(not) reinventing the wheel

Hi all,

I had a bit of a search on the forum before posting this and couldn't find anything along these lines. Appologies if there was a topic and I missed it...

I'm very interested in electronics for audio and plan to start an Electronics Engineering HND course in the near future. One day I hope to design and sell my own audio equipment which brings me on to my question:

When you design a new (not clone) piece of audio gear, be it a pre-amp, EQ compressor etc. how much of the design is from the ground up? There are lots of books that have building blocks for circuits, schematics on the internet for all manner of projects, and many component datasheets have suggested applications. So what I'm trying to find out is where is the line between ripping off someone else's ideas, and reinventing the wheel?

I would like to design new and unique circuits to process audio, but it would be ridiculous reinvent a linear power supply, a standard non-inverting Op Amp gain stage or an active 2-pole filter, when these building blocks can be found in text books, online etc. In this way I assume that creating a lot of circuits is (in very simplistic terms) a case of stringing together a selection of building block circuits, to create a new circuit that processes audio in the desired fashion. But how can I tell what I can consider to be a building block circuit, and what is a novel and unique circuit design that is (morally at least) someone else's intellectual property?

I hope this question makes sense, it's something I've been wondering about for a while.

I'm not an electronics designer Spudman, but usually, most people at some point have a mentor of some kind to help show them the way. I'm a pro bass player btw, so for me, my skills have evolved from jamming, copying, emulating and being inspired by previous works and trying to fit in with the 'requirements' of what is called upon in any given situation. If I choose to move outside of this, I do so either because I have a really strong and deep desire to re-educate/I'm having a creative day/inspire people on what I think is  required from a bass player, or I see a certain niche I can create and I'll go for it whatever people say.

At some point, you have to stick your neck out and say, this is me, this is what I can do for you but also know when to respond to the needs of your client/public.

Unfortunately, it is often the case of re-packaging the wheel and fitting the square peg in the square hole(especially if you want to be commercial) alongside a few days of divine inspiration or at least painting the peg purple!  

I hope this doesn't come across as being -ve, you just need to hopefully find the middle ground where you satisfy yourself and your public.

If you're studying electronics, you will possibly find yourself with a mentor, who was mentored by a mentor etc etc etc. At which point, do you become knowledgeable/brave enough to break the apron strings?

What I'm trying to say is (after a few bottles of Westons organic cider  ) is to be knowldgeable of the past, know what works and also to keep on top of trends and new knowledge/technology and follow your instincts.

I'm going to have such a hangover tomorrow  ;D

There is never a building-block to do EXACTLY what you want.

Or any non-trivial string of building blocks which "fit together" without redundant parts or missing bits and shims.

Though of course a "plagiarized" linear supply may serve you well.

So you always end up doing a lot of "designing". Even though it may be penciling-up a collection of building-blocks. You end up re-calculating every detail.

And very rarely find anything remotely "novel". After you work it out for yourself, you later find nearly the same thing in an old amp, and then in an *older* amp, and maybe an even older paper outlining the idea. Like Chris can't put together 3 notes that have never been played before.

IP... there are exceptions, but most "Audio IP" isn't worth a napkin to scribble it on. Most everything has already been done, many different ways. Knowing which ways work best is useful, but not something you can sell abstractly. The very-very few rich audio designers didn't get rich on their designs, but on Marketing.

PRR said:

Like Chris can't put together 3 notes that have never been played before. 

Click to expand...

Root, fifth, root, fifth, root...      ...third, fifth! Hey, thanks PRR, I'm now a jazzer!  ;D

EEk!


    reach for the "Jazz-be-gone" spray . . . I find one short squirt will generally clear the air of unwanted jazz . . . .



    Only kidding! - But I do have a can of Servisol with JAZZBEGONE written on a label. Causes SO much offence to jazzers of all persuasions, that I have it to hand right by the desk, just in case!



        AndyP

Circuit designers assemble a library of building blocks that they can re-use in subsequent products. Once you have a good balanced input or output, there is little reason to re-invent that for every product, while most good designers will always strive to improve upon even their own work.

Modern analog circuit design is not completely cookbook mix and match as there are always new technology to adapt to old problems. Some old problems are old enough that the new technology developments have mostly passed them by, while the more in demand function blocks will often be reduced to ICs or built into larger system blocks.

I am not ready to say that everything that could be designed has been, but analog audio is a pretty mature technology, and better understood and managed than audiophools want to believe.

JR

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies!

Best,
Spud