Just finished building a retrograde and noticing the bottom end really disappears until I switch the octave down. Regardless of settings the tone gets very thinned out unless I switch the octave down.
What troubleshooting have you done so far?
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checked voltages at Q1-Q2-Q3 all seem really close to instructions. Checked for bad solder joints, all seem solid.
Can you post some clear close up photos of the back and front?
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The octave switch it temp as its a On-Off-On, so its just pigtailed in. I'm waiting for the On/On to come in the mail.
C7 - output capacitor is good? And what about C5 in emitter of Q3?
Well they were new caps.
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Try to bridge them for a moment with the same ones.
Thanks, but how do I do that?
At the copper tracks side solder it paralelly with them.
Quote from: oldsoul on November 25, 2021, 12:16:28 PM
Thanks, but how do I do that?
I don't think all of that is necessary just yet. Your soldering looks good, just needs a little extra. The solder should flow through the eyelets to the top side of the PCB. Your one switch pin needs a little attention too. It sounds monotonous, but it fixes a lot of issues. If you've already checked your component values, did you measure the diodes before you used them?
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Thanks jimmilee I planned to hit those joints again. You know I actually do not think I checked the diodes with my meter. Probably got lazy after checking the resistors. Can I check them in circuit or do I need to pull them out?
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Quote from: oldsoul on November 25, 2021, 08:04:35 PM
Thanks jimmilee I planned to hit those joints again. You know I actually do not think I checked the diodes with my meter. Probably got lazy after checking the resistors. Can I check them in circuit or do I need to pull them out?
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You would have to pull just one end. Do the other first, you don't want to remove things you don't have to. If you didn't use the 1n34as, that won't be a factor. The GEs can be temperamental.
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So I touched up solder joints and re-checked voltages which all seem good. Still noticing a thinner tone unless the octave switch is engaged. Not sure if this is helpful but just recorded an iPhone video of what I'm hearing. https://www.dropbox.com/s/02jli7zowxfzb3a/IMG_0353.MOV?dl=0
Technically, it seems that effect doesn't do anything at all. Now I must agree with Jimi Lee that diodes are the most suspicious.
Yea perhaps not the best example. Would mismatched 1n34a's cause the tone to drop bass?
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Quote from: oldsoul on November 26, 2021, 05:18:17 PM
Yea perhaps not the best example. Would mismatched 1n34a's cause the tone to drop bass?
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Not necessarily mismatched but bad diodes would. If you socketed the diodes, and it's a good practice with GEs, if they are GEs and you got them from Tayda or eBay,try different diodes, shotkeys are a good replacement.
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Got it. They are GE's from a crystal radio vendor. I pulled one leg off each. They both only conducted in one direction and measured 341 & 388 ohm's respectively.
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Ok I accidentally destroyed one pulling a leg out. So I swapped them both with good tested ones. The tone still feels about the same. Perhaps I'm hearing a low end boost from the lower octave making the non octave switched setting to appear thin.
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Quote from: oldsoul on November 26, 2021, 03:28:48 PM
So I touched up solder joints and re-checked voltages which all seem good. Still noticing a thinner tone unless the octave switch is engaged. Not sure if this is helpful but just recorded an iPhone video of what I'm hearing. https://www.dropbox.com/s/02jli7zowxfzb3a/IMG_0353.MOV?dl=0
Good news, I was able to pull mine out. It sounds them same as yours, so congratulations, there isn't anything wrong with it. Just looking at the schematic, it removes one of the diodes, which removes some of the clipping.The original didn't have the switch that switches off the second diode. I don't care for the fuzz of this particular drive without the octave myself. But hey, congratulations, it works right.
(http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com/octavia/octaviaschematic.gif)
Thanks for helping me get to the bottom of it. It's what I was suspecting as well. I do prefer the tone with the octave engaged as well. Onto making a custom enclosure tomorrow. Giving this as a Christmas gift to my brother. I think he'll enjoy it.
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Quote from: oldsoul on November 27, 2021, 03:51:16 AM
Thanks for helping me get to the bottom of it. It's what I was suspecting as well. I do prefer the tone with the octave engaged as well. Onto making a custom enclosure tomorrow. Giving this as a Christmas gift to my brother. I think he'll enjoy it.
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Oh how nice, I'm sure he'll love it!
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