nte458 pinout - deluxe sparkle boost

[nag hammadi]

i am a little confused.  i have just begun building from vero layouts (as opposed to p2p or pcb), and i am having a little trouble.

i have done a few simple boosts and fuzzers, but this one is giving me issues.

i am building the deluxe sparkle boost as shown here:
http://aronnelson.com/gallery/albums/album18/deluxe_sparkle_boost.jpg

a couple of questions...

1-  what is the pinout on the NTE458?  i have searched, but i seem to be getting conflicting / confusing info

2- this is a different footswitch wiring scheme than i am used to (as opposed to say the bsiab2, byoc efects, etc that i a m used to).  as shown, the footswitch orientation shown is "long sides vertical, short sides horizontal" for lack of better description.  in other words, the long sides of the switch are on the "sides", while the short sides of the switch are on top and bottom.  is this correct?

the reason i ask is that i am having a hard time getting it to work.  i have continuity tests, visual inspections, etc for two days, but all i can get to happen is to get the LED for the "gain" side to light up.  no sound in bypass or when the effect is on.

i am HOPING i have the pinout of the 458 wrong, but the fact that i am not getting any sound in bypass seems to suggest my footswitch wiring is bunk.  that i sconfusing beacause i have checked and rechecked it...

please help!  i will crank out a few simple fuzzies in the meantime (what great krimas gifts...)

[markm]

Maybe this will help you 

[nag hammadi]

well, i THINK it helps a little. 

it would seem that i have the 458 in wrong, i will go deal with that real quick.

that wouldn't explain the whole "no sound in bypass" thing though.  i really have a feeling i m confused with the footswitches.

i know i was a bit unclear in my description to say the least...  any clues there?

thanks as always markm

[Dragonfly]

The NTE458 is  DGS ...fets like the J201 are DSG

[nag hammadi]

flipped the 458 around.  no change. 

i did notice that on your pcb layout, the lugs of the trem are different.  on one, lug 1 and 2 are connected.  on the other lug 2 and 3 are connected.  i don't suppose that would matter though. 

also, i am doing the deluxe sparkle boost, so i am wondering if there are layout differences in terms of 458 orientation.

i left mt voltage readings out in the shop, so i will have to give those later.  i do rememebr d was high, g was NOTHING, and s was low...




seems i should try to get the thing to at least pass signal in bypass first.

i have traced the footswitch wiring A LOT.  unless i am getting confused as to the orientation of the foot switches...  i assume they follow the pic.

[Dragonfly]

flipped the 458 around.  no change. 

that won't make a difference....you need  to make sure that the "drain" is at the top, the "gate" is in the middle, and the "source" ois on the bottom to make a J201 work in a NTE458 layout. just "flipping it around" would make it GSD ...which wouldnt work.

i did notice that on your pcb layout, the lugs of the trem are different.  on one, lug 1 and 2 are connected.  on the other lug 2 and 3 are connected.  i don't suppose that would matter though.

nope...wont make a difference...except in which direction you turn the screwdriver.

also, i am doing the deluxe sparkle boost, so i am wondering if there are layout differences in terms of 458 orientation.

nope...no difference

i left mt voltage readings out in the shop, so i will have to give those later.  i do rememebr d was high, g was NOTHING, and s was low...

we'll need those

seems i should try to get the thing to at least pass signal in bypass first.

absolutely.

i have traced the footswitch wiring A LOT.  unless i am getting confused as to the orientation of the foot switches...  i assume they follow the pic.

yes.

[nag hammadi]

for clarification, the 458 is oriented with the flat side to the right.

here are my voltages ...

d= 6.45
g= 0
s = .153

i just noticed that the volume pot controls the brightness of the one LED that is coming on...

MAN i feel jumbled on this one!!!   

df, am i correct on the orientation of the footswitches, oh excellent guru of the vero?   

