Photocell controller

fluxmonkey · Joined: Jun 24, 2005 Posts: 708 Location: cleve

I found this schematic for a super-simple photo controller:

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http://people.mills.edu/toda/252/sub-photo.html

and built one over the weekend into an altoids tin. I used a 9v battery for power, and the pot wound up being 1k for me, but that will probably depend on what photocell you use. Works very well as a controller for my soundlab--very much like the photo-"theremins" that are all over.

When controlling the oscillators, covering the photocell lowers the pitch... a fancier version would add a bias controls and inverter to allow it to go the opposite way...

squawk on.

bbob

Wild Zebra · Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:36 am Post subject:

Thanks bbob. Is that cleve as in Cleveland?

fluxmonkey · Joined: Jun 24, 2005 Posts: 708 Location: cleve

Wild Zebra · Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:21 am Post subject:

I was just at the House of Blues for the Dinosaur jr. reunion. Its was pretty good I saw them "back in the day" it was a nice treat to see it again. Now bbob I'm an laymen when it comes to changing a schem to a layout, but I really wanna learn and this circuit looks so damn simple. I thought maybe if someone game me a pointer of two I might be on the path. Up for the challange.

fellow Ohioan huh, well ain't that somethin

dnny · Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 6:04 am Post subject:

hi Zebra
the layout is here

you will learn this very fast

hope this helps

daniel

photocell.jpg

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Wild Zebra · Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 6:31 am Post subject:

Thanks dnny,
It helps seeing it done so I can compare. I just need to start out with some simple circuits. There are so many sweet schems I just need to learn how to turn them into layouts.

Macaba · Joined: Jul 13, 2005 Posts: 160 Location: UK

I know how you feel Wild Zebra, 6 months ago, I'd look at a schematic like the above and puzzle over exactly how its wired up. Though learning and persiverance (plus, it helps that i'm an extremely quick learner) I can now look at a quite a complex op-amp circuit and know exactly how i'd stripboard it.

The irony is, audio synthesis circuits are the perfect circuits to learn on. They make a great deal of sense. Very Happy

Wild Zebra · Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:32 am Post subject:

Yeh, need to sit down with some simple circuits and some stripboard
and figure this stuff out. I pretty much know all the symbols. And hell
a month ago I couldn't do that. Maybe Santa will bring me a breadboard
for Christmas. I think if I learned how to use a breadboard things would start coming together very nicely.

thanks for the encouragement dnny and Macaba

Wild Zebra · Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:39 am Post subject:

Yeh, need to sit down with some simple circuits and some stripboard
and figure this stuff out. I pretty much know all the symbols. And hell
a month ago I couldn't do that. Maybe Santa will bring me a breadboard
for Christmas. I think if I learned how to use a breadboard things would start coming together very nicely.

thanks for the encouragement dnny and Macaba

Macaba · Joined: Jul 13, 2005 Posts: 160 Location: UK

Sorry everyone for getting off-topic, but i have feelings about breadboard. *sniggers*

Breadboard isn't as good as i'd like it to be. Its messy, confusing, hard to troubleshoot. Thats why i'd go for stripboard everytime. Tracks go one direction (X) and components link over another (Y), darn easy to make and troubleshoot. Whats more- its a more permanent circuit. Its easy to get artistic in your design on a stripboard. Very Happy

Wild Zebra · Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:25 am Post subject:

Typically I do a PCB, but stripboard has become quite popular at the stompbox forum I visit. As you can tell I haven't designed any myself, but I have made a few circuits using others peoples layouts. I really like it for making a pedal your not sure if you'll like its quick and easy and if you do like the sound its permanent.