This time of year I'm not able to be too active on the forum or with building because of all the other stuff I have going on. Checking in to post a build report and see what's happening around here feels almost somber. Everybody who has been at this a while seems to be slowing way down or even throwing in the towel. It looks like the flame is burning out.
As has been mentioned, many have built everything there is to build. The novelty has worn off, the way people interact on the internet has morphed. Fashions come and go in the music world as everywhere else. Etc. etc.
Still, there are some essential things about building pedals that don't seem to get old for me. I just wanted to share a few of them and see if anyone else shares some of the same loves. And maybe add to the list. So, in no particular order, here are a few of the things I love about pedal building...
- a shiny solder fillet
- seeing a bypass LED light up for the first time
- a perfect ET pour
- the look and heft of a populated PCB
- parts packages arriving
- just the imagining and planning of a build
- getting boards in from OSHpark
- seeing my artistic vision realized
- hearing a circuit do what it is supposed to do
- feeling certain that is sounds better boxed than when it was being tested. It's similar to the way new shoes made me run faster as a kid or the way washing my car makes it run better.
- the look of a drilled enclosure
There's lots more stuff like that for me. What I'm saying is that much of what I love about this is in the otherwise mundane elements that are somehow satisfying. I'm curious about what those elements are for the rest of us.
I think I've only finished a couple pedals this year, but I still tinker with it when I get time. I still enjoy it, in particular:
- The relaxation I get from populating parts on a big PCB
- Experimenting with new enclosure finishing techniques
- Showing people what I build and having them say "You made that? Really?"
- Firing up a pedal and having it make a sound.
- Being able to add way too many options, switches and knobs to a basic effect, because I can never make my mind up
- Learning how some of this stuff goes together in schematics, and occasionally understanding what's going on
I enjoy the enclosure artwork designing phase the most. I like my builds to be ergonomically laid out, for the artwork to be cool (to me at least), and I like the challenge of getting a concept designed out and fitted into a reasonably sized box.
For it, it's therapeutic. I can clear my head and forget about life for a while or I can solve life's problems. Either way, at the end of it all, I have a new toy.
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I love the smell of solder in the morning.
....
Smells like....
victory.
Quote from: EBK on June 23, 2019, 06:22:38 PM
I love the smell of solder in the morning.
....
Smells like....
victory.
Really?? Watch out of California proposition 65
the groupies
Seeing a completed build that someone has done using a PCB you laid out is always satisfying.
Quote from: fair.child on June 23, 2019, 06:35:41 PM
Quote from: EBK on June 23, 2019, 06:22:38 PM
I love the smell of solder in the morning.
....
Smells like....
victory.
Really?? Watch out of California proposition 65
Don't smell your coffee, either. That also bears a Prop 65 warning.
Things I love:
-Making something out of nothing. Taking a pile of caps and resistors and making something that makes noise
-That feeling after you make a pedal and thinking "no way this works", then miraculously it does!
-Seeing someone enjoy using something you made and knowing you made them happy
-And to reiterate thesmokingman.... the groupies ;D
That singular moment just before you strum a chord/hit a note while plugged in to a fresh new build. The feeling of the unknown. Will it work first time? Does it work completely? Will I spend the next 2 weeks on a debug?
That singular moment is worth every hour of the build!
Wait...you can get groupies doing this???
you're not?
See how the mere mention of sex has completely derailed this navel gazing?
Quote from: Govmnt_Lacky on June 23, 2019, 11:26:42 PM
That singular moment just before you strum a chord/hit a note while plugged in to a fresh new build. The feeling of the unknown. Will it work first time? Does it work completely? Will I spend the next 2 weeks on a debug?
That singular moment is worth every hour of the build!
that is about it really ... that and the fleeting sense of accomplishment.
The moment you find out that complicated pedal your building isnt passing a signal.
No seriously, for me its creating something unique. Sonically, physically, visually (youtube), pcb layouts, experimenting, finishing the enclosure etc etc. The reason for the enjoyment always comes back to the same thing. Its a creative channel for me, like music and guitar. It took me many years to realise this was the deep purpose of pedal building for me personally.
