Building a DIY Synth Kit | Tutorial
Regulars to the channel might have noticed that I haven't posted new content for a while. That's because I've been working on this 90-minute long behemoth for what seems like forever. But this is a video I've wanted to make for a long time, so I'm glad it is finally out there.
DIY is everywhere, and building DIY synth modules are a great way to expand your collection without breaking the bank. There is the joy of doing it yourself, and the satisfaction of recording or performing with a tool that you made.
But no one is born knowing how to solder or how the polarity works on an electrolytic capacitor. And building your own electronics requires that knowledge, and many other tidbits as well. And so I created a video showing how to put together a DIY synth module from the ground up. I chose the Craig Lee Euclidean Sequencer module in the 4U format, because I wanted a complex project that required both through hole analog work as well as digital circuitry. You even have to download source code, compile it, and upload it to the onboard Arduino for this module, and I go through every step.
This video is extremely long, and if you are a beginner, it might be good to watch once all the way through as an overview. But I consider this more of a reference video. As a result, there are chapters all the way through breaking the process down into many steps. I would be quite gratified if someone were working on a project, forgot what ferrite beads were for, then went to this video and looked up that topic (they actually act as low pass filters for power supplies, to try to keep noise out of sensitive circuits).
Of course I didn't hit every possible circumstance - for example, there is no surface mount soldering in this kit, but nevertheless there is a lot here. If I got something wrong, or you have a different take on a particular topic, please add to the conversation (nicely!) in the comments section.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:47 Tools of the trade
10:27 PCBs, panels and kits
10:59 Sourcing Components
11:43 Anatomy of a kit
12:51 Preparing your soldering iron
13:43 Soldering temperature
14:42 Schematics and BOMs
15:25 Silk Screening on the PCB
15:59 Order to stuff components
16:51 Stuffing & Soldering Resistors
17:31 Checking resistance on a multimeter
18:38 Stuffing components
20:39 Soldering the first components
22:03 Clipping the leads
22:51 Soldering more resistors
24:32 Fixing a component that is lifted from the PCB
25:11 Checking off the BOM
25:49 The lead bending tool
27:05 Finishing up the resistors
27:30 Diodes
29:04 Ferrite beads
30:19 Soldering IC sockets
34:43 Fitting the Arduino to the PCB
38:09 Capacitors
38:44 Bypass caps
39:23 Film caps
40:47 Small ceramic caps
41:00 Film caps
41:19 Electrolytic caps and polarization
43:21 Voltage regulators
44:26 Power connector
44:56 Confirming power orientation
45:50 MIDI port wires
47:30 Cleaning the flux off the PCB
51:38 Connecting the PCBs
56:28 The front panel and LED matrix
57:22 Gluing plexiglass to the front panel
59:12 Attaching components to the front panel
01:00:08 Banana Jacks
01:00:50 Attaching the MIDI port
01:01:08 Attaching the switch
01:02:09 Digital encoders
01:03:37 Test fitting the pieces
01:04:04 Soldering the Arduino
01:07:38 Putting the IC's in the sockets
01:10:42 IC with a bent pin
01:11:56 Attaching the heat sink
01:13:09 Pre-powerup voltage discussion
01:14:18 Initial powerup test
01:14:55 IC Voltage tests
01:16:25 The Arduino
01:17:20 Downloading and prepping the source code
01:18:04 Downloading the Arduino IDE
01:18:26 Adding libraries to the Arduino IDE
01:19:08 The fiddliness of the Arduino IDE
01:20:17 Compiling and uploading to the Arduino
01:21:04 Testing the board post upload
01:21:28 Final connection of the panels
01:22:11 Wiring the banana jacks
01:23:33 Wiring the switch
01:23:59 Holding the PCBs together
01:24:44 Wiring the MIDI port
01:25:27 Installing the knobs
01:26:00 Playing the Euclidean Sequencer
01:29:06 Outro
Under the Big Tree is Nicolas Peck's KZread channel, focused on esoteric electronic music, modular and vintage synthesizers, sound design equipment and techniques, and the composition, production and performance of music.
www.underthebigtree.com
Пікірлер: 19
Just watched the whole thing. So enjoyable in so many ways, Nick. Thank you!
Excellent. I'd get into synth just to be able to build them. I build cheap little Amazon kits.
Such a great guide from start to end. This taught me A LOT. Thank you❤
nice this is fucking awesome!
Hey, just wanted to thank you. About to start my first diy build and this is hugely helpful!
I've build a Zynthian together with my 5 year old. Great project, love to build more diy synths
Watched the whole thing. Thank you. I’ve followed ElectroBOOM for a while and always found him very informative and entertaining. This video helped me understand practical usage in an easy and fun way. Thanks again
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
Hi, this is the definitive guide to make this stuff. I always appreciated your professional video, your explanation. Just to let you know it. This job is on the top ten of my interest, too passionate of synth and all around it. Very good job. How many time to make up this beautiful guide and how few will watch it at whole. Thank you very much, I will use it in the future. The only big fear: waiste my time and money to understand only at the end to have failed and must throw away the module. But... if i don't try, nothing will work out. Cheers and sorry for my strange english (i'm italian)
Fantastic content , subscribed
Pro-tip. If you lay the filter fan assembly down on its face and point the bottom of the unit where the slot is towards the work area, it will be far more effective at moving air due to increased velocity. Give it a shot sometime.
Awesome, thank you very much. Play and I need to get back into electronics. Want to make some effects and eventually synthesiser. I mean I haven't done anything and 15 years, so my soldering skills will probably be a bit rusty. Lovely shiny solder!. I love you display very nice!. The first thing I ever made was an electronic drum kit. And when Piezo discs weren't readily available. Used to go to one of those cheapy stores. And brought a bunch of those budget window alarms that used magnets, just took out the discs. Sometimes you have to think outside the circle lol
@UndertheBigTree
2 жыл бұрын
Best of luck with it! Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect - this is just an expression of your art.
@New_Zealand_Music
2 жыл бұрын
@@UndertheBigTree thank you for your support and advice it is. It is very appreciated. Cheers
@New_Zealand_Music
2 жыл бұрын
@@UndertheBigTree you sound like a very nice honest man. I really appreciate that thank you so much. Such a nice comment thank you
My favorite soldaring station is made by jbc tools
Looks great, I just skimmed through right now and I'll watch the whole thing later. 👍 Just a thought, shouldn't you install the heat sink the other way around so that the fins are over the PCB? The way you have it looks like it would touch adjacent modules or at least make it hard to install or remove the module.
Great job. I think the heat sink was installed backwards... ;)
Wrist strap story; While cleaning my Boss’s home desktop (without a Ground Strap or grounded table mat). I heard and felt a small “Snap”. Dead video. I ended up sneaking in a new motherboard and separate video card. My mistake; my expense. (You’re the only ones who know). Wear the strap and ALWAYS ground yourself to the plugged in power supply.