[Need some basic info...]

[Harry Bissell]

Andrew: How much experience do you have... If you have access to electronic
test equipment and some knowledge of using it, I'd try "lepers effects
schematics" on the web, and start with a simple fuzzbox or something like
that. If less experiance, try the Craig Anderton book "Electronic Projects for
Musicians" and pick an easy one... I think PAiA carries kits for his projects.
PAiA is a good start for projects, also.
My first music project was a Craig Anderton design, using a RTL 2 input nor
gate and some diodes. It was from a "Timbre Gate" Popular Electronics 1971
project. It worked half-ass because I had to use two pushbuttons and sometimes
I'd only hit one and.... SQUEEEEEELLLLL! I showed the design to my Dad who was
an ET at the time. He said, "You'll have to remove those back to back  diodes,
they'll clip the shit out of the signal...." I said "YES! thats what I want
!!!!" He said "Get the hell out of here you little bastard... I spend all day
trying to get rid of distortion and here you are trying to make it
deliberatly." Dad, I'm afraid... had a tin ear for music and had a deep
conviction that "sine waves" were the only musically pleasing waveform, that
instruments differed only in "pitch" (frequency) and if I didn't believe him,
"look at the fuckin scope kid... whaddya see... sine waves, lots of 'em."
Harmonics were above him... 
    I'm sure this was more information than you needed, Andrew. Good luck in
starting your music projects... its a great way to invest you time. I just
thought this might give you some inspiration, date myself and make me feel
old, and make lots of others on this list feel old (esp. if they remember RTL
logic...)    :-) Harry rambling on and on Bissell harrybissell at netscape.net 

"Byrd, Andrew A." <byrd at udri.udayton.edu> wrote:
Hello all... I am a an extreme beginner at diy synth construction i.e. I
have built simple electronic circuits before and have experience with a
soldering implement, etc. but not with audio circuits and such.
I am interested in getting a start by constructing a few non-voltage
controlled oscillators, non-CV lowpass and bandpass filters, and a ring
modulator or op-amp distortion circuit just for the experience and perhaps
for minimal inclusion in my music.
If anyone can point me in the right direction (off-list if appropriate) to
find articles on simple oscillator/filter/ringmod construction or simple
schematics, it would be greatly appreciated.
I attempted to search the archives, but to no avail...

Thanks,
-andrew


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