custom made fuzzes and such

[joegagan]

great direction this drifted in...

i would take it one step further and suggest that a large portion of human achievement belongs to the people who were able to straddle both the technical and artistic worlds extremely well.

[frank_p]

Ah...  The Frosted Shredded Wheat Complex !

[Derringer]

This thread is incredibly inspiring for people like myself who don't like the hard fast distinction between "technical people" and "creative people".

I'm glad to see someone else thinks like I do.

Creativity and artistry exist on multiple levels in all walks of life. When in college I was told by some English majors that 'engineers basically learned how to follow rules and not deviate, whereas liberal arts majors learned how to create'.

I'm a math teacher and reading that made me wince!

Funny thing though ... and this just seems to be the way it is, I'm about four pedals and two amplifiers into this hobby and the most math that I've used is in deciphering resistor notation and in laying out the drill patterns for the enclosures. Granted the rest of the building is logic, where math is derived form, but I haven't had to use, sadly, many numbers yet.

I did just make a printout of the first three chapters of "The Art of Electronics" so I'm sure as I learn theory I'll see where to plug and chug. 

[DougH]

I was told by some English majors that 'engineers basically learned how to follow rules and not deviate, whereas liberal arts majors learned how to create'.

I'm a math teacher and reading that made me wince!

Funny off-topic story about that... It was in an American Lit  class I took as an elective that I really loved. I loved reading the stories and it was an easy "A" because mainly you just took a small test to ensure you read the material and there were a few light (and fun) writing assignments. It was a refreshing break from the pressure of my engineering classes. The loudmouths that were talking this trash were either flunking or barely pulling C's. I could never understand that. If you truly loved literature the prof was basically handing you a good grade on a plate. How can someone majoring in this area have so much trouble with it, and then have the audacity to have that kind of attitude? That class was a true joy and pleasure for me, and I was a non-major!

Funny thing though ... and this just seems to be the way it is, I'm about four pedals and two amplifiers into this hobby and the most math that I've used is in deciphering resistor notation and in laying out the drill patterns for the enclosures. Granted the rest of the building is logic, where math is derived form, but I haven't had to use, sadly, many numbers yet.

I did just make a printout of the first three chapters of "The Art of Electronics" so I'm sure as I learn theory I'll see where to plug and chug. 

Well, you printed out the right book, that's for sure.

Most people who build this stuff don't pay much attention to designing a circuit for a particular behavior, operating points, etc. There is some math involved there (basic algebra mostly) and it can be fun.

[culturejam]

If you truly loved literature the prof was basically handing you a good grade on a plate. How can someone majoring in this area have so much trouble with it, and then have the audacity to have that kind of attitude?

I was an English major in college, and I think I might be able to shed some light on this phenomenon. The people that were talking trash in your class were the type of English major that think they are too good to put any effort into "survey" literature classes. It's not that they have trouble doing the work, it's that it's already old hat. Most likely, those folks had already read most of the stuff assigned -- possibly even years before they got to college. Also, a lot of lit survey classes are designed to hit you over the head with some of the most obvious, cliche types of literary styles and devices. It would be like a mathematics major having to attend a class where the lectures starts off like this: "Does anyone know what a variable is? We're going to spend the next several weeks talking about what variables are and how they are used." Not fun.

But what these "too good" students fail to realize is that college is all about jumping through the requisite hoops as much as (or maybe more than) it is about actually learning facts, figures, and methods. It's also about learning *how* to learn.

And I agree with you. If you have the rare opportunity for an easy A, shut up and take it. 

[earthtonesaudio]

Just to chime in about the whole learning curve thing...
For me, the math doesn't sink in until after I've messed with some practical examples.  If I tried to learn ALL the theory first, I would never get to enjoy experimenting.  I don't think you have to learn a whole lot before you can start having fun and making things that work. 
Having said that, if you step off the path, it's easy to get lost real quick.  But guitar effects are pretty forgiving.

[frank_p]

This thread is incredibly inspiring for people like myself who don't like the hard fast distinction between "technical people" and "creative people".

I'm glad to see someone else thinks like I do.

Creativity and artistry exist on multiple levels in all walks of life. When in college I was told by some English majors that 'engineers basically learned how to follow rules and not deviate, whereas liberal arts majors learned how to create'. What they didn't see was that math and scientific principles were tools, paints & brushes if you will, used by engineers to create. And there is a lot of artistry in a good design.

Saying that there's a distinction between creative and technical people is like saying there's a distinction between people who like tomatoes and people
who wear underwear... It's a false dichotomy.

Or:
If you are a Cartesian type you will not get far if you don't use tomatoes somewhere in one of you recipies.  If you are a creative eccentric you maybe judged as so, if you don't use a bit of underwear.

Excuses Doug: where I want to point is there :

We all have our weaknesses somewhere...
What you have to find is who you are to put youself at ease.  Then you can push outside of that: to "grow".  If you stay in a situation or a mindframe that do not correspond to your "natural slope" you may go out of "juice" easily unless you are very strong or patient.

Having made arts and engineering, I can tell you that: somewhere than an other: you might find yourself a bit better at ease a place than an other (wherever it is).  Unless you have grown very "balanced".   

Gladly (hopefully), DIY-stompboxes have a "space" that permit all directions and also collaboration when we need somebody different to help us (you) in an other way that you would go naturally.
And also: somewhere, if you find it, threre will be a moment where you will have a bit of time to invesigate that "false dichotomy" and that "one side that is less familiar".

Just think of different aspects that may come in somehow in the making of an effect.

realisation: goal seaking, curiosity
debugging: investigating, sense of practicality
creating: imagination, intuition, combination of the known
knowing-breaking rules of science: rational, memory, intuition.
making it: know how, ability with our hands, forgetting ourselves, realisation.
keeping doing it: motivation, self-investigation, character.
helping other here: communication, empathy, self-confidence.
Being able to recognise if it sound good: sensing ability, musical sense.
Painting enclosures: sense of aesthetics, creativity, sense of trends,
Playing with it: proudness, attention, visualisation (by ear of what it could be)
Wanting more know how: investigation, reading and learning abilities, curiosity.
Fine-tuning: know how, patience...   ...

Making PBC: help, knowhow, intuition, patience, planning, imagination, elegance... etc.

The list could go on and on.

What I realise is that making effects (and PCB) can be a really plentifully experience in growth (even if you don't realise it).
You have to work for sure:
But over all: does it make you feel good when you get an advice on a subject that might not be one of your "natural forces" or one in your "blind spot".

I will stop here otherwise I may look like a pink flower...  ehrmh...