how to be an el-cheapo

[speghead]

and save up your money and make a big order (to save on shipping) from:

mouser (if you can figure out their part system - watch out for surface mount!)

futurlec (if you can handle waiting a little bit for shipping - but prices are awesome!!) get a few of their packs - resistor, capacitor, and IC/transistor it will set you up for a while for all kinds of projects

pedalpartsplus.com (great prices!, fast shipping!, everything under one "roof")

smallbear

diystompboxes.com store

watch the for sale/trade threads in this forum (some great deals!)
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Important:  Plan for your first 3-5 projects and order ALL the parts so you dont need to pay for shipping twice (or more....doh!)

I really like Mouser's pricing & shipping speed can anyone provide part numbers for common stuff that they like.. pots & knobs especially.. and any value packs on anything like resistors?  I read on this site you could buy 200 resistors on mouser for $1.80.. but that guide was written up in 2001 and the part number no longer works.

[zbt]

Don't forget modules--you don't necessarily need to be married to the concept that your pedals need to be footswitchable. If you realize that they don't (especially in the 'I'm not sure if I like it THAT much yet'), use toggle dpdt switches instead of 3pdts for bypassing and make a modular setup (check out the modular ideas at Geofex for SUPER-cheap ideas).

Bingo.  I got tired of:
a) having to shell out for boxes,
b) having to step into a cold garage to machine the boxes,
c) having to catch grief from my wife for the smells that were coming into the kitchen from the garage when I would paint the boxes,
d) spending money on big jacks, big plugs, and stompswitches,
e) the sheer nuisance of repatching a pedalboard, and the limitations of NOT repatching it.

So, I went modular.

The cost of "the package" (box, jacks, switch, paint, battery) when added up, comes to around $10 on a good day with the wind at your back, and more often something like $15-20.  The cost of the package for my modular system was $0.25@ for the faceplate, $1.50@ for the toggle, and $0.50@ for the jacks,  I suppose we can add another $0.50 on top of that for the paint pen, perfboard and wire, plus about $10 for the overall chassis to house the modules.

You can read more about it here:  http://music-electronics-forum.com/t10177-post80136/#poststop

This year 2021, any idea to make it more mobile Sir? in a suitcase 

I also wonder about ground connection and remote switch, any project of this?

[iainpunk]

i'm currently planning a lower level modular FX box.
i'll use rails to connect perf boards to and use jumpers from board to board, and only trimmers, no external pots. all boards house several independent circuits doing simple things, gain stages, tone controls/filters, envelope followers, slew rate reducers, wave folders, fuzz circuits, octave up rectifiers, etc...
its mainly aimed at distortion, tremolo, swell and compressor like effects. i don't like delay/reverb anyways.
this level of modularity gives the option to change order of operations and which parts are controlled by which footswitch.
also, ill add a few cheap mini breadboards to do some simple circuits on those.

the whole thing is getting housed in a large cookie tin. the lid is going to be the bottom, and the case is going to be the top where the footswitches are mounted.

chees, Iain

[zbt]

As my experience, cheap is not always cheap. I buy cheap cable without shielding, so have to be careful especially online. I should have a simple audio cable tester.

Currently in my mind



1. Using plain pcb and spacers as enclosure
2. Give room for paint art for our paint artist can make some skin, like Mark Hammer Font Art
   media pcb, acrylic, aluminium plate, etc size 6 cm x 11 cm or bigger
   transparent acrylic for showing pcb art     
3. Use regulated power supply +15V, ct, -15V, for most op amp
   for some old circuit use positive ground can use 7909 or a simple diode
   power bus, prefer star
   The transformer is far away in cage, avoid hum
4. Remote Bypass switch, click less using magnetic switch, with rubber for feedback or led indicator

For board cable using JST connector for power, for audio a cheap is using stereo not dual mono,
but the problem is which is input or output.  This kind need standard, specially for portability.

The pin is only +, 0, -, input, output, but finding best jack, socket, cable ?
Any advice? most appreciate.

Your interface only trimmers, no external pots, would it be guitarist familiar with it?
or you plan for some kind a test unit, with mini breadboards.
It looks cool for field test.

I also found a Guitarist on YouTube, a metal guy like, this also confusing for me.
He always max out all knobs, may be, he doesn't needed.
But a volume, I wonder his neighbors feel about it.

cheers

[zbt]

Plan, draw first, use a template
Learn how to drill
Patient

Some polishing



Freedom for art