I'm interested in learning how to build effects pedals and the like (maybe amps and stuff someday).
I'd like to start by building a fuzz pedal. But I don't want to build one of those kits with all the parts and instructions. I want to UNDERSTAND how they work. I want to get the parts from wherever and build MY OWN fuzz. Y'know?
I've tried looking stuff up online, and I always find these schematics that I can't understand for the life of me.
Where can I find the information "for dummies" that will help me get started on understanding these sorts of things?
Thank you all for your time.
I'd like to start by building a fuzz pedal. But I don't want to build one of those kits with all the parts and instructions. I want to UNDERSTAND how they work. I want to get the parts from wherever and build MY OWN fuzz. Y'know?
I've tried looking stuff up online, and I always find these schematics that I can't understand for the life of me.
Where can I find the information "for dummies" that will help me get started on understanding these sorts of things?
Thank you all for your time.
Iused to build all of my own fuzz devices and you can still get suitable parts from radio shack although their prices are quite a bit higher than mailorder.
I started my original design using the MXR distortion+ schematic and built one that was quieter and better sounding than the $90+ costing unit of the day I have a few links loaded with schematics and I will search them up for you.
jer
I started my original design using the MXR distortion+ schematic and built one that was quieter and better sounding than the $90+ costing unit of the day I have a few links loaded with schematics and I will search them up for you.
jer
Thanks, Jer, but my problem is I don't understand the schematics...
I wanna know where you guys learn these things from.
I wanna know where you guys learn these things from.
These should get you started if there is anything in particular that you are looking for just ask and I will do my best to help you find it!
jer
Blue Guitar Schematics
Guitar Effects Pedals, Schematics, Stompboxes & Electronic Projects
Guitar Effects Pedals, Schematics, Stompboxes & Electronic Projects
Free Schematics Schematic Diagrams
http://diystompboxes.com/pedals/schematics.html
jer
Blue Guitar Schematics
Guitar Effects Pedals, Schematics, Stompboxes & Electronic Projects
Guitar Effects Pedals, Schematics, Stompboxes & Electronic Projects
Free Schematics Schematic Diagrams
http://diystompboxes.com/pedals/schematics.html
I mostly learned from books that radio shack used to carry.
Now with the wonderful advent of the internet there are several good tutorial sights available, I use google alot!
I will find some good teaching links aswell.
jer
Now with the wonderful advent of the internet there are several good tutorial sights available, I use google alot!
I will find some good teaching links aswell.
jer
Here are a few good ones,
Learning Electronics : Free Electric Circuits Textbooks
Learn About Electronics - Home
Learn About Electronics - Home
I started with a few different versions of these aswell,
Electronics Learning Lab - RadioShack.com
Make: Online | Jeri Ellsworth shares the secret to learning electronics
This one should help,
Electronics Learning-Resources on the WWW
and there are much much more than these. jer
Learning Electronics : Free Electric Circuits Textbooks
Learn About Electronics - Home
Learn About Electronics - Home
I started with a few different versions of these aswell,
Electronics Learning Lab - RadioShack.com
Make: Online | Jeri Ellsworth shares the secret to learning electronics
This one should help,
Electronics Learning-Resources on the WWW
and there are much much more than these. jer
I am glad that you will find this info useful to you as it really inspires me to help people learn and to take on the world of DIY Electronics as I did when I was younger.
It seems that it is not as prevalent nowdays as it used to be when I started learning in the 70's but not impossible thanks to the internet.
I sure wish I had such tools when I first started as it would have been a whole lot faster and easier process!
The coolest thing that you will find as you start learning and become fluent with the terms and functions is that there are several good simulators available (free) aswell to aid you with your design without spending a small fortune in cash and time to find out if it will work or not.
Not to mention the cost of discourgement when it doesn't as this was my biggest downfall but I kept pushing on until I got it right!
Such tools were not readily availible until the last 15 or 20 years which may seem like a long time ago but it really isn't.
