Universal BypassTM – True bypass or buffered bypass? The choice is yours.
Quick Start Power To power the unit, connect the included 9V DC power supply to the jack labeled DC 9V on the back panel. Warning: Using a non-Source Audio supply, especially an unregulated supply, could damage the unit. Please be very cautious when using 3rd-party power supplies. Guitar/Audio Connections Using standard ¼” mono cables, connect your guitar, bass, or other instrument to the INPUT 1 jack and your amp (or the next audio device in the signal chain) to the OUTPUT 1 jack.
Contents Welcome .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Overview .................................................................................................................................................. 2 Quick Start ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Connections ..................
Connections Input Side Connections Input 1 This is the primary input for guitar, bass, or other instruments. It can also accept line-level inputs. Connect it to your instrument or other audio source using a mono (TS) ¼” cable. Input 2 Input 2 can act either as an audio input or as the data connection for the Neuro App, or both at the same time. Input 2 as an Audio Input The tip contact on Input 2 acts as a secondary input for guitar, bass, or other instruments.
Output Side Connections Output 1 This is the primary output. Connect it to your amplifier, recording interface, or the next device in your effects signal chain using a mono (TS) ¼” cable. Output 2 Output 2 can act either as an audio output or as the daisy-chain data connection for the Neuro App, or both. Output 2 as an Audio Output The tip contact on Output 2 acts as the secondary audio output. It carries an audio signal when the Kingmaker is configured with a signal routing that uses stereo outputs.
Power and Control Connections DC 9V (Power) Connect to the included 9 Volt DC power supply. The power supply must be regulated at 9 Volts (direct current), able to source at least 180 mA (milliamps) of current, and the plug should have a tipnegative, sleeve-positive polarity (the center tip is ground and the sleeve is power). USB Connect to your computer (Mac or Windows) to the Kingmaker’s USB port (denoted by the icon) using a standard mini USB cable.
Basic Fuzz Operation Fuzz is a type of effect that works by distorting the input signal. Distortion can occur in a variety of ways and results in a wide variety of outputs. This table shows a simple representation of what some different types of distortion look like. Clean signal: With no distortion, the guitar signal passes through the circuit unaffected. In this example, a pure sine tone is used as a test signal.
Extreme overshoot: The overshoot phenomenon can be taken to its extreme for fuzz and metal sounds. This is characteristic of the Big Muff Pi and is included in the Kingmaker’s Heavy effect circuit. Octave: A rectifier can be used to double the frequency of the signal, creating an octave fuzz effect with a unique tonal character. This is characteristic of the Octavia, and is included in the Kingmaker’s Octave effect circuit.
Controls Control LED Drive Knob Control Input Button Level Knob Effect Switch Bass Knob Treble Knob Engage/Bypass LED Engage/Bypass Footswitch Knobs Drive Knob The DRIVE KNOB adjusts the amount of gain applied to the signal. Dial down the drive for a cleaner, more articulate tone or crank it up for over-the-top doses of fuzz. Level Knob Adjusts the output level of the effect. This is useful for setting the level of the fuzz effect compared to the bypassed signal.
Effect Switch Selects between the three basic Fuzz effect types – Heavy, Normal, or Octave. These effects are described in further detail in the Effect Types section. LEDs Engage / Bypass LED The ENGAGE / BYPASS LED above the footswitch indicates if the Fuzz effect is active (lit green) or bypassed (not lit). When the user preset mode is enabled, the LED will turn red. See the Preset Storage and Recall section for more information about user presets.
Change any parameter you wish (EFFECT SWITCH, LEVEL KNOB, DRIVE KNOB, BASS KNOB, and TREBLE KNOB). Once you have made a change, the ENGAGE/BYPASS LED will begin to blink. When you are ready to save, press and hold the ON/OFF FOOTSWITCH for a few seconds. The ENGAGE/BYPASS LED will blink three times to show that the preset was saved. Exiting Preset Mode When Preset Mode is active, bypass the effect using the ON/OFF FOOTSWITCH. The ENGAGE/BYPASS LED should be dark at this time.
settings (drive, level, EQ, noise gate). This routing option is designated as MONO IN/OUT WITH CASCADING CHANNELS in the Neuro App. Stacking (Cascade) EQ B 1 To Amp EQ A B 1 A From Guitar Parallel Processing Another common way to create new and interesting distortion sounds is to split the guitar signal, run it to two independent pedals in parallel, and then combine (mix) the results. Often, one path will have a relatively low gain and the other will have high gain.
