My first build. Low tide. Made a mistake. Is this redeemable?

[boysenpai]

So this is my first build. I heard it was not recommended for beginners, but I've soldered my guitar electronics in the past and also, I just really wish to have Shallow Water for 5+ years and making my own was the only way I could afford it.

It went well until I started to solder chips. It came as a kit but there were no instructions as to how to solder particular components so I googled a lot with each new tier of components. Found a little bag with two chips, found their placing on the pcb, soldered them in. Cut off the residual pin tips. Then I opened next back and I noticed there were these slots and I couldn't pair them with anything. Then I realised these were slots for the chips that I already soldered straight onto the pcb and trimmed their pins.

Will the chips work when soldered straight into the pcb? Or, will the chips slide into the slot and work even with the tips of their pins trimmed? Or should I look for replacement?

 

[boysenpai]

You have the SMD and through hole component in place for the J201. You don’t need both of those. Have you tried removing the through hole JFET to see if that changes anything?

Wait, do you have 2 J201s attached? It looks like you have an SMD-type soldered on and then also a through-hole J201 in the sockets? If so, take the one out of the socket - those pads are an either/or not a both.

We already went through this with other advisors. I had two J201s and no 2SK208 which was why I was getting no sound. I took the J201 out of the socket and put in the place of 2SK208, which (I was told) is equivalent. After that I got the pedal running.

Here's a photo of where I am at now.

 

[boysenpai]

To use the audio probe, you feed sound into the input of the pedal. The ground clip of the audio probe clips to any ground connection on the pedal. I usually clip it to the solder lug for ground on the output jack - just to make sure it has a good firm connection that is also out of my way. The socket of your audio probe plugs into an amp/headphone amp etc using a standard guitar lead. When you touch the probe to a point on the circuit you will be able to hear if there is audio there or not, and the quality of the audio. If you are getting audio on the black circles of the footswitch that you have circled, and nowhere on the board that is totally normal - for the pedal in bypass. Just click the footswitch and you should get the audio going into the board instead.

This is not every place you could check, but a few easily identifiable places to get you going that should give a good indication

Remember that IC pin numbering goes like this:

View attachment 56495

Q1 - I think I would expect to hear audio on 2 of the pins and not the third
Q2 - same - audio on 2 pins and not the third
IC4 pin 6 and 7
IC7 pin 3, 7, 8
IC3 pin 3, 5
MIX pot - all 3 pins - the signal on the middle will vary depending on the pot position
LEVEL POT - only 2 pins will have sound - middle pin volume will vary with pot position
Q4, Q5 - again 2 pins will have sound - the third not.

After I finished soldering, I did not clean the flux on my board whatsoever. Is it possible the tips of solder are covered in flux, hence why I don't get any sound sometimes?

Anyway, I went through all the parts you listed and here's what I got. Green for sound, red for no sound, obviously.

 

[boysenpai]

The build doc is here:

https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/LowTide-PedalPCB.pdf

You'll need to use the diagram at the front with the component numbers as a reference. For example, check both sides of C1 and both sides of C2 with the audio probe. Everything good so far? If so, cool! If not, you know you've got a problem in the first little chunk of the circuit.

C1 both sides good, C2 no sound on any side.

 

[music6000]

C1 both sides good, C2 no sound on any side.

https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/LowTide-Schematic-PedalPCB.pdf

With Power Disconnected, Check for Continuity on matching colour circles:

 

[boysenpai]

https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/LowTide-Schematic-PedalPCB.pdf

With Power Disconnected, Check for Continuity on matching colour circles:
View attachment 56564

This is very helpful, beautifully coherent! This looks like a job for multimeter. Can I do this with my audio probe? I feel like I’m one wire short. But I’m buying a multimeter on monday.

 

[music6000]

Make sure the DMM has a Continuity function, some don't!

 

[boysenpai]

Make sure the DMM has a Continuity function, some don't!

Roger that! Any other essential functions I should shop for?

 

[boysenpai]

I'll probably go with UNI-T UT139C

 

[Erik S]

I'll probably go with UNI-T UT139C

Looks like a good one to me.

 

[boysenpai]

Looks like a good one to me.

Thank you, I'm buying it

 

[boysenpai]

https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/LowTide-Schematic-PedalPCB.pdf

With Power Disconnected, Check for Continuity on matching colour circles:
View attachment 56564

So I got my multimeter, checked the continuity by the color and got a buzz every time. What should I do next?

