| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 2173.1 | | GSRC::COOPER | Major MIDI Rack Puke (tm) | Tue Apr 23 1991 17:42 | 6 |
| I built a ring modulator, and a metronome.
My advise ? Let Boss build 'em. Between sweat and blood and parts
costs, you don't really save much at all.
jc
|
| 2173.2 | Not worth the effort in most cases | TRAM::BBOLDT | | Tue Apr 23 1991 18:18 | 8 |
| When I was in college we had to do a thesis to get our B.S. . A friend
of mine built an effects processor for his thesis. It was programmable
and consisted of distortion, chorus, flange, delay and maybe a couple
of others. He put a lot of time and money into it. Anyways, the end
result was okay but nothing compared to what you could buy. I don't
think he cared though he was just glad to graduate.
Byron
|
| 2173.3 | | PIPPER::KELLYJ | Tone droid | Wed Apr 24 1991 09:02 | 16 |
| I've built a few toys: preamp, equalizers, a ring modulator, and
a noise gate. Like the previous replies state, if you're out to
save money you probably won't. The biggest pain in the rear is
getting parts.
If you want to use building toys as a means to learn about electronics,
then I think it's a great way to go.
Craig Anderton, formerly a _Guitar Player_ columnist (I think he's
got a column for a new rag called _EQ_) has a couple of books out
on toys.
Oh, there's another avenue that might still be open: PAIA, a company
in Oklahoma City, offers (offered?) kits for a lot of stuff. I built
their 'humbucking reverb' and it is a fine sounding unit. I haven't
seen their ads recently, so perhaps they went under.
|
| 2173.4 | PAIA | IXION::ROST | Charlie Haden on Sudafed | Wed Apr 24 1991 10:03 | 7 |
| PAIA is still around. They have a few stomp box kits (distortion,
compressor, octave divider, envelope following filter, noise gate) and
some rack mount things like the Hot Springs Reverb, dual limiter, and
an *analog* chorus/flanger.
They sell Craig Anderton's project books and some parts that are hard
to find elsewhere. Call 405-843-9626 for a catalog.
|
| 2173.5 | Better off buying... | ELESYS::JASNIEWSKI | This time forever! | Wed Apr 24 1991 15:08 | 14 |
|
It depends on what you want to build. If it's your own distortion
box with a stomp switch, you will get something a little different
sounding than a Proco RAT for about the same $40 invested...
If it's an ADA MP-1 with the MIDI interface and the bazillion
presets, I'd say...you will have earned enough money by the time
you get past home-building just the MIDI part to go out and buy one.
One of those belt-buckle programmable multi-effects boxes with
the LDC readouts? You CANT build one of those yourself...the technology
is beyond assembly with a hand-held soldering iron.
Joe
|
| 2173.6 | Flux sniffers unite ! | TRUCKS::LITTEN | | Fri Apr 26 1991 11:14 | 32 |
| >
> It depends on what you want to build. If it's your own distortion
> box with a stomp switch, you will get something a little different
> sounding than a Proco RAT for about the same $40 invested...
>
Hi,
From my experience, I agree that you put in a little time and save a
little dough, but other than that...go out and buy one. Particularly if you do
not have too much experience in soldering.
Things like flangers, echo units etc using special chips, you tend to find the
companies like BOSS have got it down in terms of quality and cost. An example
would be a boss echo costs about 40/50 pounds here in the UK. Build something
similar including case and you are talking about 30 pounds.
There are exceptions and I find them to be sustain/fuzz units. These are all
in the quality of the design and the best ones are simple.
I have copied the Marshal Guv'nor pedal and the bits came to about 3 pounds.
(about five dollars).
I stuffed it into an old footpedal case and it sounds identical to the real
thing. Took me one evening to throw it together....worked first time.
You pays yer money 'n takes yer choice....
Good luck,
Dave
|