aion BINARY User manual

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 1
PROJECT NAME
BINARY
BASED ON
EFFECT TYPE
PROJECT SUMMARY
DOCUMENT VERSION
Darkglass®Duality
A bass fuzz with two distinct voicings that can be blended together in any ratio, from vintage warmth to
searing, gated chaos.
Bass fuzz 1.1.0 (2022-01-19)
BUILD DIFFICULTY
Intermediate
Actual size is 2.3” x 2.42” (main board) and 1.78” x 0.86” (bypass board).

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1Project Overview 8Drill Template
2Introduction & Usage 9Enclosure Layout
3-5 Parts List 10 Wiring Diagram
6Build Notes 11 Licensing
7Schematic 11 Document Revisions
INTRODUCTION
The Binary Dual Fuzz is based on the Darkglass® Duality Dual Fuzz Engine, a bass pedal first released
in 2013 that features two parallel fuzz paths that can be blended together in any ratio for a variety of
textures. It was traced by Aion FX in 2021.
The first path is similar to the Microtubes B3K, a series of CMOS hex inverters that provides a warm,
vintage-flavored drive.
The second path is devilishly simple, though extremely rare in guitar circuits. It uses a single op-amp
stage configured as a comparator: signal to inverting input, non-inverting input tied to reference voltage,
and no feedback path. As the input signal swings above and below the threshold set by the reference
voltage, the op-amp converts this to the maximum and minimum voltage (a process called hysteresis),
resulting in a heavily distorted and nearly synthesized square wave. The comparator is followed by a
primitive two-diode noise gate to keep it quiet when no signal is coming through. These diodes also add
crossover distortion.
In addition to the blended fuzz paths, there is also a tone control and volume control that are applied to
the fuzz after the two paths have been blended. This is followed by a clean blend that balances the fuzz
(after the tone and volume) with the unadulterated clean signal. It’s more complicated than the average
drive pedal, but it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it.
The Binary is a direct clone of the Duality based on our own trace, which is documented at length in
our tracing journal. Some extra power filtering has been added, but otherwise everything is true to the
original.
USAGE
The Binary has four controls:
• Duality blends between the vintage-flavored fuzz and the aggressive, gated sawtooth fuzz.
• Filter is a 5kHz shelving treble filter after the two fuzzes have been blended.
• Level sets the overall output of the blended fuzz signal.
• Blend pans between the buffered clean signal and the blended fuzz signal.

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 3
PARTS LIST
This parts list is also available in a spreadsheet format which can be imported directly into Mouser for
easy parts ordering. Mouser doesn’t carry all the parts—notably potentiometers—so the second tab lists
all the non-Mouser parts as well as sources for each.
View parts list spreadsheet →
PART VALUE TYPE NOTES
R1 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R2 1M Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R3 1M Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R4 330k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R5 15k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R6 330k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R7 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R8 470k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R9 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R10 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R11 1M Metal film resistor, 1/4W Not present in earlier Duality units.
R12 470k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R13 15k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R14 470k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R15 330k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R16 33k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R17 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R18 33k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R19 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R20 33k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R21 2k2 Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R22 220k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R23 220k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R24 1k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R25 1M Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R26 100k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R27 1k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R28 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
R29 10k Metal film resistor, 1/4W
RPD 1M Metal film resistor, 1/4W Input pulldown resistor.
LEDR 4k7 Metal film resistor, 1/4W LED current-limiting resistor. Adjust value to change LED brightness.

