Egodriver tech help

[gtr2]

To add to Jacobs post

This is a build that a lot of people power at 18v .  35V would be a safe bet for this.  I always use caps rated double what I'm going to run the pedal at.  It's usually only an issue with electrolytic caps, film caps are usually rated higher than we ever need, same with most ceramics.

Welcome to the forum. 

Josh

[metfreak]

Hello it's me again. 

I've run in another problem, in new EgoDriver board there are two (+/-)9V "holes". So it confuses me where to solder them? I've checked the standard wiring diagram and all the projects if there is the solution and I didn't find it...

http://www.madbeanpedals.com/projects/EgoDriver/docs/EgoDriver.pdf

Thanks for your help!

Nejc

[gtr2]

Square pad is +9v the circle next to it is ground.  The two circle ground pads are connected via the PCB.  This can make wiring easier; for example the one ground pad can go be wired to the power jack and the other ground pad wired to the 3pdt etc.

Josh

[mandrewbot3k]

I finally just got back onto my builds. I just got married, so I decided it was safe to move all my stuff onto my kitchen table again. At least until I get my soldering station built in my office (a desk with my old bathroom exhaust fan inside my closet).

But I finished one OCD, but am still having some issues with the other. I'm getting correct voltage readings, but my Tone and Drive pots don't do anything as much as i work them. I etched my own boards and at this point I'm tempted to just order a new board. I still need to build my testing probe, although I don't really see it helping in this situation.

Any ideas? probably some bridges somewhere. I couldnt find any. But it was my first etched board and pretty poor at that...

I might give this a shot.... http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=368.0

[mandrewbot3k]

On a sidenote, looking at some other pictures I realized I used a 1n4148 in place of the 1n34a. Will this make a big difference? It sounds fine to me. Maybe a bit gritty, but still has good clarity. I guess my question being that I've never used a real OCD, is this diode a must have feature? If so I feel like i should open my working one and replace it as well.

[jkokura]

Diodes are like flavours of ice cream. Some like their strawberry, some won't have anything but chocolate.

When used for clipping, Diodes sort of different basic characteristics. While this is a general rule, you can find exceptions.

Soft clipping = Ge (1n34a, 1n60, 1n270)
Hard clipping = LED/MOSFET
Medium clipping = Silicon.

Now, you can also make things harder or softer depending on where you use them.

Really soft clipping = Ge in a feedback loop
Soft clipping = Silicon in a feedback loop
Medium clipping = LED/MOSFET in a feedback loop, Silicon on signal path to ground
Hard clipping = LED/MOSFET on signal path to ground.

Again, you can make things sound different depending on what you use too. An LED in the feedback path will not sound the same as a Silicon on the path to ground, even though they may give you 'similar' clipping patterns. Nor will two diodes neccessarily sound identically alike even if they are from the same 'family.'

Complicated I know. The real answer is that if it sounds good to you, use it. If you wanna change it and experiment, use sockets.

jacob

[mandrewbot3k]

turns out I did use a 1n34a. they look a lot like a 4148...

[jkokura]

Er....

Mine don't. Did you get some workalikes?

Jacob

[mandrewbot3k]

i dont know. i think i got them from pedal parts plus or smallbear last winter. i saw someone elses build and they looked like they used a germanium, thats when i second guessed it, but my short little orange ones, a bit stubbier than the 4148 say 1n34a on them.

[nzCdog]

I had some 1n34a a while back that looked like 1n4148s... from futurlec IIRC

[metfreak]

Hellooo everyone!

I've run into some problem with my Egodriver all built but when I'm playing it suddenly after approx. 5 seconds it starts losing volume and it come to "zero" sound, I can't get no sound out of it.

What could go wrong through my building process?

Thanks

Nejc

[jkokura]

There are a large number of potential issues you could be experiencing. My advice is for you to go and check out the "rules for getting Tech help" thread and then starting your own thread for getting your pedal working. We'll be happy to help you out!

jacob

[mandrewbot3k]

I'm so far behind on these damn things... I started playing again.

Voltage in = 9.16, pins 123567 = 4.29V pin4=0V, pin8=8.59V. q1 I have 4.29 on all legs, and q2 is 4.29 on cb and 4.19 on the emitter.

I've got some output, but it sounds like a fuzz, super bassy. I used my probe for the first time and it seems to happen right after R11, the 33k. I get full kinda tinny sound on the c7 side, and then it sounds like someone covers it with a blanket on the other side of the resistor going into the vol pot. I tried replacing C8 and r11, didn't make a difference.

I'm gonna go through and quadruple check all the resistor values.

Any suggestions?

[mandrewbot3k]

If I have the volume pot turned all the way up, it seems to send it to ground? Does this mean I have it wired backwards??

Pics....
Yellow section is going to ground when volume is cranked all the way.


Here is top of my build showing pot wiring

[mandrewbot3k]

Sitting here at work, I'm starting to suspect a bad volume pot. I'm going to replace it when I get home.

In the mean time, I've decided to order an egodriver board and a fatpants to do a dual pedal, single box build with a->b and b->a switch as well, so I can run off of 18V also.

But I'm really banking on the pot being the culprit. It needs to be cranked just to get a little signal, then it shuts off right quick.