Loud popping when engaging 3PDT switch on new over drive

[aBunchOfPedals]

Hi,

I built a Timmy over drive clone.  IT sounds great but there's a loud(ish) popping sound when I engage the pedal.  It's not sever but definitely noticeable.  Any ideas?

[pianoman_282]

Hi,
I'm still new at pedal building and recently build a TS808 from Mammoth.  I had this issue and realized I had my electrolytic capacitors in backwards.  Once I desoldered them, turned them around, and re-soldered, it worked beautiful.  There was no more popping. I did chew up the board a little though trying to desolder them. I haven't adapted a good way of doing that yet, so if anyone has tips I'm all ears.  I have the 3rd hand tool but don't find it very useful when trying to desolder.  I need another hand to pull the parts out of the board.

[stallik]

Do a search for solder sucker. Invaluable tool, cheap and very effective. Some use a desoldering wick but my preference is the sucker.
Regarding the popping, it's quite a common question here and is usually caused by a sudden change in voltage when engaging the pedal. Do a forum search for pull down resistor.
Sorry for the breif reply, I'm late as usual.....

[antonis]

Most of Timmy clones include a pull-down resistor (usually 1M - 2M2).

If your clone includes it, you have to add a 330R resistor and a 10μF capacitor (negative leg to GND) between anode of 3PDT switch LED and its current limiting resistor..
(provided you have an LED and pop is caused from there..)

[EBK]

I have one pedal that popped even though it had pull down resistors.  The fix was to move the ground for the pulldowns off of the PCB and wire them directly to the power jack ground.  One of these days, I'll have to take the time to figure out why that fix was necessary....

[aBunchOfPedals]

Most of Timmy clones include a pull-down resistor (usually 1M - 2M2).

If your clone includes it, you have to add a 330R resistor and a 10μF capacitor (negative leg to GND) between anode of 3PDT switch LED and its current limiting resistor..
(provided you have an LED and pop is caused from there..)

Thanks for the reply.  I should have noted I removed the LED for troubleshooting so it's not coming from there.

[antonis]

If so, then you probably haven't a pull-down resistor on your circuit (PCB) input..
(your output is always pulled-down via Volume pot..)

Try to wire your 3PDT switch with IN (Out optionally) grounded when effect is by-passed...

[JerS]

Hi, like  pianoman_282 said - check the 1uf output cap for orientation if you used an electrolytic cap there. A reversed cap in this position can make the switch thump sometimes.

Also as EBK mentions - sometimes with gain pedals (especially ones with high impedance input like this) you have to be really careful about your grounds. I always bring all the grounds to the input jack ground lug. It seems to keep pops and stuff to a minimum.

Good luck!

[aBunchOfPedals]

Thanks for the reply.  It's a ceramic cap.  Maybe I should revisit my grounding.  It's not so bad when the gain isnt cranked.

[pianoman_282]

Do a search for solder sucker. Invaluable tool, cheap and very effective. Some use a desoldering wick but my preference is the sucker.
Regarding the popping, it's quite a common question here and is usually caused by a sudden change in voltage when engaging the pedal. Do a forum search for pull down resistor.
Sorry for the breif reply, I'm late as usual.....

Hi stallik, I do have a solder sucker tool.  It just seems like it took forever to get all the solder out before the parts would come loose.  I'm sure there's an art to it that I have to learn.

[deadastronaut]

As antonis said,

wire your 3pdt as "input grounded" when bypassed,    google it..

i also add AMZ led pop to all my new layouts now....done.

No poppy pops..

Sometimes a pulldown resistor jusst wont cut it...

[anotherjim]

If it's built on strip board,  suspect incomplete hole cuts or shorts between strips.

[aBunchOfPedals]

If it's built on strip board,  suspect incomplete hole cuts or shorts between strips.

I made sure all the holes were good and used an exacto knife then a small saw blade to cut in between strips