A few different routing options are displayed below. The right side of each diagram shows inputs 1 and 2, the left side shows outputs 1 and 2, and the distortion and EQ circuits (labeled A and B) are in the center. Mono (Default – Auto Select): INPUT 1 goes to distortion circuit A and out to OUTPUT 1. Mono 1 To Amp EQ A A 1 From Guitar True Stereo (Stereo In, Stereo Out): INPUT 1 goes to distortion circuit A and out to OUTPUT 1. INPUT 2 goes to distortion circuit B and out to OUTPUT 2.
Mono, Dry Thru: INPUT 1 goes to distortion circuit A and out to OUTPUT 1. A copy of the input is also sent to OUTPUT 2. This is useful especially for bass guitars, where having a dry output is useful in maintaining a solid low end (this can also be achieved using the Kingmaker’s mix control or LoRetain feature, which are accessible via the Neuro app and MIDI).
Automatic Routing Mode Selection By default, the routing mode is automatically chosen.
By default, Band 1 is a shelf when it is boosted (gain > 0 dB) and a high pass when it is cut (gain < 0 dB). By default, Band 4 is a shelf when it is boosted (gain > 0 dB) and a low pass when it is cut (gain < 0 dB). Using the Neuro App, Bands 1 and 4 can optionally be configured as a shelves when cutting (gain < 0 dB), with optional values for slope and rolloff. The left channel and right channel can each have unique boost/cut values for each of the 4 bands.
string guitars) that need to maintain a strong fundamental while keeping high drive on the upper frequencies. LoRetain is available as a control independent of the parametric EQ and low cut filter. Voice Control Each overdrive/fuzz/distortion circuit features a VOICE control that is a gradual timbre adjustment affecting the overall character of the sound.
Ground Y Exp Power X Exp Third party passive expression pedals can be used as well, as long as they have a TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) plug with power on the tip, expression (the wiper of the potentiometer) on the ring, and ground on the sleeve, as seen in the diagram below. Ground Power Expression Expression pedals with TS (Tip Sleeve) plugs will not work correctly with the Kingmaker. The resistance of the expression pedal does not matter.
4. 5. 6. 7. Note that you can create “dead zones,” if desired, by only moving the expression pedal over a limited region of its full range of motion. After setting the expression pedal range, click the Kingmaker’s footswitch once. The calibration is now complete, and the CONTROL LED will blink faster (about 2 blinks per second). Now, it is time to map the expression pedal to the effect parameters.
6. Move the knob(s) you wish to control with the expression pedal to the minimum desired position, then click the ON/OFF FOOTSWITCH. The CONTROL LED will now be lit solid red. 7. After setting the minimum and maximum knob positions, the parameter mapping is complete. Hot Hand Input The Hot Hand 3 Wireless Effects Controller can be connected directly to the Kingmaker’s CONTROL INPUT for motion control of the Kingmaker’s effects parameters. The Hot Hand has two axes of expression: X and Y.
Note: The parameter range can be inverted by swapping the minimum and maximum position of the knobs during calibration. Reset Expression Control Mapping To clear the expression control mapping (Expression or Hot Hand), first press the CONTROL INPUT BUTTON and turn off Control Input mode. The CONTROL LED should be dark. Then, press and hold the CONTROL INPUT BUTTON until the CONTROL LED blinks. This clears all Expression, Hot Hand, and MIDI mapping.
Main Menu The main menu includes links to the three main sections of the app: Sound Editor allows the user to edit the current effect or create a new sound from scratch. These sounds can be burned into the internal preset memory (three sounds corresponding to the three positions of the effect selector switch, and an additional preset accessible via the footswitch), saved to a preset file in the app, emailed to friends, posted to the Neuro Community site, and more.
Sound Editor The Sound Editor displays a wide range of parameters that can be changed to create different sounds. The Sound Editor works kind of like a remote control for a TV – only the parameters you touch on the screen will be modified on the hardware; all other parameters remain unchanged. The links at the bottom of the screen allow access to the File Menu, the Burn command, and the Send All command.
File Menu The File Menu displays different options for the sound you’re currently editing in the Sound Editor. Save Saves the current settings from the Sound Editor. If you haven’t saved yet, this will perform a Save As. Save As Allows you to save the current settings to a new file. You can choose a file name and description. Share Allows you to send the current settings to a friend as a text message or email attachment.
Burn The Burn command takes the current sound that is running in the hardware and “burns” it to the internal memory for later use. Burn works as a “what you hear is what you get” type of control; it will save all of the settings in their current state, as you hear them, and put those into memory. This will not necessarily match the exact settings shown in the Sound Editor for all parameters unless you have performed a Send All command first.
