Too much impedance????

[Leema]

H E L P !!!!

I just built this thing: http://diystompboxes.com/pedals/insanity.GIF

But it sounds like it kills too much of the signal, the volume is very very low at the output.

I have tried removing the volume pot totally and running the output from the sweeper of the tone pot - this offered some improvement in signal strength but still it's very weak.

I've adjusted the trim pots between the circuit sections and tried altering the bias pot also - but to no avail.

I'm a bit mythed now.

The circuit apparently offers loads of sustain and the signal runs through a few different types of distortion, but i have not been able to get this. There's certainly no sustain going on, and i could have got better distortion by sticking a diode clip mod in any old pedal.

I'm sure this is easily resolvable - any suggestions?

Also - it doesn't seem to give much low end, what caps should i change to get more low frequencies out of it?

The signal loss thing is the most important tho.

Leema

[petemoore]

Debugging Page
 I would break it down into segments, and try to isolate what's going on.
 Have you taken pin voltages?
 Alot going on with that circuit, therefore alot could go wrong.
 I use my thumb connected via wire, knife, needlenose, etc. to inject 'signal' [actually hum like thumb on the tip of a live cable], into the citcuit starting at the cct. board or [I think in this case] the volume pot output, and work my way back toward the last amp in the circuit, looking for boost at the amps input [transistor or opamp usually] compared to the output...with gain knobs up.

[Peter Snowberg]

You should be able to find the problem by using an audio probe to check each stage of the circuit. Once you have it isolated the repair should be really easy. Check for audio at the opamp side of the input cap, the clipping diodes, the 10uF coupling cap at the CMOS output, and the .1uF at the source-drain junction in the minibooster stage. You should have audio at each place.

Good luck,
-Peter

[Leema]

Thanks for the replies guys - I do have audio at every stage - It's just very quiet  

I'll do the thumb thang and trace backwards and see where i get to.

[Peter Snowberg]

Is it quiet at the input before the cap? and if not, is it quiet right after the input cap?

If you remove the effect totally, do you get correct volume?

Take care,
-Peter