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 Forum index » DIY Hardware and Software » MusicFromOuterSpace.com designs by Ray Wilson
"Finished" Soundlab...but... PROBLEMS
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numbernone



Joined: Aug 16, 2006
Posts: 477
Location: new york city

PostPosted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 11:03 am    Post subject: "Finished" Soundlab...but... PROBLEMS Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Fired up the just finished soundlab last evening and...

1. Massive ground hum, minimized when i touch the output cable or any of the other jacks. Checked the wiring and it all seems solid and conforms to the diagram.

2. No noise output at all...Zero.

3. Signal bleed, very heavy at times and very minimal at others. Of particular interest is the volume increase when I physically touch the mixer pot shafts (no knobs yet) VERY STRANGE.

4. Sharp clicking at the beginning of each LFO cycle. Sounds kinda nice at high rates but obviously it should not be so.

That is all I can remember at the moment without the thing in front of me, any suggestions I can take home from work are appreciated.
Overall I find it to be a fun and swell sounding rig!!
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ianbargle



Joined: Sep 20, 2006
Posts: 8
Location: california

PostPosted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hey numbernone. To address the ground hum problem...you should definitely triple check your wiring there. Do a continuity check with your multimeter by setting it to read resistance, clipping one probe to ground (perhaps at the battery straps), and poking around at all the solder joints that are supposed to be connected to ground. You should read zero resistance at all these joints. Also, check that you grounded the correct pin on your output jack (the pin connected to the ring can be hard to find if you had to use a stereo jack or something). To address the weirdness of the pots...grounding those (when appropriate...some must be clamped to -9V and +9V as with the frequency pots) should fix that problem...again, use the multimeter to run a continuity check. As for the noise generator...I recommend building a new noise generator it on a breadboard and switching out the 2N3904s until you find the noisiest one...that's the one that goes on your PCB! Good luck!
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fonik



Joined: Jun 07, 2006
Posts: 3950
Location: Germany
Audio files: 23

PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 12:56 am    Post subject: Re: "Finished" Soundlab...but... PROBLEMS Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

numbernone wrote:
2. No noise output at all...Zero.


you'll need to find a 2N3904 who makes noise at all, the level is not that important i think, referring to ray's notes to the noise circuit.
i had a whole bunch of 2N3904 from one manufacturer (ST?) that all refused to be noisy at all.
in future i will try to use sockets for critical NPNs/PNPs whenever pcb design allows...

cheers,
matthias
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numbernone



Joined: Aug 16, 2006
Posts: 477
Location: new york city

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Problem solved!!! 2 cold solder joins fixed and she is up and running. Quiet as a baby and no signal bleed, no clicking LFO, still no noise but oh well for now. Really impressed with how good this sounds, now onto Ray's modular stuff as well as CGS.

HOORAY FOR RAY!!
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Wild Zebra



Joined: Apr 28, 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Ohio
Audio files: 5

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Quote:
Sharp clicking at the beginning of each LFO cycle. Sounds kinda nice at high rates but obviously it should not be so.

I do not get this when using my SL "normally" with oscillators, but if I use my guitar trigger and have no OSC on and run LFO to my VCA I get the clicking. I'm woundering if this is normal from the voltage hitting. I've had my SL done for awhile and not until I hooked the trigger up did I notice. Don't mean to hijack.

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numbernone



Joined: Aug 16, 2006
Posts: 477
Location: new york city

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hijack away, I'll take any info I can get from anyplace. This 1st SL is done for a friend and then i will build a second for myself, including the guitar trigger bits and S&H. I now have so many projects in mind that I have no idea how I will have time to go to work, sleep, eat etc....
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Wild Zebra



Joined: Apr 28, 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Ohio
Audio files: 5

PostPosted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

first one for a friend huh? you are a better friend than I. ha ha. The guitar trigger is pretty cool. I just made it a few days ago. There is a vero layout by Uncle Krunkus. Thats what I used so it is verified. Lots of awesome tremolos. I answered your p.m. so your in NYC i see. I gots a buch of friends from there. My friend Mike is in The Early Man. Heard of em. He's from Marion, but he might not tell you that. Cool
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