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Hi,

this is my first post and I didn't find this topic in the forum. I just completed my Super 8 looper build over the weekend. I tested everything before installing PCB in enclosure, per the instructions and youtube video. All seemed ok. I got signals through all the send/receive jacks and both the buffered and non-buffered inputs. All LEDs work and seemed to function properly. I even loaded a preset or two and that seemed to work as well.

I placed the board in the enclosure, got all the LEDs in place (a couple were a problem, but overall not as bad as expected) and soldered them. When I went to use the now finished looper I noticed that the Preset Mode Green LED does not light. I know for a fact that it did before placing it in the enclosure. However the Preset function seems to work. I did notice another anomaly with Preset. When I go into Preset Mode (even without the LED functioning) and select a preset I programmed, the green LED for that preset lights, but when I then switch to Bypass or to Loop mode, the preset light remains lit.

So I am wondering what could have gone wrong when I put PCB in enclosure. I was extremely careful and took my time. And of course now that all the LEDs are soldered (I still have not trimmed the leads as they are not touching or shorting) I really don't want to pull it all apart.

Could the Microcontroller be defective?

Thanks,

First off, a well-lit, in-focus picture of the opened up enclosure would help us help you. Make sure all of your component leads are trimmed nice and short and nothing is shorting out against the bottom of the enclosure. Look for wires pinched between the pcb and the enclosure wall. If you can, check continuity across the two solder terminals for the green preset mode LED (continuity there would indicated a short such as the leads being bent and touching each other).

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

Hi Morgan,

The Preset Mode LED is shorted. I get continuity on the leads. I have to assume the leads bent and touched when I placed in the enclosure. Do you think this would also cause the odd behavior of the preset LEDs remaining on when in Loop Mode?

I guess I will try my best to desolder the Preset Mode LED but only have access from top of PCB so this will be difficult. Any suggestions. I've attached a pic of that side of the PCB.

There are no pinched wires that I can see and I have not trimmed any of the LED leads yet, but none of them are touching any other components and they are too short to touch the enclosure

Thanks.

It doesn't look like it to me. The preset LED runs off its own pin off the micro controller.


Hold off on that for a bit. I'm going to see if anyone else has any good ideas to repair that.

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

Can you explain this in more detail? Do the green preset LEDs ever turn off then?

For instance, here is a normal operation example:

In preset mode, for preset 2 I have loops 5 and 8 programmed. For preset 4, I have loops 4 and 8 programmed.

In preset mode, when I step on preset 2, the green Preset LED, the green preset 2 LED, the red loop 5 LED, and the red loop 8 LED are all lit. When I step on the bypass switch, the two loop 5 and 8 red LEDs turn off, but the green preset mode and preset 2 LEDs remain lit (telling me that I'm in preset mode in program 2, but all loops are bypassed). If I then step on switches 2, 4, and 6, the Super8 switches to bypass mode, the two green preset mode and preset 2 LEDs switch off, and the red Loop LED turns on. At that point, the red Loop LED is the only LED that is on. Is that how yours works, with the exception of the green Preset LED not lighting?

Basically, when you are in preset mode and you step on switches 2, 4, and 6, to switch to bypass mode, all green LEDs should turn off.

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

I desoldered the Preset Mode LED and pulled the leads back up from the top of PCB. The short went away and the LED now lights when in Preset Mode. The LED is now out of its hole and closer to the PCB but I can see it through the hole so while not ideal I am just going to leave as is.

The Preset LEDs staying lit while in Loop Mode is still an issue, and when switching from Loop Mode to Preset Mode or vice versa the previous Mode's memory is not being stored.

For example, if I am in loop mode and hit bypass so nothing is on I then switch to Preset Mode and select Preset 2 that has loops 1, 5, 6 & 8 on. I switch back to loop mode and expect to be back in bypass but loops 1,5,6 & 8 stay on as well as Preset light 2. If I turn off loops 1 & 5 leaving on loops 5 & 8 then switch back to Preset mode, the Preset light 2 is still on (won't turn off until another preset is selected) and loops 5 & 8 remain on.

My understanding is micro controller would remember the last status of each mode and when you switch to that mode it recalls that status.

Morgan,

Our posts were passing each other. When a preset is selected it's Green Preset LED lights and will not go out until I select another preset. The last selected preset LED stays lit even when I switch to Loop Mode. The Preset Mode LED and Loop Mode LEDs function properly each comes on when switched into its mode and the other mode LED turns off. (only one mode LED lights at a time)

The memory function seems to be the issue. I can store presets, recall presets, bypass works, the loops work, but the previous state that a mode was in is not "remembered"; the current state of the loops is carried over when switching modes.

I can only believe that this is an issue with the micro controller. Maybe the programming didn't work or IC is bad?

It sounds to me that you have a newer program in the micro controller. A few months back, there was a discussion about changing the program so that when you went from preset mode to loop mode, it would keep the programmed loops on so that you can easily add something to the selected program in a live situation. If you do have one of these reprogrammed chips, I don't know if BYOC decided to change the operation for all kits, or if you were accidentally shipped a reprogrammed chip.

Compare your opertation to this discussion thread: http://www.byocelectronics.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=50534&hilit=super8

if you find that your kit performs like the discussed changes and you don't want that, you should contact BYOC. I'll try and get them to weigh in on here.

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

You might want to try pulling the Preset Mode LED all the way up through the PCB as far as it will come and straighten out the legs, since I suspect your short occurred because the legs "kinked" during installation and ended up in contact. Pulling the leads up probably straightened them enough to relieve the contact condition. But if you can pull them up far enough to bend them (nearly) straight again--using some de-soldering braid to get the legs cleaned off is likely a necessity to achieve this--you may find that you can re-insert the LED into its enclosure hole. I had a similar experience while assembling my Super 8--it took some time, patience and finagling to get the alignment right, but I was finally able to get the LED in its proper place.

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“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

That sounds like it's working correctly. I personally thought is was a good idea to have the state of the previous mode be recalled when switching back to that mode, but the this didn't seem to be the general consensus. So we modified the program so that it was more "change on the fly in a live situation" friendly. All the Super8's in the last batch have the new program. These would be any kits with NAiS brand relays. There may be some out there with Motorola or the orange relays (I can't remember what brand those are), but anything with NAiS in them would definitely have the latest program.

Anyhow...if you don't like the way it functions, you can send your chip back to us and we'll put the previous program on it. I also don't like that the green light stays on when you switch over to loop mode, so I'll be changing that in the current version. My thinking at the time was that the user would want to know what preset they were making changes to when they switch over to loop mode. That feature doesn't seem as useful to me now. Email sales@buildyourownclone.com and we'll get you taken care of. Let us know if you want the old version that recalls the state of the previous mode, or the latest version that turns off the preset light when you switch over to loop mode.

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*patience is a virtue*

Please do not PM me. email is prefered. keith@buildyourownclone.com

Now that I know I am not crazy and it is functioning as designed I am ok with it. If I decide I can't live with the Preset light staying on in loop mode I will contact sales and send back the chip to be re-programmed. I am just a basement player so as long as i know how it functions it is ok.


Thanks for all your help.