🙂 jer
It seems that it is not as prevalent nowdays as it used to be when I started learning in the 70's but not impossible thanks to the internet.
I sure wish I had such tools when I first started as it would have been a whole lot faster and easier process!
The coolest thing that you will find as you start learning and become fluent with the terms and functions is that there are several good simulators available (free) aswell to aid you with your design without spending a small fortune in cash and time to find out if it will work or not.
Not to mention the cost of discourgement when it doesn't as this was my biggest downfall but I kept pushing on until I got it right!
Such tools were not readily availible until the last 15 or 20 years which may seem like a long time ago but it really isn't.
🙂 jer
Last edited:
Thanks, also!
Thank you very much, this is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for as well. I'm pretty much completely ignorant of electronics, too, but I'm looking into recording some music and I really like the idea of building my own gear/fixing and modifying old equipment. In this day and age of everything being ready-made for the consumer, and electronic-schematic is intimidating to say the least!
Thank you very much, this is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for as well. I'm pretty much completely ignorant of electronics, too, but I'm looking into recording some music and I really like the idea of building my own gear/fixing and modifying old equipment. In this day and age of everything being ready-made for the consumer, and electronic-schematic is intimidating to say the least!
Yep, That is how I started out even though I now have the ready made stuff now.
You can DIY some really High Quality equipment if you don't mind doing the labor and still save a few bucks while being able to say "I Made that and it Sounds Great" and be able to make it look like you want it too aswell!!!
Keep on DIYing DIYer's !🙂 jer
You can DIY some really High Quality equipment if you don't mind doing the labor and still save a few bucks while being able to say "I Made that and it Sounds Great" and be able to make it look like you want it too aswell!!!
Keep on DIYing DIYer's !🙂 jer
Snuffy--
I'm learning too. This is my first diyaudio post after nearly a year of looking everyday. I think about a "how to get started in diy electronics" approach all the time. I like reading the "where do I start" threads. Finally decided to jump in on your query. Scale of 1 to 10, if you are a 1, and Nelson Pass (look him up!) is a 10, I am about a 1.25.
I started with the book Make:Electronics by Charles Platt. It goes from the basics of the basics to some fairly elaborate projects. Has great references. I also learned about parts suppliers and ordering from this book. Get this book and read the whole thing. Order all the parts catalogs. Parts catalogs are good. Get the breadboard, a cheap digital multimeter and a set of basic parts and do the projects.
For some good hands-on - assuming no experience, check out http://tangentsoft.net/ audio and electronics pages. Good tutorial videos on soldering etc. The CMOY headphone amplifier project is very well presented for the novice. Fun! I've made several. I'm just now finishing the PPAv2 headphone amp. Great learning project! Make some cmoy headphone amps for you and your friends.
Here's some good experiments and tutorials: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_6/index.html. Look at these! Cool! I'm working on the transistors tutorials. Baby talk spoon feeding without missing a beat. Great stuff.
This diyaudio forum is astonishing. Hang in here for a few hours ... astonishing people and a volcano of information.
For sure, plow in , read, surf, and read and surf some more. Get some books...they still work too. I look at Practical Electronics for Inventors at least once a week. Get this book. I've read almost all the pieces on http://www.passdiy.com and http://www.firstwatt.com I don't understand it all, but I'm learning the lingo, the feel and flow of electronics etc. I'm all over these great articles:DIY Audio Articles I just ordered an cheepo international version of The Art of Electronics off ebay. Highly recommended by everyone.
Build stuff. Do circuit experiments. Build some kits. Make a CMOY amp. Keep it cheap and simple while sorting it out.
I am on a audio/amplifier tangent. Seems like a way to learn the basics. I got back into electronics because my musician son wants to learn to build an analog synthesizer.... too much cool stuff in electronics. Gerald's links have opened another world....
Start with the basics. Enjoy it. It's extremely gratifying fun.
What do you think so far?
