I need some advice on getting into DIY projects

X

xbxrxixtx

New member
I'm looking for advice on getting started when it comes to building my own gear. I've never really been into electronics or anything so I'm way out of my league. I've been teaching myself from books and notes from old classes but it doesn't seem to make any sense. I understand how a lightbulb can be turned on, but when it turns into how audio works within circuits and stuff like that I can't begin to comprehend it. I look at schematics and it all seems incredibly complicated. I know I'm not going to be Rupert Neve overnight, but its just so intimidating that I almost shut down trying to learn.

I had an old mixing console that had spare channel strips that I took apart completely. I stripped each channel of everything so now I have a all of the components that I can use to build my own stuff. I have tons of capicitors, resistors, pots, etc and because they came from an audio board I would assume their values would be what I would be looking for in pieces I would make myself. I still have a few channels that I haven't stripped as well.

I guess what I'm trying to get is information on a good way to proceeed. What kind of things are simple to start with, but also have some quality that could be used in recording. There's all kind of things that I want to build, I'm just having trouble trying to start. I think my first little project will be for a simple amp circuit. I think it would be easy to build, but I don't understand how I would go about modifying it to make it better and that kind of stuff.

Things I'm interested in creating are pre-amps, compressors and eq units eventually adding tubes into the mix. I'm also really interested in creating sound like a synth or theremin.

Can anyone give me any advice? I know there are plenty of sites with kits and things like that. The problem is that I can't afford most of those, and that I think I want to learn the principles of whats going on in a unit rather than just following some directions and making something but not having any idea why it does what it does. When I look online for information I seem to always find the schematics, but nothing that explains whats going on to someone as novice as myself.

My first project was a subkick. I took a 10" sub (pioneer maybe) mounted it on top of a small round trashcan (perfectl fit). Then I took the base of a small fan and mounted the trashcan sideways on it. So the subkick itself looks like a bullet on a small base. I'm going to paint it brown and name it the "brown bomber". It was a simple project, but fun. Didn't really have a lot to do with "electronics" but was entertaining and will ad something different to my recordings. Now I want to branch out and do something besides wiring backwards.
 
To get you going, you are going to need some basic tools. Do you have stuff like a soldering iron, pliers, side cutters, etc? You can also get a cheap plastic tool for bending the leads on resistors and diodes. A decent solder sucker and de-solder braid are handy to reverse mistakes. A digital multi-meter is indispensable for checking your work.

Good soldering technique is important to master, as it A) makes superior joins, and B) places less thermal stress on components. Plenty of youtube videos on soldering and desoldering.

For simple pre-amp projects you can build on strip board, grab data sheets for Texas Instruments INA217 and THAT Corp. 1512 and check prototype schematics.

For power supplies, consider building something that uses an AC wall-wart (to avoid the need for mains wiring). Have at look at Rod Elliott's web-site. Or buy a ready-made supply.

If you can afford it, get a good electronics book. "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill is highly regarded, but I have not read it myself.

Hopefully this will get you going.

Also, not sure I would use "recylcle" parts like caps and resistors and transistors - on account of age and possible damage during removal. That sort of stuff is cheap to buy even in small quantities from hobby electronic stores.

Paul
 
Yeah, I have the basic tools. I can't say I'm great at soldering or anything. I can solder cables and such. I also do have a multimeter and wire cutters and all that stuff.

As far as books I have electronics for dummies. Probably not the best especially when it comes to electronics relationship with audio which is where it all gets confusing. It has some small projects in it that I want to work on. There's a simple amp and a lot of stuff with the 555 timer. I just need to get some componenets and get going.
 
Try a simple BYOC kit. If that works, try a more complicated one. Then go on to a simple Fender mod kit from someone like London Power. Again, when that seems fine, go to a more complicated kit. You'll get your chops up in a hurry.
 
ranjam said:
Try a simple BYOC kit. If that works, try a more complicated one. Then go on to a simple Fender mod kit from someone like London Power. Again, when that seems fine, go to a more complicated kit. You'll get your chops up in a hurry.
Click to expand...

