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So. I built my buddy a SHO using this vero layout:


And Madbean's off-board LED wiring scheme:
http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=707.0;attach=226

The only subs I made are 2.2M resistors in place of the 10M resistors.

It sounds GREAT! But, I was feeling novel and put a color-changing LED in. It changes colors and looks really sweet, but causes a siren sound as each color fades out and flashes. WEEEEEEOOOOoooooOOOEEEEEEET. WEEEEEEEET.WEEEEEEeeeeeEEEEET. Like that

Any way to kill that apart from just switching out the LED to a less ridiculously fun one?

I didn't know where to post this. If it's in the wrong place, I humbly beseech one of our FINE mods to relocate it appropriately. Here's the deal!

I have a Keeley TS808 and it seems to be losing output level. It used to give me quite a volume bump when engaged (as expected) but NOW, I DIME the volume control and it's quieter than the bypassed signal.

With my newly acquired DIY skills (embarrassingly limited though they are) to fix it myself. Where should I start looking? I'm thinking I'll start with the IC...

So, I built the Uproar. It sounds great! I added the optional presence mod, but when I switch it in/out, I hear NO change in sound.

Deets:

- I've 95-tuple checked the switch (SPST) wiring...it's correct.
- I put a 1µf cap in the CP spot and a 6.8nf in the c10 spot, as per the mod directions.
- I pulled them both and replaced them both (just to be sure my caps and values were correct). They were/are)

Any ideas? I've got better-than-many ears, so if the mod DOES anything, it's reasonable to think that I'd be able to notice. And I trust that the mod DOES do something. I can't imagine it's so subtle that it's inaudible .

So. It's my first real troubleshooting investigation. I'm really good with instructions and I'm very careful, so I've never really had to troubleshoot before. I'm sure it's great that I get to, since it'll help me learn. But, that's the thing, I'm almost totally electronically illiterate. So, I need help. Bad.

Here are the relevant build docs from GGG:

Schem:
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf/ggg_dnr_ross_sc.pdf?phpMyAdmin=78482479fd7e7fc3768044a841b3e85a

Layout:
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/pdf/ggg_dnr_ross_lo.pdf?phpMyAdmin=78482479fd7e7fc3768044a841b3e85a

Problem:
No signal when effect is engaged (but bypassed signal is fine. LED works correctly)

What I've done:
- Checked and reflowed all solder joints. There are no bridges, cold, or dry joints
- Checked ALL wiring, it's correct according to the layout
- Whipped up an audio probe and went at it

Here's where I'm lost. I built the audio probe, but have no idea, really, how to read a schematic. (I know, I know, I'm embarrassed...) Anyhow, I started with the IN pad on the board -- joy. Then C2 -- joy, R1 -- joy, C1 -- joy, R2 -- joy, R3 -- NO JOY. Also there's no joy on any of the pins of Q1. Nothing on R5 or C6 or anywhere else.

I replaced R2 and double-checked its value (metered 9.9k). Same thing. So, it seems to me (and I'm well aware that I can be, and likely am, WAY off base) like the signal just isn't getting past R2. I even checked for continuity between R2 and R3, which there is.

Am I on the right track? What's next to hunt down? I just don't know where to go from here and am REALLY frustrated. Lil' help?

Thanks!

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Cam

So far, I've completed the following MadBean builds:
Firebomb
Slambox
Cupcake (x2)
Chunk Chunk
Patsyface
Glitterati
Neutrino
Sunking (not finished...in progress...)

