DIY Analog Mixing Console

cowboyj said:
Not a problem for me, nice to see how things have progressed. One of these days I'll get around to posting pics of where I am now, and where I've started... Big changes since 1997.

Jason
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Heh. 1997 for me was a Portastudio and two SM57s in my living room :o
 
This looks so exciting to me! I'd love to be able to design a console from all these Modules...but this is waaay out of my league! I've got building mic cables down, but what are some things I should try before attempting something like this? I've had the idea to build a mic pre/compressor into a single unit box for a while, but I've barely got a grip on the basic concepts...where can I go to learn more and where can I go to buy all the Caps and resistors and boards and other such stuff...I'm in Canada if that makes a difference...

Jacob
 
If you have RadioShack or Fry's in your area they sometimes carry kits that are good for starters. If you play guitar, check out DIY Stompboxes, their beginner project is a boost box that's really easy to build. They even have a complete walk through of the build complete with pictures.

Jason
 
jkokura said:
This looks so exciting to me! I'd love to be able to design a console from all these Modules...but this is waaay out of my league! I've got building mic cables down, but what are some things I should try before attempting something like this? I've had the idea to build a mic pre/compressor into a single unit box for a while, but I've barely got a grip on the basic concepts...where can I go to learn more and where can I go to buy all the Caps and resistors and boards and other such stuff...I'm in Canada if that makes a difference...

Jacob
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Since I replied here, I've now gotten very interested in DIY stuff...I'm over at Studio Central and Prodigy Pro now researching for a 4 input Pre I'm going to build, and I think I found a Guitar pedal kit to teeth on first... Thanks for piquing my interest!

Jacob
 
Heyas, this is my attempt to get in on the fun. I go through phases in my hobbies... a few months on computers, a few months drumming, then a few months of DIY projects. I've finally come back around to the DIY phase, and here I am drooling over this project. I really hope to build this once I follow some more progress. I know hardly anything about professional audio circuitry, and you may very well laugh at me, but I sure as hell think this is something I can do (provided I have something to follow, hats off to you Frederic).

Anyway, just wanted to introduce my interest. I'm down in South Jersey at the moment. Maybe Frederic can give me a tour of his studio up north someday!!!!! ;)

Okay, enough of me.
 
This thread is great! keep this stuff coming! Once we get enough modules done I'm building this thing!
 
Light said:
I also notice you are not using the negative feedback loop, right? (The sense input). Any particular reason?
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Yep. Didn't seem necessary based on what I breadboarded, and not having it lowers the part count.

The assumption that I've made is line inputs don't go to that op amp.
 
rweiss said:
Anyway, just wanted to introduce my interest. I'm down in South Jersey at the moment. Maybe Frederic can give me a tour of his studio up north someday!!!!! ;)

Okay, enough of me.
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Sure, come visit. I'm just north of woodbridge, where the turnpike and the parkway cross.

Though you'll have to step over much engine parts. Since it's warm, I've been distracted from soldering my patch bays (and doing these schematics) while trying to get my 500cid, twin turbo stroker put together before the ridiculously high mileage original engine says it's had enough.
 
frederic said:
The idea was to build an expandable, warm analog console, with the ability to "save" every knob, fader, and switch setting via digital "stuff". This way, after spending 4 hours getting the settings correct for a particular flutist with a particular silver flute, I could recall those settings on any input channel as a starting point for the next time I'd record that flutist. Kinda like a library of console settings, to drag and drop from. I figured out how to digitally control everything, and make those settings controllable with knobs, switches and faders, and available for "something" to download, save, upload and restore. I just haven't had the time in the last two years to figure out the "something" part.
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You know how we did it when I used to work in a studio?

We had a freaking stepladder and a Polaroid Camera! :p

Frderic, I've got to hand it to you - You rock, man! This thread is killer. I've been wanting to build 16 channels of preamps to use for my recorders (DA38's) and you have inspired me to attempt this.

I'm going to build one channel, and see how it works - and if it works out right, I'm going to do 16 channels and have a friend who is a machinist do me up a rackmount case.

I just need some good quality mic pre's, that's all....and maybe compressors on each one. I generally record everything flat, with each mic going to it's own track - although I might be tempted to make a 4 to 8 channel basic pre-amp mixer so I can knock the toms down to just two tracks.

So, I have no problem with them being completely separate from my mixer... especially considering my current mixer is a Mackie 1604Vlz Pro. ugh.

