madbeanpedals::forum

Projects => Tech Help - Projects Page => Topic started by: Bieling3 on May 27, 2013, 10:41:42 PM

Title: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on May 27, 2013, 10:41:42 PM
Just like the title says, no sound. It bypasses just fine and then when you switch it on, nothing. I've had a rough couple of weeks with this thing. I built one last month and had it up and running in a couple of hours. I'm determined to make this pedal work. As per suggestion I've:

QuoteDouble checked my wiring
Double checked my part values
Double checked my part orientation
Double checked my soldering job

....And given it a lot of looks with plenty of time in between to clear my head.

Socketed 2N5088 Transistors read as follows:

Q1

C 6.62
B 1.14
E 0.71

Q2

C 6.63
B 1.14
E 0.71


Q3

C 6.12v
B 1.05v
E 0.62v

Q4

C 3.89v
B 1.14v
E 0.58v

Hopefully I can get some better pics tomorrow when I go back to work at the lab... and also take a toothbrush and some isopropyl alcohol to the board to get all the flux off it...

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/8860198816_d0a64e9077_o.jpg)

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3822/8860198734_614d479267_o.jpg)

P.S. Yes, the diodes' legs are long... once the fuzz is up and running they're coming out and a switch is going in. Same with C10.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: icecycle66 on May 27, 2013, 10:57:23 PM
Are the backs of your pots grounding stuff out?

Make sure they aren't in contact with your solder points.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: alanp on May 28, 2013, 05:01:54 AM
+1 on the back of your pots.

Wedge some ice-cream container trimmings or something between them and the circuit board.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on May 28, 2013, 02:26:39 PM
I'll give it a try, also just read up on creating an audio probe, going to make one of those tonight and test all the stages. So do my voltages look alright? I'm think Q4 looks a little low...
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on May 29, 2013, 12:23:27 AM
So with the audio probe I get sound up to one leg of C2 and nothing at R6. I replaced C2 with another 470p cap and no change. R6 is a verified 12k on the multimeter. No sound at C3.

This points me to Q1.

I can hear the signal at the base, but nothing from the collector or emitter. So I swap around transistors from my first Mudbunny build, known good transistors in the proper orientation and still no sound. I triple check and reflow the solder for the transistors socket, still nothing.

I am at a loss so I'm putting it up for the night. Any suggestions... something I'm missing... next steps?
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on May 29, 2013, 10:34:59 PM
Removed the socket, cleaned up and inspected the board. There doesn't appear to be any lifted traces. Soldered the transistor in Q1. Still nothing. Desoldered the transistor, put it in the socket for Q1 in my first Mudbunny build, verified it works there.

Completely lost now. >:(
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: wstimson on May 30, 2013, 12:03:20 AM
Hey, just to be safe, check out this thread: http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=9795.0

Make sure you don't have the same manufacturing error.  Probably not, but it's worth a check.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on May 30, 2013, 12:22:55 AM
I saw that. Doesn't appear to be an issue on my board. All I can think to do is put the transistor on my breadboard and make long jumpers over to the circuit, connecting to R5, R6, C2, and C3... either the board is bad, or more likely there is some kind of bridge I'm not seeing.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: pryde on May 30, 2013, 01:06:22 AM
Are you getting signal at R4?

From looking at the solder joints on your picture above, I would reflow ALL of them. It is possible you have a dry joint as there are several that are dull and balled-up. Should have a bunch of nice shiny Hershey's kisses there  :)

Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on May 30, 2013, 12:45:03 PM
Yes, I believe I had audio signal at R4, I'll have to reverify when I get home from work tonight. I definitely had signal from the base of Q1 and the left leg of C2... it's the collecter and emitter that seem to be giving me trouble.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on May 31, 2013, 02:31:28 PM
Attached transistor with fly leads bypassing the board altogether. Still nothing Does this mean either C3 or one of the components tied to Q1's collecter and emitter could be bad? At this point I'm ready to strip the board.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: pryde on May 31, 2013, 06:40:49 PM
You wont have signal at the emitter, it is grounded.

Signal at both sides of R4?
Did you re-flow all the solder joints?
Did you swap in new transistor?

After doing the above (and it still does not help) post some EBC voltages from the transistors.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on June 01, 2013, 02:07:32 PM
Signal on the inner side of R4, none on the side that goes to R6... so that means R6 is grounding or something?
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: pryde on June 01, 2013, 02:38:15 PM
Quote from: Bieling3 on June 01, 2013, 02:07:32 PM
Signal on the inner side of R4, none on the side that goes to R6... so that means R6 is grounding or something?

Could be but not sure. Post some voltages for Q1
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on June 01, 2013, 02:51:46 PM
Okay lifted one leg of R6 (the one that connects to R12 and a whole lot more, and I got signal from it. Something is grounding out down the line. Do I have to lift everything down stream until I get signal at R12?
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on June 01, 2013, 02:54:03 PM
Q1

C 9.02
B 1.14
E 1.56

Using a wall wart instead of a battery like the readings in the first post...
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on June 01, 2013, 03:30:23 PM
I've now disconnected one leg of every resister downstream, R12, R17, R20, and R22 taking them out of the circuit... still no signal beyond one leg of R4.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: pryde on June 01, 2013, 04:10:40 PM
Triple check resistor values for R6, R12, R17, R20, R22, R24.

Voltages are high on Q1

What version are you building BTW?


Also, it seams like you are doing a alot of different things at once. Slow down and do 1 thing at a time, then check/confirm finding
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: RobA on June 01, 2013, 04:16:20 PM
Maybe I'm seeing this wrong from looking at the picture, but it looks like R5 is a 390K. It should be 390Ω.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: pryde on June 01, 2013, 04:22:47 PM
Quote from: RobA on June 01, 2013, 04:16:20 PM
Maybe I'm seeing this wrong from looking at the picture, but it looks like R5 is a 390K. It should be 390Ω.


Bingo, good eye.

390R should be orange, white, black, black, brown
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: RobA on June 01, 2013, 04:43:01 PM
Check R11 and R16 too. It looks like the same case with these.

I agree with the slow down and do one thing at a time comment too. It helps to be very slow and methodical when debugging. It seems slower, but you can usually get to the fix with less pain that way.

Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on June 01, 2013, 05:01:44 PM
Thanks for the guidance, I'll check those values!

BTW This is built to Green Russian specs.
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: Bieling3 on June 01, 2013, 08:34:48 PM
That did it! I think I like this even better than the Purple Ram's Head... you guys have been invaluable, thank you!
Title: Re: Troubleshooting Mudbunny, no sound.
Post by: wstimson on June 02, 2013, 02:01:30 AM
Awesome.  Glad you got it working.  My first Muff build didn't work because of an incorrect resistor value as well.  Frustrating that it happened, but at least it is an easy enough fix.