Rattlesnake Audio Probe.

Are you having a hard time finding out what component is failing or broken in your pedal project? This is where an audio test probe can be extremely valuable and easy to isolate a problem.

The Rattlesnake Audio Probe is a great tool for you DIY effect builders and modders out there. It allows you to probe the circuit establishing break points that let you know what the circuit is doing audibly. This is a great way to identify bad components or where there circuit is failing.

You simply connect a cable from the amp's input to the 1/4" jack on the probe. Connect a cable from guitar or signal generating device (could be a looper or instrument) into the input of the pedal. Insert the black (ground) probe somewhere in the circuit's ground (usually a screw hole on the enclosure chassis) then touch the red probe to the component. I usually tend to start at the input which should give you a clean, un-effected tone, then work down the trace until you identify a problem.

The probe is not meant for high voltage devices... it was designed to test simple 9V circuits like pedals.

Please check out the video below. This video shows how I used the Rattlesnake Audio Probe to diagnose a faulty IC in a old MXR Distortion+. The distortion was very "farty" and clearly something was wrong in the circuit. But where? Buy navigating the circuit, I was able to isolate at the IC. Once I determined that was the problem, I replaced the IC and the MXR Distortion+ was back to sounding great!