I was even considering behringer pre-amps, and I thought - why waste the money?!?! I'm kind of after my own sound - you know how certain studios had their own sound back in the 50's through the 70's?

One of these days I'll actually get a real mixer...or maybe, even get the nerve to build one based on your schematics.

I have literally no EE theory, but I did completely rebuild a 24x4 Kelsey mixer. I cut it into 2 12x4 mixers inside the same case (pulled the 4 buss output, and simply doubled it - but lost the master faders and replaced them with pots.)

It was a so-so board, but it was great to learn on I paid just a few hundred bucks for it, and it was completely modular. years later I learned that Kelsy was the company that became CRESt Audio (Dallas musical)....so I didn't feel so bad about owning it then.

I actually, I wish I still had that mixer - all 5' of it - the thing got a great drum sound.


Tim
 
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Anything new going on Frederic?

I'm just about finished a preamp I started a couple weeks ago; the G9 project over at group DIY. Will let you know how it goes!

ps. Woo DrumMaker!
 
Lots of new stuff going on, though unrelated to this thread.

I've been out of work for about 18 months, so I've been taking odd jobs, mostly electrical related, to replenish the savings account we've been living on, hence my lack of participation recently.

Add to that a computer crash, and my not finding my orcad CD (though to be honest, I didn't look very hard), this project has kinda slipped out of my fingers at the moment. I do intend to finish the rest of the schematics, and descriptions, but I just haven't had time as of late.

Also I've been procrastinating a big (sorry folks!) as what little free time I've had I've either spent with my 14 mo son, or playing with machinery, like my new, very used 1957 Clausing lathe :D
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I spent four hours yesterday reassembling it, two hours today greasing and wiring it, and two hours turning everything by hand and engaging/disengaging every knob, lever, crank to verify everything clicks into place correctly. I wanted to find a problem before I apply power, as getting hit in the face with 100lb cast iron gearsets can be hazardous to one's health.

Anyway, my problem, as it has always been, is I have too many irons in the fire, and the fire is a worn out zippo lighter.
 
RICK FITZPATRICK said:
:eek: Pretty soon, you're gonna need a bigger toy box frederic. :D Nice lathe. dang you got some cool toys.....er, tools :p
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Thanks! Actually I'm making my toy box (garage bay) bigger by cleaning it!

http://frederic.midimonkey.com/_index.html

Click "yard & tools" then click "garage" or "workbenches". I just have to finish one more cabinet base, then I install tops on everything, then I can actually use my shop/garage!

I got tired fo climbing over things, and losing soldering irons.
 
frederic said:
Thanks! Actually I'm making my toy box (garage bay) bigger by cleaning it!

http://frederic.midimonkey.com/_index.html

Click "yard & tools" then click "garage" or "workbenches". I just have to finish one more cabinet base, then I install tops on everything, then I can actually use my shop/garage!

I got tired fo climbing over things, and losing soldering irons.
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How'd the airbag thing end? :eek: What a project! :p
 
Oh, that was done long ago. Removed the air bag module and rivited the air bag cover (pad) back to the metal frame, and bolted it into the steering column.

Then cut the actual bag part off the ignitor/inflator assembly, and fired it off!

Made a huge cloud!
 
Alright... I've decided to admit to my complete ignorance and ask for help...

I have a AT style power supply... Actually, I've sourced two, from local thrift shops...

None of the parts have been purchased, but I only want to prototype the mic preamp, at this point. I haven't purchased the parts yet, because I'm honestly kinda lost..

Where I'm stuck is the method of prototyping. I'm pretty confident that I understand the basics of the schematic. However, I've never really dabbled in the physical realm of electronics. I'm eager and willing to learn. I seriously lack guidance and don't want to fry myself.

Should I purchase a breadboard, use perf board, or is it possible to do the point to point wiring method? Is it necessary to manufacture an actual circuit board? I know a couple of people locally that might help me out with that, but I haven't a clue how to set up the layout of the circut and I'm not so sure they'd be willing to help me with the actual layout.

I'm sorry for sounding so desperate. If you guys can provide some links to answer my questions, that is cool. I would rather read an existing explaination, than to waste your time teaching such basic skills.

Thanks

Edit:
Here is a cool page I found on PCB design...
http://www.airborn.com.au/layout/pcbtut.html
 
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