 

[music6000]

https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/LowTide-Schematic-PedalPCB.pdf
Do An Audio Probe by the Numbers starting with 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 to 6 to 7 to 8 & so on.


This has got to the stage where you need to put this aside & Build more simplified pedals.
This is for Advanced Builders who have at least a Dozen working pedals under there Belt & know their way around Schematics

 

[boysenpai]

https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/LowTide-Schematic-PedalPCB.pdf
Do An Audio Probe by the Numbers starting with 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 to 6 to 7 to 8 & so on.

View attachment 56767
This has got to the stage where you need to put this aside & Build more simplified pedals.
This is for Advanced Builders who have at least a Dozen working pedals under there Belt & know their way around Schematics

Yeah I could definitely feel this was too much many posts ago. A valuable lesson indeed. My next build will be a boost or volume pedal, some OD too possibly.

 

[boysenpai]

https://docs.pedalpcb.com/project/LowTide-Schematic-PedalPCB.pdf
Do An Audio Probe by the Numbers starting with 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 to 6 to 7 to 8 & so on.

View attachment 56767
This has got to the stage where you need to put this aside & Build more simplified pedals.
This is for Advanced Builders who have at least a Dozen working pedals under there Belt & know their way around Schematics

The audio probe test went beautifully this time. I added a paperclip to provide some stability to the tip and preventing the wire from bending. Made a ton of difference. Here's my result:

1. OK
2. OK
3. OK
4. OK
5. OK
6. OK
7. OK
8. OK
9. OK
10. NADA
11. NADA
12. NADA
13. NADA
14. NADA
15. NADA
16. NADA
17. NADA

It seems quite clear to me where the trouble is. I replaced the socket of the J201 with relative ease thanks to the desoldering tip someone posted earlier. Even with the socket replaced, the sound goes dead from 10 and beyond.

 

[p_wats]

The audio probe test went beautifully this time. I added a paperclip to provide some stability to the tip and preventing the wire from bending. Made a ton of difference. Here's my result:

1. OK
2. OK
3. OK
4. OK
5. OK
6. OK
7. OK
8. OK
9. OK
10. NADA
11. NADA
12. NADA
13. NADA
14. NADA
15. NADA
16. NADA
17. NADA

It seems quite clear to me where the trouble is. I replaced the socket of the J201 with relative ease thanks to the desoldering tip someone posted earlier. Even with the socket replaced, the sound goes dead from 10 and beyond.

That's progress at least!

Based on your symptoms being similar to mine when I first built my Low Tide, I'm not surprised it's one of the FETs. Are you able to get another J201 or 2SK208 to try there?

 

[music6000]

The audio probe test went beautifully this time. I added a paperclip to provide some stability to the tip and preventing the wire from bending. Made a ton of difference. Here's my result:

1. OK
2. OK
3. OK
4. OK
5. OK
6. OK
7. OK
8. OK
9. OK
10. NADA
11. NADA
12. NADA
13. NADA
14. NADA
15. NADA
16. NADA
17. NADA

It seems quite clear to me where the trouble is. I replaced the socket of the J201 with relative ease thanks to the desoldering tip someone posted earlier. Even with the socket replaced, the sound goes dead from 10 and beyond.

The continuity was good to the matching circles in this whole area so it's pointing to a bad Q1 Transistor.
If you have a spare from somewhere else OR in the circuit, borrow that to see if you can get further along the numbers.

 

[boysenpai]

That's progress at least!

Based on your symptoms being similar to mine when I first built my Low Tide, I'm not surprised it's one of the FETs. Are you able to get another J201 or 2SK208 to try there?

What are the odds, huh? You knew it all along.

The continuity was good to the matching circles in this whole area so it's pointing to a bad Q1 Transistor.
If you have a spare from somewhere else OR in the circuit, borrow that to see if you can get further along the numbers.

I'll have to get a new one. On it.

 

[boysenpai]

The continuity was good to the matching circles in this whole area so it's pointing to a bad Q1 Transistor.
If you have a spare from somewhere else OR in the circuit, borrow that to see if you can get further along the numbers.

So I managed to get two new J201s. It arrived today. Even with the J201 replaced the sound goes dead on 10. Tried them both, no change.

 

[music6000]

Important, with power unplugged, Do you still have Continuity on Yellow & Pink Pads???
What happens if you put the probe on the transistor centre pad of 9 & 10?

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

So I managed to get two new J201s. It arrived today. Even with the J201 replaced the sound goes dead on 10. Tried them both, no change.

Where’d you source them from? Plenty of fakes out there