[sdiy] Need Some Advice

[Dr Strangelove]

Hey Everyone.

    I need a bit of advice.  I have been trying to roll my own synthesizer 
for a long time now.  I have dropped HUNDREDS of dollars (Test equipment, 
parts, books) and HUNDREDS of hours of time (Reading, Soldering, Trouble 
shooting, learning everything I can on the net... Literrally I've spent 
almost all of my spare time for FIVE YEARS on this obsession), not to 
mention an immesurable amount of mental energy into it with very little 
success.  I have had success with small things, pre-amps, comparators, LFO.  
I had a filter that I *Thought* was working but it didn't (Details 
irrellevent to my inquiry).  I've just spent another week (its my summer 
break from college) soldering away and trying to troubleshoot (oi - vey) 
stuff when it doesn't work but I've just been wasting time.  I'm really 
loosing hope here.  It's just not fun anymore.
    Should I try to build a circuit based on a LSIC like a CEM 3374 or an 
SEM 2045 (I own both of those)?  I'm really thinking of just cashing in my 
chips (throwing everything into the attic) and giving up (maybe come back to 
it all in 10 years so that I can get really frustrated a second time, I 
guess all you gents will still be on this list. :-)   ).  I don't WANT to do 
this but I just don't think I'm learning anything anymore, I don't think I'm 
getting any better at DIY.  I really Enjoy the actual soldering and putting 
stuff together (I've even come to like drilling panels and ordering parts, 
which were formerly the steps I hated doing!) I just can't get any of my 
stuff to work.  Any advice?  Maybe just wait untill my midlife crisis and go 
blow an insane amount of money on a modular "Like I wanted in my twenties".  
]:-)


Somebody outta start something like classes for people who want to build 
their own synth.  Here in the ATL there are classes for people to learn to 
build their own guitar....  I think as many people would want to build a 
synth.  Even a video series or something.


Thanks for any help,
Jonathan Pratt

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