MXR MICRO AMP help newbie question

[fckwit]

Hi,

i'm completely new to building pedals.

I've been looking at the schematic for the mxr microamp for a few hours now trying to figure out what parts i need.

i've been looking through google now for hours trying to find out what each symbol is and now i'm confused.
Could someone give me a list of what the parts are on the schematic?
that way it would make more sense to me.

[jimmy]

weeeell, im sure somebody has a good link for you around here, but heres a quick list:

the things that are square and have the little tails are your input and output jacks.
the squiggly lines /\/\/\/\/ are resistors
the curvy bottomed boxes )| are capacitors
the triangle is an opamp (ic chip)
the triangle with the line on the end >| is a diode
the triangle with a line on the end in a circle is an LED (light)
the bunch of lines iIiIiI is a battery
the squiggly line with an arrow through it is a potentiometer (knob)
the three dots in a triangle are SPDT switches (single pole, double throw)
all the arrows pointing down are ground. join all these together.

good luck!!!
Jim

[fckwit]

thanks for your help mate! thats cleared things up nicely!

one more thing, whats the PWR JACK?

[jimmy]

thats where the wall adaptor goes in. thats optional i guess.

cheers
Jim

[fckwit]

ah cool, thats what i thought it was.

[fckwit]

one more thing.

I've been looking round for the capacitors and i dont really understand their values. I cant find any with the same value as the one in the schematic, the same goes for the resistors too.

any help?

[petemoore]

Have you tried Small Bear Electronics online shopping pages?
 BTW  if you're doing a 9v circuit, make sure the caps are rated at 16v or more.

[jimmy]

huh, theyre pretty common values. go down to your local jaycar or radio shack or whatever you have that sells components and youll most likely find them there. alternatively, give smallbear a look, steve has EVERYTHING.

the values for resistors are measured in ohms, and 470k means 470,000 ohms. and so on. you might see 100R, and for some reason that just means 100 ohms. you might also come across 2k7, which is the same as 2.7k

capacitors are measured in Farads, but a farad is an awful lot of power, so you usually see micro farads (uF) nano farads (nF) or pico farads (pF). same goes for resistors when you see stuff like 4u7 means 4.7uF.

hope this helps. make sure you let us know how you go!!
Jim

[Gavin Taylor]

Look here,http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=92&Itemid=120
For the parts tryhttp://www.smallbearelec.com/home.htmlor,http://www.mouser.com/

[fckwit]

thanks. thats just what i was looking for.

this place is great.

ive wasted 8 hours of my day looking roudn the internet for a clear explanation. I post on here and get a reply in minutes!

thanks for your help,

[markr04]

It may take a bit more experience to search correctly there, but Mouser is prolly THE online store in the US to buy components from. Cheaper prices, cheaper shipping, and they have almost everything you could ever want.

www.mouser.com

[smallbearelec]

Hi--

Mouser is a good source, but their catalog can be a chore for a beginner to work with. I regret that I can't send you to my stock list, as I'm closed for vacation till a week from Monday. If you want to go shopping locally, the list below may help.

Your local store will tell you that a 500K reverse audio taper pot doesn't exist, and they'll suggest linear taper (if they actually know anything useful). That will work, but the control of the distortion will "bunch up." I have the right pot, as well as the other bits and pieces.

Good luck, and stop by my "Cave" when I'm back.

Regards
Steve Daniels
www.smallbearelec.com

   MXR Microamp
Resistors: 1  x  22 Meg, 1  x  10 Meg, 1  x  1K,  2  x  100K
1  x  2.7K, 1  x  56K

1   Switch - Carling 316-PP                 
1   Box - Taiwanese 'BB' Size                    
1   Rubber Feet 3M #SJ-5023 Pack Of 4      
1   Board Mounting Hdw - Aluminum                 
1   Jack 1/4 in. Mono Switchcraft #11      
1   Jack 1/4 in. Stereo Switchcraft #12B      
1   9-Volt Battery Snap   1  x  10K   
1   9-Volt Battery Clip   1  x  470 ohm   
1   Socket IC 8-pin Machine Pin      
9   Resistor 1/4 watt 5% Any Value      
1   Pot Alpha Reverse Audio Taper 16mm 500K      
2   Capacitor Electrolytic Radial 16V 1mf      
1   Capacitor ECQ-B 50V .01 mf.      
1   Capacitor Electrolytic Radial 16V 4.7mf      
1   Capacitor Silver Mica 500V 47pf      
1   IC RC4558P      
1   Diode 1N270

[stumper1]

Unless you are buying in large quantities SmallBear's prices are VERY competitive and quite often cheaper than Mouser's.  SmallBear also has several parts that Mouser does not carry.

And Steve is always willing to answer all your questions (including my dumb ones) and make sure you get the parts you NEED.

[wampcat1]

Unless you are buying in large quantities SmallBear's prices are VERY competitive and quite often cheaper than Mouser's.  SmallBear also has several parts that Mouser does not carry.

And Steve is always willing to answer all your questions (including my dumb ones) and make sure you get the parts you NEED.

I'll jump in and second this -- I always refer my customers to Steve (smallbear) as he really caters to us diy'ers -- much MUCH easier to find what you need from his site instead of thumb through tons and tons of resources looking for the right part.

Hope that helps!

Take care,
Brian
http://www.indyguitarist.com/