SOLVED Caesar Chorus (help!)

[NateLC]

Hello Everyone!

Relatively new pedal builder. I have a few under my belt and now tackling the Caesar Chorus.

Currently I have soldered all the main parts and doing the first testing, so haven't soldered the cables from the power jack, nor the white LEDs.

Here's the issue: When I plug it in and turn (stomp) it on, neither LED lights up but the pedal somehow works weirdly: Depending on the switch's position, the Lag and the Blend only act to reduce the actual clean signal. If i fiddle with the other pots I sometimes get some weird fuzzy sounds but that's it.

I have double checked and all components seem to be in order, or have I missed something?

Attaching some pics. If you want to see any part in detail let me know

Appreciate any input, thanks!

 

[EGRENIER]

Update:

After my confusion with the LED polarity (I also realized that D1 and D2 were wrong) all the front LEDs light up!

Final question: are D1 and D2 supposed to light up when being used? De-soldering them was a bit challenging and one of the ring pads from the PCB detached so had to push it back in.

Thanks for all of your help!

Nathaniel

Looking at the schematic I would say that D1 and D2 can't really be reverse. They are in parallel, so one way or the other as long as they are not both the same (reversed to each other) would be the same.



As for lighting, I would guess there isn't enough current for them to light on, but that's just a guess...

 

[NateLC]

Looking at the schematic I would say that D1 and D2 can't really be reverse. They are in parallel, so one way or the other as long as they are not both the same (reversed to each other) would be the same.

View attachment 39564

As for lighting, I would guess there isn't enough current for them to light on, but that's just a guess...

Ah this makes sense, since it was working even when they were both in the wrong orientation. For the sake of having everything correct and learn my lesson I think I would still have removed them and placed them in the right way.

Thanks!

 

[EGRENIER]

Well, seems everything is in order so now its time to pain the case. Thanks everyone! Really happy with this pedal!

Does switching the shape on and off does anything ? that would be a definitive that they work if you hear a tone change.

 

[NateLC]

Does switching the shape on and off does anything ? that would be a definitive that they work if you hear a tone change.

Yep, tested the pedal fully by playing with all knobs and switches and it all seems to be working as it should!