Breadboard circuit blocks: Good idea or bad?

[therecordingart]

I'm considering making a bunch of small SMD boards that are the functional blocks of your standard audio circuits (buffer stage, gain stage, Vb supply, etc) that can plug in to the breadboard. That way I can spend less time building those pieces on the breadboard, and more time playing with the junk in between. I've been breadboarding for years, and I've found that you can hook everything up correctly, but you are one wire jiggle away from something working or not, and having working blocks to begin with can reduce the "pull it apart and start over" to a dull roar.

Example: Here is JFet buffer with .4in x .4in pin spacing

http://imgur.com/DRi6wFF

Good idea or a waste of time?

[Hatredman]

Something like this?

http://www.guitarcenter.com/ZVex-Inventobox-DIY-Guitar-Multi-Effects-Pedal-430788-i1538331.gc

[therecordingart]

Something like this?

http://www.guitarcenter.com/ZVex-Inventobox-DIY-Guitar-Multi-Effects-Pedal-430788-i1538331.gc

Of course Zvex already did it.  I'm not spending Zvex money. Once I finish up the modules I'll post the gerbers for anyone who is interested.

[deadastronaut]

good idea..

in/out buffers/ lfo's/ mini psu 9v-5v-4.5v etc.....(on pins to plug in)..

hmmmm...easy enough and small enough to vero too really..literally plug n play..

[Tony Forestiere]

http://www.geofex.com/article_folders/fxbus/fxbus.htm

[deadastronaut]

^ nice..

[amptramp]

It sounds like a good idea.  Breadboards are notorious for having connections fall out and getting oscillation due to random coupling when the packaged circuit would work without any trace of instability.

[nocentelli]

Great idea - I'm going to build a couple now. I have a few tiny tupperware boxes i use to house switches/pots/jacks, which i just blu-tack to the area around my breadboard/bypass switch board, but i haven't bothered putting building blocks in them before.





There are all sorts of different things that might be worth permanently mounting now i think about it: a buffer/active splitter, boost with gain or volume divider output pot, favourite tonestack, favourite simple clipping stage, charge pump/inverter/bipolar supply, capacitor or resistor switchbox... A set of voltage dividers on a rotary switch (like 10k/10k, 47/47k, 100/100k, 1M/1M) might be interesting as a test to check for audible differences.