Is the golden age over?

[Muadzin]

I'm not sure if this is regarding a comment I made earlier or not. I think that the critical mass aspect is certainly true and may account for the lack of engagement with anything but specific questions. However, The basic questions—even if in the archives—are valuable to have asked since it starts dialogues. People can find new ways of doing things, beginners feel involved, and teaching is a great way to hone skills. If people are simply searching for answers instead of asking questions, there's no new dialogue, and others don't get the benefit of teaching. There is, of course, the risk of having the same few common questions come up over and over again—that would get tiring and I'm sure would result in ignoring things—but, new folks should definitely ask their questions. It's pretty vital to a community.

If everything's already been traced, there are no new ODs/distortions/fuzzes, everyone has built everything already, there's a boutique industry of building even more boutique versions of boutique versions of classic circuits—is that the end of enjoyment? Sure, a lot of mystery is gone, components are going extinct, and things aren't super cheap: it's not the wild west anymore. Though, look at the wave of 'retirements'—the consensus seems to be around the community. So, maybe some aspects have changed and a 'golden age' might be gone. But that doesn't diminish the other good things that have come from that age. As long as there are curious people that like discovering how things work and gain satisfaction from making something with their own hands, building will be around.

I like the Wild West analogy. Sure, the period that came after the Wild West was probably better and more prosperous in any conceivable way, it was the very nature of anything can happen and the freedom that made it so alluring. Anyone could take a piece of land, murder or deport the natives and now claim it as his own. As long as they could hold it against their competitors and/or the robber barons. It's the old dichotomy between freedom and security.

As for the forum I reckon its also the old internet forum culture thing vs. the new social media thing. Fractal has both an internet forum as a social media presence, and I've noticed that the people who post on the facebook groups rarely if ever post on the internet forum and vice versa. So I wouldn't be surprised if there was a thriving DIY pedal community on social media that doesn't bother with forums like these. Except for maybe finding reference material and schematics.

[Aleph Null]

I like the Wild West analogy. Sure, the period that came after the Wild West was probably better and more prosperous in any conceivable way, it was the very nature of anything can happen and the freedom that made it so alluring. Anyone could take a piece of land, murder or deport the natives and now claim it as his own. As long as they could hold it against their competitors and/or the robber barons. It's the old dichotomy between freedom and security.

[Muadzin]

Nostalgia always lasts longer then the (supposed) golden age. There are Iranians who still mourn the fall of the Achaemanid empire. Greece and Macedonia argue over the name Macedonia. Mussolini wanted to revive the Roman empire. Nostalgia is a powerful motivator.

[Willybomb]

I definitely infinitely prefer forums for information and the like.  Finding information here is a stack easier than facebook.

However, the instant gratification for a build report doesn't happen here.  I'm as guilty as anyone in that I rarely comment on a build, but it does feel a bit like that the bar is massively so high that the build has to be polished in tears of nubile virgins without a micrometer of wasted wire in order to get any feedback sometimes.

[peAk]

I definitely infinitely prefer forums for information and the like.  Finding information here is a stack easier than facebook.

However, the instant gratification for a build report doesn't happen here.  I'm as guilty as anyone in that I rarely comment on a build, but it does feel a bit like that the bar is massively so high that the build has to be polished in tears of nubile virgins without a micrometer of wasted wire in order to get any feedback sometimes.

Hahaha....

[Muadzin]

I definitely infinitely prefer forums for information and the like.  Finding information here is a stack easier than facebook.

However, the instant gratification for a build report doesn't happen here.  I'm as guilty as anyone in that I rarely comment on a build, but it does feel a bit like that the bar is massively so high that the build has to be polished in tears of nubile virgins without a micrometer of wasted wire in order to get any feedback sometimes.

It also depends on who posts the build report. Some people are more popular then others and their build reports will get more oh's and ah's then others. That's just the way it is. With FB it matters less who posts the pretty pictures, as long as your pictures are pretty. If only you get to see the pretty pictures from the get go. No need to click on a link first.

