MOODY Baby Box v 3.1 User manual
A...Connecting the Baby Box
B...Schematics
C...The Noise Circuit and the Auto Mode
D...The Delay Circuit
E...Mono / Stereo Out
F...The Constant Mode
G...Input signalG...Input signal
H...The Trig Mode
I...The EXP jack
J...Suggested Settings
K...Technical Specs and Manufacturer info
User’s
Manual
Read This First!
The maximum output volume of the
Baby Box is loud! Before connecting
anything to the output jack, turn
Mercury , Pluto and Neptune all Mercury , Pluto and Neptune all
the way to the left to avoid an audio level
chock. Gradually increase them for a
suitable output level. Make sure the
Baby Box is in Effects Position - push
the foot switch button so that the LED to
the far right is on.
If Uranus is turned all If Uranus is turned all the way to the
right when the power jack is connected, it
is a risk that the effect does not start up
as it should. If this happens, disconnect
the power supply from the current jack
and connect it again, this time with
turned left.
Do not connect an amplifier to the EXDo not connect an amplifier to the EXP
jack!
Thank you for using Moody Baby Box Noise Generator! In order to describe
how to connect it, we will refer to image 1. Its switches, jacks and indicators
have been assigned letters in the image. The list to the right gives a brief intro-
duction of what function the jacks and switches have. We will discuss the
function of the control knobs in the next sections.
Baby Box is powered with 9 Volts to 12 Volts direct current. If you are using
another power supply, than the one that is available from MoodySounds, make
sure that its polarity is correct. The negative pole shall be on the inside of the
plug, that is, the part of the plug that encloses the pin on the current jack on the
pedal, when the plug is connected to it. The Current Jack is denoted by the letter
"a" in image 1.
If you are using the eIf you are using the effect with an external sound generating device, connect it to
the Input Jack on the pedal. The Input jack is the jack to the right (refer to the
view in image 1) and it is indicated by an arrow "pointing into" the pedal on the
pedal's screen print, and by "b" in image 1.
The Output Jack is the jack to the left and it is indicated by an arrow pointing "out
from" the pedal on the pedal's screen print, and by "c" in image 1.
Baby Box generates Baby Box generates two signals. We will call them Direct Out and Delayed Out.
They are routed to two different channels on the Output jack and we will refer to
them as Channel 1 and Channel 2. The output jack is thus a stereo jack.
However, you can use it mono without losing the "stereo feeling".
a. Current Jack
b. Input Jack
c. Output Jack
d. Effects/Bypass Footswitch
e. Effects/Bypass Indicator
f, g. Sound Indicators
h. Modeh. Mode Toggle Switch
i. Expression Jack
Image 1. Switches, jacks and indicators are assigned letters.
Baby Box is made up of three main units: one noise generating unit, which we
call Noise, one delay unit, which we call Delay and one input drive unit, which we
call Fuzz. The Baby Box has also a small stage which we call Buffer. It is there to
split an inpunt signal in two. Image 2 shows the schematics for the Baby Box. The
control knobs have different symbols and the image shows which knob is
connected to which unit.
Baby Box has three modes of actionBaby Box has three modes of action, and we call them the Trigged, the Auto and
the Constant mode respectively. The Mode Toggle Switch, denoted by "h" in
image 1, decides the mode of action for the Baby Box. We will describe the function of
the effect in each of the three modes, starting with the auto mode in the next section.
Image 2. Schematics for the Baby Box.
Baby Box is designed to have a leakage between the two channels. Even though
delayed out and channel 2 is grounded on the sleeve of a mono plug, the leakage
of direct out into delayed out, makes both channels heard in mono. Read more
about this in sections D and E.
The Effects / Bypass Footswitch, denoted by the letter "d" in image 1, decides
which signal is routed to channel 1 on the output jack: either an input signal, or
direct out from the Baby Box circuit. direct out from the Baby Box circuit. We call these two main modes for Bypass
and Effects Mode respectively. Baby Box is furnished with True Bypass, which
means that the pedal does not affect a line in signal when in bypass. The foot-
switch only affects channel 1. Delayed out is always connected to channel 2.
However, if you are connecting a mono plug to the output jack, delayed out is
grounded on the sleeve of the plug, and does not mix with a bypassed line in signal
in bypass mode.
The effect is also furnished with an Effects / Bypass LED indicator, which is on
in effects mode and off in bypass. This indicator is denoted by "e" in image 1.
The other two LED indicators, "f" and "g", are connected to the noise generating
circuit, which we soon will look into. These indicators connect to the circuit in such
a way that they blink in time with the sound that the noise circuit generates.
