Electronics for Musicians

As of this date, tens of thousands of musicians-many with no prior experience in electronics -have taken control of their sound, by building electronic modifiers from the first edition of this books. Beginners should be happy to know that the instructional material from the first edition has been left intact, and in some cases has been expanded. Those who have thoroughly absorbed the information in the first edition will be pleased to find a number of new and improved projects, as well as additional information on creating pedalboards and multiple effects systems, explanations on the theory of operation of the various projects, and various of ways to modify them for customized performance. So, while this new edition was still expressly written with beginners in mind, I believe there is enough additional material to hold the musician's interest even after he or she has passed the introductory stage of learning about this art.

One of the questions I consistently hear is, "But can I really build this stuff, even though I know nothing about electronics?" The answer is yes. My files are filled with letters from people who express amazement and delight at having built a high-technology device, by themselves, without any problems. If they can do it, if I can do it (remember I was once a beginner too!), then you can do it. Why do it yourself? Perhaps a better question is why not do it yourself. While you generally save money compared willi buying a commercially available device, you also have the satisfaction of creating something with your own two hands, and you learn enough about the project in the process of building it so that you can modify it to suit your exact needs. A less tangible, but perhaps more important, advantage is the increase in self-confidence that comes from knowing that you can make sense out of all those wires and parts, and turn them into a useful, working project. I've known numerous people who thought they'd never understandt his stuff; but when they do, they feel a little better about themselves and their abilities because of it.