BRAND NEW to diy effects; Need advice

[tilt]

Hello.  Not only am I new to the forum, but I have no experience with electronics other than splicing a few wires and plugging things in.  I am convinced that I can build my own effects.  I want to learn everything from the ground up (no pun intended  :lol: ).  I've never even so much as soldered before.  I've seen it done, and it doesn't look like something that I'm incapable of.  I think my first project will be a simple A/B switcher box and maybe an effects loop with a bypass switch.  But first... I NEED HELP.
  Where do I start?  Is there an excellent, easy-to-understand book out there that I can read to learn the fundamentals?  What essential tools and materials should I begin investing in?  It won't take me long to figure out whether I'm in over my head, but I consider myself a relatively quick learner with a reasonable amount of intelligence so I don't forsee a problem.  Do you?

[travissk]

The beginner's project here is pretty easy if you want to go for an effect right away; otherwise an A/B box is very easy as well.

Honestly I don't think you need to go out and read lots of books before you get started; the beginner's project here goes over what resistors, capacitors, etc look like, how they're measured, etc. Where the books will be helpful is to learn how these components work, and how to design your own circuits. A basic knowledge of soldering, drilling, etc will let you follow some of the beginner's projects here. That said, I had some Electrical Engineering courses under my belt before I built these things, so if anyone else who started like this has any suggestions, I'd try them out.

Oh - you might want to read a few websites on "how to solder" (just search google); I've helped a few of my friends get into some basic electronics stuff, and they have said different pages are more helpful than others. You might want to experiment with

As for tools:
-Any parts you need for a project
-Soldering Iron - depending how much you're willing to spend, you can go for a $40 soldering station, or a $3 Radio Shack iron. The Radio Shack iron will make your job a little harder, but if you're not sure you want to stick with this, spending a lot on tools doesn't pay off too much. It's entirely up to you; great tools make things much easier and more fun, but they also cost more.
-Solder - about anything will work, but I prefer "63/37" solder. That's a measurement of what metals make up the solder.
-Wire
-Multimeter - this is sort of optional, but if your circuit doesn't work you will want one to debug it. If you're continuing on, you will -definitely- need one. These range in price as well; cheap ones that will get the job done can be had for $10 or so.

If you order your stuff from circuitspecialists.com, they will give you a free multimeter with any $50 purchase. It's a pretty good deal, and they also have cheap soldering irons, the 63/37 solder, wire, potentiometers, enclosures... essentially anything you'll need. Since the costs of all your tools and supplies for a project will probably be at or near $50, I would see if you can get everything, or almost everything, from there (for the free meter). Barring that, smallbearelec.com and mouser.com are great places to order parts. Small Bear is designed for hobbyists like us.

Hope that helps, and good luck!

[aron]

I will post more on this (don't have time right this minute), but take a look at this picture. I will be back to post more on it.

[Marcos - Munky]

I didn't readed any book when I started (and didn't readed any yet ). If you have some effect pedal, you can start with a feedback loop, or try the beginner project.

[tilt]

I will post more on this (don't have time right this minute), but take a look at this picture. I will be back to post more on it.

Is there such a thing as a bypass that doesn't require battery power?

[remmelt]

yes there is. you only need a (cheaper) DPDT switch for it, but you won't be able to see if the effect is on. no battery = no LED. the bypass itself doesn't need any power, it's just a smart-wired switch. the battery is there for powering the LED.


i just started as well on soldering my own boxes together. it's great fun and this site has been very helpfull to me. there are so many factors that come into play; the soldering, the component selection, the wiring it all up, the box you'll put it in, the decoration... it's not just a quick replacement for any commercial stuff, that's for sure.

i started out on my own first, building a fuzzface clone. that didn't work. then i tried my hand on a dallas rangemaster clone. THAT didn't work. a couple of months later i ventured over to this part of the web again and noticed the beginner project... it's great. you should try it. aron has made it as easy as paint-by-numbers, even i couldn't steer wrong. i now have a great sounding effect in a great looking box (i promise to take pics as soon as my gf has her new digital camera!).

my suggestions: do the beginner project. it's an easy build and the components are widely available and cheap. get yourself a soldering iron to start with, i have a weller 15W or sth. it's not great (at all) but it gets the job done and once i know i'm going to pursue this further, i'll upgrade. perhaps you can borrow an iron?
get yourself a set of cheap alligator clipped hookup wires. these are a BIG help and are a lot cheaper than a vise or one of those large alligator clips mounted on a stand. a word of advice: check the wires. in my set of 10, 2 (!!) didn't work. you can fix them easily, but it's a pain when you think you have it soldered up right and it's not working... the alligator clips allow you to hook up the device to the pots and jacks so you can see if it works at all.
i hardly understand what caps or transistors do, so i'm going along for the ride until i have time to find out. i suggest you do that as well. i found out that there was so much to read and discover and learn before i could make a real start that it was a bit of a put-off at first. so just run along with what's offered in the beginner project and take it from there. i know i am.


good luck from a fellow beginner builder!

[aron]

Is there such a thing as a bypass that doesn't require battery power?

In the above picture, take out the battery and battery wires, 1K resistor and LED. You will lose the LED, but it will not require power. In order to light an LED, you need to provide power of some kind.

The reason I use the 3PDT is that it's easier to wire and it's good quality and cheaper than the Carling DPDT. There are cheaper DPDTs but in general they are not good quality.

[aron]

I forgot to say, you are certainly capable of making your own pedals. However, you must realize the following:

It takes time and at the beginning, you need to take it slowly.
Do not attempt this sort of thing if you are the type that gets frustrated easily.
It may not save you money - especially at the beginning since you need to purchase tools.

The reward is that if you get past the initial hurdles, you become free in that you can mod your own pedals and even amplifiers and get them to the point where they are customized to you.

It's very cool!

[tilt]

I forgot to say, you are certainly capable of making your own pedals. However, you must realize the following:

It takes time and at the beginning, you need to take it slowly.
Do not attempt this sort of thing if you are the type that gets frustrated easily.
It may not save you money - especially at the beginning since you need to purchase tools.

The reward is that if you get past the initial hurdles, you become free in that you can mod your own pedals and even amplifiers and get them to the point where they are customized to you.

It's very cool!

Thank everyone for the advice and words of encouragement.  I'm not really doing it to save money, but for the fun and coolness of it.  I hope to eventually understand electronics well enough to design my own effects, mods, and even amplifiers.  I'm prepared to be defeated in the beginning, but I'll just keep working at it until I succeed.
Thanks again to everyone!

[Sic]

Good Luck Tilt, any questions either do a search, or make a post. Any mistake you can make... im sure MOST if not all of us have made the same one at sometime or another =D

We are all here to help, and without this forum, i wouldn't be doing this.

[tilt]

Is there a website or a post that shows how to build A/B/Y, MULTIPLE true bypass, and other "non-effect" stomp boxes?

[aron]

Take a look at this quick hack:

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/schems/multi-bypass.jpg

[aron]

Here's an A/B/Y box (Credit GEOFEX.COM):

[aron]

Here's a quick A/B (tuner/amp) pedal.

The inputs get grounded when not in use. You might want to power this one with a wall wart to save batteries.