Titania2 No Volume

[nondiatonic]

I just assembled my very first pedal, and I have now experienced the "first pedal rite of passage": it didn't work.

Initially I thought there was no sound at all (LED worked), so I built an audio probe and began following the audio path. By doing this I realized that there was audio coming through the output, but the volume was so low I had to damn near max out the volume on my amp to hear anything. Transisters are 2N3903. I didn't measure them before assembly (I wanted to socket them, but I didn't buy the correct size sockets). I boxed it up, so I haven't checked the film capacitors with the audio probe because they are flush with the PCB--I'm hoping to avoid needing to desolder the power jack (next thing to build will be a test box, so I can avoid this scenario).

Some things I noted while probing the audio path (these phenomena may be normal, but I'll list them just in case):

• Q3 emitter not as loud as I would have expected
• Gain Pot:
  • Lug 2 appears to work as intended (gain increases as it's turned up), but it seems quiet throughout the entire range
  • Lug 3 gets very loud very fast as I turn the pot down
• Tone Pot:
  • Lug 1 gets very loud very fast as I turn the pot down
  • Lug 2 seems to act like a volume and gets slightly louder as the pot is turned up (though fairly quiet throughout entire range)
  • Lug 3 gets very loud very fast as I turn the pot down
• Volume Pot:
  • Lug 2 is extremely quiet at full and turns down quickly to nothing
  • Lug 3 gets very loud very fast as I turn the pot down

Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Nostradoomus]

Check for continuity between your IN G SW OUT pads, mostly to see if G is shorting any of the others...that’s all I can really think of at first glance. Well done for your first go! Always a good idea to get a toothbrush and some Isopropyl alcohol and clean off all the residue, sometimes there’s shorts lurking in there!

 

[nondiatonic]

Thanks for the suggestion! You were exactly right! I have continuity between GND, SW, and OUT. Unfortunately, I don't know how to fix this issue. I couldn't find a bridge or wire strands making contact, so I desoldered the cables from the main board and the jack tip cables from the breakout board. I then soldered in a new 3pdt switch the old fashioned way without a breakout board. But, I still have the exact same continuity issue! Based on the audio probe, I feel like it has to be right at the end (between Volume lug 2 and the OUT of the main board). I'll see if I can find any isopropanol and clean those areas.

 

[nondiatonic]

Got it figured out! Decided to try hooking the pedal up with the jacks hanging out of the enclosure, and I got sound. I think the sharp solder joint on the tip lug of the out jack was poking through the electrical tape insulation and making contact with the enclosure. I rotated the jacks 90 degrees and eureka! Thanks for the help 'doomus!

 

[Nostradoomus]

That’ll definitely do it! Didn’t think it was an issue as you have tape there but hey!

I quite often bend that pin inward a bit with a pair of pliers haha

 

[zgrav]

Could be the cleanest first build I have ever seen. : ^ ) Nicer than anything I cobbled together for quite a while when I started.

 

[nondiatonic]

Thanks! I lurked here and other forums for a while before attempting a build. I also followed Jovi Bon Kenobi's fantastic guide fairly closely. I'm going to have to build a Hausu themed pedal if he won't!

 

[Jovi Bon Kenobi]

I'm going to have to build a Hausu themed pedal if he won't!

Haha! Do it and share please. Congrats on your first pedal!

 

[Barry]

Haha! Do it and share please. Congrats on your first pedal!

Dude! Where you been?

 

[Jovi Bon Kenobi]

Dude! Where you been?

Hey Barry! Yeah I kinda went AWOL there. End of 2019 I was bonkers full throttle with work and just had no free time to do side hustles and me-stuff. Then 2020 happened, lost my job among other setbacks, so I squirmed back up into my shell and hibernated. Slowly emerging and I gotta say, it feels good, man.