Two builds, none work fully.....

[debutvm]

I have been a bit discouraged from the diy stompboxes due to the fact i have tried 2 builds and they dont work all the great. The first was the 18 pedal (rog) second was a multiface...The 18 pedal works fine it justs sounds like crap. The multiface works but it pops and acts as if theres some sort of short in it....Two problems i have with both builds are a huge pop when engaging the pedals as well as backward knobs...They dont change values fom least to greatest clockwise, the do so counter clockwise....So with that said what is the main reason for reverse pot operation and perhaps a few common mistakes that could result in a very popy, short sounding pedal? I have thought about trying to make pcb's for my projects instead of using breadboard and soldering leads...I figured that once i had the pcb done i could have a little more assurance that everying is nice and connected properly...Does using pcbs create more consistent builds? My next hope isto make a  jcm800 jfet pedal with a pcb. Thanks in advance for the comments and suggestions.

-kyle

[Jay Doyle]

You need to read the FAQ thoroughly.

Reverse the outside leads on the pots (or switch the outside lead to the other lug if there are only two leads going to the pot, leave the wiper alone) and your rotation should work fine.

Add a 1 Meg resistor to ground to the side of the input capacitor closest to the input wire and that should get rid of the pops.

The intermittent popping could be a number of things from badly biased transistors to cold solder joints. Read the sticky "What to do when it doesn't work" and follow the instructions there.

what an effect sounds like is all personal opinion. You may have the 18 completely right and just not like the sound. I don't have the schem in front of me but I'm guessing that your transistors are not biased correctly.

But in my opinion you are starting out building too complicated of circuits. Do the beginner's project or a simple booster and ease into it.

PCBs should result in more consistant builds but if your soldering is not up to par, your biasing of the transistors is off, the transistors pinout is wrong, you misread a part value, or you are miswiring something, it won't matter how you build it, it won't sound right.

We need more information to help you more.

[boogietube]

www.geofex.com
Read everything !!
The Secret Life of Pots article (use the search for it) is a gem!!
Effects Debugging etc etc ...
Personally, without R.G. from Geofex, I'd know a lot less.

[debutvm]

Thanks for the links. I have one question. Are all pots not the same when it comes to numbering the lugs. Every diagram I have seen lables the pot from left to right :   3, 2, 1.

back of pot
3, 2, 1         This is how i have been wiring mine up. How come it is backwards?

[343 Salty Beans]

From the back of the pot, with the lugs facing LEFT, is the pots are numbered top-to-bottom 3, 2, 1. I got confused until I started looking at pots this way.

[MartyMart]

From the back of the pot, with the lugs facing LEFT, is the pots are numbered top-to-bottom 3, 2, 1. I got confused until I started looking at pots this way.

That's the "pot convention" that I also use, works 75% of the time but I still get caught out on a
few schems  !!
Simple swop of 3 & 1 will solve it.
MM