Radium Springs, Low output when effect is on.

[aienco]

I just finished my Radium Springs. I have followed a couple of other threads where this has been discussed with no real final outcome/fix? My output is almost halfed if I have full mix and max volume when the effect is switched in. It works as it should, just lower output. Comparing my board to theirs, I noticed my board states B10K and the docs state B100k on the mix. I tried both. Did not really notice a heap of differece. My Board is a V3. I have double checked my resister values and caps. I have replaced the two op amps just in case. I have resoldered all joints. I have low volume and have no idea how to increase it! Perhaps this is the way it is meant to be, but I am just trying to clarify I guess.

 

[Alan W]

Have you tried going through all the soldered components and reflowing the solder? (Edit—rereading, I see that you have. But it still looks like there may be (at least on the. Opponent side.)) From the photo it looks like there may be some cold solder joints. It doesn’t take much of an interference to make things act strange.

 

[Locrian99]

Have you tried to audio probe the board following the signal see if there’s a point where you notice the audio drop. I had a similar volume issue wirb a pedal recently and that is how I found it.

 

[Locrian99]

I would also suspect if it’s affecting both the wet and dry signal then the problem is between the mix pot and the output. I would check around those two areas first. Pin 6 of ic 1 is where they mix and pin 7 is where the volume pot should show up. Then it heads to pin 2 of ic1 after the volume pot

 

[PJS]

It looks to me as if you need more solder on the switch pins - that won't make a scrap of difference to output volume though.

The visible pots don't have anything insulating the backs. Do you have anything on the backs of the pots we can't see to prevent them shorting out the board?

 

[Gordo]

Might just be reflections but pin 3 on the two outside top pots looks a bit dodgey. I'd reflow at least the pots and show a shot of the bottom of the board.

 

[aienco]

I would also suspect if it’s affecting both the wet and dry signal then the problem is between the mix pot and the output. I would check around those two areas first. Pin 6 of ic 1 is where they mix and pin 7 is where the volume pot should show up. Then it heads to pin 2 of ic1 after the volume pot

Hi, thank you. Going through with the Probe, Pin 1 & 2 are full volume unmixed signal. Pin 6 is almost silent?, Pin 7 is the mixed output BUT at a much lower volume? I don't quite know what that means??? Faulty IC???

 

[Locrian99]

How the volume at pin 2 of ic1. I’d lean towards and incorrect value or cold joint before ic. I’d probably go through and reflow everything and if you don’t have dust covers on your pots make sure they aren’t shorting something.

 

[aienco]

How the volume at pin 2 of ic1. I’d lean towards and incorrect value or cold joint before ic. I’d probably go through and reflow everything and if you don’t have dust covers on your pots make sure they aren’t shorting something.

I do have dust covers. Nothing shorting, reflowed and resoldered in the begining. I will go through again and see if I can isolate. Thanks.

 

[Locrian99]

I do have dust covers. Nothing shorting, reflowed and resoldered in the begining. I will go through again and see if I can isolate. Thanks.

I’m pretty sure it’s gotta be in that area mentioned, I might be wrong but I think basically you have the mix should be getting a gain jump right there through that ic. I actually had a bad pot recently causing a volume issue so might not hurt to measure with your dmm the pot resistance as well. So it probably would be pretty easy to swap out the socketed ic just to rule thag out

 

[aienco]

I’m pretty sure it’s gotta be in that area mentioned, I might be wrong but I think basically you have the mix should be getting a gain jump right there through that ic. I actually had a bad pot recently causing a volume issue so might not hurt to measure with your dmm the pot resistance as well. So it probably would be pretty easy to swap out the socketed ic just to rule thag out

Well going through with the probe, I have found where the volume halfs. Its fine till it gets to R18 (15K) One side of the resistor is fine, the other side (Which connects to the Mix Pot,) is half the volume. I changed the resistor realizing it would make no difference but I tried anyway. So I don't really understand? The signal looses volume at r18 when it gets to the mix?

 

[Locrian99]

Well going through with the probe, I have found where the volume halfs. Its fine till it gets to R18 (15K) One side of the resistor is fine, the other side (Which connects to the Mix Pot,) is half the volume. I changed the resistor realizing it would make no difference but I tried anyway. So I don't really understand? The signal looses volume at r18 when it gets to the mix?

It should be boosted through that op amp I think though. You might need someone more knowledgeable here but I’m pretty sure that resistor just basically is part of gain equation for that op amp/volume stage. Volume pot/r18 I think! Is what the gain should be there. Again I’m more of a solder by number guy probably know enough to be completely wrong lol. Do you notice any volume boost after that last op amp stage or is the output of the last op amp the same as you have on pin 7?

 

[Locrian99]

It should be boosted through that op amp I think though. You might need someone more knowledgeable here but I’m pretty sure that resistor just basically is part of gain equation for that op amp/volume stage. Volume pot/r18 I think! Is what the gain should be there. Again I’m more of a solder by number guy probably know enough to be completely wrong lol. Do you notice any volume boost after that last op amp stage or is the output of the last op amp the same as you have on pin 7?

Actually where was your volume pot at when you probed pin 7

 

[aienco]

Actually where was your volume pot at when you probed pin 7

FULL

 

[aienco]

Maybe its the way it's meant to be??? With the mix pot on Full mix and volume on full, the output is half the input volume. Also the volume does nothing until you get to the last quater and goes to 0 quickly..

 

[Locrian99]

Maybe its the way it's meant to be??? With the mix pot on Full mix and volume on full, the output is half the input volume. Also the volume does nothing until you get to the last quater and goes to 0 quickly..

Oh your mix pot is in full? Full mix pot should mean it’s only wet signal. So does it sound like you would expect when the mix is at say 50/50? It’s a reverb effect so I’m not sure why you would crank the the mix. Kind of a caveat I guess of the set up.

 

[PJS]

Also report what you are hearing with the mix pot fully the other way (Low/down)

 

[aienco]

Also report what you are hearing with the mix pot fully the other way (Low/down)

It is just like it is in Bypass if I have the mix all the way down.

 

[PJS]

It is just like it is in Bypass if I have the mix all the way down.

With the volume at the same level as when it is bypassed?

 

[aienco]

With the volume at the same level as when it is bypassed?

Correct