Cheap DIY CD player for guitar practice.

[Gilles C]

I talked a bit about it last week in an answer to another post , but I now have pictures to show the result.

The goal is to use an old CDROM player that you already have, or one that you can get cheap in old or used computer parts suppliers, to connect it to a mixer to make the signal mono, and then connect it to your guitar amp.

That's a killer. A high power BoomBox...

The one I used is an old one that I bought brand new to ugrade a Pentium II, or maybe even a 386. I'm not sure...

Anyway, the best ones to use are those with a remote control and function buttons on the front.

Here is the first test I did with an old PC power supply.

http://www.finitesite.com/gtechblues/photos/CDROM1.jpg

Then this one with a Belkin remote usb drive.

http://www.finitesite.com/gtechblues/photos/CDROM2.jpg

It doesn't have to be connected to a computer to work. All it needs is +5V and +12V.

You can even build your own box and power supply for lower cost. I needed a portable CD/DVD player, so I bought that Belkin unit.

Now here is the final result connected to my mini Fender Deluxe in place of my Fender HRD.

http://www.finitesite.com/gtechblues/photos/CDplayer.jpg

For now, the mixer only have the adjustable L+R inputs, but I will build another one with a guitar input to be able to practice playing guitar with a CD.

I've been staying in an hotel room for 2 1/2  weeks with 2 1/2 more weeks to go before I'm back home from training for good, so I use only the mini-Fender to practice in my spare time.

Gilles

[Aharon]

Nice Gilles!!.Once while buying printer paper or something I asked the computer repairman if I could connect the CD ROM as a stand alone unit and he laughed at me...............
Good work
Aharon

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

Pure genius! I just cant get a 'simple' disc player anymore, they have to be DVD or who knows what. Now I can get my next CD player from the dumpster!!
Now can someone make somethng usefulk from old sound cards???

[bwanasonic]

Maybe build one of those center channel remover thingies into your mixer for some *guitar-eoke*  I use a minidisc player the same way. The MD is nice, because you can mark reheasal sections and go directly to that point.

Be sure to throw a TV out the window for me before you leave :lol:

Kerry M

[cd]

What's wrong with using the headphone out from a $20 Walmart discman?

[Gilles C]

Nice Gilles!!.Once while buying printer paper or something I asked the computer repairman if I could connect the CD ROM as a stand alone unit and he laughed at me...............
Good work
Aharon

:lol:  That sounds like Radio Shack dealers... even if it isn't. :lol:  :lol:

Hey, some good ideas to follow up here. Voice eliminator would be a good addition.

I also have an MD player and an MD recorder that I use to record while practicing. I just start it, stop it at the end, and keep only what is good by doing some kind of mark and delete.

But I don't have a remote control for the MD player/recorder...

I also like to use the Amazing Slow Downer program when I need to slow things a bit.

But I still like to be able to just play a CD on my guitar amp when somebody hands me a CD at a friend's house before a jam for example.

Btw, did you notice that CDs sound more guitar like on a guitar amp. I don't have a tube stereo player to play my CDs, but I have a tube guitar amp...

Gilles

[Rich G.]

Anyway, the best ones to use are those with a remote control and function buttons on the front.

If you can't find one w/ the remote control then you'll need to implement the IDE/CDROM interface with a PIC or some other microcontroller.

[Gilles C]

Anyway, the best ones to use are those with a remote control and function buttons on the front.

If you can't find one w/ the remote control then you'll need to implement the IDE/CDROM interface with a PIC or some other microcontroller.

PIC you said?    I wondered before if it would be possible to do that. How and at what cost. It would mean a lot of free CD players available, except for the price of the interface.

I just did a search with Google and found this:

http://private.addcom.de/KeithWilson/Projects/mucop.htm

I'll check that later.

Gilles

[Rich G.]

PIC you said?  

Yep.  PIC or some other Microcontroller.

Here's a few neat projects I found: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=208260

[Gilles C]

Cool links!

Never used 8051s before, but I know someone who did and still do.

Thanks,

Gilles

[Ansil]

Pure genius! I just cant get a 'simple' disc player anymore, they have to be DVD or who knows what. Now I can get my next CD player from the dumpster!!
Now can someone make somethng usefulk from old sound cards???

with a little work you can make a nice little preamp or a small practice amp depending on which chips you have on there.

[Ansil]

i got to thinking about this and was trying it last night of course i know now why this one was thrown away as it was not functioning correctly.  however i did get another one i had to work just find off the 5v supply i had so question what does the 12v supply do in the cdrom as it seems to draw more power from the 5v side so i am asuming it is runing off the 5vs more than anything. there was hardly any draw on the 12v side.  perhaps a voltage doubler and a regulator coming off a good 5v supply maybe...

another question i was wondering since it has a digital out on it would it be possible to run that into a receiver  [assuming it is a dvd playable one also] or is that going to require the software in the computer.  

OK OK  play nice people remember i am the mad scientist not the computer whizz  i can crash a computer better than anyone but keeping them running isn't my strong suit.

since i saw this post i decided to implement this into my listenting staion for my business partner.  we found and old salon hair dryer [the one you sit in] and form there we gutted the motor and stuff. and mounted speakers in the head unit and ran the wires down the back.. currently i am wiring up my power supply and seeing if i have enough parts to do a tube power amp for it or just use a quad amp that i was saving for this purpose.

anyway good thread this right here is the type of stuff i like to see.

[ejbasses]

Hi guys. Ive been looking into doing this to my old CDROM drive,

can you give me a link or point me to the direction on how can i do this to my own unit?

thanks,

[Ansil]

Hi guys. Ive been looking into doing this to my old CDROM drive,

can you give me a link or point me to the direction on how can i do this to my own unit?

thanks,

steps
1. pull out unit from computer [be sure to disconnect all the cables]
2. apply 12v and 5v to drive via diagram on back of the cdrom
3. put in disc close drawer
4. insert headphones and listen.

[Elektrojänis]

another question i was wondering since it has a digital out on it would it be possible to run that into a receiver  [assuming it is a dvd playable one also] or is that going to require the software in the computer.  

I think I read somwhere that the digital out on the computer CD-rom drives puts the data out in s/pdif-format, but the signal level is TTL (5 volt) instead of the 1 volt specified in s/pdif specification. If I remember correctly it also said that most s/pdif inputs should be able to handle that 5 volts just fine (I take no responsibility on this though). The output does not have the coaxial cable driver though so the cable must not be too long.

since i saw this post i decided to implement this into my listenting staion for my business partner.  we found and old salon hair dryer [the one you sit in] and form there we gutted the motor and stuff. and mounted speakers in the head unit and ran the wires down the back.. currently i am wiring up my power supply and seeing if i have enough parts to do a tube power amp for it or just use a quad amp that i was saving for this purpose.

That sounds really mad (and I like it)! I hope you can put up some pictures when it is ready.

[Ansil]

thanks i will try to post pics when i can.  and i will try the digital input and see what happens..  here goes nothing.. lol