Help with my first build - aionfx halo

[pbexiga]

Hello y'all!

So I've decided to test my luck and see if I like pedal building! I picked up a kit from musikding.de. Essentially a ram's head Big Muff.

https://aionfx.com/project/halo-distortion-sustainer/
https://www.musikding.de/Halo-kit

It was really fun putting it all together - and I honestly thought I did a decent job putting it together.

Ran into an issue where the pedal wasn't getting power, but popped out my multimeter and figured out that the + from the batter and 9v were swapped. Fixed that and BAM! I was getting power.

But now the fun part: I don't have any sound. This is probably the most Noob thing that can happen, I suppose.

I get the typical "sound" of putting my finger on the guitar cable plugged into the amp, but when I plug the cable into the pedal, all that noise goes away. It's literally dead silent. Plug the guitar cable into the other end of the pedal - also dead silent.

With the pedal "off" i've got continuity from tip to tip (but still no sound). With the pedal on, I don't.

it's got to be something simple that I'm missing. Any tips on what I can try?

Sincerely, First time pedal builder.

pic for reference - my soldering work isn't the best. I'm still learning.

[idy]

Welcome to the forum!

So no sound in bypass? But continuity from in jack to out jack?

OK, so possibility would be no ground to jacks, but it looks like you've got that (confirm continuity ground in to ground out, both to circuit power ground.)

Another would be in or out shorted to ground. In bypass, are in and out cable/jack tips shorted to ground? (continuity tip to ground would be bad.)

Relatively few and simple things to go wrong when bypass isn't working!

[eh la bas ma]

Hello, welcome !

At first glance, your wiring looks ok, but both your jacks tips lugs might be shorted by the enclosure : Jacks terminals shouldn't touch anything...

If it still doesn't work, there may be a problem with your soldering, try to reflow all suspicious pads.

[ElectricDruid]

Welcome pbexiga!

Just an aside, but those are nice looking boards. Aion have done a good job on the design (there's evidence of thought everywhere you look) and I think you've done a nice job of putting them together.

+1 agree with what others have said - dead silent sounds like something is getting grounded when it shouldn't. Signal wire wired to ground by accident would be my guess, like idy said.

Don't worry - a bit of hunting, and we'll get this sorted!

[pbexiga]

Thanks y'all!

I just took the enclosure apart, and I think this is exactly what is happening. I can't test right now as I don't want to wake the kiddo, but will definitely test this weekend. Will keep you posted.

I appreciate the help! Can't wait to get this thing going! Seems like this is a hobby I can sink myself into.

[pbexiga]

YUP! that was it!

All fixed! thank you!

you all made this experience a breaze.

Now to jam some Floyd until I'm blue (pink?) in the face - then decide what my next build will be.

Any recommendations? I really enjoyed the aion PCB - it was very simple to follow. I would like to build a compressor next.

[eh la bas ma]

Compressor ? Nothing can beat the Meridian...

" Many did not realize that PS-021 Guitar Exciter
was one of the most versatile and unique pedals of the mid-80s."

quote from a famous diy forum.

[DIY Bass]

I like my Pumpernickel compressor.  It is very transparent if that is what you are looking for.  I use it with pretty mild settings and can't really hear much that it is even on.  I use it always on just to even up my bass a bit.  It can do full squash if that's what you want.  Pretty much a studio compressor in a stomp box.  It is a bit complicated to build though.  Musikding do have the boards and kit.

[bluebunny]

Nothing to add other than another "welcome".  Good to see it all worked out well.  Good luck with the next build.  Or the next two... or six...  (This place isn't known as "Hotel California" for nothing!)

[duck_arse]

YUP! that was it!

All fixed! thank you!

you all made this experience a breaze.

Now to jam some Floyd until I'm blue (pink?) in the face - then decide what my next build will be.

Any recommendations? I really enjoyed the aion PCB - it was very simple to follow. I would like to build a compressor next.

also a welcome, but what was it? you must tell. in detail. it's the rules. (my money is on jack tips shorting to pot bodies ..... )

[pbexiga]

It was the lead from the output jack tip touching the enclosure essentially grounding it. I just bent the lead a bit to make it easier to move around and viola!

Great fuzz, by the way. Was messing around with it this morning. Very good BMP clone. I built the Rams head variant. Love the mids switch. Wonderful addition to this circuit.

[Ben N]

Welcome, & congrats on the successful build. Which version did you build? I built a triangle on the legacy Halo (1590b) board with the optional mids control, and I love it, much better to my ear than the Russian muff I owned years ago. I love Kevin's stuff and have built on several of them, generally good first time or get working with a quick troubleshoot.

[pbexiga]

I built V2. The one with the mids toggle. Really great sounding. Definitely quieter than the Rams head reissue I used to have.

This was a great starter kit. Very well or together and ready to follow. Highly recommended.

[Phend]

Wait Wait, welcome but yer not done yet, it would be cool if you could post a few pictures in the "Pictures. .Pictures " folder