SOLVED Box and All EQ no sound when engaged

[Eberto]

Hey all! I’m back again with another fun “I’ve got sound when bypassed, but not when engaged” issue.

I’ve reflowed any joints that looked suspect to me, but I’m hoping maybe you guys can see something I don’t, and figure out where I’m probably grounding out.

I probed it and the only spot I’m getting signal pass is at R1, R2, and IN. I’m probably mucking up the probe somehow, but that’s where I am. Thank you guys!

 

[Laundryroom David]

I have a few thoughts.

The first is check your footswitch for continuity.

What kind of solder are you using? And what temperature on your iron? Please take this as it is intended - constructive and helpful. I see lots of joints that could use more solder. I also see stray strands of hookup wire in a bunch of spots and ICs soldered direct to the board.

To ease troubleshooting and give yourself a better chance at a working pedal, consider doing the following:

(1) clean soldering tip and use sufficient heat
(2) socket your ICs
(3) pre-tin stranded wire or use solid core/prebond/topcoat

You want the solder to wet and flow and create a uniform joint with the component leg on both sides of the board. The iron needs to be clean, tinned and hot enough to do that but not so hot that it torches your parts.

Now about the footswitch - I’m curious to know whether you have continuity that switch. Lots of threads around here explaining how to test continuity. Footswitches are remarkably easy to fuck up with too much heat.

So for now, I’d start by confirming all components are proper values and in the proper locations.

Then I’d clean up flux and look for anything wrong, bridged, broken

Then I’d try continuity of the footswitch

Then I’d test voltages of the ICs

Then I’d audio probe

Others may have other, better ideas for you.

 

[Eberto]

I am an idiot.

Long story short - the PS I was using for testing ended up being positive tip. I only realized this when I changed the supply and suddenly the LED didn’t work but I had sound. So, not only was it the wrong PS, but the LED is backwards.

Mods can you mark this as solved - idiot.

 

[Laundryroom David]

I am an idiot.

Long story short - the PS I was using for testing ended up being positive tip. I only realized this when I changed the supply and suddenly the LED didn’t work but I had sound. So, not only was it the wrong PS, but the LED is backwards.

Mods can you mark this as solved - idiot.

Glad it was a simple fix!

 

[Locrian99]

It’s always bad soldering, but it never is it seems. In all seriousness though @Laundryroom David made some excellent points and even if they weren’t the fix if you build more pedals you should really follow his advice.

 

[Eberto]

@Laundryroom David thank you for all the tips, and I apologize for not acknowledging them earlier. I’m a frequent lurker on the board, and I’m truly appreciative of everything you and others have to offer. This has become a hobby I truly enjoy - even though I’ve only built two pedals now - and I’m glad that you are willing to offer advice without judgement.

@Locrian99 That was my first assumption, that I had a bad joint somewhere, so it was frustrating after reflowing that it still wouldn’t work. I’ll definitely come back to this thread as I keep progressing.

Thanks to you both!

 

[Locrian99]

@Laundryroom David thank you for all the tips, and I apologize for not acknowledging them earlier. I’m a frequent lurker on the board, and I’m truly appreciative of everything you and others have to offer. This has become a hobby I truly enjoy - even though I’ve only built two pedals now - and I’m glad that you are willing to offer advice without judgement.

@Locrian99 That was my first assumption, that I had a bad joint somewhere, so it was frustrating after reflowing that it still wouldn’t work. I’ll definitely come back to this thread as I keep progressing.

Thanks to you both!

One thing I found when I first started this hobby was EVERY trouble shooting thread people just beat up on the soldering. I was nearly afraid to try to build my first pedal because everything I had read made soldering sound so intimidating and so unforgiving. I think I've had one issue ever fixed by reflowing joints and it was on a strip board build, not sure if i had a bridge between the tracks or a bad joint. Doesn't seem like it's ever a bad joint to me that doesn't make something work, but its the first thing everyone always points out lol. Not to say its wrong to mention it, but people just beat it like dead horse. It's the easiest thing to point out and a way to seem superior in giving advice I guess and you don't actually put any real effort into helping the person. LRD above gave plenty of other bits of advice to go along with the soldering advice though, so I certainly don't mean that as a dig towards his advice. It just always cracks me up and really irritated me when I was new and trying to figure stuff out.

 

[Erik S]

One thing I found when I first started this hobby was EVERY trouble shooting thread people just beat up on the soldering. I was nearly afraid to try to build my first pedal because everything I had read made soldering sound so intimidating and so unforgiving. I think I've had one issue ever fixed by reflowing joints and it was on a strip board build, not sure if i had a bridge between the tracks or a bad joint. Doesn't seem like it's ever a bad joint to me that doesn't make something work, but its the first thing everyone always points out lol. Not to say its wrong to mention it, but people just beat it like dead horse. It's the easiest thing to point out and a way to seem superior in giving advice I guess and you don't actually put any real effort into helping the person. LRD above gave plenty of other bits of advice to go along with the soldering advice though, so I certainly don't mean that as a dig towards his advice. It just always cracks me up and really irritated me when I was new and trying to figure stuff out.

You’re dropping some truth right there.

I think most people are genuinely wanting to help, and I do think we should all try to make nice solder joints, but bad soldering is almost never the reason the pedal doesn’t work.

 

[Laundryroom David]

You’re dropping some truth right there.

I think most people are genuinely wanting to help, and I do think we should all try to make nice solder joints, but bad soldering is almost never the reason the pedal doesn’t work.

I totally get what you’re saying, but I disagree, as reasonable people can and do from time to time. Poor joints can point to not enough heat on the iron, which can point to too much dwell time, which can point to reasons why someone’s pedal only works in true bypass. Particularly if soldering smd by hand, but also with through hole. I am by no means the king of clean solder jobs (like have you seen my build reports?) but I really do think it’s important to have good solder joints as a starting point and it’s something I keep working on.

It is also important to flog the new builders until morale improves!

 

[Erik S]

I totally get what you’re saying, but I disagree, as reasonable people can and do from time to time. Poor joints can point to not enough heat on the iron, which can point to too much dwell time, which can point to reasons why someone’s pedal only works in true bypass. Particularly if soldering smd by hand, but also with through hole. I am by no means the king of clean solder jobs (like have you seen my build reports?) but I really do think it’s important to have good solder joints as a starting point and it’s something I keep working on.

It is also important to flog the new builders until morale improves!

I put a lot of care and effort into my soldering, and I always inspect the soldering in build reports because I think it’s a great measure of the skill of the builder. I agree that it’s important, but I also agree with @Locrian99 that it’s WAY overused as a first troubleshooting step.

Failures due to bad soldering happen but I bet it’s 50 times more likely to be a wrong component value or wiring error.

 

[Robert]

You should see some of my solder joints when a prototype doesn't work and I start tacking on / swapping components in the enclosure.

 

[Erik S]

You should see some of my solder joints when a prototype doesn't work and I start tacking on / swapping components in the enclosure.

I bet it looks awful and works fine!

 

[Feral Feline]

Good soldering is like good musicianship.

My amp-sifu would barely touch something and it was perfectly soldered making it look so easy, while I would be clodging and bodging solder, flowing too little or too much etc...

I'm like a beginner struggling white-knuckled to hold a C-chord while my amp-sifu is like a fleet-fingers-dancing-nimbly-across-the-fretboard Django 'Reinhardt.


Seeing consistently smooth shiny little cones of solder around component leads and PCB-pads on a build is like...
listening to an accomplished musician who has the deftest nuanced touch and taste.