Electronics degree?

[prsbass]

So I'm wondering if anybody knows what type of classes could be taken to learn how to design and build pedals from scratch. I mean making my own boards and everything.
I'm not good at self study stuff because I lack the motivation but if I am enrolled in a class I have the motivation to follow through. I'm just posting this here because effects are what I am interested in making.

[bongomania]

City Colleges typically have some basic electronics courses.

[Mark Olson]

Well it depends on what school you're at how practical the classes they offer are. I went to an Engineering school for three years, Electrical Engineering was my major, and my classes were very heavy on math and theory (which of course I don't remember now) and very light on hands on with building circuits. In short their Electrical Engineering program was useless to me. I attend a different more general school now a bit here and there, and though I haven't taken their electronics classes, what I've seen in them is more hands on and practical and would be of more use to you if you were interested in building effects.

[dustdbass6]

Depends on if you want to actually design or just build. To design pedals, you'll need to know a little more theory and math to go along with it, which is an engineering degree (which Mark above mentioned). To just build an elecronics tech degree will get you that knowledge. I have a BS in electrical engineering and for my senior project I designed and built an auto-wah pedal (named the Wah-nderful Tonebox) for bass. In my second year I took an electronics manufacturing class that showed us how to etch boards, solder components, and build the metal boxes.

Then again, if you don't want a degree at all, check out a local Junior college for a few basic electronics classes.

[Mark Olson]

Yeah, I should be more specific. You do need theory and math to do some things. The engineering school I went to strives to be known as a tough engineering school (they like to think the produce top engineers), and I found that it does so through doing things like hiring extremely underqualified teachers so that students have to struggle through the course material on their own, and other such things. I could go on about all of the rotten, unprofessional things they did at my old school, but I do realize that that's probably just that school's niche, and I would find other engineering school to be a lot more helpful and professional. So yeah, you can forget what I said.

[screamingmonkey]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

... I found that it does so through doing things like hiring extremely underqualified teachers so that students have to struggle through the course material on their own, and other such things....

ahh yes, the mark of many "top" engineering programs.

[Mark Olson]

I used to laugh at my Calc 3 professor. He had a catch phrase for when he didn't know how to finish a problem he was doing on the board. He would just mutter the last step he could think of and trail off with "...and all that jazz." Then walk off and start something new as if no one noticed he couldn't finish the previous problem. Then at the end of the semester he automatically fails 3/4s of the class! Every semester! My lab TA's used to mark me down because THEY couldn't understand how I came to the correct solution! If they hadn't of given me a full ride to go to that school I would have asked for my money back.

[screamingmonkey]

I'm pretty sure our lab TA's don't even look at our labs, they just assign grades of 48, 49, and 50 randomly. You'll get one back with no explanation of why you got that grade or any indication that they made it past the table of contents...which is awesome considering the 15-20 hours I put into it.

[Mark Olson]

In my basics of the basics freshman engineering class we had an exam, part of which was based on a piece of code written by the professor. It was supposed to be a basic algorithm for compiling interest. You think the engineering professor should be able to make that right? Well her code had about a half dozen errors in it each of which would prevent the code from even compiling, and even if it had worked the way it was written it doubled the investment each time interest was compiled, which was not the intention. Basics of the basics! I don't know where the dug up someone so stupid! I aced everything in the class but received a C grade.

[ZGotts]

+1000 on engineering school, and the crap they put us through. Its just jumpin through the hoops.

But yes, an EE degree is the way to go. You can really save yourself a ****-ton of money if you get the motivation to self study-- especially since what you want to do is relatively narrow in scope. Any degree path is going to have a ton of classes that don't relate.

Besides, if you dont have the motivation to do it on your own, you probably wont get through the first semester of EE As it has been stated here, even at school, you're still largely on your own.

Reccomended reading: Electrical Engineering, theory and applications, by Jeri Hambly. Pick up an old edition for $30 and thumb through it every day for 3 months. If that doesnt kill your drive, enroll in classes.

[projectMalamute]

Just go to MIT!

EE6.002 Circuits and Electronics:
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical...Home/index.htm

For real, this was pretty helpful for me. It's every lecture from the course videotaped, plus all the handouts in PDF format. They make a bunch of courses available. If you need some background they also have 2 semesters of electricity and magnetism from the physics department to get you started, as well as a bunch of math. Sit in on some world class education for free.

[prsbass]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Now I'm wondering if I can take just the classes I want and not get and actual degree. Having a piece of paper proving my education isn't all that important. Just knowing some theory and building know how would get me a start.

[lug]

2 year Associates of Applied Science in Electronics. These are more focused on hands-on and pratical with less math theory than a true EE.
http://www.northseattle.edu/electron/ or just concentrate on the tech certificate program to start: http://www.northseattle.edu/electron/electech/cert.htm

[prsbass]

Originally Posted by lug

2 year Associates of Applied Science in Electronics. These are more focused on hands-on and pratical with less math theory than a true EE.
http://www.northseattle.edu/electron/ or just concentrate on the tech certificate program to start: http://www.northseattle.edu/electron/electech/cert.htm

Cool thanks

[lug]

Originally Posted by prsbass

Cool thanks

The best part is when someone starts throwing around picofarads, inductance, etc, you will be able to sniff out the bullshite quickly.

[RyreInc]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

Yeah, I should be more specific. You do need theory and math to do some things. The engineering school I went to strives to be known as a tough engineering school (they like to think the produce top engineers), and I found that it does so through doing things like hiring extremely underqualified teachers so that students have to struggle through the course material on their own, and other such things. I could go on about all of the rotten, unprofessional things they did at my old school, but I do realize that that's probably just that school's niche, and I would find other engineering school to be a lot more helpful and professional. So yeah, you can forget what I said.

You don't happen to be talking about Western? If so, I'm a senior EE there, and you hit the nail on the head!

[Toasted]

You dont need an EE degree to start a pedal business. You just need a copy of a Fuzz Face schem

[roflol]

Originally Posted by Toasted

You dont need an EE degree to start a pedal business. You just need a copy of a Fuzz Face schem

and alot of time to tweak it to how you like.

if your serious about **** read through this http://www.diystompboxes.com/wiki/in...?title=DIY_FAQ

[Silent Fly]

Originally Posted by prsbass

So I'm wondering if anybody knows what type of classes could be taken to learn how to design and build pedals from scratch. I mean making my own boards and everything. (...)

I don't know if it is of any help but there are two elements you may want to consider:

1. In practice, in these days, nobody designs pedals anymore. Not from scratch anyway. With very few exceptions, the vast majority of the pedal on the market (boutique pedals first) are modifications of circuits designed a few decades ago.

2. There is a difference in "design", "build", "understand" and "modify" a pedal:

I recommend you learn (preferably in the following order):
- The basic of electronics (any book you can find in public libraries is going to be ok)
- “Understand”. Pickup the schematics of the some basic circuits and try to understand how the signal is processed by the various parts of the circuit. It is easier that it may sound. Just follow the signal path from input to output. You will see that the circuit consist in modules where every module is described in the books you read. Start with a booster, then a distortion pedal and so on.
- “Build (1)”. Buy one of the kits on the market (e.g. BYOC) and build some pedals that you need.
- “Modify”. Get from eBay a cheap pedal of which you have the schematics and start changing caps, resistors, transistors… until you are happy with the result.
- “Build (2)” Build a pedal that it is not a kit.
- “Design”. Once you mastered the above you will probably start to design your own pedals.

[prsbass]

Great here guys thanks