Pharaoh layout help

[El-even]

Hi guys,
I hope u can help me. I'm comming to you after days and days trying to debug my build with no results.
Resoldered it three times, changed diodes and trannies...

http://tagboardeffects.blogspot.fr/2012/02/black-arts-toneworks-pharaoh.html

My problems are my tone pot shut down the volume drastically when is set on full bass with highs pot full on.
And secundo, how the switch2 must be wiring? Can someone clearly explain me how to deal with this ******* switch please.(i'm lost with the highs 1&2 notes)

Please excuse me if i had making u cry some blood tears with my bad english, sorry

[rocket88]

Welcome aboard buddy. Typically if you're having trouble with a circuit you should post one of two places. First is add a comment where the layout is posted on the main page, the second place is if you post here in the "open forum" section you can start a new thread, and label it something like "_______ layout help", with the blank being whatever circuit you're working on.

Now, just to help you real quick. Sw2 is really easy. When you look at the middle 2 lugs, you're going to connect a wire from the middle left lug to the board where it's labeled sw2, and the middle right lug has a wire that goes to both lugs 1&2 on the highs pot. When you see a wire labeled with 2 differentiate of a pot they means those lugs are connected. Read through the offboard To see how to wire the pot, and the on/off stomp switch.

No worries on the broken English, everyone here is from all over the world. I also took down the other time you asked this in the modified pharaoh thread. No harm, no foul man.

[El-even]

Thanks a lot rocket,
I note your advice for posting at the right place

For the switch, i've soldering the switch like you mentionned, but, what's the deal with the pcb "highs 1&2" label? Should i wiring it to pot too or ignore it?

Without wiring it the sound is loud and massive but the tone and highs pots have some troubles...
if i'm on full highs and roll down the tone, it seems work until passing 1/10, below that the volume drop dramatically
Is it normal?
The most audible is in germanium mode
Litlle less audible in silicon
And no volume change on no diodes

I'm talking of the eq pots interaction, not of the switching diode volume drop

[rocket88]

You shouldn't have a volume drop like that. On the board the wire labeled highs 1&2 means that you need to run the wire to both lugs of the pot, just like how I mentioned you need to on the switch. Is that how you did it? If not that could be the issue.

With the germanium diodes on you're going to have a less output then the silicon diodes, and when you have no diodes in the circuit it will be massively loud to say the least. I'll spare the technical explainations sent why.

[El-even]

I've done the solders like u said, tone and highs works fine and the fuzz sounds huge, thx rocket ;)

Just to confirm; the eq is very subtile right? Far away from a big muff in exemple?
Just to "peaufiner" (don't have the word in english) the global setup tone.

[rocket88]

I have a real one, that I could compare it too. The tone knob is just like a regular big muff tone pot, so can go from muffled to fairly bright, the highs knob helps dial back in some mids. It can be subtle, but if everything else is working right then, if should be fine. Glad you're up and running and happy with your build.

[El-even]

Nope, i'm far far away from a muff tone pot... Like he did almost nothing, i have vaguely  suposition he did something but really imperceptible since i've wiring a second link between pcb and tone pot.

This is what i've done now:
One link from pcb "sw2" to switch,
a second link from switch to highs pot lugs 1&2
and a third link from pcb "highs 1&2" to Highs pot lugs 1&2

But without this third link, i return to the initial point where tone works like a muff tone,
Highs works also,
Pedal seems louder
and the issue: "volume disapear when i'm under 1 on 10 with the tone pot and highs full on. Most audible on GE mode,less on SI, etc..."

Pot issue, component... This build turn me mad


Ps: i'm thinking at maybe a tone pot problem... But it's a brand new alpha pot B25k

[rocket88]

Take some good pictures of your board, the top, bottom, and wiring so I can take a look. Will be easier to see if something is wiring wrong or in the wrong place.

[El-even]

HOLY S**T
Like i manipulate the board to take pictures, something certainly moved and now the pedal works

Set tone to 0,highs to 6, diggin dragonaut riffs with and...ouch, this is f***in brutal, F****N BRUTAL!!!

The problem, i don't know what has caused the issue
Anyway
I've put in some foam, closed it, screwed it and sealed this magic box forever without no more trouble i hope

Thank you very, very much rocket88 for your help and attention

[rocket88]

no worries buddy, just glad to help. if the when you moved the board and the effect works that would lead me to think you've got a lose wire. check all the joints for your wires.

definitely check the two wires that are on the right side, by the burn mark. it doesn't look good to me. also, make sure you don't have any bridges there.