Walt
I'm learning too. This is my first diyaudio post after nearly a year of looking everyday. I think about a "how to get started in diy electronics" approach all the time. I like reading the "where do I start" threads. Finally decided to jump in on your query. Scale of 1 to 10, if you are a 1, and Nelson Pass (look him up!) is a 10, I am about a 1.25.
I started with the book Make:Electronics by Charles Platt. It goes from the basics of the basics to some fairly elaborate projects. Has great references. I also learned about parts suppliers and ordering from this book. Get this book and read the whole thing. Order all the parts catalogs. Parts catalogs are good. Get the breadboard, a cheap digital multimeter and a set of basic parts and do the projects.
For some good hands-on - assuming no experience, check out http://tangentsoft.net/ audio and electronics pages. Good tutorial videos on soldering etc. The CMOY headphone amplifier project is very well presented for the novice. Fun! I've made several. I'm just now finishing the PPAv2 headphone amp. Great learning project! Make some cmoy headphone amps for you and your friends.
Here's some good experiments and tutorials: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_6/index.html. Look at these! Cool! I'm working on the transistors tutorials. Baby talk spoon feeding without missing a beat. Great stuff.
This diyaudio forum is astonishing. Hang in here for a few hours ... astonishing people and a volcano of information.
For sure, plow in , read, surf, and read and surf some more. Get some books...they still work too. I look at Practical Electronics for Inventors at least once a week. Get this book. I've read almost all the pieces on http://www.passdiy.com and http://www.firstwatt.com I don't understand it all, but I'm learning the lingo, the feel and flow of electronics etc. I'm all over these great articles:DIY Audio Articles I just ordered an cheepo international version of The Art of Electronics off ebay. Highly recommended by everyone.
Build stuff. Do circuit experiments. Build some kits. Make a CMOY amp. Keep it cheap and simple while sorting it out.
I am on a audio/amplifier tangent. Seems like a way to learn the basics. I got back into electronics because my musician son wants to learn to build an analog synthesizer.... too much cool stuff in electronics. Gerald's links have opened another world....
Start with the basics. Enjoy it. It's extremely gratifying fun.
What do you think so far?
Walt
If you are into analog synth's then check out the company called PAIA they have been around since the mid 70's.
You can also find many sites on diy analog synth circuits aswell as the original schematics of the MOOG stuff and I have found some on the ARP synths as well.
Just google it up!
Cheers! jer
You can also find many sites on diy analog synth circuits aswell as the original schematics of the MOOG stuff and I have found some on the ARP synths as well.
Just google it up!
Cheers! jer
Well, that's how it all started! About a year ago, my son wanted to build the 9700s mod synth kit. So I started the learning track while surfing lots of synth sites. We built the Theramax as a Christmas project... it works! I wanted an amp for it....and that's what led me down the amp road. Still use a guitar amp for the theramax but I'd like to make a nice audio/music amp as well as something appropriate for the Theremax....
But it all started with PAIA (and MFOS...another great learning site. )
Jer have you done anything with diy synth?
Walt
No, not yet, Although have study everything about them through the years.
I did aquire a Multivox Analog Keyboard controller some years back and I have been wanting to make some modules for it.
I have a friend on here that has been making modules for people and he says that they have been making a big come back lately.
jer
I did aquire a Multivox Analog Keyboard controller some years back and I have been wanting to make some modules for it.
I have a friend on here that has been making modules for people and he says that they have been making a big come back lately.
jer
Last edited:
Wow. This is overwhelming. To start, besides some good books/links, what should I have? A soldering iron? A breadboard? A multimeter?
Those are good tools to start with. An O'scope is my favorite trouble shooting tool and an audio signal generator comes in handy too.
A bench supply is a must!
One can throw one together very cheaply using a center tapped transformer and some LM78xx and LM79xx regulator ic's.
