Aion Refractor (Klon clone)Issues

[Big mike 1100]

I'm working on it now- for some reason R8 is connected to both GainA lug3 and GainB lug 3.

I'll figure out the rest

[Slowpoke101]

I just updated my last message. Check it out.

[Big mike 1100]

With the pot at the midpoint the connection between R8 and gainA-3 disappears, but remains with gainB-3.  That's what you mean in order to proceed, right?  I want to make sure we're not saying different things referring to A vs B

For what it's worth, before I turned the pot to midpoint- R8, R9 and R30 were connected to both gainA lug3  and gainB lug3. When it's at midpoint, they're no longer connected to GainA-3 but still connected to GainB-3. 

[Slowpoke101]

That all makes sense and appears correct..
Proceed with the other checks and then try the link to R10.
Let us know how you go.

[Big mike 1100]

Really appreciate your help! Ok- did everything you suggested and i think we got the results you/I were hoping for.

One leg of R8 is connected to R11 and C7
The other leg of R8 is connected to GainB 1&2 at midpoint&CCW and GainB 1,2&3 when fully CW,

The gain pot is making a slight ticking noise when a string is strummed but isn't doing anything in the way of Gain - same with the tone pot.

Make sense so far?

[Slowpoke101]

Always happy to help, these little puzzles can be fun. OK, let's see.

One leg of R8 is connected to R11 and C7
This should be one leg of R10 and not R8. ****** I made an error on an earlier post. I confused R10 with R8.

The other leg of R8 is connected to GainB 1&2 at midpoint&CCW and GainB 1,2&3 when fully CW,
Seems to be OK..

The gain pot is making a slight ticking noise when a string is strummed but isn't doing anything in the way of Gain - same with the tone pot.
Still have a problem, obviously.

Have you linked the R10 leg closest to GAINA terminal 3 to GAINA terminal 3 yet? **** See above comment regarding my confusion with R8 and R10. Connect the R10 (not R8) leg closest to GAINA terminal 3 to GAINA terminal 3.

**** Little errors like this don't help. Sorry.

[Big mike 1100]

No worries! I did everything that you mentioned to R8 and nothing to R10- Gain pot and all.  Should all of that been to R10 and not R8? Can you repost, just so I'm clear?  Thanks!!

[Slowpoke101]

Just a thought....
Set the gain pot(s) to mid-range (12 O' Clock) and do the same conductivity test. You may find that the funny connection has gone but R10 is still not connected to terminal 3 of GAINA. If that is the case, install a small link (as you did before with the other pot terminal and R9) between the end of R10 that is closest to terminal 3 of GAINA. Then make sure that the other leg of R10 connects to one leg of R11 and one leg of C7. If this is good proceed to test if terminal (lug) 1 of GAINB connects to R8. One leg of R8 goes to VB and therefore terminal 3 of GAINB. If it doesn't connect to R8 find out why and repair the problem.

Just in case you are wondering, R8 is connected in parallel with the resistance track (terminals 1 and 3) of GAINB.

I changed the above paragraph to now read correctly. I meant to say R10 and not R8.
I have triple checked it and it should be correct.

The sentence "Just in case you are wondering, R8 is connected in parallel with the resistance track (terminals 1 and 3) of GAINB." is correct but not to be worried about.

[Big mike 1100]

Thanks! Made the changes- still no gain or tone, but no ticking sound in the gain pot and I believe things  are now linked to the gain pot correctly.

[Slowpoke101]

Progress...Every step gets us closer to getting the effect to work.
Make sure that R10 does now connect to GAINA terminal 3.
Next, check GAINA terminal 1 for continuity with IC1 pin 5, R6 and C5. Repair any problems.
Then check GAINB terminal 1 for continuity with R8 (just to make sure), R5, C4 and C6. Repair any problems.
Let us know how you go.

[Big mike 1100]

"Make sure that R10 does now connect to GAINA terminal 3."  YES

"Next, check GAINA terminal 1 for continuity with IC1 pin 5, R6 and C5". YES

Then check GAINB terminal 1 for continuity with R8 (just to make sure), R5, C4 and C6." YES

Let us know how you go.  All connected as they should be! Whew!