[nag hammadi]

that won't make a difference....you need  to make sure that the "drain" is at the top, the "gate" is in the middle, and the "source" ois on the bottom to make a J201 work in a NTE458 layout. just "flipping it around" would make it GSD ...which wouldnt work.


i am using NTE458

[nag hammadi]

that won't make a difference....you need  to make sure that the "drain" is at the top, the "gate" is in the middle, and the "source" ois on the bottom to make a J201 work in a NTE458 layout. just "flipping it around" would make it GSD ...which wouldnt work.


i am using NTE458

i believe i am using your layout.

if the flat side of the 458 is facing you, legs down, is the dwell to the left or right?  i assumed from markm's note that the d was to the right...

[Dragonfly]

for clarification, the 458 is oriented with the flat side to the right.

it should be "flat side to the left", so the drain is at the top.

here are my voltages ...

d= 6.45
g= 0
s = .153

i just noticed that the volume pot controls the brightness of the one LED that is coming on...

MAN i feel jumbled on this one!!!   

df, am i correct on the orientation of the footswitches, oh excellent guru of the vero?   

build the "audio probe"...should take about a minute...it will help you debug it. The volume pot shouldnt affect the LED.
Something is definitely wrong with the gate voltage. have you checked (with a magnifying glass) for solder bridges, etc ?

I'm getting ready to leave for work, so i wont be back till tomorrow sometime. hopefully you'll have it debugged by then, but i'll check back to be sure...

AC

[nag hammadi]

thanks man.  i will build the probe. 

since the vero part is so easy, i may just rebuild it just in case.  i have checked for solder bridges and whatnot, but no luck.

sometimes it is easier to just rebuild the vero part, but then again i learn more when i hve to troubleshoot than when it works right off the bat

[nag hammadi]

okay.   this is freakin wacky.  i disconnected almost everything.  the board is gone.

the only stuff hooked up at this point:

i am using the ground lug on the input jack as the main ground.  it runs to the ground on the dc jack, which also runs to lug 1 of the volume pot.   the "middle" lug on the dc jack has the 2 4k7 resistors attached, each of which go to the positve leg of their LED.

the tip of the input jack is hooked to the center lug on the far left side of the left FS.

the sleave is hooked to the neg of the 9v batt.  the pos of the 9v is hooked to the other pos lug of the dc jack.

on the center row of the left FS (vertical), the top is connected to the neg of the gain LED.


on the far right row of the left FS, the top is connected to lug 2 of the volume pot.

on the bottom row of the left FS (horizontal), the two outside lugs are jumpered.

THAT IS ALL THAT IS HOOKED UP.

still, i plug a cable into the input, and all i get is the gain led lighting up.  the gain FS does turn it on and off.  THE VOLUME POT dims the led as it is turned up ?!?!?!?!?!?

      --->     ---> 


i still can't help but to think that the issue is in the footswitch. 

FOR SURE they are oriented so that they are "taller" than "wide"??  the sides are longer than the top and bottom?  the only reason i am fixed on this is that all of the other pedals i have ever made have had the footswitch rotated 90 degrees.  not that That in and of itself would matter, i am just making sure i have it oriented the proper way so i can make sure i am wiring it according to the vero layout...


they go like this for dragonfly's vero layout, right?

l   l   l
l   l   l
l   l   l

NOT LIKE:
_  _  _
_  _  _
_  _  _

[nag hammadi]

the tip of the input jack is hooked to the center lug on the far left side of the left FS.

the sleave is hooked to the neg of the 9v batt.  the pos of the 9v is hooked to the other pos lug of the dc jack.

ooops

i meant to say the sleeve is ground and ring is 9v neg...

[nag hammadi]

it WAS the FS orientation.  i knew that didn't seem right.

in the pics they look like they go like this:


l   l   l
l   l   l
l   l   l

but they are supposed to go like the rest of the pedals i have done, like this:

_  _  _
_  _  _
_  _  _


still have some trouble shooting to go.  seems that only the gain side does anything.  the other side's LED lights up now, but the volume doesn't seem to affect it until disengaged.  then it doesn't add boost or anything, but you loose volume when you turn it down. 

i'll suss that in no time now that i am on the right track.

[nag hammadi]

so i m most of the way there...

the on / off is working great.  huge boost.

the gain side is only getting up to unity gain.  i turn it on (while the other side is on), the light comes on, but with the gain dimed, it is just unity.  when you roll down the gain, it does decrease to volume.

any clues?

[nag hammadi]

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