Arch Nemesis — Nelson Pass / 2010

A poster of Einstein once said, “Things should be made a simple as possible, but no simpler”. This can apply to audio amplifiers, but if they are evaluated subjectively, the simplicity thing can get a little of of hand. Of itself, minimalism exerts a strong aesthetic attraction, and there is a reasonable belief that fewer components in the signal path allows more information to get through with less coloration. If like me you are interested in understanding of how we hear distortions with our brains (instead of our meters), you might appreciate that simple circuits help isolate these phenomena. I… More...

Soldering Tips — Karen Douglass / 2004

PCBoard Soldering can be a kind of art form, when done properly. The result should be a perfect physical and electrical connection, between the part lead and the solder pad on the board. I recommend that you find some solder with low lead content, and rosin core. This can help reduce the amount of lead being dumped into our landfills. You should also have a good soldering iron. Be sure the tip size is appropriate for the job. I suggest a 1/8” 3mm screwdriver tip. Hold the iron tip on one side of the joint (where the part lead and… More...