Help me Make A 4 Speaker Monitor Control

[Lets be Friends]

Oh man, I just feel like you guys here will rip me a new one, But here goes. (i gotta get this off my chest)

I just found this forum, and with an obvious love for gear and musical results I have always wanted to make my own. I know next to NOTHING about it. I planned to make a 3 Input / 4 Output monitor control, as i have designed a Desk for my new studio and there are some blank areas where i could make use of by building some cool extras.

So I started in Gearslutz, and got here, Immediately I realized i am out of my league. So for the last 10 hours i have been reading, and studying about circuitry, components and schematics from here and other sites. before posting anything. I am starting to get my head around some things.

But i would like some explanations. HEHEHHE...

ok..

I have studied others schematics for Passive and Active Monitor controls, Mono summing Builds, Delta Sigma modulations (Grrr) all of that. And i started to draw a schematic of my own. Well at least the basic basic chain with Relays and Opamps (both are not total clear yet)

How do I work out which components i need? Regarding Resistors, and the specifications..??

I see these Excel made Charts with Resistor amounts and I just dot have the experience  to know how it translates.I am SO in this for the long run, but i need some help getting started.

Can anyone help me get started by explaining these things i asked?..

Thanx alot,
John

(f***ing Killer forum, I absolutely love it)

 

[erikb1971]

Hi John

I know exactly how you feel. I have been on this forum for about a year and a half now, and I started knowing, like you, next to nothing. The good thing is, a year and a half later, I still don't
Don't worry about people ripping you apart here, last time that happened was at least 3 months ago. Unfortunately, I can not help you with  technically with your controller. I can give you this piece of advice though:
Try to work out exactly what you want/need in terms of functionality. Make a sketch of the front panel of your unit. then start worrying about schematics and stuff. There is probably a lot of schematics out there that you can borrow bits and pieces of... but first, as with all design, start thinking about what is is exactly that you want.

Good luck and enjoy here!

Erik

 

[Lets be Friends]

Thanx Erik.

Well i will do that. I will get some plans together and some 3d models.

Anyway, I am learning this for the same reason we are all here.... FUN..

plus you'd have to be out of your mind to pay 8K for a Pultec. hehehhe... Or Rich.

Cheerz
J

 

[erikb1971]

well... I am in the process of sourcing for a two channel pultec at the moment.. and sometimes I am thinking that you have to be out of your mind to do this without knowledge to

 

[TheWoozle]

Ha! Welcome to your personal math/electronics hell.... glad to see another DIYer make the jump away from Gearslutz..... I'm the GS poster who suggested you try this forum, so Welcome!!

...seriously though, this is a great place to start, you will learn more than you bargained for, and you'll make cool stuff in the process.

Take a gander through this thread link.... titled: 'Simple Passive Monitor Switcher'. Lots of schemos, pictures of completed projects for inspiration. Good starting point for planning your build. Lots of suggestions for passive and active designs in that thread.

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=32276.0

Ok, you have the desire, but no skills.
So what? Have at it!
You will need to get familiar with some things first. Go to the local library and check out 'Horowitz and Hills' textbook, if they have it, or any basic text to get you up to speed on parts and some essential theory. I started with Craig Andertons 'Electronic Projects for Musicians', but there are lots of basic intro primers.

To embark on this road, you need to be able to ID types of and values of resistors, caps, and other basic parts. You will need soldering skills. You will need basic electrical safety skills.

You will need a set of simple tools, which you can mostly get very cheaply at yard sales and such. You will need a soldering iron, and a workbench or work area you can use for building and testing.

Once you get your head around the basic design you want, then things will start to become clearer. You're looking at stepped attenuators, which use banks or resistors to create precise attenuation. The excel tools are just to figure out what resistors you need depending on the amount of attenuation you want. You could also order up a prewired attenuator for your design.

Good luck with the project!

 

[Lets be Friends]

Heyy Mate.

Cool, thanx for the suggestion, I think its the most "shut up and DO" forum i have been on. Totally inspiring.

Yeah, i am starting to get it. Slowly slowly.

Two warm welcomes...

Brilliant.

Thanx again.

 

[TheWoozle]

Yup, you've just nailed the vibe of this place exactly. I find it similarly refreshing and challenging. 

So many people arrive here with posts that just scream 'Do it for me!' rather than 'Show me how!'.
They usually don't last too long.

Edit:good info in this pdf on the general subject of passive / active monitoring....

http://proharmonic.com/articles/AT78_OTB.pdf

Also lots of info on Goldpoint's site, here:

http://www.goldpt.com/diy.html

Goldpoint sells DIY kits for stepped attenuators, and have designs and schemos posted on their site.

There's a schemo for a passive design from one of this site's contributors, New York Dave, which he posted in another thread, here:

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=21032.0

NYD's schemo is halfway down the first page, linked as a pdf...