Can't Get it Together!!!

[nocentelli]

boxing up gets easier with practice, but quickly becomes MUCH easier with a simple in/out breakout looper box next to the breadboard. Noise level on the breadboard is very subjective (gain of circuit, guitar used, amp used, EM-noisy stuff nearby, phase of the moon..) but is not terrible for even quite gainy fuzzes if you have a looper box to keep the unshielded wire short. Mine is just a toggle switch in a small ABS box with permanently wired in+out jacks and a send/return pair gaffer-taped to the side of my breadboard. I know it makes a good solid and quiet bypass, even when it runs through the unshielded ABS box, so I know any extra noise is definitely coming from the circuit in the loop, and if it doesn't work, it's not the guitar or amp connection.

[audiolife]

I've never thought of that, nocentelli!

I would like to rig something like this up, I think it would help streamline. Would you be willing to provide some pics of your bypass box?

[audiolife]

Tried the build again...set up the circuit board...tested it on the bread board working fine...boxed it up...nothing.

I know it's not the switching...sigh. The jacks test continuity at tip and sleeve fine. This is really disheartening. I'm going to try one more and if I can't get something I can actually use on stage I think I'll be forfeiting this little hobby.

[mthibeau]

Does your bypass work (after boxing it up)? Before I started building circuits into pedals, I made a bunch of true bypass loopers, order switchers, etc. to learn how to wire the switches, jacks and LEDs.

what wiring method are you using for the bypass switch/LED? There are a many different ways to wire it, some ground the circuit's output when bypassed.

Could you upload a picture of the guts of your boxed effect that isn't working, could make it easier to troubleshoot.

[audiolife]

Nothing works once it's in the enclosure. I know I've wired the switch right, but I must say that my switches use the wiring found on this page:

http://markweinguitarlessons.com/forums/showthread.php?15286-Guitar-pedal-%28stomp-box%29-wiring-explained

No 3pdt I've come across could be wired any differently than that link.

So metal jacks connected to a metal enclosure will cancel out all sound?

This site is a great resource and I've been searching for about 34 hours total this week. Taking an extensive and indefinite hiatus from building these things. The irony is I spent all this money to get stocked up on supplies to save money on buying pedals, but ended up spending hundreds on nothing and now I can't afford any actual, working pedals..  Livin and learnin, that's what we're doing here!

[hannibal827]

No 3pdt I've come across could be wired any differently than that link.

Since you're going on an indefinite hiatus, this may not benefit you immediately.  And I don't mean to drag you back into this, if you don't want to get back into it.  But that is not the only, or most desirable, way to wire a 3PDT.  Check out page 5, "Offboard Wiring 5," of this .pdf:

http://www.tonepad.com/getFile.asp?id=76

The advantage of this wiring scheme is that the effect input is grounded in bypass mode.

I don't know if this has been your problem, but I hope this information is helpful to you one day.

[audiolife]

Thanks Hannibal! Obviously, I have a long way to go in learning this stuff and errors are to be expected. I have gotten working pedals before, but all in plastic enclosures. So my main issues are:

1. noise on the breadboard (how much is normal)
2. troubleshooting circuit once it's on circuit board (how do I check with DMM?)
3. getting in enclosure
    a. getting it to fit
    b. getting sound (are the metal jacks on metal enclosure killing signal?)

I need to build some of the units mentioned, such as the breakout box that someone mentioned so I can test switching when the circuit is on the breadboard. If anyone has any pics of things they've built to help their designing it would be much appreciated! I really don't want to give up, but I certainly do need a break for a little.

Thanks so much for the help everyone, and let's keep this great dialogue going. If my failures can help others succeed, I really don't mind being the guinea pig! 

[deadastronaut]

ok my advice.....

give us a picture of it..........or even better a few

a few members eyeballs on it may solve your ''boxing'' problemo!!!..

[Jdansti]

>This site is a great resource and I've been searching for about 34 hours total this week. Taking an extensive and indefinite hiatus from building these things. The irony is I spent all this money to get stocked up on supplies to save money on buying pedals, but ended up spending hundreds on nothing and now I can't afford any actual, working pedals..  Livin and learnin, that's what we're doing here!

My friend, you sound like a young person, so allow an old fart to give you some advice. This is not a personal attack-we don't know each other. This is just observation, facts, and advice:

You are correct that this site is a great resource, but not just in the past postings, but to have experienced people help you in almost real time.  Your money spent on supplies would not have to go to waste if you would use the resources of the folks who are willing to help you. For some reason, you have refused their help in this thread. It is not surprising that you have not solved your problem.

As someone who's been around the block a few times and manages people, my friendly advice is to allow experts to help. I don't know what your career plans are, but if you try to go through life without listening to those wiser and more experienced than you, you will be doomed to failure. I hope this will not be the case and wish you all the best.

[audiolife]

I actually took the circuit out yesterday to do some work on the box. At this point the pcb is wired up, but what is the best way to troubleshoot while it's on the pcb?

[Pyr0]

I actually took the circuit out yesterday to do some work on the box. At this point the pcb is wired up, but what is the best way to troubleshoot while it's on the pcb?

Post some pics of it and we can help. 

[audiolife]

For sure! I'll take some pics when I get home from work. Gotta love being able to talk stompboxes on the clock 

[audiolife]

Here are the best pics I could get, although they don't reveal much.





Includes all pots and offboard wiring. I've poked around with the DMM, but what is the best way to troubleshoot at this point? Tearing down and starting fresh isn't out of the question either, just trying to refine the process.

PS

I'm aware at how awful the wiring mess is haha. 

Cheers all!