Anyone in the Philly/NJ/NY area who can give me a breadboard tutorial?

[mordechai]

Hi all,

I have now tried constructing a Tonebender Mk II project on my breadboard about 7 or 8 times, and it's still not working.  I understand the language of the schematic and theoretically, I understand how it's supposed to work and how the parts are to link together.  But I am having the hardest time actually translating it to the physical context of the breadboard.  I think if I take an hour and show me how to do it in person, it would finally click for me.  It would immediately clarify for me what I'm doing wrong in practice.

If you know of any individuals or places where I could pay someone an honorarium to walk me through the process over part of an afternoon, I would really appreciate it. 

[MmmPedals]

I would try following one of the many online tutorials, even if it is not the effect you are looking for just to get the hang of it. Then try to tackle your own.
There is one here on the forum, a nice one at smallbear and i recall one at bevisaudio. I hope this helps.
I live in NYC but unfortunately my schedule is packed. If in a month or so you're still having trouble maybe i can find a spare hour.
Shmuel

[liquids]

I think your time and effort put into finding someone to walk you through breadboarding for a cost is noble, wish I were closer by to help you (for free)!

That being said...

1) Beep out your breadboard.  Or at least ensure you have voltage and ground everywhere you think you have it.  People that repeatedly fail to get a project working on a breadboard often seem to have wrong assumptions about how the breadboard is connected internally.  Beep out the bread board with your meter when it's blank...particular the rails.  And/or audio probe and find out where signal dies...you should have signal somewhere.  I've posted a few other times about common breadboard issues/errors if you search my posts.

If your jacks aren't grounded (or however you are sending signal from guitar to breadboard) you will not get signal flow.

Lastly, try something simple.  Dano/Beavis audio has breadboard layouts.  Worth their weight in gold if you can find a simple one and get it working - the encouragement and satisfaction is pretty intense once you get something working on the breadboard.  

Cheers

[guitarify]

There is a hacker space in Philly called Hive76 that has a small group of guitar FX guys. They were trying to have regular meetings but that seems to have fallen apart. I was emailing one of the members about getting together there to do FX pedals. I had to cancel at the last minute do to work but he seemed willing just to meet with me and help me out. PM me and I can give you his email.

[Schappy]

I had trouble breadboarding a Tonebender at first as well.

I found that my problem was the resistor that goes across the 9v power supply.

You have to put one end of the resistor in the power supply rail and the other out onto the board. Remember that all of the connection points on the rails are connected.
You also might have to jumper the two halves of your breadboard to supply power all the way across.

Check out the Building IC Overdrive in the beginners section.

Smallbear also has a tutorial.

[deadastronaut]

Hi all,

I have now tried constructing a Tonebender Mk II project on my breadboard about 7 or 8 times, and it's still not working.  I understand the language of the schematic and theoretically, I understand how it's supposed to work and how the parts are to link together.  But I am having the hardest time actually translating it to the physical context of the breadboard.  I think if I take an hour and show me how to do it in person, it would finally click for me.  It would immediately clarify for me what I'm doing wrong in practice.

If you know of any individuals or places where I could pay someone an honorarium to walk me through the process over part of an afternoon, I would really appreciate it. 

here's a mad idea,,,,

Have you got diy layout creator programme...?...download it...

you can draw a breadboard using that and put your components on it and post here...then everyone can see
where you are going wrong...ok.

here is a blank breadboard i did for you to use with it.....its a crude way of doing it.....but hey it will work....
just load this file into diy layout creator ...

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7464107/BLANKBOARD6.diy

then add your bits.......render it as an image and post here...

might be helpful...
rob.

[liquids]

Good thinking.  ~arph created stripmagic which has a similar breadboard layout option.  Java link is in his profile signature...or search for stripmagic.

[mordechai]

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions, they are helpful indeed.  As soon as I am back home from work today I'll try some of those options out and will post what I come up with.