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 4
PARTS LIST, CONT.
PART VALUE TYPE NOTES
C1 100n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C2 1uF Film capacitor, 7.2 x 3.5mm
C3 1n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C4 100n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C5 22n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C6 47n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C7 680pF MLCC capacitor, NP0/C0G
C8 220pF MLCC capacitor, NP0/C0G
C9 1uF Film capacitor, 7.2 x 3.5mm
C10 10n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C11 1n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C12 2n2 Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C13 1n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C14 1n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C15 1n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C16 1n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C17 1n Film capacitor, 7.2 x 2.5mm
C18 680pF MLCC capacitor, NP0/C0G
C19 1uF Film capacitor, 7.2 x 3.5mm
C20 100uF Electrolytic capacitor, 6.3mm Reference voltage filter capacitor.
C21 220uF Electrolytic capacitor, 6.3mm Power supply filter capacitor.
C22 100n MLCC capacitor, X7R Power supply filter capacitor.
D1 1N5817 Schottky diode, DO-41
D2 1N914 Fast-switching diode, DO-35
D3 1N914 Fast-switching diode, DO-35
IC1 TL072 Operational amplifier, DIP8
IC1-S DIP-8 socket IC socket, DIP-8
IC2 TL072 Operational amplifier, DIP8
IC2-S DIP-8 socket IC socket, DIP-8
IC3 CD4049UBE CMOS hex inverting buffer, DIP16
IC3-S DIP-16 socket IC socket, DIP-16
IC4 TL072 Operational amplifier, DIP8
IC4-S DIP-8 socket IC socket, DIP-8
IC5 TL072 Operational amplifier, DIP8
IC5-S DIP-8 socket IC socket, DIP-8
IC6 TL072 Operational amplifier, DIP8
IC6-S DIP-8 socket IC socket, DIP-8

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 5
PARTS LIST, CONT.
PART VALUE TYPE NOTES
DUALITY 100kB 16mm right-angle PCB mount pot
FILTER 100kB 16mm right-angle PCB mount pot Reversed from original unit in v1.0. See build notes.
LEVEL 100kA 16mm right-angle PCB mount pot
BLEND 100kB 16mm right-angle PCB mount pot Reversed from original unit in v1.0. See build notes.
LED 5mm LED, 5mm, red diffused
IN 1/4" mono 1/4" phone jack, closed frame Switchcraft 111X or equivalent.
OUT 1/4" mono 1/4" phone jack, closed frame Switchcraft 111X or equivalent.
DC 2.1mm DC jack, 2.1mm panel mount Mouser 163-4302-E or equivalent.
FSW 3PDT Stomp switch, 3PDT
ENC 125B Enclosure, die-cast aluminum Can also use a Hammond 1590N1.

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 6
BUILD NOTES
Filter and Blend knob rotation
The Filter and Blend controls were inadvertently reversed in the original run of the Binary. This was
fixed in version 1.1 which began shipping in January 2022.
If your PCB does not say “v1.1” in the upper right then you have the earlier reversed version. In this
version the blend knob goes from full effect at CCW to full clean at CW, and the filter control will act as
a treble cut as you turn it up rather than adding treble as in a normal tone control.
This has no impact on the sound of the unit, so it’s fine to leave it as-is, but if you do want to correct
the rotations then it’s a simple fix. All you have to do is reverse lugs 1 and 3 of both potentiometers—in
other words, connect lug 3 to pad 1 and lug 1 to pad 3. The middle lug is left as-is.
If you’re using the recommended PCB-mount potentiometers, it’s easiest to clip the two outer lugs at
the bend of the “L” shape and then solder wires that cross over the center pin. Keep the center pin in
place as an anchor so the pot has a rigid connection to the PCB.
R11 resistor
R11 is a 1M resistor from the input of IC2A to the bias voltage. Of the two Duality units that have been
traced, Revision 4-K does not have this resistor and Revision 7 does.
It’s good design practice to include it, and will have no impact on the tone other than improving the
stability of IC2A if it’s used, so it’s recommended to use it in all cases.
Filter control midrange mod
Douglas from Darkglass shared a modification that can change the character of the Filter knob. By
default, it’s a 5kHz shelving filter, but it can be turned into a 1kHz midrange boost/cut control by using
2.2n for C18 and soldering a 22n capacitor across lugs 1 and 3 of the filter control.

