Debugging a Super Collider

[Chromavita]

I just recently started getting into this hobby. After successfully building my first two-knob pedal I decided to try something more ambitious and decided on a Earthbound Supercollider clone from Tagboard. I got it together, but I'm only getting a very faint signal, and it isn't very distorted. I'm still a novice with a soldering iron, but I scoured the board looking for bad solder joints or shorts, and I can't find anything. I just got a multimeter to check the Voltages, and Q1 is notably different than the others. Here's what I got:


1.What does it do, not do, and sound like? Only very quiet signal comes through, not very distorted. Signal goes away as Sustain is turned down.
2.Name of the circuit = Earthbound Supercollider
3.Source of the circuit (URL of schematic or project) = http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2012/09/earthbound-audio-supercollider.html
4.Any modifications to the circuit? N
5.Any parts substitutions? No
6.Positive ground to negative ground conversion? N
7.Battery: 9.01V

Q1
C: 6.97
B: 7.83
E:  7.23

Q2
C:7.12
B:0.63
E:1.59

Q3
C:6.98
B:0.62
E:0.05

Q4
C:5.35
B:1.52
E:.93


D1+2
A: 6.98
B: 6.67

D3+4
A: 6.85
B: 7.13

D5
A:8.8
B:9.01

So what can I do with this information? Can it help me narrow down where I might look for a bad connection, or a bad/misplaced part? I checked all of the Transistors in my Multimeter and they all register with farily similar numbers. I've resoldered joints, and looked over the board numerous times, it's getting incredibly frustrating!  Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks 

Excuse the sloppy build, I have yet to put it into a box. And sorry for the crappy pictures, all I have at the moment.

[GibsonGM]

Too bad there's no schematic, or it would be easier to help you out.

Looking at Q1, I have a suspicion there is a short, or something else, that's putting a higher voltage on the base than there should be.

Can you audio probe it to see (hear) what's going on?

[mth5044]

There is a schematic on the other forum. It's basically a big muff with a cap blendish on the input and a modified AMZ BMP tone control with the mids pot.

[Chromavita]

I linked to the tagboard post that I got the schematic from, maybe I should have linked it here. I've looked for solder that accidentally connects two different rows, or across a cut, anything that would cause a short. I haven't found anything though. Is there any other way I could be getting a short? I just built an audio probe, I can check it tomorrow. Which pin should I check on Q1?

[GibsonGM]

Start at the input and follow the signal path with your audio probe. That's what the schematic is for - to understand how it works!! 

Vero just shows you nuts n bolts, how to assemble it, but there's nothing to describe what is happening in there.   Sorry, I just don't like it, I'm an old-time purist or something ;o)   I understand it helps you build something fast, but it leaves anyone else to do a LOT of tracing that's not necessary.  Ideally, you'd have both images handy...

The input to transistors is generally going to be on the base:  input...100n Cap...base...collector....thru a coupling cap to next stage.  There are going to be pulldown resistors and biasing stuff there as well.   

Please link the schematic if you have access to it.  Didn't see it in a quick glance at the other site...