Attn: Gus - we will learn someday

[kvb]

From the Golden thread

I don't know if I agree.
 

With DIY stuff I do still see things posted that I question parts of.
Things like pull down resistors after output volume pots that are not taper resistors.
Pots wired in a way that that can cause issues with wiper bounce and "upset" the circuit.
Pots used with DC as a set and forget.
Not protecting the input pair of an opamp (fragments one can read in a book)
Collector and drain resistor trim pots
bias networks
Switching wiring for gain control or tone caps.
.............................

I feel compelled to respond to you Gus. If I had a problem I would PM.  I'm just going to offer my point of view. There is no offence intended, and I hope there is none taken. Plus others can add their thoughts about the troubling aspects of DIY electronics.

My point of view is that I know Jack Squat about most of this.

I was brought here by a love of guitar and  'kick ass' sounds - not by a love of electronics (but certainly an intrest).
Many here in the golden age (DIY) are driven by a love of guitar craziness that is so strong that some are willing to put themselves through a great deal of mental anguish just trying to accomplsh some thing that others may find easy.
That is my main point.

I think I understand your point as well. You see questionable practices and you do not want others to learn the wrong way or to ignore the fundamentals.
And before I go on, let me just say: I will do the math as you have suggested to me - when I get to that point in time.

When I started buying effects, I said: "I'm not paying $200 for something that I know only has one transistor in it."
If anyone can build a booster, so can I.


Then I looked at a schematic and was stopped by my ignorance. I took me a long time to find all of the right pieces of info (on the web) for even the simplest scheme to make any sense at all.

I better stop typing.

But I will not stop trying to figure this stuff out.

Peace, and thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[soulsonic]

I think Gus' problem is not so much that hobbyists do these things, but the fact that there are so many hobbyists-turned-businessmen that these questionable practices have almost become de facto standards in many commercial boutique designs. While this is pretty much limited to the boutique market, there are so many boutique pedals in use today that it warrants consideration. As businesses, the boutique builders have a responsibility to their customers, and in this abstract pursuit of "tone" many builders have eschewed the responsibility of reliable design in favor of "tweaks" and a rustic hand-wired look. This has resulted in quality standards relaxing into some kind of dubious gray area where subjective "neatness" of the wiring and finish is more important than actual functional quality and this has really put the uninformed consumer at a disadvantage.

So, though the hobbyist isn't required to conform to any sort of professional standards, basic respect for the customer demands that professional manufacturers possess a certain degree of understanding and knowledge about how to do things "by the book". Any builder who offers a legal warranty of any kind is really doing himself a disservice by not having proper knowledge of design, manufacturing, and reliability standards. The very reason reliability standards exist is so manufacturers can better protect themselves from loss; failure to implement proper standards as such will only hurt a business, and small businesses such as these boutique builders stand to lose the most.

I don't know if this is what Gus was getting at exactly, but since about half the things mentioned on his list also came up in a comment he made about a certain boutique pedal I traced recently, I'm inclined to believe that the two subjects are related.

[frank_p]

Just think he wants to kick in the bucket and give some hints of good practices.  If the things that are in the list would be golden rules (I don't say that they don't are) they should be put in the Wiki with an explanation of the practice, so that we don't fall in complete decadence.  Maybe the Wiki is the way to go to adopt some good practices.  This way there would be more structure than in the forum. 

[aron]

>If the things that are in the list would be golden rules (I don't say that they don't are) they should be put in the Wiki with an explanation of the practice, so that we don't fall in complete decadence.

The Wiki would be a great place for this sort of thing.

[frank_p]

What is the procedure then to validate (with other members ?) the infos and then put it conveniently in the Wiki ?

[dschwartz]

My POV is that if we DIY as a hobby, we can let some good practices out..
Creativity involves stepping out of the rules sometimes, and taking some risks.. some things as opamp protection in a distortion circuit can be ommited, is like putting an airbag on a bicycle..it can help, but it´s worth the effort?