Problem with my Devi Ever Aenima (Updated with video)

[kbit]

Update 4/7/2011 - here's a video (oscillation is off)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0yftjOaG9U[/youtube]


Sometimes when I kick the pedal on, the volume pot is bypassed completely and the circuit it ridiculously loud. Clicking in off and back on again works sometimes, but not every time.

There has been an oscillation switch installed with two wires connected to the PCB, but this happens when the oscillation is disengaged.

When I opened it up to look inside it smelled as though something was shorting, however I can't find any bad wiring; however I did what appear to be burn marks (yellow discoloration) on some of the foot switch terminals, on the audio jacks, and on the PCB.

Does anyone know what the problem could be or how I could remedy a solution? I love this pedal dearly and I really hope I can fix whatever is wrong with it.

[Christopher]

check the ground connection on the volume pot (it will be one of the outside ones i think, possibly soldered to the backside of the pot itself) as well as the nut that holds it in
i think if that is loose the volume pot will be occasionally acting like just a resistor instead of a signal divider thingy

worth a try at least

[kbit]

I will check that out; thank you.

[McSpunckle]

I think that's flux residue, not burn marks. It's harmless.

Give all the wires a good tug. Looks like solid core, so a wire could have broken, or the solder connection broken from around it.

check the ground connection on the volume pot (it will be one of the outside ones i think, possibly soldered to the backside of the pot itself) as well as the nut that holds it in
i think if that is loose the volume pot will be occasionally acting like just a resistor instead of a signal divider thingy

worth a try at least

You're right, but that wouldn't make the pedal stop working. The volume control would just not turn down very much.

However, it looks like the board grounds through that connection too, so mayyybe.

[kbit]

All the wires feel solid, but when I move the wire that connects the volume pot to the pcb, I hear a faint clicking noise. This is also on the pot terminal where a wire is connected to the back of the pot. I'd take a picture but I can't find my memory card.

Bad wire?

[McSpunckle]

... I think I completely didn't read the first part of the OP. Meaning Christopher was 100% right, and I'm an idiot.

Try flowing some fresh solder on that connection and see what happens. Just sounds like a bad ground on the volume pot.

[kbit]

Haha no worries, thank you both. I'm not sure when the next time I'll have access to a soldering iron, but hopefully sometimes soon.
& there already seem to be a good amount of solder in the joint, should I desolder/resolder it to be safe?

[McSpunckle]

You don't really -need- to, but it's a good idea.

[kbit]

Alright thank you all

I'm gonna do this next time I have access to a soldering iron and all that jazz. I'll report back whenever I end up doing it.

[kbit]

So I replaced the wire and it's not better. The pedal now always has the volume pot bypassed.
I'm gonna try changing the pot, unless anyone else has any ideas?

Could the oscillation have caused this?

[McSpunckle]

Do you have a multimeter with a continuity setting? (srsly the most important thing). Check the ground connection at the pot. Turn the pot all the way down, and make sure the wiper(middle lug) is grounded to the enclosure.

To see if the pot is damaged, measure it. It should measure about 100K across the outer lugs.

[kbit]

I'll get a multimeter from somewhere.

The pot seems to be grounded from the outer lug to the back of the pot. The outer lug that also connects to the board. Should I add the additional ground from the middle lug or remove the first one before adding the new ground?

[McSpunckle]

You don't change any wires/connections. By turning the pot all the way down, the middle lug should connect to the ground lug and since the ground lug is connected to ground, the center lug would be too!

[kbit]

Oh haaa yeah I didn't know those two lugs were connected. Thank you
Now I just have to find a multimeter.

[Jero]

Oh haaa yeah I didn't know those two lugs were connected. Thank you

That's essentially what you are doing when rotating the pot
If there is a Harbor Freight type store near you, they have mmeters for cheap.
...& you can check continuity if you've got resistance measuring. The probes should read "0" when touched together. Knowing this, you can then check your wires, etc, by looking for the same reading. You know there's no break anywhere if you get the "0." Could also make a small tester, with a simple led/bulb and battery set-up.