The last time I posted to this forum, I was just beginning to understand basic electricity. As I have been infected with the concept of the DIY amplifier, I have now consumed several books (I've really been reading and calculating nonstop-- much to the dismay of my wife and my employer) relating to DC / AC circuits and theory (Ohm's Law, etc.) and I have only become more intrigued.
I have thought about Velleman kits and the like, but I am anxious to get my hands on a real amplifier. Since Big Parsnip, newbie1 and cabbaqerat offered up the concept of the Gainclone as a possible low-cost first project, I have been devouring posts in the Gainclone thread on this forum.
Although I have read many posts (it seems like I've read them all, but theres so many...) concerning the Gainclone, I still have questions that I need answered. Please PLEASE excuse me if these have been asked and answered before-- I really think that they have been in some respoects but, being a newbie, I will need to be taken a bit further down the road than most. OK, here goes:
Stupid question 1:
I think I would like to use the design on the Decibel Dungeon site for the inverted Gainclone, but his parts list is going to be a tad expensive for me. I think that I have seen threads that indicate you can cut back on the quality of certain parts (maybe the capacitors, but not the resistors?), but I'd like some input on that. Also, if anyone has a BUDGET parts list, I would be interested to see it (Note: I have seen parts lists on posts that are certainly "budget" lists, but its something like "2 capacitors - $.50 each", and I'd like to know what was compromised and what caps they used).
Stupid question 2:
There are a lot of schematics for the Gainclone circuit available and they're all pretty straightforward (Peter Daniel's, guy from Decibel Dungeon's, Thorsten's), but I really need more guidance on the power supply.
Toroids seem to be the most popular, but I understand that some people employ one supply for each channel (recommendations range from 80V to 160V per) while others are satisfied with one power supply for the whole shebang (ranging from 240V to 500V?!?).
How can there be such a difference in the recommended supply voltages and numbers? I would like to keep it simple, but I would also like to constcut a power supply that I could conceivably use in other projects.
Can anyone post a straightforward schematic that would make a appropriate middle-of-the-road power supply for either the Decibel Dungeon or Peter Daniel's Gainclone schematic? (I know that Peter has an excellent power supply schematic for his Gainclone, but its pretty high voltage and a little expensive).
I have more questions that have not yet formed, but I wanted to get these out of the way first.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
I have thought about Velleman kits and the like, but I am anxious to get my hands on a real amplifier. Since Big Parsnip, newbie1 and cabbaqerat offered up the concept of the Gainclone as a possible low-cost first project, I have been devouring posts in the Gainclone thread on this forum.
Although I have read many posts (it seems like I've read them all, but theres so many...) concerning the Gainclone, I still have questions that I need answered. Please PLEASE excuse me if these have been asked and answered before-- I really think that they have been in some respoects but, being a newbie, I will need to be taken a bit further down the road than most. OK, here goes:
Stupid question 1:
I think I would like to use the design on the Decibel Dungeon site for the inverted Gainclone, but his parts list is going to be a tad expensive for me. I think that I have seen threads that indicate you can cut back on the quality of certain parts (maybe the capacitors, but not the resistors?), but I'd like some input on that. Also, if anyone has a BUDGET parts list, I would be interested to see it (Note: I have seen parts lists on posts that are certainly "budget" lists, but its something like "2 capacitors - $.50 each", and I'd like to know what was compromised and what caps they used).
Stupid question 2:
There are a lot of schematics for the Gainclone circuit available and they're all pretty straightforward (Peter Daniel's, guy from Decibel Dungeon's, Thorsten's), but I really need more guidance on the power supply.
Toroids seem to be the most popular, but I understand that some people employ one supply for each channel (recommendations range from 80V to 160V per) while others are satisfied with one power supply for the whole shebang (ranging from 240V to 500V?!?).
How can there be such a difference in the recommended supply voltages and numbers? I would like to keep it simple, but I would also like to constcut a power supply that I could conceivably use in other projects.
Can anyone post a straightforward schematic that would make a appropriate middle-of-the-road power supply for either the Decibel Dungeon or Peter Daniel's Gainclone schematic? (I know that Peter has an excellent power supply schematic for his Gainclone, but its pretty high voltage and a little expensive).
I have more questions that have not yet formed, but I wanted to get these out of the way first.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.