Cacophonator Strip Board

Snaper · Joined: Feb 28, 2014 Posts: 205 Location: Hungary

Oh, almost forget. Yes, the starve pot is a 10K linear pot, should work. Don't know why not...maybe the IC has damaged during testing?
If I unplug the device, I can hear the starve effect during the "discharge" of the large cap, which is yes, a big 2200 uF elco...

Snaper · Joined: Feb 28, 2014 Posts: 205 Location: Hungary

Tried it with a 9V PSU, just in case, still, the starve is a bit odd.
I'll open in anyway, for the cap-mod, but, checked the Youtube vid posted here, and mine works just like that Very Happy

-minus- · Joined: Oct 26, 2008 Posts: 787 Audio files: 13

That starve pot should definitely work. If it isn't working for you then either the pot is faulty, the big capacitor is faulty, or there is something shorting out that section somewhere. Most of the fun can be had with the starve pot. You mentioned it seems to work when you power the device off. This suggests the pot might be the issue.

Snaper · Joined: Feb 28, 2014 Posts: 205 Location: Hungary

-minus- · Joined: Oct 26, 2008 Posts: 787 Audio files: 13

No, I would imagine it will not be 0V. The (+) V coming into the board is travelling through that pot. At maximum resistance it is 10K. (It would only be 0V if the pot were wired differently and one of the outer legs went to GROUND). Is your pot 10K Linear taper (B)?

I do not have my Cacophonator handy right now. I do remember that the starve pot was the one which gave the most pleasure. I am not sure what else to suggest. I suspect the issue is to do with the top right of your board and the components associated with that area. The pot, the large capacitor and the placement of them on the board. Is the pot wired correctly and soldered to the correct area on the board? Is that capacitor good? Maybe change the cap for a new one? And that pot too.

Just check that large cap and how it is attached to the board. It goes between the top two rails. The lower rail is going to GROUND (if you follow the jumpers to the left of the chip they end up at the bottom of the board). Also, if you are using a polarised capacitor which is likely, is it attached the correct way around? The (+) symbol has supposed to go to the top rail.

ALSO... I wired a momentary OFF push button switch just before my power enters the board. By pushing and holding that button, you hear the capacitor slowly discharge. Well worth the cost of a cheap switch.

Snaper · Joined: Feb 28, 2014 Posts: 205 Location: Hungary

bamboombaps · Joined: Oct 23, 2015 Posts: 66 Location: Glasgow

elmegil · Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:05 pm Post subject:

I think your best bet is to email them.

There's a lot of noise going on in the community with a handful taking "open source" and naively chosen licenses to mean open season to make money from other people's work. My bet is they took them offline in an effort to protect themselves. But that's just a guess. Email and ask if you can get the files seems to be the best course. (If I had them I'd share privately, but I don't).

bamboombaps · Joined: Oct 23, 2015 Posts: 66 Location: Glasgow

i have done, theyre on holidays so just pinging it out to all channels while the fancy is still with me Smile