When the toggle switch is in its down position, Baby Box is in the auto mode
of action. In this mode the effect generates sound automatically. The sound origi-
nates from oscillators in the Noise. The Sun, symbolized by , and the Earth,
symbolized by are connected to an oscillator with low frequency of oscillation. It
puts a rhythmic character to the sound: "sound-silence-sound" and so on. An
appropriate name for them would be NOISE TEMPO controls, in that they decide
the time interval of the sound and silence respectively in the Auto mode. The two
controls are connected to the tempo oscillation in dicontrols are connected to the tempo oscillation in different ways. Sun adjust the
length of the sound pulses and Earth adjust the length of silence between them
The NOISE PITCH controls: Venus , Moon ,Jupiter , Mars and Saturn
are also connected to the Noise, but they adjust oscillators with higher frequency of
oscillation. They therefore change the pitch, rather than the tempo, of the sound,
and this motivates our choice of name for them. Their oscillations are superimposed
and a synthesized sound is generated. The oscillators affect each other: Turning
one knob mainly affect one oscillator. The other oscillators are also affected in an
unpredictable way.
Pluto Pluto is connected as a MIX control. If there is a signal on the input, it is passed
on by the Buffer to "one side" of Pluto. The signal from the Noise is sent to "the
other side" of Pluto. By turning Pluto you decide the mix between the buffered,
unaffected input signal and the signal from the Noise. If there is no input signal,
Pluto acts as a volume control: it adjusts NOISE INPUT VOLUME for the Delay.
We could also say that it adjusts the mix between sound and silence.
The Pluto control is a The Pluto control is a stereo potentiometer and it is also connected to another part
of the circuit: It also adjusts how the Fuzz connects to the Noise. When used
without input, the effect of this connection is a small change in noise pitch as Pluto
is turned. In the auto mode and without input, Pluto controls two things:
1. Noise Input Volume for the Delay
2. Noise Pitch (small effect)
The Baby Box has also output volume controls. We will introduce them in the next section.
The sound that is generated in the Noise, is routed first to Pluto and then to The sound that is generated in the Noise, is routed first to Pluto and then to
the Delay. The Delay does two things: it splits the signal in two and it creates a
time delay between these two signals. One of the signals is unaffected by the
Delay and we call it Direct Out. The other signal is affected by the Delay and we
call it Delayed Out. The outputs are routed to two different channels, channel 1
and channel 2 respectively, on the same (and only) output jack.
The Uranus knob is connected as a The Uranus knob is connected as a DELAY INTERVAL control, and adjusts the
time difference between the direct and the delayed signals. The Neptune knob
Baby Box generates two signals: Direct out and Delayed out. They are routed
to channel 1 and channel 2 respectively, on the stereo output jack. Baby Box has
one volume control for each of the two channels, Mercury and Neptune respectively.
There is a leakage between direct out and delayed out. Mercury There is a leakage between direct out and delayed out. Mercury mainly adjust the
volume for direct out and Neptune mainly adjust the volume (or delay feedback) for
delayed out. If a mono jack is used for output, delayed out is grounded on the
shield of the plug, and only the leakage of this channels into direct out is heard.
Mercury acts as a master volume control in this case.
Direct out goes passed the bypass switch before connecting to channel 1.
The bypass footswitch decides if channel 1 connects with direct out or a line The bypass footswitch decides if channel 1 connects with direct out or a line
in signal. The bypass switch does not affect channel 2.
Image 3. The function of the control knobs in the auto mode.
is connected as a DELAY FEEDBACK control. The more to the right this knob is
turned, the bigger is the feedback for the Delay, and the longer it goes on.
The Delay is designed to create The Delay is designed to create Positive Feedback when Neptune is turned all
the way, or almost all the way, to the right. With "positive feedback" we mean that
every repetition has louder volume that the previous one. This increase in volume
goes on to a limit when the circuit distorts the signal completely. We can think of
Neptune as a control for DELAYED OUT VOLUME. Mercury controls DIRECT
OUT VOLUME.
TThe output volume can be very loud! Keep Mercury, Neptune and Pluto
turned left when the line out is connected. Gradually increase the settings of
these controls to obtain an appropriate output level!
Image 3 gives a description of what function the different knobs have in the auto
mode.
The difference between the Auto and the Constant modes is mainly that the
sound has a rhythmic character in the Auto mode and that it is constant in the
Constant mode. Baby Box comes in the Constant mode when both Earth and Sun
knobs are turned all the way to the left.
The function of the control knobs is mainly the same as in the Auto mode: the five
noise pitch controls adjust noise pitch, and the Delay controls adjust the Delay.
Baby Box has a mono input jackBaby Box has a mono input jack. The input signal is split in two after entering
the Box: one signal goes to the Fuzz and one signal goes to the Buffer, as
described by the schematics in image 2. The Fuzz amplifies and distorts the
signal and the output of the Fuzz is connected to the Noise. This means that this
signal goes through both the Fuzz and the Noise. We see from image 2 that the
output of the Noise is routed to Pluto, which acts as a MIX CONTROL, as dis-
cussed earlier. Pluto mixes the Fuzz+Noise signal with the unaffected line in
signal coming from the Busignal coming from the Buffer. And this mixed signal goes on to the Delay.
Table 1. The signals on channel 1 and 2 depend on what type of plug is
used and on which position the footswitch is in.
