2nd Blog entry (Chapter 2 session) - Posted on 2015-02-26 by Christopher Red

In my third session with my mentor Dick Orr, we covered the topics in chapter 2 (Basic Electronic Devices).This session was actually very informative and more interesting than I initially thought it would be. I think a lot of that is due to the approach Dick takes when teaching the material. He showed me how an electro magnet can be made simply with a 9V battery and a nail with copper wire wrapped around it. I thought that was a cool way to show how voltage and current can be applied to make a device. He also showed me how to measure voltage, current, ohms etc. with a voltage meter. Another cool device he showed me was a guitar pickup, which is essentially the same as the electro magnet made with the 9V battery and the nail with copper wire. While explaining the types of current I learned which devices use a direct current and which devices use AC power. Dick made me realize how important these basic concepts are to the job of an audio engineer and how valuable knowing these concepts can be if you run into a problem with any of the equipment you may be using. Very interesting chapter and a very cool session with my mentor.