General Tso’s compressor troubleshooting

[Marcosrmena]

Built the General Tso’s compressor but ended up with a distorted, almost fuzzy sound when the compressor is engaged. Clean signal passes through just fine when the blend is off. Not sure what it could be, swapped JFET reflowed joints and swapped IC’s but nothing. Busted out the multimeter and it looks like it’s not a power issue to any of the points (I think?) I know I put the pots and switches backwards, honestly not too bothered by that as I don’t have an enclosure at the moment for it. Any help would be really appreciated

Video of me playing it is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m3BvJ1Qbe3TpEuGR3PmX17NgmC6LkG42/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[Nic]

Pots are the wrong way around looks like ? Switch is definitely on the wrong side of the board.

 

[Nic]

Sorry, just saw you already know about the pots and switch. Switch not that important now, but i would correct the pots. What transistors did you used, where did you got them ?

 

[DailyDovetails]

I think it could be related to the LDRs possibly. Are they the ones called out in the BOM and did you check them? The specs on them are often pretty wide and them in conjunction with the sustain pot set the gain for the OP amp.

Try with the sustain at a lower setting and adjust it to volume with the balance and see if that helps as it could just be clipping.

 

[Feral Feline]

LOTS of solder spatter everywhere.

Clean that splatter and the flux off, and then look for a short somewhere — set your DMM to continuity-beep mode and try to find continuity where there isn't supposed to be any.


+1 To DD's note above about possible problems with the LDRs.
Have a look at how others have oriented their build's LED/LDR combos.

Thread 'General Tso: "Quail Quompressor"'

Oct 11, 2024

This is my build report for the General Tso's compressor, based on the Thorpy Fat General. This pedal was widely recommended across the forum on multiple threads, and I hadn't previously built a compressor, so I figured "why not?". It's a good pedal, but as a compressor that I like on my pedalboard, it's not as exciting as a fuzz or modulation.



Inspiration

Initially I wasn't sure what to do with this design. I started thinking about fat birds and the quail came to mind. Fortuitously, I also remembered how much quail can stretch out or squash their necks, so it...

• rwl
• Replies: 1
• Forum: Build Reports

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Post in thread 'General Tso's Compressor (ThorpyFX Fat General)'

Oct 8, 2023

I have only dabbled with compressors here and there, and never really made one part of my board or my "sound". But I can't help but feel someday I might "get" compressors and want a nice one, or maybe find a situation where I truly need one: either way, I want to be ready with a good one when the time comes!

The General Tso always seems to get a lot of love around here, so I built it up. It worked on first power-up. But the effect is really subtle. The sustain knob has to be maxed before I can really notice much of anything, and even then, it's still barely noticeable...

• MichaelW

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Search for more build reports, not only to look at gutshots, but also to read the report, see what worked didn't work for others.
Sorry, that's all I've got.

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

since you a) have the pots/switches mounted wrong and b) don’t have an enclosure, I’m curious how you’re even testing this. You can’t test a circuit that’s dependent on LDRs without having it in total darkness.

Have you been testing it just out in the open? That could very well be your problem.

 

[GizzWizzKing]

The video shows testing in a dark box.

Have you been testing it just out in the open? That could very well be your problem.

The video shows the testing in a dark box.

 

[Feral Feline]

since you a) have the pots/switches mounted wrong and b) don’t have an enclosure, I’m curious how you’re even testing this. You can’t test a circuit that’s dependent on LDRs without having it in total darkness.

Have you been testing it just out in the open? That could very well be your problem.

You didn't watch the vid.

 

[Mcknib]

It's very difficult to see some of your resistor multiplier bands

It might just be the light reflection but check R1, 6, 10 and 12 are 10K (brown black black red brown)

R10 definitely looks like a 1K zoomed in brown black black brown brown but as I say might just be the lighting