No sound when pedal is off

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djspecialistdjspecialist Frets: 901
I just bought a pedal which was advertised as needing some work.  Having given it a quick test:

- when the effect is on, it works fine (sound is effected as expected, and the LED is on)
- when the effect is off, no sound comes through

My guess is a problem with the footswitch.  Can someone in the know tell me how I can confirm this?

I have never built a pedal and don't really know electronics, but I can solder and possess a multimeter.  Do I have a chance of fixing it?
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  • DesVegasDesVegas Frets: 4510
    Pop it in a loop and keep it on all the time?
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  • Which pedal?
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  • DesVegas said:
    Pop it in a loop and keep it on all the time?
    I don't have a loop switcher.
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  • Which pedal?
    Rawk-D ODS
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  • Which pedal?
    Rawk-D ODS
    Google says these have a standard 3PDT footswitch with flying cables. Pop the back off and double check that all the footswitch connections are sound.

    This should be a really easy fix regardless, even if a new footswitch is needed. 
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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    Check for any obvious loose wires etc. You could try running a solder iron over the contacts on the switch and reheating the joints. I picked up a pedal cheap recently that had a similar problem. Couldn't identify any obvious cause and ended up methodically working through reheating all the solder joints on the switch, jacks and PCB. Took 10-15 mins and not sure where the fault lay, but when I plugged it in it worked perfectly.
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26754
    edited October 2017
    Which pedal?
    Rawk-D ODS
    Google says these have a standard 3PDT footswitch with flying cables. Pop the back off and double check that all the footswitch connections are sound.

    This should be a really easy fix regardless, even if a new footswitch is needed. 
    Yeah this. It's probably the switch itself. If n doubt, reflow all the foot switch connections. If it still doesn't work, replace the switch.

    It could be that it had a dead switch replaced by the owner, who then melted the new one (easy to do if you're not used to soldering) and then figured it was beyond him when it still didn't work.
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • Cheers Fretboarders.  I'll break out the soldering iron and report back.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    edited October 2017
    If the bypass is done the standard *wrong* way with a short jumper link connecting both bypass terminals, it's quite likely that only one of the contacts has failed. You can bridge that one permanently and the pedal (and the bypass) will now work fine.

    To find which it is, simply set the pedal to bypass with the bottom open so you can get at the switch, and bridge each of the bypass connections with the tip of a screwdriver while playing through it. The one that makes it work is the bad one.

    In this illustration, bridge either the lower two in the left column or the lower two in the middle column.

    http://www.muzique.com/news/images/3PDT_3.jpg

    Yes, I know this is how probably 99% of true bypass footswitches are wired, as well as most diagrams showing how to do them, but it's *still* wrong!

    By sending the bypass through both switch poles in series you double the chance of a switch failure for no good reason.

    If it's *not* wired like this but is one of the better schemes and the switch has still failed, you'll need to replace it.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • The problem is with the white wire which runs up the right hand side of the picture below.  If i wiggle it around, the signal comes in and cuts out.



    Here is a close-up of the switch:



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  • I couldn't map that onto the diagram @ICBM posted - but randomly bridging pairs of adjacent terminals seemed to have no effect.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    That's basically the same but the two poles in the audio circuit are on opposite sides instead of next to each other, and the jumper is done with a zero-ohm 'resistor'. If wiggling the wire on the right makes it come and go, cut back a bit of the insulation on it and solder it to the lower right terminal as well.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • I removed that wire completely, replaced it - and hey presto, it works :)

    Only thing is that it seems to suck a bit of top end and overall level when bypassed.
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  • The other thing is that when connected to the amp, powered and in bypass, but with no input jack plugged it, there is a loud jagged buzz.  That goes away completely when the input is plugged in.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    I removed that wire completely, replaced it - and hey presto, it works :)

    Only thing is that it seems to suck a bit of top end and overall level when bypassed.
    That may mean there is still resistance in the signal path. Try connecting it to the other terminal and see if it fixes that.

    The other thing is that when connected to the amp, powered and in bypass, but with no input jack plugged it, there is a loud jagged buzz.  That goes away completely when the input is plugged in.
    That's normal, because the input is an open circuit in bypass.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • tampaxbootampaxboo Frets: 487
    edited October 2017
    Body is required.

    i am the hired assassin... the specialist. i introduce myself to you... i'm a sadist.
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  • Hmm, maybe I was too hasty claiming that it works.  Toggling the switch, sometimes I get signal when in bypass and sometimes not.  I can see the pin which I resoldered moving slightly when the switch is operated.
    ICBM said:

    Try connecting it to the other terminal and see if it fixes that.
    Do I need it to be connected to both terminals on the right side, or can I simply move it from the middle to the bottom?
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  • I added a jumper (somewhat inexpertly):



    The switch now works, but the tone suck is still there.  Should I resolder all the pins?
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71963
    No.

    Try bridging the other two bypass contacts (lower left pair) with a screwdriver or something. If the tone suck goes away you're going to need to replace the switch because you can't jumper both sides.

    If it's not that the problem is somewhere else. Do the jacks have shakeproof washers fitted and/or are they properly tight?

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Well, ten months later I decided to replace the switch and ... the problem is still there :(

    Here are some gut shots with the new switch installed:
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/2P75HJ3iNCNtDRkh9

    Sounds fine when engaged but has a lot of tone suck when bypassed.

    ICBM said:

    If it's not that the problem is somewhere else. Do the jacks have shakeproof washers fitted and/or are they properly tight?

    AFAICS, the jacks are nice and tight.

    What else can I try?
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