Distortion + not working!

[Ell]

Last night me and a friend tried to each make a Distortion + using the layout below. We both now only get a clicking, delay-like sound from the pedal when it's turned on. I'm wondering if this is the diodes that is causing this. He's wired them straight. I have them switchable between LEDs and 1N914's, and there is a difference in the click between the two types.

If you have any idea how the pedals could be fixed please help me out.

Thanks




(I do NOT have consent from the author to post this. If you are Andrew Carrell and you don't want me to post it here then please just let me know and I'll delete it.)

[Ice-9]

With the diodes removed the circuit should still work, if the diodes have gone open circuit you will not get any output. try removing the diodes altogether and test, but before that have you cut the tracks under the 741 ic and in the other places indicated by the little red square on the vero layout

[Ell]

With the diodes removed the circuit should still work, if the diodes have gone open circuit you will not get any output. try removing the diodes altogether and test, but before that have you cut the tracks under the 741 ic and in the other places indicated by the little red square on the vero layout

The cicuit makes no sound if you put a jumper between where the diodes go. If you remove the diodes and don't link the tracks, the circuit makes no sound.

Yeah, all the tracks have been cut where it indicates that they should be cut. What's worrying me is that my friend is getting the exact same clicking-delay sound from his one.

[GREEN FUZ]

The layout appears to be correct and I believe others have built from it successfully. Other than that, I can`t really help.

[JMV]

There is a cut track missing,

Cut the track to the left of the 1M resistor (just below pin 4 of the IC) so there is no connection to the positive terminal of the 1uf electrolytic capacitor.

JMV

[GREEN FUZ]

Well spotted.


Oddly enough, on another thread, someone mentions building successfully from this layout.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=31202.0

Mind you, another poster describes symptoms similar to those described above.

[R.G.]

There is a reason that the following thread is a sticky at the top of the forum.

DEBUGGING - What to do when it doesn't work

[Ell]

Thanks everyone!

JMV - You did it!!! IT WORKS - Thanks loads

R.G. - yeah, sorry about that. In future I will post in the way that it says to if I have a problem.

[arma61]

Well spotted.


Oddly enough, on another thread, someone mentions building successfully from this layout.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=31202.0

Mind you, another poster describes symptoms similar to those described above.

here's anoter

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=74691.msg607458#msg607458

may be someone could amend the picture in the galley ( I don't know how to do it), I think it has to be so frustrating running into a "problem" like this, specially for people trying to approach this hobby (and this forum too) for the first time with no/scarce knowledge for debugging it.

Thx
Armando

[Ell]

Okay, I've realised that the diodes aren't working at all and that all I'm getting is opamp gain. How can I fix this? Would you say that I should lower the value of the 10k resistor in the top right corner to about 4.7k, or 2.2k?

[axg20202]

Test the diodes with a DMM (it should have a diode test mode). It could be that you fried them when soldering them in place - diodes are pretty heat sensitive. It's good practice to attach a temporary heatsink while you solder them to the board (a croc clip and lead attacked to the component lead you are soldering for example), to draw heat away from the component as you solder it....