A Blast from the Past - Custom Flanger

I was pretty much one my own. Hadn't met anyone with an interest in electronics for music. The school had an electronic music lab, got a tour of that during a music class. In hindsight, I should have asked it they needed an engineer or tech to maintain the equipment.

I don't recall much about how the Fender SS amp sounded. It eventually blew up and I tossed it. I ended up getting an Earth Sound Research 100W amp, an American copy of a Marshall 1959, in trade. Once I had that, I lost all interest in solid state amps. Still have it. Needs a new power transformer. I abused it years ago by playing a synth thru it. A story for another time.
 
I was pretty much one my own. Hadn't met anyone with an interest in electronics for music. The school had an electronic music lab, got a tour of that during a music class. In hindsight, I should have asked it they needed an engineer or tech to maintain the equipment.

I don't recall much about how the Fender SS amp sounded. It eventually blew up and I tossed it. I ended up getting an Earth Sound Research 100W amp, an American copy of a Marshall 1959, in trade. Once I had that, I lost all interest in solid state amps. Still have it. Needs a new power transformer. I abused it years ago by playing a synth thru it. A story for another time.
Oh man Earth amps. My buddy had one in high school. That was a beast.

When did you eventually meet up with fellow effects engineers? What's your story? You've got such deep knowledge of all this? I *love* reading your posts!
 
My meeting fellow effects engineers happens over the internet. I read Brian Wampler's books. I read Craig Anderton's book. I read posts here and on the DIY forums like FSB. I read the stuff on Runoff Groove and Aion. I was an electronics hobbyist for years before I went to college. I download and study schematics. I run simulations and build breadboards. It's a labor of love. I get a lot of great ideas from the folks here on the PPCB forums. I've collaborated with several people here on pedal designs. In my job, I honed my skills designing precision analog circuits, power systems, digital signal processors and embedded microcontrollers. It's been a fun ride so far.
 
Wow that's really cool! Labor of love indeed. I find it all very inspiring, and I really appreciate your knowledge, patience, and the positive encouragement you give everyone. Honestly I check this forum all the time.

At a certain point in my career I was doing some embedded DSP software for medical devices so I have some familiarity by osmosis with the space you were in professionally, perhaps? If you're able to say, what sort of products were you designing?
 
I worked in aerospace, on everything from high power experiments on the ground to sensitive instruments in orbit. I was very fortunate to be able to work with, and learn from the best. One of my last projects was an electronics unit on the James Webb Space Telescope.
 
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