Advice needed!!

Phix · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:14 am Post subject: Advice needed!!

Hullo

I'm hoping to get some advice about building my own noise making devices. Smile

I have a background in electronics and used to build and repair the odd guitar pedal for my mates when I was young but I'm really (really really) rusty now (not picked up a soldering iron in about 8 years). Shocked

Recently I've started to realise how much I miss building stuff, problem is that I'm not sure how to get back into it, can anyone suggest where to start? Any good books or simple kits to practise on, I'm worried about wrecking anything too expensive!! Embarassed

Any advice would be fab Smile

Cheers

Emma

Coriolis · Joined: Apr 11, 2005 Posts: 616 Location: Stilling, Denmark

Hi Phix

If you want to start by brushing up on your guitarfx skills (one way to get back to building), you should of course go here first:
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/

...if you didn't already know.

Or (this is the standard answer to people who want to get started with this stuff Wink

) build a WSG:
http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/YOUR_FIRST_SYNTH/WSG_Reborn/WEIRDSOUNDGENERATORREBORN.html

Loads of people have built this, and as you may have noticed, there is a musicfromouterspace support forum right here.

Oh, and do like the clever people here say, and get a breadboard!

Hope this helps, and happy building!
(btw: you know DIY electronics is a real quagmire, right? Wink

)

C

Phix · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:45 am Post subject:

The WSG looks awesome, think I'm gonna have a go at that Smile

Thanks for the advice Very Happy

LetterBeacon · Joined: Mar 18, 2008 Posts: 454 Location: London, UK

I too haven't done any electronics for a very very long time (not since school about 12 years ago) and am very rusty about even the basics. I've pretty much built the WSG (got it to make noises, but still need to troubleshoot the filter section), but despite learning loads whilst making it, I feel like I made most of it from following instructions rather than making it because I completely understood the circuit (if that makes sense). Can anyone recommend a website or a book where I can build my knowledge from pretty much the ground up? A lot of it comes back to me as I read through this forum, but a resource where I can refer back to to cover the (vast!) gaps in my knowledge would be useful. There seems to be so many out there on the net that I don't really know where to start!

Joel · Joined: Sep 12, 2006 Posts: 97 Location: London, UK

Handmade Electronic Music by Nicolas Collins is well worth a look!

LetterBeacon · Joined: Mar 18, 2008 Posts: 454 Location: London, UK

Thank you, I've just ordered it from Amazon!

Phix · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:59 am Post subject:

Me too!!

Coriolis · Joined: Apr 11, 2005 Posts: 616 Location: Stilling, Denmark

Ok, here's a pretty incredible source of knowledge.
Most of these books are old, but I guess a lot of it is still valid today.

http://www.pmillett.com/tecnical_books_online.htm

Have only skimmed a few of these myself, so can't make a recommendation, but check it out - it's free!'

C

Phix · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:02 am Post subject:

Cheers

RF · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:09 am Post subject:

"The Art of Electronics", by Horowitz and Hill.
It's among the best.

bruce

Phix · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:02 am Post subject:

Thanks for that, looked on Amazon...that one can wait till payday!! hehehe Wink

Dave Kendall · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:49 am Post subject:

Hi Emma.

FWIW, I learned a lot by studying the schematics on the CGS site here and on the old EFM site.

That Ken Stone, Ray W, Ian Fritz, Yusynth, Fonik, EFM and many others publish their circuits openly on the net is seriously cool of them. It's really helped me bridge the gap between (often dry) theory and actual working synth circuits, and show how there's often more than one way to do things. In fact I started out this way, and only got textbooks later on. It's really helped me out, and still does.......

Welcome to a cool hobby and place. Good luck with the WSG! Smile

cheers,
Dave

GlassX · Joined: Jan 27, 2008 Posts: 50 Location: Brazil

Are you instered in theory?

If you already know about synthesis, the Doepfer DIY page is a must. It covers from very basic (circuit symbols) to simple filters and vactrols.

http://www.doepfer.de/DIY/a100_diy.htm

Also, learn everything you can about operational amplifiers. They're building blocks of most circuits you can find here. Knowing about them and what does what will help you a lot on debugging your circuits and designing your own. The Wikipedia page is a great start, but don't forget the reference links at the end of the page!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_amplifier_applications

(Up to the schmitt trigger will cover about 99,99999% of all your op-amp needs)

Then, you can move on to studying complex circuits, like VCOs. Ian Fritz and René Schmitz are masters of both theory and circuit design.

http://home.comcast.net/~ijfritz/index.htm
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs159/

Phix · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 12:55 pm Post subject:

Cheers guys, much appreciated Very Happy