Signal on CH.2
None - grounded on plug
None - grounded on plug
Delayed out and leakage
of direct out
Delayed out and leakage Delayed out and leakage
of direct out
Signal on CH.1
Input signal
Direct out and leakage
of delayed out
Input signal
Direct out and leakage Direct out and leakage
of delayed out
Mode
Bypass
Effects
Bypass
Effects
Plug Type
Mono
Mono
Stereo
Stereo
We said that when a mono plug is used for out (which is most common for use with
electric guitar) delayed out gets grounded. And we said that in this case only the
leakage of delayed out into direct out is heard. If a stereo line out plug is used
(headphones for instance), delayed out is not grounded on the plug. This means
that, for stereo output, the Baby Box is not bypassed from the line out when the
bypass button is pressed. The table below sums up what connects with channels 1
and 2 in the different main modes and for the different types of output plugs used.
The function of the other control knobs is mainly the same as in the auto mode.
One exception is the Earth, which, in the Trig mode, adjusts two new properties:
a) Sensitivity of the Trig - turned all the way to the left it is least sensitive. The
sensitivity gradually increases as the Earth is turned right. Most likely it becomes
too sensitive, when turned all the way to the right.
b) Release time of the b) Release time of the Trigged Noise - turned all the way to the left, the release
time is the lowest, and the trigged noise signal last for about the same time as
there is a signal on the line in. When the signal on the input signal fades the
trigged noise also fades. The release time of the trigged noise gets longer as the
Earth is turned right.
The Expression Jack, denoted by i in image 1, oThe Expression Jack, denoted by i in image 1, offers a way to adjust the Interval
between repeats with an external resistance, it lets you adjust the setting of
Uranus with an external pedal. The jack is furnished with a breaking contact and
if nothing is inserted into the jack, Uranus alone adjust the interval between re-
peats. If an expression pedal is inserted into the jack, the expression pedal
comes in series with Uranus, and both Uranus and the expression pedal adjust
Interval. You may use it with a pedal with any resistance. The distortion of the re-
peated signal increases with resistance - if the resistance is big, so is the
distortion. Do not connect an amp to the EXP jack!
Image 4. Different settings of Pluto produce different sounds.
The trig mode inactivates the sound generating properties to some extent.
Baby Box comes in this mode when the mode toggle switch is switched away
from you.
In this mode an external pulse or signal on the line in In this mode an external pulse or signal on the line in trigs the Baby Box to make
sound. The sound is of the same character as that of the auto mode, but it is just
one pulse instead of repeating pulses. In this mode it is possible for other sound
generating devices, such as an electric guitar or vocals, to "talk" to the Baby Box,
and tell it when it shall make a sound. The Pluto mixes the input signal with the
Fuzz and the Noise. Image 4 shows four positions of Pluto. The text below each
knob describes what the sound is like when an electric guitar connected to the
input with the diinput with the different settings of Pluto. The sound from the Fuzz and Noise is
much louder than the clean sound. You may need to compensate an increase of
Pluto with a decrease of Mercury.
Power supply: 9 or 12 V DC
Power connector: 2,1 mm DC jack, 'negative
center
Current draw at 9 V: 30 mA
Maximum power supply voltage: 16 V
Minimum power supply voltage: 6 V
WWeight: 0,85 kg (1 lb 14 oz)
Dimensions (HxWxD): 188x120x78 mm
Manufacturer: Moody Sounds
Address: Moody Sounds
Gröngatan 4A
386 30 Färjestaden Sweden
web: moodysounds.com
email: info@moodysounds.com
telephone: 0046(0)485 55 23 03telephone: 0046(0)485 55 23 03
Suggested Settings
Odd and Pitch Bent Beats
Set the mode toggle switch toSet the mode toggle switch to Auto and turn
Earth all the way to the left, Sun almost all the
way to the right. Adjust Mercury and Pluto to a
get volume that suits you. Adjust Neptune to get
good balance in the two channels. Set Uranus
pointing straight up. You will hear a rhythmic
sound in both channels. Change the setting of
the noise pitch controls to get a new “drum the noise pitch controls to get a new “drum
sound” and keep the tempo.
Guitar goes with the Baby Box
Connect an amplifier to the output of the Baby
Box. Set the mode toggle switch to Auto and turn
Sun and Earth all the way to the left and Pluto all
the way to the right. You will hear a constant
sound. Plug a electric guitar to the input jack and
take a tone. You will hear the guitar blend and
interfere with the sounds the Baby Box gener-
ates. If the setting of Neptune is not all the way ates. If the setting of Neptune is not all the way
left, you will also hear a background of sounds.
Guitar with Fuzz, Noise and Delay
Connect an amplifier to the output and your
guitar to the input. Set the mode switch to Trig
and turn Pluto all the way to the right. Turn Earth
almost all the way to the left. Set Neptune and
Uranus so that they point straight up. When the
guitar is played the signal will trig the Noise to
generate noise and a combination of Fuzz, Baby
Box Noise and Delay will be heard.Box Noise and Delay will be heard. Turn the
Noise Pitch control to get a different response
from the Noise circuit. Connect an expression
pedal to the EXP jack and change the setting of
the expression pedal. You will hear the same
tone as before but with a “pitchbent background”.
