Topics

Hey folks,

Just wanted to share my first ever PCB. This is based on the parasit studios (much respect)TofuZZ, but I completely reworked the schematic and added a boosted wet/dry blend, bias control, a hard clipping limiter and changed a few cap values. I'm not sure if it will work, but I've spent hundreds of hours on it and the one on my bread board sounds awesome. I'm excited to get the board!

Cheers!

I'm currently designing my first PCB. This is probably a stupid question, but I don't see this much on pro-PCB's so I thought I'd ask...

I always have a tough time trying to figure out where to solder all my off board grounds, so I thought I'd just put a few extra ground connections on my PCB. Is there any reason I shouldn't do that?

Thanks!

On almost every NPN transistor based amplification/distortion schematic I've seen, they used the 'Linear Common Emitter' layout. So basically the audio in wired to the base, the voltage is wired to the collector and the emitter goes to ground. My question is, if the main terminal signal current flows from the collector to the emitter, why is the audio out connected to the collector?

What voodoo is happening here? I can't wrap my brain around what's happening... Is the audio signal going against the current?

Thanks,
Mike

My wife doesnt like the solder smoke and told me I have to solder outside. How do I find a new wife?

I cannot find it anywhere. I sorted out the pins and it sounded wicked good in my fuzz build. I got a handful of them, spilled out into the bottom of a box of random transistors at a surplus parts store.

This is a Bazz Fuss circuit, but I modified it, adding a switch that gives you two different distortion types and a tone knob.

When I breadboard it, it sounds amazing and everything works, but when I then solder it all together, it sounds like crap. It still sounds like a "fuzz" pedal, but there's a massive drop in the output volume and it loses that ripping zipper sound.

When soldered, I noticed that the +9v plugged in or not makes absolutely no difference in the sound (yes I checked that it is plugged into the wall lol). Also, the switch makes no difference in the sound. (on the breadboard, the change is significant).

Considering all the above, I thought it must be a problem with resistance (like a bad soldering job), but when I measured all my solder joints they're all 0.1 ohms.

I checked the 9v input jack and it's outputting 8.9 volts... and I replaced it with a brand new one anyway, didn't help.

I checked for solder bridges visually and with a multimeter and there's nothing.

I thought maybe the heat from soldering damaged the transistor or the diode, but I measured 0 leakage from either one.

When I used my multimeter to test the transistor the voltage from the base to the collector matches the diode ~.27. When I took the transistor out of the circuit, it goes back to the regular .7 volts. It makes sense I think, but is that normal?

what else could I check?

edit: the image below shows the part values I'm using and I have double checked and measured each part to make sure that it is working and outputs the correct value.

Hi people I'm new here and recently learned of my love for building electronics.

I'm curious if these would essentially be the same circuit or might they behave differently?

The only difference is the order where the diode and transistor and output cap connect. When I bread board it these connections are on the same bus.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3PsjowRHwmi5PzrT2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MGxc7Yit2DGicAxPA