From these builds, I've amassed some limited wisdom that I'd love to share with anybody whom it might help! Here's what I've learned:

1 - Be organized. Put your parts in bins. Label them. Have a neat workspace.
2 - Work from small to big when populating your board. Jumper wires, resistors, diodes, film caps, IC/transistor sockets, electrolytics, transistors, etc.
3 - Be careful. The more careful you are during your build, the more likely the pedal is to work right away which, in many ways, is ideal. Double check component values. Check for cold or dry joints and bridges.
4 - Test it before you button it up.
5 - When asking for help (in the tech help forum), follow the simple guidelines. It's helpful for you and keeps the mods from choking their pets.
6 - Always (ALWAYS) tin your iron.
7 - CLEAN your iron. Keep the tip clean as can be. Black spots are bad and really hinder heat transfer. Makes soldering awfully frustrating.
8 - Cut all your wires (a little) long. It's more of a pain to replace a short wire than it is to clip a long'n.
9 - Everything down the middle. What I mean is that, with most things in life, the target is right down the middle. When it comes to solder, you need enough, but not too much. You need enough heat for it to melt (and "sink," as I like to call it), but not too much. Etc.
11 - DON'T blow on your freshly soldered joints. Let them cool on their own.
12 - When you remove the iron from the joint, slide it up the leg of the component you're soldering. It'll cool better and leave the 'point' of the joint pointing up rather than to the side. Looks nice and is less likely to cause a bridge.
13 - Think and plan. Then plan a little more. It's like "measure twice, cut once." A little bit of care and planning will help with a smooth build, minimal troubleshooting, and clean guts. Clean and well-planned wiring (guts) help with noise and problem diagnosis. Plus, it just feels good to look at your work and for it to look neat and nice rather than a messy rat's nest.

If I think of more, I'll let you know. If this was unhelpful, sorry for the time waste. But I would've liked to have been told some of this and not have had to learn it myself

G'luck!

Um. I know it's easy - but how do I accomplish this:

2PDT
DC Jack
Battery clip
No led

There's a little bit of a BOO! at the end, but the YAY! is -

I built this little buffer (based on the Beavis Audio Plon Fentar) into an interface for my pedalboard. It's two buffers, actually. One buffers the signal to the pedals, the other buffers the signal after the pedals, back to the amp.

It didn't work at first. No nothin'. I was worried because I tried some stuff not in the layout. For example, I built the two buffers on the same piece of stripboard and powered both buffers from the same 9v source. Additionally, I took some advice from FSB and decoupled signal voltage through the PSU rail -- which I've never done and had only words to guide me. So POOP!

I whipped up an audio probe and took a look at the layout. Had audio in, past the input cap, a resistor, another resistor...looking good...to the IC. Dang - don't know what goes where once it hits the IC. Looked up the pinout and kept checking. Got signal at the IC ins and out...then nothing at the next cap. What in the world?

Cap was in the wrong place. And since I did two buffers on the same board, I put the cap in the wrong place on both of them. Yanked the caps, put them in the right spot, and BANG! Bufferage, baby! WOOHOO!!!

The BOO! is that my multimeter broke somehow. It no longer meters anything and, when I set it to circuit test, it ALWAYS shows short -- even without any leads attached. Bummer.

But hooray for my first successful solo troubleshooting case. Thanks for all the help, guys. I know I can be a pain, but I really really appreciate all the help and support from this (and other) place(s).

So. I'm trying to get a hold on all this, and thank you all so much for bearing with me, but I'm just so crummy with a circuit. I'm a reasonably intelligent fellow and I learn quickly, But I'm having the darndest time. Here's my question. Suppose I have a board with "In," "Out," "9v," and "Ground." Then suppose that I want this "pedal" on all the time and it will not run on a battery (trying to keep it as simple as possible). If I were to box it up, would the following connections be correct? Is the circuit complete?

In - tip of input jack
Out - tip of output jack
9v - tip of DC jack
Ground - sleeve of DC jack

That look OK? Do I also need to connect the sleeve of either the input jack or output jack to the sleeve of the DC jack? The sleeve of the input and sleeve of output are connected by way of the enclosure, right?

Sorry again for the super noobish stuff. I said it somewhere else - I'm pretty handy with an iron, but CRAP with a circuit. I need to find one of you who lives close to me and spend a day and a six pack with you

Thanks again, fellas!

So, I've bought MAX1044s from three places now. Each time they're advertised as "MAX 1044" and every single one has been a MAX1044CPA. Will this work in place of a MAX1044SCPA? I seem to remember reading that this would be an issue, but can't find that thread.

