SOLVED Blue Sheep No Effect

joelorigo

Well-known member
I'm testing my in-progress Blue Sheep in my Auditorium Test Platform, I am getting a bypass signal, but when switching to Active, there is a "pop" but then no signal. I have continuity between the Test Platform and the PCB on all the connections, I don't see any solder bridges and the Platform was working earlier when I tested another circuit. Can someone take a look?
 

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Also possibly worth noting for whomever might run across this: we talk about the 3pdt turning the pedal “off” or “on” but that’s just convenient shorthand and not entirely true lol. As wired here If the board is plugged in, it’s getting power and is “on”. When engaged, the switch simply completes the circuit to let the jacks talk to the board and make groovy sounds. When in bypass, the in and out jacks are connected directly, bypassing the board, disconnecting the LED, and sending the effect input to ground.
Good description. This was definitely something I didn't know before starting to build these things!
 
OK. Yeah. It was working last night as reported. I haven't changed anything but I tried it today (guitar > test platform > amp) and got the buzz/hum again in Active. So I got out the audio probe again and I had signal all the way to the OUT again. So I unhooked the audio probe setup and went back to just guitar > test platform > amp and it is working again. Again.

Is it possible all along this has been some wonky connection between the board and the test platform???

Oh, the LED worked connected as described btw!
 
I will answer my own question, no. I decided to box it up in the enclosure. What I got was signal in bypass and the buzz/hum when activated. I got the probe out and followed the signal to various points all the way to the output jack. I should note though that I did try the input and output jacks first and on the output was the buzz/hum. So I unhooked the audio probe and it is working. So I'm in some weird loop of it not working, audio probing a bit, then it works. So this has happened twice in the test platform and now in the enclosure. Does that mean anything?
 
I will answer my own question, no. I decided to box it up in the enclosure. What I got was signal in bypass and the buzz/hum when activated. I got the probe out and followed the signal to various points all the way to the output jack. I should note though that I did try the input and output jacks first and on the output was the buzz/hum. So I unhooked the audio probe and it is working. So I'm in some weird loop of it not working, audio probing a bit, then it works. So this has happened twice in the test platform and now in the enclosure. Does that mean anything?
I think it means you have a funky joint at at least one of the spots you’re probing. It sounds to me like you have something not making a consistent, strong connection and the pressure of the probe touching individual components is helping. This is a guess.
 
One last thing for the day. I was thinking about when/why it goes from working to not so I thought I would try something. I verified that it was working. Then I unplugged it and re plugged. It had signal in bypass but this time no sound when engaged, not the buzz. So I promptly threw it away. No, just kidding but I thought about it 😀
Anyway I will try it again tomorrow and see if I get signal, buzz or silence.
Thanks for all the time you guys have put in to this already, btw.
 
One last thing for the day. I was thinking about when/why it goes from working to not so I thought I would try something. I verified that it was working. Then I unplugged it and re plugged. It had signal in bypass but this time no sound when engaged, not the buzz. So I promptly threw it away. No, just kidding but I thought about it 😀
Anyway I will try it again tomorrow and see if I get signal, buzz or silence.
Thanks for all the time you guys have put in to this already, btw.
If you haven't reflowed these pads since photo was taken, I would take a look at this & there are a few others that need attention:

IMG_7214.jpg
 
Before I went to re-flow some pads I tested it and it was working. I reflowed all the pads on the board and tried it out it worked. Played with it for a bit and then I had some work to do so I walked away and left it plugged in. Came back later and it was still woking. I unplugged it and replugged it in and now it is making the hum again.
 
Before I went to re-flow some pads I tested it and it was working. I reflowed all the pads on the board and tried it out it worked. Played with it for a bit and then I had some work to do so I walked away and left it plugged in. Came back later and it was still woking. I unplugged it and replugged it in and now it is making the hum again.
What kind of power supply?
 
It’s a 1700 mA one that came with various daisy chain accessories. I have nothing else plugged in. Also, just to eliminate all the equipment I have been using I went home for lunch and tried it in my pedalboard. It buzzed there too.
 
A possible clue.(?)

After being unplugged for a bit, when plugging it back in and stepping on the footswitch, the LED lights up to about 50%-ish briefly, then goes dark, then comes on full.
 
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