A +- bipolar supply fixed or variable is a must for opamps,5 volt for digital circiuts and at least one 0v to 30v or 40v variable supply is nice for for transistor or power amp circuits and other misc. stuff.
They are a bit costly to buy but are nice.
But one would make a nice first project as they are very easy to make.
It is something that will be used forever.
I have had mine for over 25 years and it still works since the day I got it.
I certainly would be lost without it ,I don't know what would I have done without it (build one I guess), As I use it everyday!
Various signal generators as well I used to build them aswell until I finaly broke down and bought one from MCM.
If your budget allows a decent Oscilloscope is a godsend for sure.
Mine is a Hitachi 40mhz V-425 that has an onscreen measuring system and is super for a quick measure.
It is one of the first ones that ever came out at the time so it lacks the resolution of a good multimeter but it works, and, is still going strong even after 30years aswell.
Speaking of meters there are lots to choose from and the more funtions there are the more they cost but one that has frequency counter built in it is nice depending frequency range and the types of circuits you are doing.
It is good to have one good one ,and, Have a bunch of cheapy's laying around as somtimes you my find that you need several different measurements at once such as current measurements, which require you to have the meter connected in series with the circuit.
Also I burned a few out last summer when I was playing with some high voltage stuff and it would have been a shame to loose a $100+ meter over a $3 cheapy until I figured out what went wrong.
I salvage alot of my parts form old chassis so you need a good soldering gun aswell as some times an iron is just not hot enough,Although I did without for many years!
Dremel or some other type of high speed hand held drill is another godsend and I am completely lost without one.
Besides drilling boards my favorite tool is the fiber cutoff wheels I have yet to find any thing it can't go through like butter Besides titanium.
The list goes on as you know how it goes with tools.
But the ones I have first mentioned are a must.
If once you get going and you want to make your own boards,some free software and a laser printer and an old iron is all that is needed to do so.
I picked up my samsung CLP-300 for $60 on clearance a few years ago and it works nicely.
jer
One can throw one together very cheaply using a center tapped transformer and some LM78xx and LM79xx regulator ic's.
A +- bipolar supply fixed or variable is a must for opamps,5 volt for digital circiuts and at least one 0v to 30v or 40v variable supply is nice for for transistor or power amp circuits and other misc. stuff.
They are a bit costly to buy but are nice.
But one would make a nice first project as they are very easy to make.
It is something that will be used forever.
I have had mine for over 25 years and it still works since the day I got it.
I certainly would be lost without it ,I don't know what would I have done without it (build one I guess), As I use it everyday!
Various signal generators as well I used to build them aswell until I finaly broke down and bought one from MCM.
If your budget allows a decent Oscilloscope is a godsend for sure.
Mine is a Hitachi 40mhz V-425 that has an onscreen measuring system and is super for a quick measure.
It is one of the first ones that ever came out at the time so it lacks the resolution of a good multimeter but it works, and, is still going strong even after 30years aswell.
Speaking of meters there are lots to choose from and the more funtions there are the more they cost but one that has frequency counter built in it is nice depending frequency range and the types of circuits you are doing.
It is good to have one good one ,and, Have a bunch of cheapy's laying around as somtimes you my find that you need several different measurements at once such as current measurements, which require you to have the meter connected in series with the circuit.
Also I burned a few out last summer when I was playing with some high voltage stuff and it would have been a shame to loose a $100+ meter over a $3 cheapy until I figured out what went wrong.
I salvage alot of my parts form old chassis so you need a good soldering gun aswell as some times an iron is just not hot enough,Although I did without for many years!
Dremel or some other type of high speed hand held drill is another godsend and I am completely lost without one.
Besides drilling boards my favorite tool is the fiber cutoff wheels I have yet to find any thing it can't go through like butter Besides titanium.
The list goes on as you know how it goes with tools.
But the ones I have first mentioned are a must.
If once you get going and you want to make your own boards,some free software and a laser printer and an old iron is all that is needed to do so.
