I wanna be a geekslut someday! Getting started

[portobellovcs3]

OK, so I want to be a geekslut someday and want to know the best way to get started learning about analog electronics. I know there is a lot to learn and would like advice on websites, books, etc. that can help me get started.

Thanks!

Porto

[the scum]

So how do you learn?

If you can learn by sitting down with a book, look into some of these:

• The Art of Electronics, Horowotz & Hill. The classic electronics textbook...it's pretty dense. I tend to read about 3 pages at a time.
• The Craig Anderton "Projects" books. Electronics Projects for Musicians isn't too daunting, and provides some good background about tools, components, and the like.
• The Handbook for Sound Engineers, edited by Glenn Ballou. All sorts of audio-related theory in it. Expensive & dense, but really worthwhile if you want to understand the big & small of audio stuff.
• The National Semiconductor Audio/Radio Handbook has some good basic audio circuits & theory.
• The little Forrest Mims pamphlets from Radio Shack were damn cool...they used to be about $2 each, and most of the projects were build using parts stocked by Radio Shack. However, Radio Shack has become Radio-controlled-car Shack, and the basic electronics stuff fell by the wayside.

If you're more hands-on, jump in and build something.

Have you ever made your own cables?

www.paia.com offers complete kits that aren't too expensive and they'll probably have something you'll find useful in the studio (as opposed to some regular kit vendors who will have you making LED blinkers). Their instructions are good, and they include all of the parts (well, most of them, usually the chassis is extra). Having all of the parts ready to go is really helpful if you're new to this. I'd hate to have to sit down with a 1500 page Mouser catalog if I had no idea were what I was looking for was listed.

There are a few other kit people around...hamptone.com, seventhcircleaudio.com among them.

There are cool projects all over the web, if you can read a schematic and track down parts on your own...www.ax84.com for tube guitar amps...www.diystompboxes.com for pedals...sound.westhost.com for more general stuff...www.groupdiy.com for audio goodies (that's where the flow of 1176/SSL/Pultec etc clones stems from).

Heck, track down an electronic components shop in your area, and wander through. If you really get into this stuff, you'll visit them regularly.

One final piece of advice: start out with a good soldering iron! The $20 ones from the hardware store just won't hang on this gig!

I hope this helps.

Byron Jacquot

[amorris]

show us your "tt's", then you'll be a gearslut.

[portobellovcs3]

Thanks a lot Byron for all the useful info! I think I will go with the book approach and work on something at the same time. The best of both worlds.

Porto

[cornboy7x]

Originally Posted by amorris

show us your "tt's", then you'll be a gearslut.

youll know youre a geekslut when that is hilarious.

nicely done

[tINY]

A few basic electronics courses at the local community college and the prerequisite math courses are a huge help.



-tINY