That moment you realize you forgot to order a part from a site that charges ludicrous amounts for shipping.
That moment your second order arrives and you realize you forgot something else...
That moment you first plug something in and your hear a POP and smell smoke.
That moment you plug in your board and hear a loud squealing howl.
That moment you realize you were following the wrong version of the build docs.
That moment you knock your soldering iron off the bench.
That moment you catch your soldering iron after dropping it....
That moment you smell roasting pork for some reason.
....erm, wait, no, these are the opposite of what you asked for. Oops. ;D
I always found soldering to be incredible relaxing. Maybe it was inhaling the soldering fumes, but if it weren't for the changing background noises of the TV somewhere in the room I could completely forget time when I was soldering.
The moment you fire up a new build was also an incredible rush. Too bad it was often countered by the dreaded no sound at all moment.
But one of the most fun things was planning a new build. As in playing with my ordering spreadsheet. Adding in the number of components I would, seeing if there was room in the order for another build, and if so which one. I have whole spreadsheets full of planned pedal builds that never happened, and yet they still give me great pleasure compiling them.
I like working on "new" circuits the most. I love cranking out a schematic in Eagle and then moving to the breadboard to see how poorly it performs. ;D
Its good to create something from virtually nothing and using it for creative purposes.
I love putting on the resistors, then sitting back and admiring them. Then the OCD takes over and I make sure they are all parallel...
Same with the caps until it is done.
I still hold my breath when powering up, and I have been doing this for 40 years....
Then, SOUND! O yeah!
From the time I first started dabbling in electronics, the thing that has given me the most joy (and my motivation for studying electrical engineering) is this silly idea:
A resistor sitting in a parts bin does nothing. It has no magical powers, and by itself is selected for its trivial-sounding property of resisting current.
A capacitor sitting in a parts bin does nothing. It has no magical powers, and by itself is selected for its trivial-sounding properties of storing charge or resisting changes in voltage.
A transistor sitting in a parts bin does nothing. It has no magical powers, and by itself is selected for its trivial-sounding property of controlling a current with another current (ok, that is a bit magical, but still).
But, put these ordinary, non-magical components together in a very specific way and their synergy creates magic. Even becoming a simple oscillator is more than any of the parts could do individually.
It was all about the planning, figuring out parts needs, designing and etching a pcb that would work with an aesthetically pleasing control layout, form over function... designing a graphic, hand painting/multimedia for the enclosure, populating and soldering the pcb... actually finishing a pedal was pretty anti-climatic and a build would often stall just short of the finish line - fear of failure or total loss of interest because there was another build process in the works.
It was all about the creative journey and getting something that i thought 'looked' cool, how's it sound, like a pedal...
dave
I love that I am always learning something new. Through pedal building I learned that I like to paint, something I wiuld have never tried had I not gotten tired of bare enclosures. I learn so much on an electronics level with every build and yet still manage to feel like a total noob.
Even as I write this I am taking a break from GIMP tutorials to help me start using water slide decals to finish pedals.
I have learned that almost 20 years of playing guitar and namely using a fuzz face that I actually prefer tonebenders.
Every new pedal is a new source of inspiration for my playing and every build is a great way to flex different parts of my brain. It keeps me busy and keeps me sober.
I love the look of a newly populated pcb, i still remember the first time i build one!! I said to my girlfriend "look it looks like a small city!!". The smell and look of a just lackered enclosure when you finally start to see what the finished product will look like and how all the colors pop out is hard to beat !
Designing something new, trying it out on a breadboard, drawing a schematic, layout of a PCB, ordering it, getting it, building it, sharing it. It's great to build something "real", if your main job is creating intangible stuff.
And I really like this forum, everyone is really friendly, helpful and funny. It's the only one I contribute to.
