electrical engineering education/knowledge

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permanent hearing damage
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electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by permanent hearing damage » Mon Mar 12, 2018 11:43 am

so i really wish i had more electrical engineering knowledge - especially in regards to being a recording engineer and all. i took a few classes in college (20 yrs ago), and learned little at the time. i have no concern regarding obtaining a degree, but just want the knowledge. i have tinkered with the idea of enrolling in some online university or other to just have a structure, but maybe that's a big waste of $s and I should just get some books, kits and watch some youtube videos or pay for something like lynda.com or some equivalent?

i can make my own cables, but that's about it. never tried a proper kit - capi, hairball audio, etc, though would ideally like to troubleshoot and know what i'm actually doing any why. would be nice to fix things as well.

anyone else been thinking about this or gone down this path?

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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by vvv » Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:18 pm

Yes. I actually bought a book last year of the 'zon, which book is OK as a reference but doesn't hold my interest to study.

I'm a kind of information pack rat and save schematics of equipment I both own, and would like to. And sometimes of technical writing (ex., the Rane notes, various treatises on tube amps, FX pedals, etc.)

When something breaks I can so far usually troubleshoot and fix it, but I have to research what I'm doing per the piece, and the issue.

I can solder, I'm pretty good with my hands (she said :twisted: ) and I lke doing it (my bro is a pretty gifted mechanic, hates and even fears electrical).

I do wish I were more motivated and found it easier to get the practical theory stuff down. I wish I could sight-read a schematic.

I have a Brutalist pedal kit awaiting me to build, also, if ever I find the time.
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markjazzbassist
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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by markjazzbassist » Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:37 pm

have you looked into a local community college or trade school? they usually have cheap classes, that's the route i was gonna take when i got some more time.

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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by ulriggribbons » Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:55 pm

If you want audio electronics knowledge, school for electronics is not gonna get you there.

I would recommend groupdiy.com. There is a Meta Meta thread there that covers everything you would want to know about audio electronics, from which end of the soldering iron to hold, to how to build a neve console.

It’s a lot of reading, but there is collective wisdom for more than a decade there

$.02

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Scodiddly
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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by Scodiddly » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:35 pm

I've got a couple of electronics text books I found in a used book store, old military training manuals. Very solid fundamentals, though I'm not sure you'll need the radar electronics chapters in the second book. Ask nice and maybe pay for shipping and they're yours.

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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by floid » Tue Mar 13, 2018 7:22 am

I took some EE classes at the local community college a few years ago. It was of value, but IME perusing Groupdiy and some of the pedal building sites will get you into directly applicable theory and lead to a more holistic type of learning. Read, read, read, and stare at schematics.

Not that I'm any sort of expert.
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Matt C.
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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by Matt C. » Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:35 pm

I took an electronics class at a local trade school a few years ago. It was expensive and I'm not sure it was worth it from a financial perspective. It did give me an excellent understanding of the fundamentals, much more than the sporadic independent studying I was trying to do before. I think if you are highly self motivated you can spend a few bucks on old text books and learn a lot on your own, I just personally found that difficult.

I don't really like trying to get this sort of information online, just because there's so much junk to sort through, incorrect information, unclear explanations, etc. I'd stick to actual books for learning the basics. But it's true there is a wealth of knowledge on GroupDIY and other similar sites.

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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by Magnetic Services » Wed Mar 14, 2018 8:53 am

A college room mate of mine had this book, it's pretty neat:

https://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Proje ... dpSrc=srch

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ubertar
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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by ubertar » Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:07 pm

Last time I checked (it's been many years) the NEETS guide was free online. It's the electronics training manual for the Navy, or it was at one time. Good stuff.

Practical Electronics for Inventors is a good book, and the Forrest Mims stuff is fun, too.

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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by ubertar » Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:10 pm

Magnetic Services wrote:
Wed Mar 14, 2018 8:53 am
A college room mate of mine had this book, it's pretty neat:

https://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Proje ... dpSrc=srch
Unless that's been updated I'd steer clear, only because it's outdated and a lot of the parts might not be available anymore.

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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by Magnetic Services » Wed Mar 14, 2018 11:30 pm

ubertar wrote:
Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:10 pm
Magnetic Services wrote:
Wed Mar 14, 2018 8:53 am
A college room mate of mine had this book, it's pretty neat:

https://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Proje ... dpSrc=srch
Unless that's been updated I'd steer clear, only because it's outdated and a lot of the parts might not be available anymore.
True, it is pretty old school. And no included parts :/

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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by kslight » Thu Mar 15, 2018 9:49 am

ubertar wrote:
Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:10 pm
Magnetic Services wrote:
Wed Mar 14, 2018 8:53 am
A college room mate of mine had this book, it's pretty neat:

https://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Proje ... dpSrc=srch
Unless that's been updated I'd steer clear, only because it's outdated and a lot of the parts might not be available anymore.
I second this.

Though I still see some of the kits for sale on Paia’s website. At a glance however, it is not easy to tell if Paia still remains in business.

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suppositron
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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by suppositron » Thu Apr 12, 2018 9:47 am

ShinyBox wrote:
Mon Mar 12, 2018 12:55 pm
If you want audio electronics knowledge, school for electronics is not gonna get you there.

$.02
I'm not sure I agree with this. Curriculums vary but I got a tech degree and a fair amount of time was spent on analog electronics that directly translated into audio gear. There were subjects within I wished we would have gone more in depth on but we learned a lot.

That being said it was EXPENSIVE and there are a lot of resources out there like everyone else is mentioning.
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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by ashcat_lt » Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:57 pm

Yes this is a link to something I posted on another forum, but it is pretty darn good if I do say so myself:

Everything Useful is a Voltage Divider

It was one of the brightest guys on the DIYStompboxes forum where I first heard that term. It took me a while to really get my head around it, and it still takes me a while sometimes to see the dividers in a given schematic. It's almost universally true, though, when we're talking about audio electronics.

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Re: electrical engineering education/knowledge

Post by submergent » Fri Apr 27, 2018 10:55 am

I should chime in as one who holds an actual BSEE degree...

the foundations of engineering do not begin on forums and building pedals / preamp kits.
that's all practical knowledge - which is certainly worthwhile - but if you're really serious... begin with calculus and physics. lots of both.

-pete

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