[thesmokingman]

I definitely infinitely prefer forums for information and the like.  Finding information here is a stack easier than facebook.

However, the instant gratification for a build report doesn't happen here.  I'm as guilty as anyone in that I rarely comment on a build, but it does feel a bit like that the bar is massively so high that the build has to be polished in tears of nubile virgins without a micrometer of wasted wire in order to get any feedback sometimes.

Pay no attention to that pedal I built where the pcb is suspended by solid core wiring, bed of nails style.

[midwayfair]

in order to get any feedback sometimes.

Can you link to a time when you asked for feedback on a build and didn't get any?

[jimilee]

I definitely infinitely prefer forums for information and the like.  Finding information here is a stack easier than facebook.

However, the instant gratification for a build report doesn't happen here.  I'm as guilty as anyone in that I rarely comment on a build, but it does feel a bit like that the bar is massively so high that the build has to be polished in tears of nubile virgins without a micrometer of wasted wire in order to get any feedback sometimes.

It also depends on who posts the build report. Some people are more popular then others and their build reports will get more oh's and ah's then others. That's just the way it is. With FB it matters less who posts the pretty pictures, as long as your pictures are pretty. If only you get to see the pretty pictures from the get go. No need to click on a link first.

I totally disagree that "more popular people" get more ohs and ahs. It all comes down to skill and a touch of OCD. These same people tend to design their own projects.


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[Willybomb]

Can you link to a time when you asked for feedback on a build and didn't get any?

I think I phrased that wrong.  "Comments" would be a better word.

[oip]

it still bends my noodle that there are like ..5? FV-1 projects and functionally 0 projects using any other DSP in the DIY arena.  i guess the barrier to entry for other DSP in particular is pretty high but still.  look how popular something like the montreal assembly count to 5 is.  and the alternatives are... well there almost aren't any

[alanp]

My suspicion is that anyone with the skillset for DSP is going to be more inclined to the digital synthesizer side of things.

Remember, guitar pedals are a gateway drug for modular synths.

[oip]

aha yes i've wholeheartedly swallowed that drug.  i love pedal building but living in an apartment there's only so many fuzzes you can try.  synth, through headphones.. there is no limit.

though even in synth world from what i've seen DSP is relatively thin on the ground, especially for DIY.  i don't know enough about it to know whether it's simply too specialised or what.  i'm wanting to put a basic FV-1 implementation into a module and have 2 non-ideal options or - lay it out myself.  meanwhile there are open source mutable modules providing a pre-made i/o for DSP with CV interface.. and still only a bare handful of alternate firmwares.

it's interesting, i guess the main idea is there are still plenty of options to explore.  my brain unfortunately just shuts down thinking about programming.

[Muadzin]

I totally disagree that "more popular people" get more ohs and ahs. It all comes down to skill and a touch of OCD. These same people tend to design their own projects.

But how would you know if there was skill levels and OCD to be admired? You'd have to click on that thread to see it. And the point that I'm trying to make is that the popular people will get more clicks then the lesser gods, by virtue of their fame. Would a build report by jimilee get the same number of views and responses of a built report by Muad'zin, supposing our build qualities and OCD were the same? I think not.

[pickdropper]

I guess my viewpoint is slightly different on build reports.  I think this place is pretty great about giving positive feedback to folks posting their first builds.  It's fun seeing what somebody new brings to the table; sometimes there are subtle differences, but it's nice to see anything different.

I don't post as many build reports as often as I used to.  Mainly because so much of it is similar to things I've posted in the past.  I've gotten wonderful feedback over the years, but most of the people have seen it multiple times over at this point.  I think that occurs with a lot of the long-timers here.  I am sure people that look at them appreciate the contributions, but there isn't as much to say about it.  That's why it's always cool when there are posts from new folks.