[sdiy] Where is the DIY spirit? was: Filters

[Jeffrey Pontius]

I think Paul is on target, offering myself as an example.

When I started putting together a modular synth, I had no interest in
even assembling kits.  My primary interest was, and still absolutely is,
making "noise."  However, I started realizing that there were modules that
could basically only be included in my modular if *I* put them together.

>From past experience with other 'challenges' I realized that I needed to
start 'successfully' - for me, that meant assembling a module that
*worked* when I was finished putting it together.  Knowing *how* it worked
wasn't nearly as important as convincing myself that I had at least the
minimal skills to *make* the module work.  So I started with assembling a
few motm modules, and they did work.  A bit of confidence.

Then I moved to the next stage - assembling a few modules where I had to
get most of the parts and figure out (or bug people) about some assembly
aspects that were 'common knowledge', but not to me.  I put a few Oakley
kits together, and with Tony's kind "hand-holding", they *worked* (not all
of them the first time, but I got there).  A little more confidence.
Still, I wasn't all fired up about *how* they worked.

Then I tried a few simple circuits (say, an AD e.g.) just from the circuit
diagrams.  After some failures, I did get a few to work.  A little more
confidence. Now that I can get that far, I started wondering why circuits
were assembled they way they were (why is this thing here and that
value?).  This is currently where I'm at.  I've entered an interesting
'world' that originally I couldn't have cared about at all.

Anyway, (sorry for the novella), like most anything else I think most of
us build on our confidence from successful accomplishments.  The 'total'
kit -> partial kit -> no man's land starting from squiggly lines on paper,
and then asking why is a good route.

Time to sleep, Jeff