Need help with Voodoo Labs Proctavia

[rousejeremy]

I have a non functioning Proctavia and need a schematic to help troubleshoot.
There's a bypass signal but when the effect is activated complete silence. Even touching the hot of the input jack makes no sound.
Can anyone hook me up with a schematic?

[tcobretti]

I haven't seen a schem for this one, but I would fire up the audio probe and see where the signal stops.  I would bet that somebody plugged in an incorrect wallwart and fried a transistor.

[rousejeremy]

So this thing is POSITIVE ground.
How many things have I fried by using the old Boss PSA?

[rousejeremy]

Tcobretti you were dead on. I replaced all the trannies and it works.
I bought this on Craigslist for $40 knowing it was broken, and I knew the diystompboxes dudes would help me out.
Remind me to Paypal you a beer.

I haven't seen a schem for this one, but I would fire up the audio probe and see where the signal stops.  I would bet that somebody plugged in an incorrect wallwart and fried a transistor.

[tcobretti]

Great! 

How's it sound?  It seems like I tried one out several years ago and thought it was pretty good.

I don't know how familiar you are with Octavia usage, but Hendrix got many of his classic tones with the fuzz all the way down, and then he'd back off of his guitar's volume and tone a bit.  Those settings really bring out the octave.

[rousejeremy]

It sounds great with the boost rolled down. When I turn the boost up, the fuzz sounds compressed. When I play quietly, the signal gets louder. When I play loud the signal gets quieter and sounds "squished".
I replaced the MPSA18 with a 2n5088 and replaced both 2n4125 with bc307's. The BC307's are higher gain than what was in there originally. Could that be it?

[rousejeremy]

Bump

[aron]

Maybe put sockets in there and try different transistors.

[tcobretti]

Yeah, that could be it.  I haven't experimented with this circuit, so I don't know how it responds to high HFE transistors.

In my experience, almost every vintage fuzz sounds better with low HFE transistors, so I'd get some that were lower than the originals.

So, yeah, basically you should socket the transistors like Aron suggested.

[zombiwoof]

It sounds great with the boost rolled down. When I turn the boost up, the fuzz sounds compressed. When I play quietly, the signal gets louder. When I play loud the signal gets quieter and sounds "squished".
I replaced the MPSA18 with a 2n5088 and replaced both 2n4125 with bc307's. The BC307's are higher gain than what was in there originally. Could that be it?

I have one, and it works best with the fuzz control rolled down, in line with another fuzz or distortion pedal.  I roll off the fuzz control on the Proctavia completely and run it with a Fuzz Face in line.  Also works best with the neck pickup, with the tone rolled off on the guitar.

Al

[rousejeremy]

It sounds great with the boost rolled down. When I turn the boost up, the fuzz sounds compressed. When I play quietly, the signal gets louder. When I play loud the signal gets quieter and sounds "squished".
I replaced the MPSA18 with a 2n5088 and replaced both 2n4125 with bc307's. The BC307's are higher gain than what was in there originally. Could that be it?

I have one, and it works best with the fuzz control rolled down, in line with another fuzz or distortion pedal.  I roll off the fuzz control on the Proctavia completely and run it with a Fuzz Face in line.  Also works best with the neck pickup, with the tone rolled off on the guitar.

Al

Does it sound the way I described with the fuzz on full?

[zombiwoof]

It sounds great with the boost rolled down. When I turn the boost up, the fuzz sounds compressed. When I play quietly, the signal gets louder. When I play loud the signal gets quieter and sounds "squished".
I replaced the MPSA18 with a 2n5088 and replaced both 2n4125 with bc307's. The BC307's are higher gain than what was in there originally. Could that be it?

I have one, and it works best with the fuzz control rolled down, in line with another fuzz or distortion pedal.  I roll off the fuzz control on the Proctavia completely and run it with a Fuzz Face in line.  Also works best with the neck pickup, with the tone rolled off on the guitar.

Al

Does it sound the way I described with the fuzz on full?

To tell you the truth, I tried it with the fuzz up when I first got it, and didn't like it, but I don't remember what it sounded like.  I just know that it sounds better with the fuzz off used with another fuzz pedal.  It doesn't cut it as a standalone fuzz.  I think that's the nature of the beast, Hendrix ran his Octavia with the Fuzz Face, and I think it's obvious that that's the way it works best.

Al

[rousejeremy]

I agree that this thing sounds better with the boost down.
I built a RM Octavia a month or so ago and was disappointed with the volume loss. The Proctavia is very loud.
Is it natural for the Transformer based Octave pedals to be louder than the Transistor based ones?