Bearhug... is it working?

[LaceSensor]

Hi

Build a bearhug on the 1776 fab board
no subs. Dont really hear much if any compression happening, and no difference with the switch position.
The volume control works fine.

Whats my best thing to check first? Im used to compressors adding sustain, does this one do that?
Either its super transparent and cant even tell its doing something, or its got a bug.

I can post voltages if itll help...

TYIA
Ian

[jimilee]

Did you rock it before you boxed it? If not sounds like there's a solder bridge causing it to bypass the effect all together

[LaceSensor]

Did you rock it before you boxed it? If not sounds like there's a solder bridge causing it to bypass the effect all together

Unlikely, as I said the volume control works just fine, so its not being bypassed wholesale...

[jimilee]

Did you rock it before you boxed it? If not sounds like there's a solder bridge causing it to bypass the effect all together

Unlikely, as I said the volume control works just fine, so its not being bypassed wholesale...

Yeah I should pay more attention,my bad.....

[gtr2]

Post some voltages

[LaceSensor]

q1
d 7.51
g 0.77
s 2.93


q2
0
0.46
9.88

q3
zeros across the board. must be wrong...!

[midwayfair]

q1
d 7.51
g 0.77
s 2.93


q2
0
0.46
9.88

q3
zeros across the board. must be wrong...!

These are right (including the zeros -- there are caps to block DC).

Check the Bearhug thread -- somewhere near the end I have a general "how to tell it's working" using the multimeter to measure voltage and resistance changes.

I might not be on much this weekend (pretty sick right now), so PM me if you have more difficulties and I'll make sure to get back to you.

[LaceSensor]

Hi

I have replaced all the transistors, socketed this time, didnt see your reply John. thanks.
Here is what I have now.

q1 - 2n7000 this time as it was what I found first
d - 6.28
g - 0.63
s - 2.73

q2
0.24
0.64
8.58

q3
zeros again.

Im guessing this is correct also then? and Im just deaf....
I think what I need to do is check the resistance across the outer legs of q3 ? should be 300r rising to around 1k or similar?

[midwayfair]

I think what I need to do is check the resistance across the outer legs of q3 ? should be 300r rising to around 1k or similar?

Yes, this is the best place to check. Depending on the strength of your pickups, it might jump as high as 2K (my strat pickups hit 1.8K on a chord).

[LaceSensor]

280r rising to around 1.3k with a Seymour Duncan hot rails.

Guess that's working then?! It's a subtle beast...

[midwayfair]

Yup, it's working. Keep in mind that the gain reduction there is at least 3x on your reading (meaning it's less than half the original, initial volume of the note). The short decay makes it hard to hear that it's working, but it's not a meaningless amount of compression by any means, and the ratio goes up if your input signal gets larger (like if you place it after an overdrive).

[LaceSensor]

cool thanks for the reply.
ill have more of a play with it also with some gain.

Does it need to be before or after the overdrive pedal?

[midwayfair]

Does it need to be before or after the overdrive pedal?

"Need," no. But you may like it better in one spot or the other. Different guitarists use their compressors differently, so it's impossible for me to say. I always put my compressors first, but one of the bands I play in the guitarist runs his entire chain exactly backwards from me (he goes delay > OD > comp). Comp before dirt tend to change what gets distorted.