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Sure is Jimi.

I guess if you build enough pedals you run into firsts. So I built up the Horizon, amazing pedal love it, and used it for a few months. Then one day the LED doesn't come on. The pedal still works. I think no biggie, bum LED so I swap it out. Nothing. So I figure let me pull it off board and wire directly to jack. No go but here is my question.

Can I ground the LED to any ground point? I thought I could. Typically I don't use 4PDT boards and wire the LED's with the ground attached to the 3PDT. But since this build uses the 3PDT board I can't do that. So, I just wired it to my main ground point at the input jack with the 9v anode directly to the DC jack like normal.

Anyone have any troubleshooting thoughts? Did any of this make sense? 

So, I just finished testing this one and it is working but I have quite the wonky voltage reading. I'm thinking it might sound better, or how it was designed, if I can figure out why this weird voltage reading. All other readings are on par. Anyone have any thoughts?

Q1
C = -.68
B = 121.4   
E = 0

Q2
C = -4.38
B = -.68
E = -.55

Killer. Thanks fellas.

Anyone have a good source for this? Is there an equivalent for this build?

Ok thanks. I'll be out of town for the next several days so I'll pick back up on it then. Thanks Scruff.

If you don't have a scope, just audio probe pin 7 & 8 of each BBD while adjusting its bias.

I don't have a scope but I think I've got it dialed in real close.

However, what does it mean when I get zero sound out of pins 7 and 8 of the BBD's, IC's 3 & 9?

That they're not passing signal and you have no effect... when working, you should hear clean undistorted vibrato on each chip there.

I still get no signal from the BBD's on pins 7,8. I can say with 100% certaintly some type of chorus signal is passing through. Can't tell you how but when you click it on an off there is a audible difference but that explains my subtle comment earlier. I also get no signal from pin 7 of IC 2. I do get signal from a few other spots that I mentioned earlier in the thread so I know my audio probe works.

Scruffie, could a tant cap issue be the problem?

If you don't have a scope, just audio probe pin 7 & 8 of each BBD while adjusting its bias.

I don't have a scope but I think I've got it dialed in real close.

However, what does it mean when I get zero sound out of pins 7 and 8 of the BBD's, IC's 3 & 9?

I don't know if I'd call it a subtle chorus pedal, it doesn't really sound like most others. If you have a scope to calibrate the pedal with, that will make it A LOT easier to do. Since this has two BBDs in it, the first BBD is easy to dial in (the pedal starts to chorus) but the second BBD is harder because it's sound gets placed "on top of" the other's chorus sound. If you don't have a scope, I guess the best way to describe it is that when the second BBD gets dialed in, the chorus sound gets "thicker".
A scope makes it so much simpler though ..
Hope this helps

BTW, switch "4" will give you the most pronounced chorus sound. The Blueshift kills when used as a stereo chorus. The "lushness" comes in when used in stereo

Thanks for the explanation as it was spot on.

Success! Just about peed myself.

So I fiddled with the trimmers after starting at 3.4v but have a question. Is this a subtle chorus? I ask because the switches change the sound a little but not a lot. Same with the trimmers. I'm wondering if I need to look at some other things to get more 'lushness'.

I realize by separating the boards I sort of created my own monster so I'll own it if by doing that I may have altered things.

Thanks for the sympathy thoughts Gordo 

1. I don't recall if I got the tants from Tayda. I got parts from multiple places when I loaded up to build all these. Are they notoriously bad?

2. Holy crap! The middle pin headers  . I was so focused on the connecting the outside pin headers I didn't see the forest from the trees and looked right past that 

Well I'll report back once I connect those.

Had to step away from this one as I was getting irritated. I decided to reflow all the joints to be sure and then I got static. Went over it again and I had 2 solder bridges that I must have done when reflowing. Now I'm back to where I was. Here are some pics.

I can't imagine trying to figure out the audio path on this thing. Still dead at pin 7 of IC 2 as well as pins 7 & 8 of the BBD's.

Scruffie, I don't expect you to spend a ton of time on this (or any for that matter). Feel free to bail if it is just too deep. I'll just have to lick my wounds and move on from this thing.

So pin 7 on IC2 is dead. No sound. Swapped it out for another Cool Audio V571 no dice.

Yeah that was a mistake. Pin one on IC 1 has 4.6v

Want pics at this point?

Ok, so I probed all the IC's actually. First, both BBD's pass zero signal on pins 7 and 8. Quite as a church mouse there. Of the 12 IC's the following are the only pins to pass signal.

IC 1 - pins 2 & 7
IC 2 - pin 5 barely audible but still there
IC 11 - pins 4 & 12
IC 12 - pins 2 & 6.

All other IC's and pins pass no signal or really any noise at all for that matter. No static etc...

Voltage readings:

IC 1:         IC 5:              IC 7:                                    IC 12:
1: 0           3.77-5.09       .6 - 6.0 ( quite the swing)       4.6
2: 4.6         .9-1.64         3.28                                       4.6
3: 4.6        1.5                2.1-4.5                                   4.6
4: 0            0                  0                                             0
5: 4.6         3.31              3.31                                       4.6
6: 4.6         3.31              3.31                                       4.6
7: 4.6         2.2-4.5          2.5-4.1                                   4.6
8: 9.21       6.24              6.62                                        9.21

Do you get any tone change when you adjust the switches?

Just checking the BBD's aren't passing audio but static... best way to check that would be audio probe on pin 7/8 of the BBD.

Otherwise, voltages for IC1, 5, 7 & 12.

Nothing changes the tone. Not the switches nor the trimmers. I get no static in terms of when I kick it on but have not probed. I'll get the probe out tomorrow.

When I kick it on there is a slight volume increase and the tone has a slightly brighter tone . But after that nothing changes it.

It reminds me a few years back when say you might get some bad BBDs that pass signal but don't do anything else. I got the Cool Audio and other ICs from Smallbear so I feel they are good.

I'll report back tomorrow.