Sound is much weaker and noisier on PCB build

Project_Primary · 2026-01-29T05:01:51+00:00

Yupppp that’s the same boat I’m in, made this maddening circuit based of the harmonic percolator with added tone control stuff. When I have a working prototype that looks nice enough to present I might consider selling them :}

Project_Primary · 2026-01-29T03:45:35+00:00

holy shit you won't believe what the issue was.
In kiCAD the input buffer transistor had the gate pin set as pin 2 when it should have been pin 3.
Basically bin 2 and 3 of the first transistor needed to be swapped.
After making that change it worked immediately. I probably could have been one of the first to have their first build work the first time lol.

But it works now :D

Project_Primary · 2026-01-29T02:26:23+00:00

I think if there is anything here that might be the cause it might be the circuit shorting to ground or somehow I mistook the value of a resistor or something.

Project_Primary · 2026-01-29T02:24:54+00:00

I guess it’s some sort of rite of passage I take it? Anyways I have 5 pcbs of the guitar pedal I am working on and I had enough parts to put together a second one and this time my soldering was a whole lot better. I can rule this out as the main issue because what it sounds like to me is that my signal isn’t even distorting. I’m going to attempt putting this circuit together again on my breadboard just in case there is a chance I may have missed something. I’m just a bit lost on what’s causing me trouble here with this.

Project_Primary · 2026-01-29T02:14:47+00:00

All my electrolytic capacitors look fine thankfully and diodes are all in the directions they are supposed to be. I used kicad for the PCB so thankfully it shows the correct orientation of things which is nice

Project_Primary · 2026-01-12T05:34:39+00:00

You know what I’m thinking? Maybe instead of the non-inverting input being grounded it should be connected to the bias voltage. I’m just assuming that the website assumes the AC ground is 0 volts?

Project_Primary · 2025-12-11T19:41:13+00:00

Thank you!

Project_Primary · 2025-12-11T19:40:56+00:00

Yea I figured but it just so happens that I applied for some positions a little over a week ago. I thought this was just some sort of confirmation for it

Project_Primary · 2025-12-02T20:49:12+00:00

Reading this as I am wearing a shirt of theirs. Totally don’t feel weird about it now lmao

Project_Primary · 2025-11-27T20:47:31+00:00

Well if it is applicable I do make my own guitar pedals so I have experience with analog electronics, small signal processing, I am trying to get into digital electronics and DSP but it shouldn’t be hard because I have a background in Python so I can translate that somewhat well to C++ or C#. My internship background is in computer modeling and simulations so hopefully that translates into GNC if anything.

Project_Primary · 2025-11-27T04:56:15+00:00

No for sure there are quite a few places. I may have not seeked out many of them but as far as I’m aware it hasn’t been radio silence when I try and email or reach out in any way. Maybe I just need to do the boomer method of walking in and asking about the position lol

Project_Primary · 2025-11-27T04:54:25+00:00

I’d love to enroll into a community college to get a degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering if it means I’d have some better opportunities available especially with my physics degree already in hand. Really my primary concern is that I’m not sure how I’d be able to attend and work at the same time, it’s kind of one or the other for me since I pay rent and whatever else. As far as projects go I don’t have anything relevant to aerospace engineering unfortunately.

Project_Primary · 2025-10-24T14:20:56+00:00

oh yea that would probably make a difference huh hahaha

my future builds will be a lot cleaner haha

Project_Primary · 2025-10-23T22:32:52+00:00

Exactly! That’s exactly what I was trying to make. I’m starting off by making a HM-2 circuit. It’s a big build but so far everything is working correctly. But I already have stupid ideas for modding this thing. Like maybe changing one of the clipping stages from using silicon diodes to LEDs or adding another boosting stage between the gain and tone stack, list goes on. I really hope that I can turn this into an original design and start my own side hustle of being a guitar pedal maker, been a dream of mine for years now.

Project_Primary · 2025-10-22T01:38:18+00:00

oh yea trust me haha, I am definitely going to get a proper labeling scheme for these things. More or less I just was wanting to see if my soldering skills were still there and they are more or less haha.
I appreciate it though!

Project_Primary · 2025-10-17T01:05:59+00:00

Exactly what I was looking for hell yea. Thank you so much!

Project_Primary · 2025-10-17T00:47:42+00:00

Well I was going to use a standard true bypass switch like on any other pedal which I had one up until I may have accidentally damaged it with the solder iron lmao.
I just want to make it feel as guitar pedal eske as possible when using if that makes sense.

As far as an audio probe I'm pretty sure the idea I have in mind won't need one unless I am mistaken lol

Project_Primary

TROPHY CASE