(https://media3.giphy.com/media/T1AH23PVGLSbS/giphy.gif)
Ok, not quite everything. The biggest thing is the kick I get out of putting something together and it working. Then getting lost in my guitar as I play random rifts and poorly noodle around. Beyond that, I love getting the low res picture of my boards before Elecrow ships them. I love populating a new board (tho I do not love trying to figure out what I did with that bag of 1µF non-polarized caps from Tayda). I love designing PCBs and helping other builders with their designs. Sometimes I start to drag with the hobby and lose some steam, but DIY is just in my blood I think. Can't quit.
perfect combo of geeking out, hands-on work, problem solving, and creativity. there is SO much to learn and it's almost all fun.
getting a board from the fab house and having it roar to life on first power up is ridiculously satisfying (and relieving). as is doing up a vero layout and getting it working. as others have said the 'making something from nothing' element. wanting to claw your eyes out with hours of troubleshooting before realising you've wired the input jack to the output pad.
i also love the sharing aspect, learning from other people, building things other people have designed, ordering parts and boards from all over the world. without wanting to jinx it, it feels like one of the more wholesome uses of the internet.
Are Verobuilds allowed here? I've just started building, I think 4 months ago? I used to always buy pedals but most of them lack the sound/feature I wanted. I would love the sound of one overdrive but then I thought that it would be cool if it had this feature and that design so I started modding but ended up building from scratch instead. I love that feeling of accomplishment every time a project runs, especially the first time you plug it in. 8) Currently on my 7th project, a TS9 with clipping switch. Almost done with 7th project, but 100s more to go.
Quote from: vicfiveleven on July 22, 2019, 01:51:52 AM
Are Verobuilds allowed here? I've just started building, I think 4 months ago? I used to always buy pedals but most of them lack the sound/feature I wanted. I would love the sound of one overdrive but then I thought that it would be cool if it had this feature and that design so I started modding but ended up building from scratch instead. I love that feeling of accomplishment every time a project runs, especially the first time you plug it in. 8) Currently on my 7th project, a TS9 with clipping switch. Almost done with 7th project, but 100s more to go.
Welcome aboard, and vero is well represented here! Looking forward to seeing some of your builds. You have found the right community.
This is the point I love most about building pedals. The moment I get the sticker on (bonus points if it's in the right place with no dust bumps under it first time around, like this one).... It just looks so clean, and the colours usually pop really well.
Quote from: vicfiveleven on July 22, 2019, 01:51:52 AM
Are Verobuilds allowed here?
Vero builds are actually my favorite! Can't fully explain why, but it's true.
Thanks Leevibe and EBK. Yeah, for some reason I got stuck with vero. I've tried perf and pcb building but I just like starting a build by cutting up the vero, from scratch. and that weird smell, dunno know if I should avoid smelling it. should I? lol is there a prop 65 warning on those boards? :o
I don't know if my builds are worthy enough to be posted here. XD I still suck at clean wiring and have zero talent in designing enclosures. I will get there soon. Need to practice my soldering skills first. hehe
Quote from: vicfiveleven on July 22, 2019, 01:34:53 PM
Thanks Leevibe and EBK. Yeah, for some reason I got stuck with vero. I've tried perf and pcb building but I just like starting a build by cutting up the vero, from scratch. and that weird smell, dunno know if I should avoid smelling it. should I? lol is there a prop 65 warning on those boards? :o
I don't know if my builds are worthy enough to be posted here. XD I still suck at clean wiring and have zero talent in designing enclosures. I will get there soon. Need to practice my soldering skills first. hehe
It's good to post build reports even if you don't feel they are worthy. There are always other people out there who feel inspired and encouraged. Everyone has something different they are after with this hobby. Around here we like all of it and we tend to be pretty affirming. Plus, anyone who has built on vero vs. PCB knows the challenges to getting it all tidy.
Quote from: somnif on June 24, 2019, 05:09:29 AM
That moment you realize you forgot to order a part from a site that charges ludicrous amounts for shipping.
That moment your second order arrives and you realize you forgot something else...
That moment you first plug something in and your hear a POP and smell smoke.
