Strange transformation of EPFM Compressor

[gorohon]

I built this compressor over a year ago.  It worked great for a while, then it kept ruining CLM6000's.  It would boost the signal but wouldn't compress. I got sick of trying to figure out what was wrong with the thing, so I put it in the drawer.  
Fast forward 10 months:  I dusted this thing off today.  I decided to go ahead and hook it up for the heck of it.  When I played through this thing it belched out this awesome-nasty gated fuzz--much like the Ocatve-Up Sick Box, but without the octave.   Strange how just sitting around for awhile makes this compressor behave like a fuzz.

Anybody else have strange crap like this happen to one of their pedals?

[O]

If I were you, I would call an exorcist... :shock:


Actually, it would be kinda cool to see what went wrong.

[gorohon]

Well, when I started this hobby ahwile back, I bought a ton of crappy parts thinking that I was saving money.  Boy, was I ever wrong.  I've been paying for it ever since.  Jacks and switches  mostly.  There's also a whole host of mistakes on my part from learning this craft over a few years.  Needless to say, it has been fun trying to figure out what the hell went wrong with these pedals.  Besides the compressor, I built the EPFM phase shifter two years ago, and it just plain confused the hell out of me why it acted like a police siren, alien spacecraft, you name it.  Turns out that I had a solder bridge.  I fixed it and it works great, but now I wish I could remember where I had that solder bridge so I could wire up a spst switch to make some cool sounds again.
I'm guessing that the compressor has some component flipping out, probably related to whatever was killing my octocouplers  

O, you might be on to something with the whole pedal exorcism thing.
Anybody know of a good priest or witch doctor? :lol:

[gorohon]

Okay, I figured out what the problem was.  I was too lazy to open the thing up until today.  Wait, that wasn't the problem, here's what made the fuzz sound: a broken wire from pad B.  I don't know if that wire running from the output pot was also shorting to ground--kind of floating around.  Anyhow,  if any of you get bored with your EPFM Compressor, try this one out. :wink:

[gorohon]

It might be important to note that my compressor still doesn't function as a compressor, so if it was working properly, lifting the wire from pad "B" might not work in the same manner.  Also, I don't know how doing that might affect other things, possibley damaging something.

BTW, I'm using a UA748 for IC2 and a NJM5332 for IC1.  I'm thinking that there's something wrong with the circuit involving IC2--which, I believe, drives the CLM6000.  I might try a different IC there, like a LM201 or LM301.  Right now it works great as a clean boost.  That leads me to believe that IC1 is doing fine.

[guitarhacknoise]

O, you might be on to something with the whole pedal exorcism thing.
Anybody know of a good priest or witch doctor? :lol:

.
Does the Rev. Billy G. practice effects exorcisms?
"The power of rock compels you! ,The power of rock compels you! , The power of rock compels you!,The power of rock compels you! ,......................."
 :shock:
-matthias

[gorohon]

Yeah, him or those priests from "The Exorcist".   I guess there could also be images of the Virgin Mary appearing in swirl paint jobs and such.   I guess anything for mojo or the holy spirit for my pedals.  But, I imagine they couldn't take a full immersion baptism.