Ross Compressor Clone - No sound. Help please!

[bensoniski]

Hello

The Ross Compressor Clone I've been building doesn't work. Here's the rundown as per the the instructions:

1. Ross Compressor clone

2. Schematic from http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/geo_d&r_comp.pdf

3. I used a RTS-PCB from GGG

4. I followed the parts listed in the pdf file with the exception of the parts listed on GGG as being wrong, namely C2 was 220pF, C11 was 0.001uF and C12 was 0.01uF. The majority of the parts were ordered from Small Bear. The list of parts subs is here: http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=148&Itemid=175 . When wiring the thing up, I skipped the "wire black battery wire here and then a wire to ground on input" and went directly to the input jack with the black wire

5. Negative ground

6. No sound other than hiss - to be honest, when playing with the level pot the amount of hiss does increase and decrease.

7. Battery is at 7.99V.

CA 3080A (the tin can one)
1. 0
2. 7.99
3. 4.25
4. 0
5. 0
6. 3.18
7. 3.20
8. 0

Q1
C: 7.46
B: 0
E: 0

Q2
C: 4.06
B: 4.23
E: 3.96

Q3
C: 6.89
B: 0
E: 0

Q4
C: 6.90
B: 0
E: 0

Q5
C: 7.98
B: 6.90
E: 7.29

A couple of photos are here:
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b296/bensoniski/Pics060210010.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b296/bensoniski/Pics060210006.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b296/bensoniski/Pics060210-RossCompresser012.jpg
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b296/bensoniski/Pics060210-RossCompresser005.jpg

Any help in getting this one fixed would be much appreciated!

Thanks

James

[loki]

hi, i've built this too and at first it didnt work either. then i found out the problem was the IC.

Have you tried with an Audio Probe? that's how i found out the problem, and surely there are great chances you will too

[bensoniski]

I don't really know what an audio probe is so I can only assume that I don't have one.

My main worry is that the voltages on Q1 are wildly different from what is published on .http://fuzzcentral.tripod.com/compressor.html , which has on its CBE 7.98, 2.10, 1.65 respectively whereas I have 7.46, 0, 0.

Any ideas why this is? Is it because of the IC? I used a socket for it and only put it in when everything was done so I couldn't have fried it. I didn't use sockets on the transistors though.

[bancika]

check out solder joints around Q1, I had same voltages with my tubescreamer and there was a bad joint

[bensoniski]

Thanks for the input folks. I've made an audio probe and the signal is lost at Q1. I get it at the B (input) but only crackles and pops at the C and E. I've soldered and resoldered it, so I don't think that there is a cold solder joint or anything. Is it likely that the transistor has blown, or am I not understanding the schematic (and laws of electronics!) correctly? Really, this thing is driving me crazy!