Final Design Report

December Eleventh, Two Thousand and Twenty

San Marin High School

Daniel Ford

Emma Rice

Derek Dela Cruz

James Wreden
 Table of Contents

Individual Contributors 2

Problem Definition 3

Design Requirements 3

Conceptual Design 4

Alternative Concepts 4

Evaluation of Alternatives 7

Selection of a Concept 8

Detailed Design 9

Main Features 9

Results of Analysis, Experiments, and Models 9

Manufacturing Details 11

Performance Evaluation 13

Lessons Learned 13

Appendix 14

Individual Contributors

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These contributors provided their expertise and advice to the development of this project.
Ampliteam is very grateful for the work and mentoring they provided. This project would not be
possible without them and their contributions.

Emanuel LaCarrubba - Audio Engineer, Sausalito Audio

manny@sausolitoaudio.com

Chris Fehring - Equipment and Resource Mentor, Novato CA

hirechrisf@gmail.com

Isabella Fontenot - Digital Design Consultant, Katy TX

redtailears23@gmail.com

Emory Anderson - Digital Design Consultant, Katy TX

1107.chloe.1107@gmail.com

Claudio Tronconi - Teacher and Advisor, San Marin High School

ctronconi@nusd.org

Problem Definition

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During live rehearsals, there is often little control over the equalization levels. As a results,
instruments can sound too quiet or too loud and can also be unbalanced and sound a bit
unpleasant as a result. Therefore, when making the product, a simple way to give people control
over their audio during rehearsals was desired

Design Specifications

Needs to be Met:

➢ Portability
○ The plan was to make a built in connection to an XLR cable, this would be light
and coilable making it very portable.
➢ Adaptability
○ XLRs are very versatile and if one had a XLR to quarter inch adapter they could
connect this cable to almost any speaker/amp that they could find.
➢ Flexibility of Control
○ The addition of another adjustment point (The EQ/Level Faders) only gives the
musician more versatility in the sound they can create.
➢ Affordability
○ The hope is that this can be easily manufactured and obtainable for even the most
amatuer musician to get their hands on.

After researching clients, identifying a problem, and coming up with a solution/product work
began on the engineering part of the capstone project. To do this an initial demands and wishlist
was created that discussed how to ideally proceed with the project and development. The main
focus in design features is portability (light and coilable xlr connector, cylindrical shape) ,
adaptability (quarter inch adapter) , flexibility of control (EQ and level faders) , and affordability
(make it easily manufactured and obtainable).

Conceptual Design

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 Alternative Concepts

After finding the design specifications, the team began to research possible designs. For this a
classification scheme was made where different ways to execute the different functions were
explored. Then, 3 products were chosen to design based off the Classification Scheme made (see
below).
Classification Scheme Designs Seelection

Concepts Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3 Concept 4 Concept 5

Functions

Amplify Preamp fader Volume fader Volume knob Amplifier Preamp knob

EQ Low pass High pass Parametric Tilt EQ EQ Map

filter filter EQ

Portability Compact Small number Cylinder Built in coil

overall of parts/cords shape tie
structure
Carrying case
C
Adaptability Quarter inch XLR USB adapter oi
MIDI adapter Apple device
adapter connector l
adapter
ti
e

1. Preamp fader, parametric EQ, carrying case, quarter inch adapter

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This design was chosen primarily because of the parametric EQ function. Parametric EQ is the
most flexible choice for balancing sound because it allows the control of all the factors of
equalization (amplification, bandwidth/Q, center frequency). While it will be more difficult to
learn for amateur musicians, it’ll open up more opportunities as a result. The carrying case
allows for portability and the quarter inch adapter will allow it to connect to amplifiers without
an XLR port and electronic instruments. Lastly, the preamp fader will allow for controllable
amplification of the overall sound and a clear projection.

2. Volume fader, tilt EQ, cylinder shape, XLR connector

This was the final chosen design, as it encapsulates the very idea of a human centered design. A
fader would allow us to changeth evolme of the channel signals. This is a simple control which
varies the amount of resistance and therefore the signal level. The tilt EQ would be a one knob
system and help balance out the audio in a simpler form since it is one appliance. The cylinder
shape is something to be drawn to, as it would be a more unique and compact shape to design the
product after. It is easy to store, and would be easy to transport or hold. The XLR connector
would also be ideal in a product, as it is a common connecting system and would allow more
people to use it on the output end. It is also a great alternative for balancing audio.

