Schedule

You should consult the UMass academic calendar to make sure you are aware of important dates and events. The following are the weekly topics that will be covered during this course.  

Spring 2024 is the first time this course will be offered; this schedule is subject to change and won't be finalized until the first course meeting. First day of class is Feb 06, 2024. The number of class meetings per topic is a rough estimate since we've haven't taught this materials previously. 

• Overview of course and goals 

  • Feb 1 and 6: Introduction (Brian)

  • Syllabus/Policies

  • Sound and guitars-to-amplifier electronics 

    • Microphones, speakers, and guitar pickups (very high level)

      • Sound is converted to AC (terms like Vpp)

      • Power is supplied by DC current

  • Readings: Scherz/Monk excerpt 16.1 A Little Lecture on Sound

• Electronic Components (R, C) 

  • Feb 8: Lab 1: Preparation (Rui)

  • Feb 13 and 15: Electronic Components (Rui)

  • Reading: Suhr Chapter 1: Electronic components (9–31)

    • 1.1 Voltage sources (DC and AC), voltage, and current

    • 1.2 Ground/common

    • 1.3 Resistors

    • 1.4 Potentiometers

    • 1.5 Capacitors and RC filter

    • 2.1 Current, voltage, resistance 

    • 2.2 High and low pass filter with the capacitor

  • Feb 20 Lab 2: RC Filter (Rui)

• Using LTSpice to simulate circuits 

  • Feb 27 (Brian)

  • In-class exercise with LTSpice

    • Installing LTSpice

    • Inserting components and setting parameters; drawing wires

• Electronic Components (D)

  • Feb 29: Diode, and Lab 3: Diode clipping

  • Reading: Suhr 

    • 1.7 The diode

    • 1.8 The LED

    • 2.3 Diode on the AC voltage

    • 2.4 Making the LED light up

• Electronic Components (T)

  • Mar 5, 7: Transistors and Common Emitter Amplifier

  • Mar 12: Lab 4: Common Emitter Amplifier

  • Reading: Suhr 

    • 2.5 The transistor as amplifier — The common emitter circuit 

  • Mar 14: Impedance

  • Reading: Suhr 

    • 2.6 Closing words

    • 1.6: Impedance

=== (Mar 19 and 21: Spring Break) ===

• First of Three Circuits: clean boost 

  • Feb 29 [1 meetings] (Brian)

  • TransistorAmp software to calculate values needed for surrounding resistors/capacitors  https://www.transistoramp.com/download/TransistorAmp_2_0_3_EN.zip

  • 1. Booster Effect circuit schematic and analysis

    • Decoupling capacitor on DC power supply to eliminate interference and peaks

    • “Pull down” resistor on AC input to prevent popping when pedal is switched on

    • Coupling capacitor to block DC voltage from passing through the transistor

    • Volume pots

    • Reading: Suhr

      • Chapter 3 The booster - effects circuit (62-69)

• Using LTSpice to predict effects on sound files 

  • March 5 [1 meeting] (Brian)

  • In-class exercise with LTSpice

  • Adding some needed components (e.g., 2N2222A transistor)

  • Running a simulation and plotting results

  • Running the simulation on a .wav file as input, and producing a new .wav output file. 

  • Reading: Suhr

    • Chapter 8 Simulation of the effects circuit on the computer (80-118)

• Second and Third of Three Circuits: clean boost overdrive, distortion/fuzz

  • March 7 and 12 [2 meetings] (Brian)

  • Due March 12: You chosen circuit for final presentation

  • In-class exercise: build these two circuits in LTSpice

  • 2. Overdrive Effect circuit schematic and analysis

    • New parameters based on TransitorAmp output

    • Adjustable clipping via diodes

    • Split emitter resistor bypass capacitor

    • Tone control via low pass RC-based filter

    • Reading: Suhr

      • Chapter 4 The overdrive effects circuit (70-74)

  • 3. Distortion/Fuzz Effect circuit and analysis (two small changes)

    • Removal of resistor ahead of diodes

    • Variable gain via potentiometer instead of resister at the split emitter bypass

    • Reading: Suhr

      • Chapter 5 The distortion / fuzz - effects circuit (75-77)

• Building the circuits (on PCBs or breadboard) 

  • March 14 and 26 [2 meetings] (Rui)

  • March 19 and 21 is UMass Spring Break

  • Reading Suhr

    • chapter 9  Experimenting with the breadboard.

      • 9.1 The structure of a breadboard.

      • 9.2 The booster effects circuit on the breadboard.

      • 9.3 Effect schematics for the breadboard.

      • 9.4 Modifications to the effects circuits.

      • 9.5 Troubleshooting on the breadboard.

      • 9.6 Breadboard conclusion.

• Projects 

  • Mar 28  Build your project

  • Apr 02 Build your project

  • Apr 04 Build your project

    • Due date for programming your project in LTSpice

  • Apr 09 Build your project

  • Apr 11 Build your project

  • Apr 16 First Presentation session

  • Apr 18 Second Presentation session

• • Find an effects schematic 

  • Program it in LTSpice, recreating the sound

  • Examine each component and determine its functionality 

    • Hand in this write up and sound flies

  • Build a circuit [doesn’t have to be the same one as your write up]

  • Build the circuit in a breadboard

  • Prepare a powerpoint or poster board presentation. If we have few students enrolled, we'll do 10 minutes presentations. If we have many students enrolled, we'll do a few sessions where you stand next to your posterboard and explain it to us.