PCB artist for hire?

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therecordingart

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 1, 2004
Messages
510
Location
Chicago, IL
I'm junk when it comes to creating PCB layouts and I was hoping to hire someone to help me. About how much would one charge to make a layout for this?

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I have the original schematic if need be.
 
Looks like fun!  How are you going to use it?  I mean to say; what will the enclosure look like?  Stompbox, with knobs on the top, "IN" on the left, "OUT" on the right?  1RU?  One of the first things I do for a PCB is physically lay out knobs and I/Os and imagine using the thing.  Does the layout make sense?  How will the cords drape?  What if my fingers get really fat?  Although really a picture/drawing/Notepad approximation of connectors and controls is all that'd needed.  Failing that, a few pictures of other projects that match your design aesthetic would get us there.

How do you plan on powering it?  If it is a pedal a PCB-mounted battery pack could be drawn in-- would you still want a power jack option?  Would you want a list of part numbers (what company?)?  Caps in particular can vary in size, though one could use footprints that allow for a couple of different sizes.

I like to draw things so that they can be etched or followed for bread-boarding.  I can go tighter if you plan on only etching and needed the space savings.  Speaking of which: double or single-sided PCB?  A single-sided would be simple but a double-sided usually is quieter and smaller.  A double-sided design as a breadboard would have a bunch of jumpers on the top, but that's not a bad thing.

Tho-- there are quite a few pots.  Just about any PCB design, regardless of the designer's vigilance would fit behind them.
What kind of file are you wanting of the artwork?  Do you have biases for certain types/brands/colors/fonts?  I would hate to use Times New Roman when you're a helvetica kind of person.  

I'm pretty easy and since it's about to be too rainy to bicycle (casually, anyway-- yes, I'm the hipster #%$ in front of you on a bike with PBR in the saddlebag) I wouldn't mind laying out a PCB for relaxation.

I'd guess it's take about three hours for my obsessive compulsive ass to do it (three times).  I'll trade you a melodica.  Or a used computer audio interface.  Or a brass instrument.  Beat-up and obsolete is fine.  I'm more interested in an interface/instrument with a story (that is to say, the story of my boyfriend playing a melodica etc that PCB brought).

Sorry for the typical forum first-response: "More info, plz."
 
Q3 looks like it's running straight into the clipping diodes without a current limiting resistor in between. At best the clipping will be very hard, and at worst Q3 could burn out. I'd be inclined to put the clipping diodes before the source follower (along with suitable blocking caps and biasing resistors for Q3).

Edit: By source follower I mean Q3.
 
I try to avoid giving design advice about distortion effects since the intent and result is purely subjective.

Agreed, driving a source follower directly into a diode shunt to ground is not a good general design practice.

The negative drive from q3 will be limited by R9 and its DC operating point, in the positive direction if Q3 is driven hard enough with a large enough v+ it could get hot and bothered.

I would say this needs a little work before expecting repeatable and reliable production, but for a one off DIY, what's the worst that could happen. (release smoke?).

If interested in making multiple units sound and perform the same I would work on a more stable DC operating point for Q3 and perhaps add a series resistor between source and c6 to reduce stress on Q3.

I suspect moving the diodes before the (which?) source follower would affect the tone, since there is a gain stage involved with Q2/Q3, and EQ after diode clamps but before Q4.

I suspect an added R to current limit the output from Q3 would have the least sonic impact, while I leave it to you to determine how to bias up Q3 for repeatable operation. For onesy twosey maybe just throw a few parts together and see what happens.

JR


 
Boy, sure looks like an SS version of a Marshall tube preamp if ever I saw one.  Have you prototyped it/how's it sound?

That said, I'm also curious as to pricing, etc: I have my own fish to fry :)
 
JohnRoberts said:
I try to avoid giving design advice about distortion effects since the intent and result is purely subjective.

Agreed, driving a source follower directly into a diode shunt to ground is not a good general design practice.
I usually avoid giving design advice unless asked, but in this case I thought the OP might want to save the expense of paying someone to do a board layout for a potential smoke generator  (having designed many of the latter myself) :)

If the circuit has already been prototyped and works as required, go for it.
 

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