[Slowpoke101]

So far so good. It has been a bit of an ordeal to get to this point. Now what?
Apply a signal to the input and do some audio probing of IC1. Is there now audio on pin 5?
Is there any audio on pin 7. Does it change with varying the gain pot(s).
Some voltage readings on IC1 would be good.

[Big mike 1100]

Looks like the wife is asleep.  In order to remain married, I'll start the audio probe tomorrow and post results.  Thanks again for everything!

[Slowpoke101]

Looks like the wife is asleep.  In order to remain married, I'll start the audio probe tomorrow and post results.  Thanks again for everything!

I think that not waking the wife is a very good idea. We will just have to wait for your results tomorrow. Cheers.

[Big mike 1100]

Ok- did an audio probe!

IC1
Pin 1- clear tone- pots have no effect
Pin 2 same as pin 1
Pin 5 clear, but quieter tone when Gain is CW when Gain is CCW there's no audio
Pin 7 when fully CCW no audio, when slightly less than full CCW until about halfway- the volume/gain seems to increase until just short of full CW, then the audio gets choppy and breaks up.

Will get IC1 voltages shortly

IC1 voltages

1 4.67
2 4.67
3 3.5
4 0
5 4.6
6 4.6
7 4.7
8 9.18

[Slowpoke101]

Pin 3 seems a little low in voltage. May be worth chaging IC1 to see if the voltage gets a bit closer to 4.5V or so. Not really a problem at the moment.
The audio on pins 5 and 7 behave the way they should when the gain pot(s) are varied. So far so good. Now what happens to the audio signal after pin 7?
But first, confirm that C16 positive leg connects to R7 and R19 (continuity test) and that the negative lead of C16 connects to ground. Repair any problem if any found.
Next, audio probe time again. Make sure that the pedal is not is bypass mode and then follow the audio path (gain pot - midway).
Start at pin 7 then check for audio on both pins of C9, R13, C10 and R16. Check for audio on pin 2 of IC2. Also with the gain pot at the midway point check for audio on terminal 2 of GAINB pot.
See what you find and let us know.

[Big mike 1100]

I copied your post and added comments:

"But first, confirm that C16 positive leg connects to R7 and R19 (continuity test) and that the negative lead of C16 connects to ground." YES

"Next, audio probe time again. Make sure that the pedal is not is bypass mode and then follow the audio path (gain pot - midway". OK

"Start at pin 7 then check for audio on both pins of C9, R13, C10 and R16". —YES BUT ONLY ONE LEG ON R16- OTHERS HAVE AUDIO ON BOTH LEGS

"Check for audio on pin 2 of IC2."  NO AUDIO- almost sounds like it's grounding.

"Also with the gain pot at the midway point check for audio on terminal 2 of GAINB pot."  very, very low volume

[Slowpoke101]

Remove IC2 and see if the level of audio on pin 7 (the IC socket) comes up at all. If it does come up, try another IC for IC2. See what happens. If it doesn't come up in level remove IC2 again and measure the voltages on the socket - only pins 8, 5, 4 & 3 will have voltages on them. Pin 2 will also have a voltage on it which should be about 4.5V. Make sure that pins 2 and 3 are not shorted together.
Let us know what happens.

[Big mike 1100]

This is odd
I removed IC2-  it took the sound away from the whole board

There is also voltage on all 8 socket pins not just the few mentioned

1 4.4
2 4.6
3 4.6
4 -9.17
5 4.6
6 4.4
7 4.4
8 17.6

Even when I put the IC chip back the audio is gone from the board-I don't have extra IC chips where I am, but have access tomorrow.

****crazier still is that now the only sound is Pin 7 of IC7 with the chip in- quiet trebly sound that gets affected by the gain and tone pot******

[Big mike 1100]

Scratch my last chaotic post- things have changed.  I'll see what's going on and repost in a few.