"Son of Ben" issues

[anthreedsteve]

Hey, everyone. Would love some help with this.

Recently, I finished this project with a friend of mine (this is the old version of the PCB, not the updated). After we finished assembling everything, we plugged it into my pedalboard and there was TERRIBLE noise. At first, we had it at the beginning of the chain, but then we tested it in the middle and still noticed the noise but it was a lot less. Would love to know ways we could fix this issue.

 

[Robert]

Your 1/4" jacks are wired backwards.

You have the sleeves going to the 3PDT and the tips going to ground.

 

[anthreedsteve]

Thank you!

 

[spi]

Any reason you left C10 out?

 

[anthreedsteve]

Any reason you left C10 out?

The new version doesn’t call for it, so we didn’t put it in

 

[anthreedsteve]

The new version doesn’t call for it, so we didn’t put it in

And the data sheet we have said it was unnecessary

 

[anthreedsteve]

Okay, we flipped everything. Signal is moving through but the signal passing through when engaged is very quiet. Any thoughts?

 

[benny_profane]

Okay, we flipped everything. Signal is moving through but the signal passing through when engaged is very quiet. Any thoughts?

Have you biased it?

 

[anthreedsteve]

Have you biased it?

Yes. We’re going to try reflowing the joints next.

 

[spi]

And the data sheet we have said it was unnecessary

I'm about to build one (using the newer version of this PCB). My board also has 3 electrolytic caps, and I don't see any notes indicating the circuit changed. What data sheet are you referring to? I'm just curious for more info before I start.

 

[Robert]

I need to add that to the new revision of the build docs, it was overlooked when the docs were updated.

According to Benson C10 was only populated in the first 100 units.

 

[anthreedsteve]

I'm about to build one (using the newer version of this PCB). My board also has 3 electrolytic caps, and I don't see any notes indicating the circuit changed. What data sheet are you referring to? I'm just curious for more info before I start.

This is what we were working off (you can ignore the highlighter. That’s just how we distinguished what parts we had before we ordered what we didn’t have.)

 

[Mike McLane]

So the only difference btw the older pcb and the revised is the elimination of C10, so just leave that "socket" unpopulated in the older pdb's? Also, in another thread I was asking about taming the gain a bit to make it a bit more of a boost/light gain. Chuck Bones suggested putting a 1K trimmer on C5 & C10 rather than eliminating both altogether. Eliminating C10 solves part of that question, but a) I assume the suggestion would still apply to C5 and b) does it matter which side of the cap it is inserted into?

 

[Robert]

C10 hasn't been removed from the PCB. That note is referring to the original pedal.

The differences in the PCB go like this:

The first revision used a B1M dual-gang pot for Bass (because B2M was hard to find)
The second revision used a B2M single-gang pot (like the original) because Tayda started carrying them
The most recent revision can use either a B1M dual-gang or B2M single-gang.

All three revisions are functionally identical, it's just a matter of more convenient part sourcing.

 

[Mike McLane]

Thx for the clarification. So C10 stays. My question to Chuck B still applies as to the placement of the trimmer. . . . positive or negative side of the cap?

 

[Chuck D. Bones]

Thx for the clarification. So C10 stays. My question to Chuck B still applies as to the placement of the trimmer. . . . positive or negative side of the cap?

Doesn't matter, do whatever is most convenient or makes the wiring cleanest.

 

[Mike McLane]

. Thx!