That moment you plug in your board and hear a loud squealing howl.
That moment you realize you were following the wrong version of the build docs.
That moment you knock your soldering iron off the bench.
That moment you catch your soldering iron after dropping it....
That moment you smell roasting pork for some reason.
....erm, wait, no, these are the opposite of what you asked for. Oops. ;D
All those magic tricks and smoke! Good times....
QuoteAre Verobuilds allowed here?
90% of my builds are vero. The rest have some vero in there somewhere....
I reckon that building pedals satisfies an innate need to build things and do things with our hands. Having just worked for a whole week at a local festival there's something inherently satisfying in working with your hands and body, rather then sitting by your desk, pushing ones and zero's all day.
Quote from: Muadzin on July 22, 2019, 11:39:10 PM
I reckon that building pedals satisfies an innate need to build things and do things with our hands. Having just worked for a whole week at a local festival there's something inherently satisfying in working with your hands and body, rather then sitting by your desk, pushing ones and zero's all day.
I used to turn wrenches for that satisfaction ... I should get another project car.
If it wasn't for the expense and cost, I wouldn't mind learning car mechanics. Plus there's nothing sexy or interesting, for me, in boring daily driver type cars.
Quote from: alanp on July 23, 2019, 12:32:44 AM
If it wasn't for the expense and cost, I wouldn't mind learning car mechanics. Plus there's nothing sexy or interesting, for me, in boring daily driver type cars.
There are of course more cars then just daily driver type cars. There's classic cars? All modern cars look like the same aerodynamic piece of shite, but classic cars still have that individuality and quirkiness that makes them actually interesting. Or go motorcycles. Or restore an old WW2 Willys Jeep?
I either want a 50s gasser style car or a rough as trash rat ride ... the kind you get tetanus from just looking at it. think I'll settle for doing some pedals in rattle can car primer finishes for now. my wallet is light enough without buying car parts again.
Quote from: thesmokingman on July 25, 2019, 10:17:34 PM
I either want a 50s gasser style car or a rough as trash rat ride ... the kind you get tetanus from just looking at it. think I'll settle for doing some pedals in rattle can car primer finishes for now. my wallet is light enough without buying car parts again.
I've actually thought about doing a rat rod style pedal. I think it's a really cool idea. Do it!
I imagine that the hardest part of doing a ratrod is making it look like complete garbage, and hiding all the structural details that means that will pass a Warrant of Fitness test.
Quote from: thesmokingman on July 25, 2019, 10:17:34 PM
I either want a 50s gasser style car or a rough as trash rat ride ... the kind you get tetanus from just looking at it. think I'll settle for doing some pedals in rattle can car primer finishes for now. my wallet is light enough without buying car parts again.
Eat some holes through those pedals with some etchant and patch it up with bondo before you prime them. :P
yeah ... going to have to pass on the bondo, lead filling only!
For me, it's in my nature to build things. It started with my first house. Landscaping, painting etc.. then our second house I learned tile, hardwood etc.. built a patio, bricked steps and on and on. Just gutted my old tile kitchen floor and laid tile last month and painted it for the 4th time, courtesy of my wife. So, that piece is in me which is the satisfaction of creating something out of nothing and calling it your own. Enter pedal building, and a few amps too, in 2011. Same feeling. Same reasons although not as physically demanding. Mentally demanding, for me, for sure as I don't fully understand it all.
I think if we are all honest there is some satisfaction in showing it off as well to people who appreciate what you can do.
After that there are many other reasons you guys mention that apply to me as well. I usually pop a beer open, put my Ipod on shuffle and enjoy the hell out of sitting at my bench and soldering.
A few things I love about this hobby:
Being able to look at a drawing and turn it into a pedal.
Being able to make a pedal that's not available, or I could not afford with family/bills, etc. (apologies to the commercial builders here.)
Successful faultfinding.
Playing the finished product.
The weird/expensive pedal thing relates to my brewing hobby too: Once you get hooked on belgian dubbels, DIPA's, sours... it's fun trying to do it at home.