SOLVED Hyped Fuzz basketcase

[FuzzfartsMcgee]

So this is my first build not using a kit, I’ve only built one other pedal with a kit and it worked great so I tried my hand at one from pedalpcb.

Got everything together, and all I get is hum, when I switch through the 3 settings, it’s a different version of hum, but that’s all it is. Also, LED doesn’t light up.

If there’s any glaringly obvious mistakes here I’d greatly appreciate if someone would point it out.

 

[JamieJ]

We can’t see the pictures of the jacks. These jacks are usually isolated therefore there is no connection to ground. Try and take a wire from the ground of one of the jacks and touch it to the inside of the the enclosure to see if that helps.

 

[benny_profane]

Where is your ground wire? You're using insulated jacks. You'll need to send the ground signal to the enclosure somehow. If I'm using insulated jacks, I'll solder a wire from circuit ground to a star washer and place the washer either between the jacks and the enclosure or the stomp switch and enclosure.

Edit: Nice one, @JamieJ

 

[FuzzfartsMcgee]

Thanks y’all, I scraped some of the paint off the side with a file and just soldered right to it.

The hum is much quieter, but still no sound coming through, also LED still doesn’t light.

When I click the stomp switch it either hums or zero sound at all.

 

[benny_profane]

Are you plugged into the right jacks? It's super easy to mix up the in and out when you've got the pedal flipped over. Your LED may be installed backward.

 

[FuzzfartsMcgee]

I moved some of the pots around and it is humming on both “clicks”

I also have already swapped cables back and forth

 

[benny_profane]

Have you verified your values? Nothing is jumping out at me, but I'm not referencing the build doc. This might be a good time to get familiar with an audio probe.

 

[FuzzfartsMcgee]

When I mess with the “low” pot it starts making sounds like a lazer.

 

[FuzzfartsMcgee]

No, I didn’t verify values, I just went off of what’s on the bags as I built.

I did get confused with the box film capacitors. I ordered 4.7n and 47n and got .0047u and .047u? I assumed .0047 is 4.7n, and .047u is 47n?

Sorry for the noobery

 

[Coda]

I ordered 4.7n and 47n and got .0047u and .047u? I assumed .0047 is 4.7n, and .047u is 47n?

You are correct.

 

[benny_profane]

Okay. Yeah I'd recommend taking that out of the box and start with a close visual inspection of the solder side. You'll probably need to audio probe as well to find out where your signal is getting lost and the interference is coming in. What transistors did you use?

 

[FuzzfartsMcgee]

I used ceramic disc for the P values, box film for the N values, and electrolytic for the U values.

I’m going to order one of the rattlesnake audio probes. Thanks for the help!

 

[Robert]

It looks like maybe the wires are on the wrong set of lugs of the input jack.

 

[benny_profane]

It looks like maybe the wires are on the wrong sets of lugs of the input jack.

Duh. I totally missed that. I think this is your problem. I wasn't even thinking about switched jacks. I got hung up on them being insulated.

 

[JamieJ]

Duh. I totally missed that. I think this is your problem. I wasn't even thinking about switched jacks. I got hung up on them being insulated.

Same here! Good spot. The simple ones are always the best.

 

[FuzzfartsMcgee]

Switched the wires on the jacks, it’s not making lazer sounds anymore, so that’s an improvement.

 

[benny_profane]

Now you’ve got the signal and ground wires backward.

 

[FuzzfartsMcgee]

I thought that’s what y’all meant by switch the wires to diff lugs

 

[benny_profane]

No, sorry. You’re using switched jacks. When there’s no cable in the jack, the two terminals on either side of the jack are connected. When you insert the cable, the connection is broken. When you plug in the cable, see how the tabs ‘pop up’? You want to connect to the terminals connected to those tabs. The terminal closest to the threading is the sleeve connection for ground; the terminal furthest away is for the signal.

Your output jack was originally correct. Your input jack was wired such that when you inserted the cable, the circuit was open and there was no connection.

 

[FuzzfartsMcgee]

Ok, I ditched the jacks I had on there and went with a diff set I have.


This is what it’s doing now.
When I switch the toggle it changes the sound of the hum, but it’s still humming, there’s 3 diff hum modes now.