[sdiy] Need Some Advice

[patchell]

Dr Strangelove wrote:

> 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.

    Ok....I think I know where you are coming from.  Although, maybe from the
other side of things.  This is basically how I feel, but from a musical
standpoint.  My musical skills are minimal.  I exchanged CD's with Harry, and
have CD's from a few other list members.  It makes me feel extremely
"inadequat", which I suppose is a nicer way of saying "failure" when I listen to
their music.  But, I try to keep practicing my keyboard when I can (which is no
where near often enough), and try to become as good as I can.  If it weren't for
Midi Sequencers with all of their nice editing features, I would not be able to
any music at all.  So, you just have to keep working at what you can do, and
always try to do better.

    I started building synths I think in 1973.  It was about 1978 before I had
my first one that I could claim actually worked.  And I had a pretty good idea
of what I was doing.  And I am still learning, 28 years later.  I have learned
more about synths in the last two years (thanks to Synth-DIY mostly),  than
almost all that I learned before.

    All I can say is, keep building.  Persistance is the key.  It would be nice
if there was somebody in your area that had the same interest.  Trouble is, we
seemed to be spread pretty thin around the world.  Synth DIY is great, but it
would be nice to have personal interaction with others.

>
>     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".
> ]:-)

    Don't give up.  I gave up about 10 years ago, although, for a completely
different reason (my reason was basically, what was the point, there was nobody
else around to apreciate DIY stuff, and now, I am working my way back up the
curve again, aquiring equipment and parts).

    As far as getting your stuff working, this is where having somebody who was
more advanced nearby giving you a hand.  Communicating a problem via email,
phone, etc, at least for me, has never worked, it is a lot easier for me to help
solve problems when I am right there, to see the problem.  I have found that
most problems have simple solutions, and it generally only takes a small effort
to solve them.  Trying to decipher problems remotely has rarely been successful,
and is generally difficult.  Although, I don't know how to solve the problem of
locating somebody to help.  Again, it comes to a very small, thinly distributed
hobby.

>
> 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.

    Good idea....I am not sure how to accomplish such a feat...though.

>
>
> Thanks for any help,
> Jonathan Pratt
>
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--
 -Jim
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* Visit:http://www.silcom.com/~patchell/
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