# Pedal repair in Ottawa? :(



## Greenbacker (Mar 29, 2007)

Hey guys.

So I bought an older big box EH Micro Synthesizer online. It came in and it's a dud. I went through all of the typical troubleshooting steps: plugged only into the pedal (not the rest of my board), checked all cables, clicked the switch, switched the input/output cables, moved all the sliders into many different positions, checked my guitar...

Eventually, once I cranked my amp and loaded the front end of the pedal with a maxed OD pedal, I did get the slightest synthy sound, but we're talking a tiny, tiny whisper through a cranked Bassman amp that you can only hear in a quiet room and it's about as loud as the noise the amp is making at that volume. The bypass switch didn't seem to have any effect on whether or not this whisper of effect was on or off. 

So, unfortunately, there seems to be something seriously wrong with this pedal. It's too bad. I was really excited about it.

Does anybody know anybody that might take a look at this thing in Ottawa? Maybe even Montreal? ANY help would be very much appreciated. Thanks.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Member here Mark Hammer... he'll probably pipe up ....


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> Member here Mark Hammer... he'll probably pipe up ....


Yes, mhammer (Mark Hammer) has been able to "walk" many forum members through pedal repairs, especially if they are a simple fix. In preparation, you might want to take some fairly detailed pics of the inside of the pedal (i.e., circuit board) as he will need these pics to guide you.

Good Luck on getting it to work.

Cheers

Dave


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Yeesh, talk about peer pressure!!

Given the age and 2nd-hand nature of the pedal, do you have any sense that perhaps the stompswitch has been replaced? I'll start there, because it is an all-too-common occurrence that folks installing stompswitches in a fit of I-must-have-true-bypass-or-I-shall-surely-die apply way too much heat to the switch and the grease inside liquifies and coats the contacts, insulating them or at least turning what ought to be a low-impedance path/contact into a much higher-impedance one.

The "sign" would be the presence of a 3PDT stompswitch, since the old big-box ones did not use such a switch, as far as I know. (though more recent big-box re-issues likely did). This is not necessarily the problem, but the symptoms you describe make it one of the reasonable possibilities to start with.

How could you tell if it WAS? One way is to solder wires from the in and out jacks to the switch terminals where the circuit board connects; i.e., you'll connect the board itself directly to the jacks, essentially bypassing the bypass. If the pedal comes alive, then clearly your problem is situated in the switch. If it doesn't, we'll take it from there and pursue another line of inquiry.

...or you can bring it to the guys at Spaceman.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Many thanks Mark...Sorry if I "spoke" (wrote) out of turn and subjected you to unexpected peer pressure. I think I (and very likely "we") have come to depend on your expertise and generosity with helping others. I "jumped the gun" with my post ....in my feeble attempt to be helpful.

Cheers

Dave


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2012)

mhammer said:


> ...or you can bring it to the guys at Spaceman.


+1 -- Spaceman is where I'd recommend taking it if self-diagnosis fails.


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## Greenbacker (Mar 29, 2007)

Wow. Thanks so much guys. And thanks for the recommendations Ian and Mark. I was thinking Spaceman actually but I've never dealt with their repair dept before. It seems like a couple of guys here who really know their stuff have though, so that's what I'll do. I'll keep you guys posted. 

I had the back off the thing briefly last night. (I don't know much about soldering and such but I do know what a severed wire looks like.) The pedal seems to be a later reissue micro synth. Maybe from the '90s. Two stacked green circuit boards, but no 3PDT switch. It looks original to me. It looks like the switches I've seen in their other older pedals. (2PDT, I think?)

Thanks again guys! This forum is truly the best.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Do you have or have access to a meter?


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## Greenbacker (Mar 29, 2007)

I do have one actually. Biased an amp with it a few years ago, the tubes fried in a week. Haven't touch it, or electronics since. Haha. Similar experience with soldering.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Okay. I'll dig up a gutshot of the unit and see if I can identify some recognizable spots on the board for you to measure a few simple things. The worst case scenario is that you bring it in somewhere with a bit of technical info to expedite the troubleshooting.


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## Greenbacker (Mar 29, 2007)

That's amazing. Thanks Mark! If I can provide some photos or anything, let me know. I don't mind taking it in to Spaceman. It'd b good to have someone with some technical know-how get their eyes on it.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

So here's the best gutshots I've been able to find so far. You'll need to scroll down: freestompboxes.org &bull; View topic - EH - Micro Synth
I'll keep digging, and ask around.


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## Greenbacker (Mar 29, 2007)

Nice shots! Mine is much later than this one but similar. I can take some pics like this for sure. And thank you again for looking into this!


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

If you can take some gutshots of the component side of the board, that would be great. I know my way around the circuit reasonably well, based on the schematic. The knowledge gap is what on the schematic corresponds to what on the physical board. Once we have some appropriate test points identifed, and benchmarks to aim for, we should be in good shape.


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