3. Volume knob, EQ map, compact overall structure, USB adapter

The volume knob is more intuitive both because of its simple left right functionality and its use
of volume as opposed to level. An EQ Map, although much trickier to assemble and taking up
more room would be very helpful for visual representation of the amplitude at certain
frequencies. Compact overall structure is important for both the use and target audience that was
pin pointed in market research because amatuer musicians need something portable. A USB
adapter would be useful for any sort of amatuer recording using a personal laptop or PC.

Sketches of each Alternative Design were also created, which can be seen below.

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6
 Evaluation of Alternatives

After creating the designs, they were evaluated to see which designs would be most effective.
This was done by creating a Decision Matrix (see below.) Then,the importance of each aspect of
the design was determined with the Weight Value, and then how effectively each aspect of the
design fulfilled the requirement was determined with a Value. Then, the Value was multiplied by
the Weight and added them together to get the Total Rating for each design.

Evaluation Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3

Criteria
Weight Val1 W * V1 Val2 W * V2 Val3 W * V3

Amplification .4 8 3.2 7 2.8 9 3.6

Equalization .3 7 2.1 9 2.7 4 1.2

Portability .2 5 1 8 1.6 7 1.4

Adaptability .1 7 .7 8 .8 6 .6

Total 1 27 6.1 32 6.9 26 6.8

1. Preamp fader, parametric EQ, carrying case, quarter inch adapter

7
This design was chosen primarily because of the parametric EQ function. Parametric EQ is the
most flexible choice for balancing sound because it allows the control of all the factors of
equalization (amplification, bandwidth/Q, center frequency). While it will be more difficult to
learn for amateur musicians, it’ll open up more opportunities as a result. The carrying case
allows for portability and the quarter inch adapter will allow it to connect to amplifiers without
an XLR port and electronic instruments. Lastly, the preamp fader will allow for controllable
amplification of the overall sound and a clear projection.

2. Volume fader, tilt EQ, cylinder shape, XLR connector

This was the final chosen design, as it encapsulates the very idea of a human centered design. A
fader would allow us to changeth evolme of the channel signals. This is a simple control which
varies the amount of resistance and therefore the signal level. The tilt EQ would be a one knob
system and help balance out the audio in a simpler form since it is one appliance. The cylinder
shape is something to be drawn to, as it would be a more unique and compact shape to design the
product after. It is easy to store, and would be easy to transport or hold. The XLR connector
would also be ideal in a product, as it is a common connecting system and would allow more
people to use it on the output end. It is also a great alternative for balancing audio.

3. Preamp knob, EQ map, compact overall structure, USB adapter

The volume knob is more intuitive both because of its simple left right functionality and its use
of volume as opposed to level. An EQ Map, although much trickier to assemble and taking up
more room would be very helpful for visual representation of the amplitude at certain
frequencies. Compact overall structure is important for both the use and target audience that was
pin pointed in market research because amatuer musicians need something portable. A USB
adapter would be useful for any sort of amatuer recording using a personal laptop or PC.

Selection of a Concept

After completing the Decision Matrix and evaluating how well each product fit the criteria, the

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2nd design was the design that was pursued. As stated in its analysis, it best fits the needs for the

product. It gave good control while remaining fairly

Detailed Design

Main Features

● Portability
○ The product is very light and easy to transport as the Tilt Equalizer is
attached the XLR cable
● Adaptability
○ XLR Cables are very adaptable. and if you have a quarter inch adapter,
this product can connect to virtually any speaker
● Affordability
○ The product will be easy to manufacture and obtainable for even the most
amateur musicians
● Flexibility of Control
○ The addition of an Equalizer and level Faders gives the user a good range
of control over their music

Results of Analysis, Experiments, and Models

Results of Lab Report:

Experiment 1: Amplitude

Battery: 9V
Resistor: 50kΩ
Input (amplitude) 0.001V 0.005V 0.01V

Output .05V 0.3V .5V

Experiment 2: Resistor

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Amplitude: 0.01V
Battery: 9V
Input (resistance) 5kΩ 25kΩ 50Ω

Output .06V .33V .5V

Experiment 3: Bass Amp

Link:
https://soundcloud.com/daniel-ford-5761447/derek-plays-open-strings-capstone-ampliteam

The above image shows amplitude measurements of the four different bass parts of the
experiment. The experiment involved playing the four open strings on a bass at different levels
of EQ. The three knobs adjusted were bass, mid, and treble. The first section had the three knobs
turned all the way down. The next three had only bass turned up, only mid turned up, and only
treble turned up, respectively. The experiment shows that different notes became louder and
quieter depending on the equalization. This can further be heard in the actual recording in the
link above.