SCHEMATIC
BINARY DUAL FUZZ 7
IN
OUT
1N5817
220uF
100kA 100kB
100kB
100kB
+9V
100n
GND
10k
100n
1M
10k
10k
VB
GND
100uF
VB
GND
TL072P
TL072P
VA
VA
GND
330k
1n
15k
100n
VB
TL072P
TL072P
TL072P
TL072P
TL072P
TL072P
CD4049UBECD4049UBECD4049UBE
CD4049UBE
CD4049UBE
CD4049UBE
VA
GND
VA
VA
VA
GND
GND
GND
TL072P
TL072P
VA
GND
1M
VB
1uF
100k
1k
GND
330k
22n
10k
470k
680pF
47n
GND
10k
10k
220pF
1uF
1M
VB
10n
470k
15k
VB
470k
1n
GND
330k
33k
2n2
1n
GND
10k 33k
1n
GND
1n
10k 33k
1n
1n
GND
2k2
220k
VB
220k
680pF
1k
VB
VA
1uF
1M
VB VB
D1
C21
LEVEL
1
2
3
DUALITY
1
2
3
BLEND
1
2
3
1
2
3
FILTER
C22
R1
C1
R2
R28
R29
C20
2
3
1
IC1A
6
5
7
IC2B
84
R4
C3
R5
C4
6
5
7
IC6B
2
3
1
IC2A
2
3
1
IC5A 6
5
7
IC5B
2
3
1
IC4A 6
5
7
IC4B
109
IC3D
1211
IC3E
1514
IC3F
IC3C
67
IC3B
45
IC3A
23
VDDVSS
8 1
8484
84
2
3
1
IC6A
6
5
7
IC1B
84
R25
C19
R26
R27
R6
C5
R7
R8
C7
C6
R9
R10
C8
C9
R11
C10
R12
R13
R14
1N914
D2
D3 C11
R15 R16
C12
C13
R17 R18
C14
C15
R19 R20
C17
C16
R21
R22
R23
C18
R24
C2
R3
GND

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 8
DRILL TEMPLATE
Cut out this drill template, fold the edges and tape it to the enclosure. Before drilling, it’s recommended
to first use a center punch for each of the holes to help guide the drill bit.
Ensure that this template is printed at 100% or “Actual Size”. You can double-check this by measuring
the scale on the printed page.
Top jack layout assumes the use of closed-frame jacks like the Switchcraft 111X. If you’d rather use
open-frame jacks, please refer to the Open-Frame Jack Drill Template for the top side.
LED hole drill size assumes the use of a 5mm LED bezel, available from several parts suppliers. Adjust
size accordingly if using something different, such as a 3mm bezel, a plastic bezel, or just a plain LED.
ø3/8” ø1/2”
0.385”
0.625” 0.625”
x: -0.65, y: +1.71 x: +0.65, y: +1.71
ø9/32” ø9/32”
x: -0.65, y: +0.41
ø9/32”
x: +0.65, y: +0.41
ø9/32”
x: 0, y: -1.775
ø15/32”
x: -0.775, y: -1.775
ø5/16”
CENTER (0,0)
ø3/8”
125B
OUT
FILTER DUALITY
LEVEL BLEND
FOOTSWITCHLED
DC IN
0 1 2
CM
0 1
INCH

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 9
ENCLOSURE LAYOUT
Enclosure is shown without jacks. See next page for jack layout and wiring.
125B

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 10
WIRING DIAGRAM
125B
IN +VGND NC NC OUT
PCB
IN
GND +V +V JACK GND JACK
OUTIN
GND GND PCB
OUT

BINARY DUAL FUZZ 11
LICENSE & USAGE
No direct support is offered for these projects beyond the provided documentation. It’s assumed
that you have at least some experience building pedals before starting one of these. Replacements and
refunds cannotbe offered unless it can be shown that the circuit or documentation are in error.
All of these circuits have been tested in good faith in their base configurations. However, not all the
modifications or variations have necessarily been tested. These are offered only as suggestions based
on the experience and opinions of others.
Projects may be used for commercial endeavors in any quantity unless specifically 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 without prior arrangement, and (2) you cannot
“goop” the circuit, scratch off 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 effects industry needs more transparency, not less!)
DOCUMENT REVISIONS
1.1.0 (2022-01-19)
Corrected Blend and Filter controls working backwards compared to the original unit.
1.0.2 (2021-11-28)
Added build note about Blend and Filter controls being reversed from the original unit and how to
change it. This will be corrected in version 1.1 of the PCB.
1.0.1 (2021-11-15)
Corrected value of C18 (was listed as 68pF) and added build notes on midrange mod.
1.0.0 (2021-11-12)
Initial release.