Audio Generator

[gearhead]

Heh all,

Thinking on getting an audio generator because a) want a benchmark/constant signal source to tweak and trouble shoot and b) one of my fave bands of all time used one early on (space rock outfit).

Can any one recommend one, or what not to get? The one I've been looking at has 3V output, with set, selectable 10db reductions (up to 50) and fine adjustment knob. Haven't done the calcs but that should do the trick?

[doctord02]

Look on ebay for an Eico 377. More scfi noises than you can possible imagine. Generally cheap too. I have one sitting here right next to my O scope.

[skyboltone]

I bought a Hewlet Packard years ago on Ebay. I'm not at home now so I can't tell you the mod number but anything from them out of that era was designed to work forever.

[David Root]

I have a B&K from the late '80s, it's solid state of course and is reliable like all B&K stuff from that era. I bought it NOS about 5 years ago.

In cheaper new stuff it's all Chinese, be careful.

[gearhead]

Look on ebay for an Eico 377. More scfi noises than you can possible imagine. Generally cheap too. I have one sitting here right next to my O scope.

Yeah, but the Eico's got Tubes innit; you know how -unreliable- those are, LOL.

I just missed one by ONE minute. Was watching it and memorized the time wrong.

Will get one sometime soon. Thanks all for you inputs!

Dave

[drz400]

These are bitchin are $500 new, sometimes you find a deal!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=008

[juse]

If you're looking for that cool vintage space rock sound, you may want to go with that EICO 377 Audio Generator. Here is a page with it & some other nice test equipment. The EICO 377 is about halfway down:

http://ca.geocities.com/jefftranter@rog ... index.html

It looks like it would be fairly simple to make one, if you could find those huge variable caps somewhere. Maybe that could be a new project here There is also a cool cap tester you can make from this page.

Here is a DIY signal generator too:

http://www.scienceprog.com/avr-dds-sign ... rator-v10/

[ApexJr.]

Hewlett Packard--- H/P ... The standard 200 CD
Been around for decades

Steve @ Apex Jr

[Allynmey]

I recently won an HP/Agilant 3300 Series Signal/Function generator on Ebay. I tracked 20-30 of them and they all ended with ridiculously high prices. I found an auction that ended mid-week in the early afternoon. I won.....the total $28.00 mint condition. They were averaging 10 times that!

Works like a charm!

[gearhead]

Whoo hoo, snagged an Eico 377.

Overpaid for the going rate, but the seller was the only one guaranteeing it, with no "sold as is" disclaimer. Replacement cost of one tube will be worth it.

[skyboltone]

I recently won an HP/Agilant 3300 Series Signal/Function generator on Ebay. I tracked 20-30 of them and they all ended with ridiculously high prices. I found an auction that ended mid-week in the early afternoon. I won.....the total $28.00 mint condition. They were averaging 10 times that!

Works like a charm!

Hey Allyn. Will that thing do white or pink noise?

[dobbhill]

Here's another Eico, if anyone is interested..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWA:VRI

D

[odourboy]

... or if you're cheap like me, download a freeware software signal generator that you can run on your PC. There's quite a few floating around. I loaded one (called Sig Jeni maybe?) on my laptop and made a cable to connect from the headphone jack to a 1/4" plug (with a couple of resistors so the impedances would look okay to each side). Works like a charm! Noise, sweeps, burst mode etc.

[mdroberts1243]

... or if you're cheap like me, download a freeware software signal generator that you can run on your PC. There's quite a few gfloating around. I loaded one (called Sig Jeni maybe?) on my laptop and made a cable to connect from the headphone jack to a 1/4" plug (with a couple of resistors so the impedances would look okay to each side).

I've heard that some of these sound-card signal generators can also do audio spectrum analysis... that might be kinda cool for seeing the individual effects of tone tweeking changes... anybody got experience with these?

[odourboy]

I've heard that some of these sound-card signal generators can also do audio spectrum analysis... that might be kinda cool for seeing the individual effects of tone tweeking changes... anybody got experience with these?

Not quite... closest I got was this beast:

http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/

Friggin' cool tool. And the price is right!