With kits like those do they give you the theory behind the circuitry or anything or is it more of a 'follow the steps until its complete' kind of project? I really want to learn what electronically is going on with the signal as I build something and undertand the theory rather than blindly construct. Either way I'm sure it will be good to learn and try.

Also would a specific effect be better to learn than another? Would an EQ be more advantageous to learn over an overdrive or something like that as far as getting into building more complex items?
 
Get a copy of Craig Anderton's Electronic Projects for Musicians. It's a bit dated, because he uses an IC chip in a lot of them that is out of production. However, the circuits are not very complicated, and the book has a section on what is a capacitor, what is a resistor, etc. Also, the construction articles explain how the circuit works. PAIA used to sell all the kits, and still has a few of them that don't require the (4739 I think is the number) opamp you can't find easily. I know a fair amount, but am still learning new things, and it took me a long time to understand (and I still need to refer to the one explanation I found made sense -- it was humourous) a plate curve.

Most kits will give you a little bit of theory, but unless you want to design your own stuff, you don't need to know exactly how everything works, just enough to know how to troubleshoot something that doesn't work, so reading a schematic is paramount, and understanding signal flow through something like a preamp or compressor or what not.

PAIA, BYOC, and kitsrus (who have various distributors) are good resources. If you can find old copies of Radio-Electronics, Popular Electronics, etc also good. And of course google is your friend these days. Lurk for a while at groupdiy as well. The PAIA construction guides will give you info on what is going on. (Again, not from a designers point of view, but e.g. "R2 presents a 1M and doesn't load down your guitar. the signal is then fed to the opamp IC1A which gives you 10x gain. This is then fed to opamp IC2 which gives another 2x gain..." stuff like that.)

Also, tonepad as a lot of circuit boards, but not much in the way of theory. +1 on recycled parts. I'd start out just buying new (especially capacitors) from Mouser or Digikey (USA). Unless you're building tube gear, or buotiquey microphones, most parts are not that expensive.

I've found it better to have a printed library, rather than the internet for learning though. I think the first thing I built was a very simple 12v power supply when I was in grade school. All it really was useful for was lighting up its own power on lamp! But it was fun.
 
I really want to get into building my own things so the more information on theory the better. I'll definately look for that book (electronic projects for musicians) I think it may clear a lot of things up better than a general electronics book. Thanks for the advice
 
Get yourself a breadboard. (solderless prototyping circuit board) If you do a google search on breadboard projects, you'll find thousands of things you can build. They're a great learning tool.
 
I started with Craig Anterton's guitar Player articles back in the late 80's, then bought the 1st edition book. Wow. That was 1992 as I look inside the cover. Yes, they're IC based, but still useful and fun to build. You won't get circuit theory with any BYOC kit, but if you build a fuzz, as one example, there's a lot of websites out there that explain the circuit, and mod ideas. I carried that over to an old Distortion+ and made it very useful and 'fixed' a lot of the things I didn't like about it. Let's say you wanted to start with a fuzz box;
Build a Fuzzbox, Part 1
This is pretty good, and gives some theory and tweaking ideas. Then a place like General Guitar Gadgets has a ton of projects with circuit board available. Their Maestro Fuzz board (think 'Satisfaction') is discontinued :( but was $14 so price shouldn't be a deterrent. And GGG has a tech section, which should come in handy. A whole section on how distortion pedals work, and tweaking ideas is at Cook Your Own Distortion.
I just say start with a simple booster or fuzz because they are so simple. Then advance to other pedals or whatever. Or, buy cheap pedals maybe from the old DOD line and tweak them. Hours of fun, and you can turn them into something useable. I turned a giveaway Dan Electro Fab pedal into a decent distortion box, for the price of a few resistors and capacitors.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top