Prototype Test Results:

Experiment 1: Preamp Circuit Functionality

Left Middle Right

100Hz .5V 1.2V 1.75V

1kHz .5V 1.2V 1.75V

2kHz .5V 1.2V 1.75V

Experiment 2: EQ Circuit Functionality

Preamp Knob set at 1.2V

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 Left (Treble Gain) Middle (No Gain) Right (Bass Gain)

100Hz 0.8V 1.2V 7.5V

1kHz 2.6V 1.2V 1.1V

5kHz 6.8V 1.2V 1V

Experiment 3: Onshape Model Knob Functionality

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/52a4532ae20d3402a1dd9c20/w/26cab2300db27840ed5c1bd
2/e/d98ecd68a777e38a10fca11d

Manufacturing Details

TOTAL COSTS
This report calculated the cost of each individual component, as you can see below. The total

cost to make the product is $24.09

3 1k resistors - 18 cents

2 10k resistors - 12 cents

1 50k resistor - 20 cents

2 100k resistors - 10 cents

2 capacitors - 40 cents

1 variable resistor - $1.79

2 741 op amp IC 741 - 90 cents

2 Breadboards - $6.00

XLR cord - $12

Painted Carbon Steel Cylinder - $1.20*

2 Plastic Knobs - $1.20

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The writing above is a financial report that showcases the initial costs for the production of a
JEDD 2021.0. Taking into account the objects that make up the product, it will cost roughly
$24.09 to make. This, however, is an estimate. Still, this is an estimate that drives the focus of
the production and manufacturing.

Below this description, there is an image of the product's life cycle. This was called the Product
Life Cycle Assessment. In the infographic, the whole “life” of the product is followed from
production to disposal. It unpacks the general factors involved in each step. This life cycle
assessment (LCA) will show the process of creating, using, and disposing of our product.

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Performance Evaluation

The preamp circuit we built amplifies signals by roughly 50 times with a 9V battery. This easily
crosses the threshold from mic level to line level, making it efficient. This leads us to believe that
the preamp circuit is working completely according to our expected functionality. We also saw
that increasing resistance also increases amplitude. The tilt EQ circuit wasn’t accurately
simulated because of software limitations, but mathematically we were able to calculate the
different levels of EQ. We can also see that the knobs on our casing work according to plan, at
least on our virtually modeled version. This means that the relationship between the user and the
circuits we have built is viable.

Lessons Learned

This project was a huge learning experience for all of us. Firstly, it was a huge step forward in
our understanding of the steps of design and the process that an engineer goes through in
designing a product like this. The main takeaways from the project can be condensed into a few
categories. First is the division of labor. In order to make this project happen there was no way
we could all be working on all aspects simultaneously so it was important to know how to split
up the work and use each of our strengths. Secondly, it was a huge learning experience in how to
utilize the tools we were given without much supervision. We had to use 3D modeling software,
circuitry simulation, and more in order to better represent our product virtually. Lastly, a huge
lesson from this project was time management and decision making. We had to be able to plan
things out, learn where our limits were, and be able to trim things that would take too much time.
The biggest example of this was our decision to stick to a fully virtual representation of our
prototype, this was a big decision and it was a great learning opportunity. This whole project was
an opportunity to take our learning into our own hands and make every mistake a chance to
learn.

Appendix

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This is an image of the circuit designed on Tinkercad for the product

This is an image of the JEDD 2021.0

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This is an image of what the circuit looks like modeled with the JEDD 2021.0

This is an image of the blueprint that follows the JEDD 2021.0

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 XLR Cord

Gain
Knob

Outsid
e EQ
Casing Knob

XLR Cord

This is an image of the detailed blueprint of the JEDD 2021.0 with distinctions

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