Dr. Vegetable
New member
Re: How to built an effects pedal
I think this is a cool post, and for the right DIYer, makes a lot of sense. But it is about building something you couldn't get anywhere else more than it is about saving money.
I have an Electrical Engineering degree and decades of practice at soldering. I recently began a music-related electronics project to build something that I cannot find for sale anywhere. My first attempt to breadboard the circuit (and write firmware for a microcontroller) amazed me when it actually worked as intended. Even more amazing to me was when my second iteration, soldered on proto-boards, also worked as intended. Since that time, I have been trying to build a compact, robust version of this circuit to put into an enclosure, without success. I've had traces lift off boards while being gently soldered, and had some builds that simply didn't work and defied my attempts to debug them. I am in quite a bit of money at this point, and I have at least a dozen failed builds sitting on the workbench.
The point is, this stuff isn't always easy. One cold solder joint, broken wire, or short circuit, and your pedal won't work as intended, or will degrade your signal. It takes a lot of practice to learn the mechanics of assembling someone else's circuit design, and a whole new level of investment if you want to modify anything.
I love doing this stuff, which is the only thing that keeps me at the workbench after so many failures. For most people, customizing a DIY pedal build is not a cost-effective way to get a reliable, gig-worthy pedal. It is, however, a fun way for some of us to expand our knowledge and feel more self-sufficient. I think the people who are knocking this thread are mainly concerned that you may be setting people up for major disappointment.
I think this is a cool post, and for the right DIYer, makes a lot of sense. But it is about building something you couldn't get anywhere else more than it is about saving money.
I have an Electrical Engineering degree and decades of practice at soldering. I recently began a music-related electronics project to build something that I cannot find for sale anywhere. My first attempt to breadboard the circuit (and write firmware for a microcontroller) amazed me when it actually worked as intended. Even more amazing to me was when my second iteration, soldered on proto-boards, also worked as intended. Since that time, I have been trying to build a compact, robust version of this circuit to put into an enclosure, without success. I've had traces lift off boards while being gently soldered, and had some builds that simply didn't work and defied my attempts to debug them. I am in quite a bit of money at this point, and I have at least a dozen failed builds sitting on the workbench.
The point is, this stuff isn't always easy. One cold solder joint, broken wire, or short circuit, and your pedal won't work as intended, or will degrade your signal. It takes a lot of practice to learn the mechanics of assembling someone else's circuit design, and a whole new level of investment if you want to modify anything.
I love doing this stuff, which is the only thing that keeps me at the workbench after so many failures. For most people, customizing a DIY pedal build is not a cost-effective way to get a reliable, gig-worthy pedal. It is, however, a fun way for some of us to expand our knowledge and feel more self-sufficient. I think the people who are knocking this thread are mainly concerned that you may be setting people up for major disappointment.
