Debugging DIY pedals

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Reg18
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Debugging DIY pedals

Post by Reg18 »

Just finished building 2 Lovepedal Tchulas into one enclosure with a “stupidly simple tone control” added to one of them which is a basic low pass filter with a volume knob as well.
The issues I’m have is the volume seems to be all or nothing, not a smooth taper and the volume also seems to alter the tone shaping as well.
The other issue I’m having is the right hand side boost which only has a gain knob is similar all
Or nothing, all the gain is in the last 5% off the knob.
Demo added here. It’s kinda cool, 2 boosts, overdrive with both on gain a bit lower and an insane imploding fuzz machine with gains dimed stacked together! It covers a lot of territory.
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Last edited by Reg18 on Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by sizzlingbadger »

Are you using audio taper pots ? if so are the the right way around ?
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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by Snarblinge »

a cheat, is to meter the pot and figure out what part of the travel is useful, then pop in a smaller pot that covers that range. you may need to add in a resistor if it is at the top end of the range
b.

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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by Miza »

Sounds great.
Couldn't help notice you've got a pedal called a Jimmy. I'm currently making a Coda FX Golden Hour (Timmy / Jan Ray clone) and was planning on calling it Jimmy too. :)
Nothing to see here.

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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by NippleWrestler »

I made that one from the pedalpcb tommy board. I think it's the v2.

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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by Reg18 »

Miza wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 7:41 am Sounds great.
Couldn't help notice you've got a pedal called a Jimmy. I'm currently making a Coda FX Golden Hour (Timmy / Jan Ray clone) and was planning on calling it Jimmy too. :)
The jimmy originally was called Sunday Drive with a different pic. It is a great sounding pedal, but I wanted to refinish it and decided to call it Jimmy!

Rather than start another thread with my weekends pedal building debugging. Here’s a Zonk Machine I built yesterday but doesn’t work.
Voltage at battery 8.4v
Q1, C=0.3v,B=0v, E=0v
Q2, C=5.4v, B =0.3v, E=0.3v

Somethings not right, any thoughts?
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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by Miza »

High likelihood something is touching ground with all those exposed wires?
Nothing to see here.

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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by Reg18 »

Miza wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 1:36 pm High likelihood something is touching ground with all those exposed wires?
Good suggestion, I’ll double check this now.
I’ve swapped both transistors incase one was faulty, still no luck.

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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by Miza »

Last build I did i lined the inside walls with insulation tape. Just to be safe.
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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by Reg18 »

Miza wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:33 pm Last build I did i lined the inside walls with insulation tape. Just to be safe.
I’ve doubled checked and nothing seems to be shorting anywhere.
Back to the drawing board I guess

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Re: Adding a tone control to boost issue

Post by TmcB »

Reg18 wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:29 pm
Miza wrote: Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:33 pm Last build I did i lined the inside walls with insulation tape. Just to be safe.
I’ve doubled checked and nothing seems to be shorting anywhere.
Back to the drawing board I guess
Yeah those voltages are wacky.

Follow the voltage back from the source - would be checking those 100 k and 47k resistors coming from the power supply are reading healthy voltages.

I have a transistor analysis thingy that I paid too much for that can give the skinny on pnp/npn, hfe, and pin out if things get desperate

100% sure on pinout and correct transistors? Looks like pnp silicon from spec.
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Re: Debugging DIY pedals

Post by TmcB »

Reg18 wrote: Sun Feb 07, 2021 11:45 am Just finished building 2 Lovepedal Tchulas into one enclosure with a “stupidly simple tone control” added to one of them which is a basic low pass filter with a volume knob as well.
The issues I’m have is the volume seems to be all or nothing, not a smooth taper and the volume also seems to alter the tone shaping as well.
The other issue I’m having is the right hand side boost which only has a gain knob is similar all
Or nothing, all the gain is in the last 5% off the knob.
Demo added here. It’s kinda cool, 2 boosts, overdrive with both on gain a bit lower and an insane imploding fuzz machine with gains dimed stacked together! It covers a lot of territory.
You got a spec/schem for this?
GrantB wrote:Tony, your taste is, as always, very refined. Or as HG would say, "bloody awful".
Family Music Store - http://familymusic.co.nz

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Re: Debugging DIY pedals

Post by Reg18 »

I gave up on the Zonk after far to much time trying to figure it out, converted it to npn silicon with the exact same components and it works fine! Even sounds good!
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Re: Debugging DIY pedals

Post by Reg18 »



Sounds alright too!

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