Pedal builders/modders/EE dudes come in here

[Raskolnikovs axe]

I'm about to start building & modding pedals a LOT - and I need some gear recommendations. I have basic soldering supplies but I want to really be able to investigate how the circuits work, so I think I'd need:

 

1 a digital multimeter

2 an oscilloscope

3 a function generator.

 

Any recommendations for these things on the used market? I'm a student so my budget isn't huge but I'd like to get decent quality equipment that I can use for a while.

[soulsonic]

For multimeters just about anything will do these days. Getting one that does capacitance and inductance is a nice bonus. Fluke is a popular brand but they're overpriced IMO. Lots of good Fluke knockoffs out there though.

 

For oscilloscopes, if you wanna go cheap there's this small Velleman portable one. It uses an LCD screen and is fairly easy to use. I have one that I've used for calibrating analog delays before, and it does and OK job for that, but it's not nearly as easy to read as a traditional CRT scope. As far as CRT scopes are concerned, there are tons of old used Tektronix scopes on the market and most of them can be had for relatively cheap. Even a very old one is usually fine as far as stompboxes are concerned. The only potential issue with an old scope is how well it works and it might be way off calibration. I have an old Tektronix 7613 with several modules (it uses plugin modules) that I picked up at an electronics salvage place for under $200 and it eats the Velleman for breakfast! Plus, you can find all sorts of modules for these on the 'bay for cheap.

 

Regarding a function generator, you could just get an audio signal generator and probably be set for what you need for pedals. Other waveshapes and noise can be useful as well, but it all depends on what you're trying to do.

[tape]

Multimeter-wise I use this and could not be happier
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=8657
They can be found for less on ebay. Got mine for $40

if you dont need a digital scope (you'd know it if you do), any used analog scope will do.

[Raskolnikovs axe]

Yeah, I don't need a digital scope...but it'd be cool to have. It's nice in the lab at school to just push a button to see phase offsets and such instantly. Are there any scopes that run off of your computer? Like, with a USB interface of some sort that you hook up to the sources and then have the results displayed on the computer? When I google usb oscilloscope I just get a bunch of USB add-ons for digital scopes

[Raskolnikovs axe]

something like this:

http://www.syscompdesign.com/CGR101.html

 

is there a drawback to using this instead of a stand-alone unit?

[tape]

"people" say that PC scopes aren't that great. while it's true they don't hold a candle to real scopes, I think for pedal work they might be okay, seeing how frequencies aren't that much above hearing range.

I use an Owon PDS5022 which is a cheap digital scope