Early days electronics - am I being overambitious?

[FatAsFunk]

Hi everyone,
I am a mastering engineer, & have recently got the bug to start making my own kit.  I'm incredibly impressed by the fine work I see on this board! Respect.

I am still a relative novice with electronics, but I have been learning a lot recently & am pretty decent with a soldering iron. I can read a circuit board reasonably well, but to be honest am not quite up to speed on calculating resistor values etc. (although a lot of the schematics have these already marked, so hoping I won't need to be an expert in this?)

I would love to try making one of the Gyraf Pultec units -

#1 Firstly, am I being too ambitious at this stage with this project?
#2 I see a couple of BOM around, but the links seem outdated/broken. Anyone have one?
#3 How much (roughly) would it cost me to build it do you think?

If this project is going to be too much of a headache for me at this stage, can anyone recommend a mastering quality EQ I could build first?

e.g.  How about the Audio X Studer 169 (mastering version) as seen here?: http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=33996.0      (am I right in thinking that the only difference between the "mastering" & "standard" version are the resistor values?)

I understand (from Gustav) that a lot of the work needed to make a mastering EQ "mastering quality" is matching the caps & resistors between L&R channels  I am up for spending the time on this kind of mission!

This has turned into a slightly nebulous post, sorry, but thanks in advance for any advice, I'm really impressed with all your work.
All the best,
Loz.

 

[frazzman]

Hi everyone,
I am a mastering engineer, & have recently got the bug to start making my own kit.  I'm incredibly impressed by the fine work I see on this board! Respect.

I am still a relative novice with electronics, but I have been learning a lot recently & am pretty decent with a soldering iron. I can read a circuit board reasonably well, but to be honest am not quite up to speed on calculating resistor values etc. (although a lot of the schematics have these already marked, so hoping I won't need to be an expert in this?)

I would love to try making one of the Gyraf Pultec units -

#1 Firstly, am I being too ambitious at this stage with this project?
#2 I see a couple of BOM around, but the links seem outdated/broken. Anyone have one?
#3 How much (roughly) would it cost me to build it do you think?

If this project is going to be too much of a headache for me at this stage, can anyone recommend a mastering quality EQ I could build first?

e.g.  How about the Audio X Studer 169 (mastering version) as seen here?: http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=33996.0      (am I right in thinking that the only difference between the "mastering" & "standard" version are the resistor values?)

I understand (from Gustav) that a lot of the work needed to make a mastering EQ "mastering quality" is matching the caps & resistors between L&R channels  I am up for spending the time on this kind of mission!

This has turned into a slightly nebulous post, sorry, but thanks in advance for any advice, I'm really impressed with all your work.
All the best,
Loz.

I don't think G-Pultec is a good first project, it has lethal high voltages and there is a real chance of injuring or killing yourself if you don't know what you're doing.

The most logical first projects tend to be smaller things like stomp boxes, a headphone amplifier, a DI etc. I would make sure you can build one of these before you tackle anything else.

You will need to understand component values and where to source the various parts from, as you mentioned, you find a lot of incomplete, incorrect or completely missing BOMs... you need to be able to look at the circuit and decide what you need and where to get it.

 

[FatAsFunk]

OK thanks for your reply.

I've completed a few small projects already, but I will hone my skills further & study more before tackling the G-Pultec.

On reflection I'm thinking maybe Gustav's Summing Mixer, then the  Mastering version of the Audio X Studer 169  http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=33996.0 

These 2 will have to wait until I get my new workshop in the next couple of months anyway, then it's all steam ahead

If anyone's got any other recommendations for particular projects that would be fun & rewarding (& sound great) for relative noobs like myself, please share, as there are SO many intriguing projects around... 

Thanks!

 

[alexc]

Have a look at Audio Maintenance UK kits for pultec eqs - these would have to be the most accurate shrink-wrap kit for this classic available.

Price is very reasonable, as is usual for Colin who is responsible for these and some other killer stuff.

Given you are in the mastering game, these would be an investment and with as low a risk of problems as I could imagine.
Literally ready to be assembled and go. Most of the difficult stuff is engineered in and the ugly stuff is just not there.

Plus it is a very literal implementation of the original, which most diy based on the original are not.

I've done a few gpultec and they are good sounding, and generally low cost -  although they can be done more elaborately with different pcbs and parts choices - as well as using alternative line amps in them.

But the AM product is in a different league.

Anyway check them out - they are about as good as it gets in the modern world.

 

[DerEber]

The Studer EQ looks quite good and managable.
You can source nearly all parts by yourselfe. And this will liberate you from kit-supplyers.
I think you should do both!

 

[FatAsFunk]

Hi, thanks for the replies.

I checked out the AM kit, & it looks very appealing indeed.

& the studer...

Gonna do both

 

[Nescafe]

Hi FatAsFunk,

welcome aboard  ;D if You decide to go with AudioX Studer 169 I have make a small xlsx for the gain switch calculation base on benlindell graph, You can download here:

https://db.tt/ka7sONQT

hope this can help 

 

[FatAsFunk]

Thankyou so much Nescafe - that is JUST what I needed!

Going to cost up the BOM ready for when I get my new workshop