I picked up my samsung CLP-300 for $60 on clearance a few years ago and it works nicely.
jer
You must learn to crawl before you can walk. I strongly recommend you concentrate on the fundamentals of electricity before diving into electronics. For now, forget about learning to read complex schematics because just knowing which symbol means what won't do much good until you have a good understanding of how it functions and what it does. To get a good start, google "Ohms Law" and learn it thoroughly because without this knowlege, you won't be able to understand or do much of anything. Next you'll at least need to get ahold of a digital volt meter (DVM), it doesn't need to be expensive or elaborate, but should be capable of reading voltage, current(amperage), and resistance(ohms). Then find some light bulbs, batteries, resistors of various values, wire, switches and so forth, and experiment. At some point you'll have a "eureka" moment and it will all start to make sense. Then you can persue more lofty goals. And never be afraid to come here and ask questions, even if you think it's a "dumb" one. We all had to start at the beggining, nobody is born with knowlege or experience, and we're here to help.
Mike
Mike
Right Mike. Gotta start somewhere...such as at the beginning of the path. I'm still crawling down it. It's fun.
I highly recommend "Make Electronics" by Charles Platt.
It's a starter and will get you in deep pretty quickly. It starts with "light bulbs, batteries, resistors of various values, wire, switches and so forth" for sure!
Electronics seems to have a low barrier of entry...considering the great return... yet to really take advantage of the entire potential...you do need the right tools and equipment. And the money go get them and the time to use them! But you can do so much with so little, for starters.
Doing the first several of the book's projects took me a lonnggg way down a road of unending wonder, excitement and fun. Not just the projects, but all the sidebars into more research, web surfing, books, parts surfing, digging deeper etc. The book gets into the basic tools and a variety of components & parts to get going and learn the fundamentals and more. Look at that book like a key unlocking a lifetime of learning and satisfaction.
My only big "tool" purchase so far is a good soldering station, a Hakko 936. And an inexpensive meter (vellman dvm(?)) I had the basic hand tools...pliers, screwdrivers etc. I did get some tweezers, helping hands, a decent wire cutter etc. I did what the book suggested. It's not a lot to get going.
There are lots of great starter projects out there.
A very rewarding project for me was tangentsoft's cmoy headphone amp. Great info and tutorials on that site too. http://www.tangentsoft.net I just finished the PPA V2 headphone amp and am determined to use that as a learning laboratory.
This is a superb assembly of forums as it is...but maybe us rookies should start a "newcomers" forum here at diyaudio.
Walt
I highly recommend "Make Electronics" by Charles Platt.
It's a starter and will get you in deep pretty quickly. It starts with "light bulbs, batteries, resistors of various values, wire, switches and so forth" for sure!
Electronics seems to have a low barrier of entry...considering the great return... yet to really take advantage of the entire potential...you do need the right tools and equipment. And the money go get them and the time to use them! But you can do so much with so little, for starters.
Doing the first several of the book's projects took me a lonnggg way down a road of unending wonder, excitement and fun. Not just the projects, but all the sidebars into more research, web surfing, books, parts surfing, digging deeper etc. The book gets into the basic tools and a variety of components & parts to get going and learn the fundamentals and more. Look at that book like a key unlocking a lifetime of learning and satisfaction.
My only big "tool" purchase so far is a good soldering station, a Hakko 936. And an inexpensive meter (vellman dvm(?)) I had the basic hand tools...pliers, screwdrivers etc. I did get some tweezers, helping hands, a decent wire cutter etc. I did what the book suggested. It's not a lot to get going.
There are lots of great starter projects out there.
A very rewarding project for me was tangentsoft's cmoy headphone amp. Great info and tutorials on that site too. http://www.tangentsoft.net I just finished the PPA V2 headphone amp and am determined to use that as a learning laboratory.
This is a superb assembly of forums as it is...but maybe us rookies should start a "newcomers" forum here at diyaudio.
Walt
- Status
- Not open for further replies.