Pulsar Tremolo Transistors and click click clickkkkkkkkkkkkk!

[Canucker]

Yeah I know this is posted about here there and everywhere but hey if your reading this you clicked on it. Not my fault  . I haven't really seen anyone discuss swapping out the 2N5088 Transistors. Some places they talk about swapping those out of the Kay Tremolo to reduce clicking. I've shortened my wires as much as possible (an inch or less) and it hasn't reduced the clicking...mad clicking when I use it with distortion and all of my traces are clean.....the effect works amazingly but the bonus clicking isn't appriciated. I didn't test the transistors before putting them in to see how closely matched they were...would matching help the issue? Half of the people report a silent build and the other half report noise.....and yes I did do this mod

[Jdansti]

You might try something I learned from Jon Patton to stop or reduce ticking on the 555 timer. Place a capacitor on the TL072 from pin 8 (Vcc+) to pin 5 (which is also connected to pin 4 (Vcc-) and ground). You want this new capacitor as close as possible to the chip. I'd start with a 100uF (or higher) and see if it makes a difference. If it helps, but not enough, increase the capacitance until you're satisfied. I would try to just hold the capacitor leads in place by hand to see if it works before soldering anything.

No money back guarantee, but it's a simple test to see if it works.

Edited for grammar.

[Canucker]

I read about doing something like that for the Thingamabob (not for ticking but for general buzzy noise) it didn't work for me on that build but maybe for this one. I love the intended sound of the Pulsar and have a few tunes I want to use it for once I get this sorted out (with any luck)...its not going to just be one of those builds that gets completed and then just tossed into the finished pile. It needs to go on the road!

[Labaris]

I'm messing with LFO ticking too  

Try to separate the power supplies. Use a 100R from Vcc and feed with it all the LFO circuit. Also add a 47uF capacitor from that same point to ground.
Not tested in this particular circuit, but it has worked for me on breadboard for a design I'm working in.

[Canucker]

I tried adding a cap from 8 to 5(ground)...started with 100,,,then 220 then two 220's in series and then went all the way to 3300 cus I had one lying around...no change.

Not sure what Vcc is...that just went over my head. I stick to basics when it comes to this stuff. Learning it all on my own here.

[artifus]

vcc = +9v

*mostly* what is vcc google hit #1

[Jdansti]

+1. In this case Vcc is the pin where you connect the positive power.

Sorry it didn't work. I've seen where others on the forum have had the same problem. Here's a thread that appears to use a solution similar if not the same as what Labaris recommended.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=28633.0

LOL-I just read the whole thread I referenced, and he last entry was the solution you tried in your OP. Back to the drawing board.

[Labaris]

+1. In this case Vcc is the pin where you connect the positive power.

Sorry it didn't work. I've seen where others on the forum have had the same problem. Here's a thread that appears to use a solution similar if not the same as what Labaris recommended.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=28633.0

That should work, a complete solution. The goal is to get electrical isolation/decoupling between supplies of both Audio and LFO circuits.

[Jdansti]

I just read the whole thread I referenced, and he last entry was the solution you tried in your OP. I think that the modification you tried isn't the full implementation of decoupling the power.

[Mac Walker]

First question, is your input wiring fully shielded (all the way to the input pad on the circuit board)?

Something else to try, I think this is a Craig Anderton trick - in this case maybe the C1 coupling cap is picking up the LFO ticking- try wrapping C1 with insulated wire, and running one end to  ground.

Basically you are creating a shield for the entire signal path, up to and including the input terminals on the op amp.....

(I just noticed the path to ground for the LFO caps, C6 and C7, runs underneath C1.  So maybe try to relocate C1 off the board, as a 2nd option).