I'm told I should probably bias my Buzzaround when I build it. Trouble is, I don't really know what that means or how to do it. Anyone care to help me? I could really use some knowledge on this. Thanks.
I believe the balance control biases the transistors on the buzzaround. I would ignore that advice you received. If you have a matched set of transistors for the buzzaround or tonebender you'll be fine.
Thanks for the advice. If the balance pot will bias the thing from outside the box then that saves me some trouble doesn't it? I'm planning to socket the IC and transistors. Is there anything else I should socket on this pedal, just in case?
What does biasing do anyway? Is it balancing the transistor voltage or what? To me it's just a big fancy word so far.
You could socket R8 and R9, although it looks like the balance control itself is designed for bias. I haven't built this so I'm not sure how much additional range you'll get from the 25K pot, but maybe having some options for R8 to the pot wiper and R9 might offer some of the same versatility and yes, it's for helping to dial in the optimum Q3 transistor voltages. That said, based on your question I might do some research into the best transistor for your build. Beyond the particular type, the hFE and leakage will have quite an effect on the end result.
Thanks for the tips. I'm getting some transistors from Paul (chromesphere) who's built quite a few pedals and is a lot more knowledgeable than I am. With his help selecting them, I'm hoping they'll work well.
I've gotten transistors from him too - always spot on to the description.