VFE Bumblebee - no swell

[zachlovescoffee]

Okay! I made the tool to measure my 5457 and most of them were just fine. See the attachment. This leads me to believe something else is wrong. So, I checked my solders again and then took some measurements.

I have highlighted a few areas where I am getting odd measurements. Any ideas? The compression seems to be working fine on the pedal. Just no swell whatsoever. Also, the level is REALLY weak. I either have to dime the guitar out or use drive pedals to get any appreciable volume gain. Even with level all the way up.

I've tried Brian's method to tune the pedal and I'm not getting anything like in the YouTube videos.

[Aentons]

I would make sure you dont have a short or solder bridge around the 3904 in the lower right

[benny_profane]

The build doc is wrong there. The emitter voltage should not be 0V. The 5v seems about right.

https://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=30283.msg292336#msg292336

[zachlovescoffee]

Any chance the 5088s are dead or maybe a short there too? It just seems to me odd that the pedal works pretty much fine except the swell effect.

[benny_profane]

Is your vactrol installed correctly? Ensure that it doesn't need to be rotated 180°. Do you know how to read a schematic and follow the board traces? You're getting odd voltages in the bottom left part of the schematic. What voltages do you get on either side of the 1k R4 resistor?

[zachlovescoffee]

I'm basically get 0 volts on R1 (1k) and R4 (15k). It's like 0.0045. I'm not getting any voltages on the vactrols either. Here are some photos up close of the area. From what I can tell R1/R4 are connected together so the solder is connected together on the back. I tried to circle some areas where I thought there may be an issue? But I'm not sure. It seems clear that there is very little if any voltage getting to those 5088s.

[Aentons]

Is your vactrol installed correctly? Ensure that it doesn't need to be rotated 180°.

Sounds like this is your issue. There is usually a paint dot on the nsl32 next to pin1. The screenshot shows pin 1 on the board

[zachlovescoffee]

So I installed the vactrol backwards?

[benny_profane]

So I installed the vactrol backwards?

Most likely. Your reported voltages are confusing since the cited reference numbers and the values don't line up (i.e., R1 is 470k and the feedback resistor for IC1A, not 1k; R4 is 1k, not 15k, and in series with R14, 15k). Trying to parse through what you posted doesn't add up though. Vcc connects to the anode of the vactrol LED. It would make sense that it is reversed biased given the collector voltages on Q1 and Q3. You can remove the vactrol and confirm the polarity by using the diode setting on a multimeter.

[zachlovescoffee]

The vactrol was definitely in backwards. I turned it around and bow in getting the correct readings in those 2n5088s!

Unfortunately, still no discernible swell effect. I've tried Brian's method for tuning it but I'm not getting anything. Any ideas or tips for running it troubleshooting?

[zachlovescoffee]

Any ideas at all? I'm kind of at a loss. I have tried 4558s, TL072 and NE5532/P. I have verified in range 2n5952's I just don't know what to say. The pedal seems to work/compression too but no swell. I've tried tuning/tweaking -- barely anything at all.

[jimilee]

Any ideas at all? I'm kind of at a loss. I have tried 4558s, TL072 and NE5532/P. I have verified in range 2n5952's I just don't know what to say. The pedal seems to work/compression too but no swell. I've tried tuning/tweaking -- barely anything at all.

Did you remember the Pinout on a 5952 is the reverse of a 5457? Trace down the power section to see why you're not getting power to the transistors on the left side of the board.


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[zachlovescoffee]

Whoops sorry the I did mean that I am using 5457. And it's measuring 1.5 vgs. Opto is installed correctly now. I am getting the correct voltages at the 5088s and the ICs.

[jimilee]

Whoops sorry the I did mean that I am using 5457. And it's measuring 1.5 vgs. Opto is installed correctly now. I am getting the correct voltages at the 5088s and the ICs.

So all of your voltages are correct now?


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[zachlovescoffee]

Yep all of my voltages are good! Are my Mix and Trigger pots wired in okay? I had some issues with that at the beginning.