Pedalboard issues

[jfrabat]

Hey, guys, I need your help.  Recently, my pedal board has been acting up.  Sometimes (not always; just SOME times), the sound level goes significantly down all of the sudden when I activate a pedal, and stays there even if I dis-activate the pedal that caused the issue (which varies; it is not always the same pedal that causes the issue).  I though first about putting a buffer in, but they I got to thinking that if it works at first, the issue is not a buffer but something along the signal chain...  Al my pedals are wired for true bypass, by the way (well, except maybe the Ditto looper at the end; that one I cannot remember if it is or not a true bypass).

Any ideas where to start looking?

Felipe

[ElectricDruid]

Sounds like a dodgy connection or perhaps a dodgy volume pot on some pedal somewhere. You can wobble an intermittent connection by stomping on the board, but not reliably, as you've discovered. For similar reasons, finding such problems can be a nightmare, since they're never there when you're looking for them, and then pop up as soon as you're not!

I'd do some experiments by removing or replacing certain parts to see if the problems persist in the stuff that's left. If it does, you've narrowed your search down, and if it doesn't, you've *still* narrowed it down since it must have been something to do with something you pulled off the board.

[bluebunny]

such problems can be a nightmare, since they're never there when you're looking for them, and then pop up as soon as you're not!

When you're on stage, usually...   

I'm with Tom: sounds like a mechanical problem, rather than electronic.  And a b!tch to find.  Just go about it slowly and methodically...  Hopefully this isn't your pedalboard:   

[amptramp]

^^^

The second pedal from the right on the bottom row looks like a telegraph key.  Could that be the first sighting of the elusive Burst Box?

[MrStab]

hi Felipe,

does the volume stay low, or does it slowly come back up to a normal level? does this happen on a different amplifier, or if you remove the Ditto looper from the board?

[Mark Hammer]

Are there any solderless connectors/cables involved?

[diffeq]

^^^

The second pedal from the right on the bottom row looks like a telegraph key.  Could that be the first sighting of the elusive Burst Box?

Actually, it's a stutter/tremolo.

[jfrabat]

hi Felipe,

does the volume stay low, or does it slowly come back up to a normal level? does this happen on a different amplifier, or if you remove the Ditto looper from the board?

Remains low; sometimes, when I activate another pedal, it comes back on.  Fooling around, and trying things to see what was causing it (by using it, of course!), I have started to suspect my Little Angel Chorus...  Last time it did it, when I turned the LA on, the volume would suddenly rise (and it would sound with more gain, if you will, as if I had turned on a booster/overdrive).  I do not know how to describe it, but it was certainly weird.

The ditto looper will most likely be removed soon from the beard (especially if I get the Big Muff I am building to actually work!  But that's a whole other story!).

Are there any solderless connectors/cables involved?

One that goes from the first row to the second...  Did not think about that last time, but I have read that they are an issue doing research on this problem.  May need to reroute my pedal board to eliminate it.