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Projects => Tech Help - Projects Page => Topic started by: aran.e666 on December 18, 2014, 03:03:53 PM

Title: EA tremolo help?
Post by: aran.e666 on December 18, 2014, 03:03:53 PM
So since im a guitar pedal loveri thought I would build a tremolo, problem is ive plugged it in and get a wierd buzzing noise but, the pulsing led works with the speed etc. Yes I know, very breif description but I will go into more deatil if anyone can think, maybe its grounded wrong or a solder bridge (all ready checked lots). Thanks

P.s I will send pictures of the build and take transistor voltages...

Aran
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: Leevibe on December 18, 2014, 03:47:54 PM
Hard to say without pics or a better description. Does it cleanly bypass your signal? Verify that your guitar is connected to input, amp to output, and not vice versa. It's such an easy mistake to make, especially when the pedal is guts-up.
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: mgwhit on December 18, 2014, 04:09:44 PM
Quote from: aran.e666 on December 18, 2014, 03:03:53 PM
Yes I know, very breif description but I will go into more deatil if anyone can think, maybe its grounded wrong or a solder bridge (all ready checked lots).

You've got the order wrong here -- we can't think until you give us the details. ;)

Follow the steps in the Rules for getting tech help thread (http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=902.0) and several of us will be happy to help.  Good luck!
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 12:02:29 AM
Ok so it does bypass. That tells me that the in/out are working. Also do you thing that it could be that ive used box caps instead of mylar on some? I will send pics when I get back from school. Thanks

Aran
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 12:14:34 AM
Heres the vero...
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 12:20:03 AM
Heres the back
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: garfo on December 19, 2014, 05:46:44 AM
There's a single sided version of the DBD called sea urchin laying around, why don't you etch your own board and go from there. I've built two already and work nicely. Something that could have happened is that the pt2399 is  avery sensitive chip and can easily fry, a socket is suggested.
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: midwayfair on December 19, 2014, 05:48:17 AM
Quote from: garfo on December 19, 2014, 05:46:44 AM
There's a single sided version of the DBD called sea urchin laying around, why don't you etch your own board and go from there. I've built two already and work nicely. Something that could have happened is that the pt2399 is  avery sensitive chip and can easily fry, a socket is suggested.

wrong thread, dude. :)
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: Leevibe on December 19, 2014, 06:18:56 AM
Quote from: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 12:02:29 AM
Ok so it does bypass. That tells me that the in/out are working. Also do you thing that it could be that ive used box caps instead of mylar on some? I will send pics when I get back from school. Thanks

Aran

The fact that it bypasses means that at least part of your switch is wired correctly. That's good. You could still have your cables reversed, or reversed leads between the switch and the board though. The only reason I bring up reversed cables is that I routinely make that mistake. :)

Your caps should be just fine as long as they are the correct values. In fact, your box caps could well be mylars unless you know different.

Is the circuit boxed? If so, a gut shot might help.
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 06:39:28 AM
Okay so I cut the in/ out wires and the pcb in/out wires so I could test easier and there IS paper behind the board to stop shorts.

Aran
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: midwayfair on December 19, 2014, 06:42:16 AM
Quote from: mgwhit on December 18, 2014, 04:09:44 PMFollow the steps in the Rules for getting tech help thread (http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=902.0) and several of us will be happy to help.  Good luck!
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 07:01:35 AM
Ok. Should I get the transistor voltages? Thanks

Aran
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 07:41:58 AM
This pedal is odd because when I touch + pole on audio jack it intensifies the buzzing and now all trans pins read around -1v and slowly drop to -0.00?
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: mgwhit on December 19, 2014, 10:25:07 AM
Quote from: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 07:01:35 AM
Ok. Should I get the transistor voltages? Thanks

Yes, please.  Remove your board from the enclosure and connect the board's +9V pad to a +9V power source and the ground pad to ground.  Clip your multimeter's black lead to ground and probe the pins with the red lead.  Post the results here like so:

Q1 E: ?V, B: ?V, C: ?V
etc.

Quote from: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 07:41:58 AM
This pedal is odd because when I touch + pole on audio jack it intensifies the buzzing and now all trans pins read around -1v and slowly drop to -0.00?

If you're really getting 0V on every pin you're either not getting power onto the board, the power rail is cut before it hits the transistors or there is a short to ground (possibly through a resistor, hence the slow bleed), but I'm not 100% sure what you're actually doing.  Try measuring the transistor voltages the way I've explained and let's see what you've got.
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: garfo on December 19, 2014, 10:27:10 AM
Quote from: midwayfair on December 19, 2014, 05:48:17 AM
Quote from: garfo on December 19, 2014, 05:46:44 AM
There's a single sided version of the DBD called sea urchin laying around, why don't you etch your own board and go from there. I've built two already and work nicely. Something that could have happened is that the pt2399 is  avery sensitive chip and can easily fry, a socket is suggested.
Shite, too many posts open at the same time got me confused, anyway, there is an EA tremolo at General guitar gadgets as well as Tonepad I believe. They're both ready for etching. I've made the GGG version and honestly I like this tremolo better than the Tremulus.

wrong thread, dude. :)
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: GermanCdn on December 19, 2014, 11:06:43 AM
1. As previously mentioned, please follow the rules for getting tech help.

2. For any tagboardeffects layout, always check the actual transistor oriention as indicated by the letters (i.e. CBE) and not the pictorial layout in the picture.  Mark has a tendency to use one orientation for the picture of the transistor in all of his layouts, regardless of the pinouts, so on a good number of his builds, the picture of the transistor and the actual layout are 180 degrees off.  Hopefully you used sockets for your transistors.
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 11:09:35 AM
Thanks! Also for the pedal, when I touch the outputs exposed pin, the but goes quiet then when I touch a string it makes a really loud buzz.

Aran
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 11:32:26 AM
Voltages:
Q1: d 6.17v g1.4v s0.64v
Q2: d-v g(pulsing)0.7-0v s-v
Q3: c (pulsing)4-1v b0.5v e-v
Title: Re: EA tremolo help?
Post by: midwayfair on December 19, 2014, 11:50:55 AM
Quote from: aran.e666 on December 19, 2014, 11:32:26 AM
Q1: d 6.17v g1.4v s0.64v

At the very least it looks like you didn't follow the instructions on the layout and the schematic about setting the drain voltage, because it's wrong. (Or if you tried and had trouble, you haven't mentioned it in this thread.)

This is the schematic if you weren't aware, it has the same instruction that's on the layout you posted:
http://www.home-wrecker.com/eatremolo.html