Browse Sounds The Browse Sounds screen displays lists of presets that can be easily loaded into the hardware. Just tap on a preset name to send it to the hardware, and you should be able to hear it instantly. Presets are divided into four sections: User: Presets that you have created and saved. Factory: Presets that were created by Source Audio. New presets will automatically be added to this list as Source Audio creates them.
Hardware Options This screen shows some advanced options. Effect Bypass Mode Selects which bypass path will be used for presets that use hardware bypass mode. True Bypass (Relay) uses two relays for true bypass switching. Active Analog (Buffered) bypass uses a buffer to help prevent signal loss and clicking. MIDI Channel (Device ID) Selects which channel (1 to 16) the hardware will respond to on Hub and USB-MIDI inputs.
Quick Preset Mode Allows preset mode to be enabled/disabled in 0.8 seconds instead of 5 seconds (by holding down the footswitch). Example Neuro Daisy-Chain Connections Mono Audio Path with Neuro Daisy-Chain In the case of a purely mono audio signal path, the Neuro data can be input to the first effect directly from the mobile device and then carried on to the second effect via TRS cable. Source Audio makes couplers that are designed specifically for connecting multiple One Series products in series.
Audio (Left) Guitar In Out to Amp (Left) Out to Amp (Right) Neuro In Audio (Right) and Neuro Daisy-Chain Neuro Hub (Formerly the Soundblox Hub) The Source Audio Neuro Hub (sold separately), unites Source Audio pedals from the Soundblox 2 and One Series families to create a single, stage-ready system. It features shared MIDI, passive expression pedal input, Hot Hand connectivity, and USB, and can connect to up to five Source Audio pedals.
4. To assign this continuous controller to a knob, turn the corresponding knob. To assign it to the ON/OFF FOOTSWITCH, press the ON/OFF FOOTSWITCH. To assign it to the EFFECT SELECTOR SWITCH, toggle the effect type switch. 5. Once the MIDI continuous controller has been assigned, the CONTROL LED will be solid green. This shows that the mapping was successful.
connect it to the computer using a USB cable. The computer should automatically recognize the Kingmaker, which will be identified as “Source Audio One Series” in the operating system. USB connectivity brings many benefits, such as the ability to download firmware updates to the Kingmaker, configuration of advanced parameters, accessing new effect types created by the Source Audio engineers, and MIDI connectivity to audio production software running on the computer.
Noise Power source: Ensure that the proper power supply is being used. Near noise source: Move pedal away from power supplies and other equipment. Other equipment: Remove other effects from signal chain; see if noise persists. Bad cables: Swap out audio cables. USB ground loop: When connected to a computer using a USB cable, noise can appear in the audio signal. This usually results from ground loop noise due to the Kingmaker and computer running on separate power supplies.
level audio circuits, guitars/basses with active pickups, electronic keyboards, or mixer outputs. The input circuit can handle signals ranging up to 5.6 Volts, peak-to-peak. Can I power the Kingmaker directly over USB, without using the 9 Volt supply? No. USB provides 5 Volts, but the Kingmaker needs 9 Volts, so the Kingmaker cannot be powered directly from USB. Make sure that you have plugged in the included 9V DC power supply when connecting to the Kingmaker’s USB port.
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 El Raton Fuzz Façade Bender Metal Octave Fuzz Gated Fuzz Bass Tube Drive Bass Smooth Tube Bass Power Stage Bass Crunch Tube Bass TS9000 Bass Big Pi Bass El Raton Bass Fuzz Façade Bass Bender Bass Metal Bass Octave Fuzz Bass Gated Fuzz Tone Drive Additional effect types may become available in future updates. Rubber Feet The Kingmaker comes standard with a flat aluminum bottom, making it easy to apply Velcro and mount to a pedalboard.
period of two (2) years from the date of purchase by the original purchaser. Please contact your dealer for information on warranty and service outside of the USA. Under this Limited Warranty, Source Audio’s sole obligation and the purchaser’s sole remedy shall be repair, replacement, or upgrade, at Source Audio’s sole discretion, of any product that, if properly used and maintained, proves to be defective upon inspection by Source Audio.
foregoing. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties so some of the above limitations and exclusions may not apply to you. This Limited Warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights, which vary, from state to state. This Limited Warranty only applies to products sold and used in the USA. Source Audio shall not be liable for damages or loss resulting from the negligent or intentional acts of the shipper or its contracted affiliates.
