My First Build

[john blackburn]

No worries Nurbit.

If you want some good reading try these.

Decibel Dungeon DIY hi-fi index.
Elliott Sound Products - The Audio Pages (Main Index)

Decibel Dungeon is the website that first had me asking "what's a gainclone then?" I have more amplifiers than rooms in my house now and it is all Nuuks fault.

Buy a big bag of the cheapest resistors and make some stickmen.
Resistor man
You will be glad of the twisting and soldering practice when it comes to weaving a P2P amp, and you will have some stickmen so it is win win.

John

 

[Nurbit]

Hahaha
oddly enough, I have been planning to build some resistor men but I allways seem to end up playing with the amp... strange eh

I have read decibel dungeon several times but haven't seen Elliott Sounds so I'll have a good read though it.

I've done some point to point stuff before but only when I've been in a rush and couldn't be bothered to use stripboard although now I've started etching my own boards I can stop trying to plan stipboard circuits.

I do have another question though....

For my PSU, I've used a 6A rectifier and a 4700uf cap
Other people seem to use power diodes and several caps

Is the rectifier I've used ok and should I add more capacitors? I assume they're used when the amp needs the extra power for a loud bit????

I lied, I have 2 questions.....

How do I add a volume knob to control both amps?

 

[geraldfryjr]

Very Cool,
Just a note for when you make your next boards, You can touch up the spots were the toner didn't stick or lifted off using a Black Permanent marking pen.
Also you can use some heavy card stock as a straight edge mask should you need to touch up any long edges.
I just did my first two boards the other day using the laser printer method and they turned out great even though I did have too touch them up a bit!

Good Luck!!
jer

 

[Nurbit]

Thanks Jer

I did actually try touching them up but didn't realise I'd used the wrong pen until it was too late.
I thought I'd used a permanent but hadn't.
Oh well, I know for next time

 

[danielwritesbac]

I have noticed that without an input source, the speaker hums like mad but stops when I plug an audio cable in, even with no music being played.

Your input load is missing. Buy a potentiometer.

. . . How do I add a volume knob to control both amps?

Buy a "dual gang" (stereo) potentiometer for your volume control. I'd use alpha B10k but that's just opinion. That makes 10k input load, the line level spec. Quite a few options are workable. Rod Elliot's site has a lot on applying volume controls.

 

[danielwritesbac]

No worries Nurbit.
If you want some good reading try these.
Decibel Dungeon DIY hi-fi index.. . .

That's excellent John!
The outcome is usually nice sounding stable amplifiers that don't need an equalizer. Good job!