Human Gear Animato troubleshoot

[subnormalwater]

Hi everyone, new build new problems 

I'm trying to build an Animato following this board by Crowella: http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.it/2015/11/human-gear-animato.html

Schematic: https://i.imgur.com/asAZ4Xx.png

I'm using a pair of AC128K/176K instead of NTE102/103.

Didn't wire the switch since it's almost useless, just pinned it. I will try bridging the 3 pins once it works to see if it makes some likeable changes.

Wired as a standard true bypass http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IhNTi22GX_M/T8JmMvmVJNI/AAAAAAAABQ4/GF7tQj0Shks/s1600/StompboxWiring.gif - this picture is the best one btw

The problem is simple: my signal dies immediately after the 10n input capacitor (it works) - the AC176K eats it all.

I managed to number the transistors on the board as they appear on the schematic (hope you can easily read them - don't mind the colored traces, it should be the signal path).



These are my readings:

Vin = 9.18V

          B        C         E
Q1    7.73    8.45    7.73
Q2    8.45    9.18    8.45
Q3    0.58    7.24    0.58
Q4    1.14    6.71    1.14
Q5    6.71    1.14    6.80
Q6    0.83    7.61    0.83
Q7    0.37    1.05    0.37

Q4 and Q5 are respectively AC176K and AC128K.

Q3 and Q6 don't seem to be ok either.

Photos of the build (don't judge my temporary pots and almost random color cables - sorry for sheet quality):

      

Since I don't have that much of these germanium bois (and they are expensive af) I want to be sure I didn't mess up something before swapping them out for new ones.

Good troubleshooting!

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EDIT: I'm using 2n5088, forgot to mention that, the two germaniums should be oriented correctly

[YellowBoy]

Voltages don't look great.  Either too much heat with your perf-to-stripboard conversion killed them or they had internal shorts to begin with.

Maybe try desoldering them and testing them with a meter or
R.G's transistor tester or
Try them in a known working circuit and see if it still works.

[steveyraff]

Following.

I can't offer much help at the moment, and I can't see the components well enough to double check the values and orientations. That'd be the first thing I'd go back over.

All I can tell ya for now is that I have build a few of these, using the exact same layout, and sold them on. I always used the NTE102/103's. In the end up, they just weren't worth it. I always found them troublesome. A guy bought one of me and he had to send it back to me about 3 times. It was quite embarrassing, and the issues were often like trying to find a needle in a haystack. It was in my personal opinion that other more simplistic circuits out there sound as good if not better.

[subnormalwater]

Highres Photos where you can check orientation of germaniums and res values:



@YellowBoy
trust me, I'm quite good at soldering and 100% didn't burn anything. I will check these transistors with a multimiter asap, maybe I got the only one that's faulty   

@steveyraff
I know, these "OMG F4MOUZ" boards are just as good as others, but I wanted to try "the legend". It's just a sligthly modded bigmuff in the end.

Oh, just to be clear, I used 10n+22n on sup.left to get a 6n8

[thermionix]

A vero on perf!  Never seen that before.

[subnormalwater]

Update:

Looks like I got a leaky boi.

Swapped it for another set of 128/176 and now I got a really nice big signal on Dist pot, but it gets really quiet on Q7.

I will continue the troubleshoot once I will have time and patience. It is really tedious to set up a test probe

[YellowBoy]

Nice one.  Yeah I tend to avoid exotic components at this stage.  I was too late to the game to get the good ones.  Maybe save your leaky ones for a Tone Bender or something.

I noticed in your edit you said you used 2N5088's instead of C2240?  If so you'll need to twist the 5088's legs to match the pinouts on the layout.  Doesn't look like you did that in the pictures.

If looking from the top with flat side on the left...
2N5088 = EBC
C2240   = ECB

Hopefully this will have you sorted

[subnormalwater]

Oh ffs I even heard about it and looked for it but didn't notice the pinout swap, "yeah they are the same".

That was dumb, thanks man

[duck_arse]

Update:

Looks like I got a leaky boi.

subnormalwater - please pardon my ignorance, and please pardon my rude question, but, why do you call them "boi / bois" ?

[subnormalwater]

Just a meme 

[subnormalwater]

Just swapped the 2n5088's to respect the pinouts - it now works.

BUT

It has SO MUCH gain it almost eats up my whole sound when the gain pot is maxed out. Still playable at 90% (never going to use it so high  )

I found a decent setting on the trimpot so I can have an usable range of gain, definitely going to change the tone pot, it just jumps from superbass to harshtreble - I can't remember if I used A or B but I definitely put on the wrong one because I ran out of the right ones.

Thanks everybody for following and helping out 

[subnormalwater]

Sorry for the 3rd consecutive reply.

Do you have any recommendation for a signal blender to implement on this pedal? Or just a blender to build in a little pedalbox

Possibly no JFET ones    I'm unlucky as hell with JFET's, can't get a single good batch.. they all die while trying to bias them