I'm a hack...help me learn....

[therecordingart]

I've built some extremely complex projects, but I can't tell you why or how something will behave by looking at the schematic. For example, you can show me the schematic for a distortion box, and I can build it, but I don't know how it works. I know the signal goes in the input, goes through a series of parts, and come out the other end. I've tried reading articles on how fets, opamps, and other parts work, but most of the time it is written assuming you already know a lot of the vocabulary of an engineer.

Does anyone have advice on where to start?

[trjones1]

First of all, search this forum.  There have been many posts on this topic.  The best advice, imho, is to go to geofex.com and read the "technology of..." series of articles, plus any other articles there that catch your interest.

[markeebee]

There's loads of info available here and at Geofex and Beavis and kershillions of other websites, and there are some really good books on the topic that are available for hooky download if you are so inclined.  Beavis is especially good for noobs like us, he seems able to identify with idiots.

I always found that the problem wasn't so much about access to the info, more about applying the info in 'real time'.

So for a while I disciplined myself to NOT SOLDER a component to a board until I learnt what it's function was.  The first few boards that I did like this took for ever, but wanting to get the board finished really motivated me to do some learning quickstyle.  Now I find I usually only have to check the purpose of one or two components in each build, and I can recognise familiar patterns in schematics.  If I'd just sat down to read the info that's knocking about I'd still be putting it off, waiting for the DVD of the film of the book.

[therecordingart]

So for a while I disciplined myself to NOT SOLDER a component to a board until I learnt what it's function was.  The first few boards that I did like this took for ever, but wanting to get the board finished really motivated me to do some learning quickstyle.  Now I find I usually only have to check the purpose of one or two components in each build, and I can recognise familiar patterns in schematics.  If I'd just sat down to read the info that's knocking about I'd still be putting it off, waiting for the DVD of the film of the book.

This is exactly what I'm doing with the Noisy Cricket. I'm tracing the path from the input to the output to try figuring out why x-value resistor is here and y-value capacitor is there...how the jeft functions, and why the LM386 does what it does. It still blows my mind that I've built some really incredible stuff without knowing really what the hell I'm doing.

[bipedal]

+1 on all of these suggestions.

I also picked up an older edition of an Intro to Electronics theory textbook at a second-hand bookstore not long ago.  It isn't exactly exciting reading, but the basic discussion of components, transistor theory, etc. has been a nice explanatory complement to my pedal tinkering shenanigans.

Jay

[jdub]

+1 to all from here as well.

From one hack to another, I know exactly how you feel.  I've been trying lately to understand how to visualize these things I build purely in terms of their electronic properties, i.e. understanding a stompbox circuit as a function of voltage,current, etc.  And it's taking a long time- I've found that I've had to (re)start at the very basic level- resistance, voltage and current- several times in order to fully grasp what's going on with a diode or transistor or opamp.  And I still don't understand a lot, but I'm learning more all the time.  I think that the more you read and experiment, the better you get at knowing what questions to ask or research, and you're able to take better advantage of the resources you have access to.  Searching the forum or the internet is very helpful, but moreso if you know how what terms to use when searching, especially for in-depth topics or very specific things.

A couple of resources that helped me have been Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest Mims III (also his Circuit Scrapbooks), Electronics Demystified by Gibilisco and, of course, The Art of Electronics by Hill and Horwitz.  But I pored over the first two before that one, and it helped.  I've also found component handbooks (esp. Delton Horn's Electronic Components: A Complete Reference for Project Builders and Electronic Component Handbook for Circuit Designers by Robert Warring) to be a great source of info and terminology.  Online, as trjones1 & markeebee mentioned, this forum, geofex,  amzfx (musique.com) and BeavisAudio are great resources, but I personally was able to get more out of them after I had a bit 'o theory under my belt.  Some sites I like for that:

www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits/ (.pdf files,  good stuff)
www.learnabout-electronics.org (transistor theory + animations)
www.electronicstheory.com/html/e101-1.htm

I found these sites to be great for explaining stuff without just throwing terms & math around.   Of course, that is a big part of electronics, but a site that explains things using the very terms you're trying to understand doesn't help much.  I still return to these various sources on a regular basis, reading and re-reading, and each time I get a clearer picture of what's happening in various circuits.  There's no substitute for reading and experimenting- eventually the stuff works itself into yer brain.

Anyway, hope this helps. 

[Brymus]

All the above advice is spot on !
Here is a page full of free books you can download >http://www.pmillett.com/index.html
I havent been there in a few months and he has some more I need to get as well,very good stuff there.

Also a SUPERB free book by one of the members here is Teemuk's book about SS guitar amps.
It is full of useful info on basic electronic design and fabrication,a MUST READ,really one of the best.
Go to SS guitar amps and download it there,search there for some other books too >http://www.ssguitar.com/
Teemuks book>http://www.ssguitar.com/index.php?topic=711.0

Also at SS guitar are some articles by RG on power supply design and safety that should be read,and a few other noteworthy articles from
other members.
And this site is my favorite of course 
DIYaudio is really good,
And I just found the EDA forums,more electronic theory,books and discussions there as well>http://www.edaboard.com/
EDA has some good reading on basic electronic theory,and you can get help in the forums on general electronics.
Good luck on your quest,from one hack to another.
Bryan

[Boogdish]

In addition to reading, I think it's useful to build the simple building block circuits on a breadboard and experiment for yourself.  The reading will be easier if you've got experiences to relate what you're reading to.

[oldrocker]

Brian Wampler has some good books for sale on stompbox circuits.

[frank_p]

AMZ have also small implementations you can experiment around.

[aron]

Look above - see the Wiki?? Check it out.

Oh and what's this?

http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?board=10.0