...

So. I've (almost) got my Patsyface working. Turns out, I burned up a transistor - Q1. Or, I received a bad one -- but that's hardly likely. But it works otherwise. It sounds a bit like poo since I haven't really biased it and since, filling in for Q1, is a cheap-o $0.25 PNP. The only remaining technical problem is...

It doesn't power off of a 9v power supply (PP2+). Battery? Fine. PP2 - no dice. I think it may have something to do with my wiring, so here's the diagram I was following as well as the minor changes I made to it.

Here's the original:



It has three different connections from "Board Ground" and two from 9v-. Since the Patsyface board only has one Board Ground connection and 1 9v- connection, I did this:



Did I goof?

What do I need? I fear I burned up a set of $$ germanium ones and would like to install sockets and use cheapies to test the circuit. Then, I can replace them with Mullards once I'm sure the rest of the circuit is up to snuff.

What'll work?

Thanks!!!

So. I built the thing and...

No signal when engaged. Bypassed is fine, NOTHING when un-bypassed. No hiss no nada. But, the LED does light when it ought to...

I populated the board and see no obvious shorts (I'll post pics tomorrow). I wired it up using this diagram so as I could power it from a standard power supply:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/switch_lo_3pdt_tb_dcj_pnp_ft.gif?phpMyAdmin=78482479fd7e7fc3768044a841b3e85a

Then - it got worse. While I was poking around, wondering what went wrong, I shorted the TIP and RING of the input together. The LED went out and stopped working. The LED is fine and the limiting resistor is fine. (New LED does the same thing, old LED lights when hooked up to a battery)

Where do I start? What are the obvious things to look for? I saw no release of magic smoke and nothing looks like it has popped or burned.




...aw maaaaaaaan...

What is entailed in biasing my patsyface? I'ma populate the board now and would like to know what I'm in for when it comes to biasing.

Thanks, fellas!

---
Cam

I accidentally ordered shorting jacks. I can't imagine it'll make any difference to my builds, but would like to know for sure?

For all intente and purposes, are they interchangeable with non-shorting jacks?

Will this work in place of the 1044?

So some good pals have recommended how to make the Chunk Chunk more SLOish. They recommended:

1 - Remove r15
2 - Remove c13
3 - Remove presence pot

I thought that it would be bitchin' to put these mods on a switch. I'm great with an iron, but crap with a circuit. What's a good way to go about this? I was thinking implementing a 3PDT toggle, but am not sure how I ought to wire it up.

Lil' help? THANKS!!!

So. I tested my "Apple Juicer" and wonder if my experience is normal.

1 - It overdrives quite nicely. Lots of gain/volume on tap. I suspect that this is normal. But...

2 - It doesn't sound particularly squishy. It's hard to tell it's compressing at all, really.

3 - When I dime the 'sus' pot, it goes 'whoof' and the signal disappears. It does this past, say, 3:00. Back it up to < 3:00, sound is back.

4 - It's hard to tell that the 'sus' control really does anything.



Any ideas? Compared to my Keeley and the Orange Squeezer vids I've seen, it's obviously less squishy. Apart from the giant volume boost (it seems that 8:00 is unity. Maybe cuz of the linear pot? At any rate, can hardly turn it up without, y'know, turning it UP), it's hard to tell it's on...How do I get the squishy?

(Otherwise, it's perfect. It's quiet, it engages and bypasses, it works with a battery or external supply, the battery disengages when external power is present, etc. )

For my dad for Christmas The LED is blindingly-bright yellow. I hope he digs it.

So. Mammoth Electronics usually rocks my world, but they sent me 8.2k resistors instead of 82k. I have a BUNCH of other values hanging around, just not 82k. So, my question is:

What is safe to sub in the place of R2? I have 100k and 68k. Or can I combine resistors to get close? I really need to get this one done and feel dead in the water without those 82k resistors.

What to do?!

From me to you! I'm so glad to have found this place. You're a bunch of good dudes and I appreciate you!

---
Cam