Modular DIY 04 - Befaco Even VCO
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2024
- We're building my first oscillator - the awesome Even VCO from Befaco. Over the next hour and a half I share my experience of building the Even VCO. It's a dense board with a lot of components. It's not difficult but it does take time. Working out resistors, identifying capacitors, thoughts on soldering as a hobby, the pitfalls and dangers of working with a kit - it's all here. It's the first time I had to calibrate anything and so that was predictably troublesome - but we got there. And the result it a beautiful module with some fabulous noises. Loved this build! Sorry I couldn't edit it any shorter - there's too much good stuff in here!
Intro - 00:11
Getting started - 6:46
Main board resistor soldering - 12:31
Main board diodes and ferrite beads - 23:03
Installing the ICs - 27:30
Main board Bag B - Capacitors - 31:09
Main board Bag B - more capacitors and transistors - 38:06
Main board Bag B - Trimmers - 40:34
Pin headers and power connectors - 42:08
First board done - thoughts so far - 44:02
Control PCB - 46:50
Control PCB knobs and patch sockets - 57:58
First testing - does it work? - 1:08:58
Calibration - 1:12:22
Tour and demo - 1:23:31
Conclusion - 1:25:27
This is perfect for making other DIY newbs like myself not feel as alone and frustrated :) haha! I especially related to your calibration issues. "Why is it climbing? Don't climb!" Ahhh gosh, it brings me back to those confusing times lol
you did great, it looks very neat and clean :)
I like that you are showing the whole process and train of thought when encountering issues. this is very valuable for any diy beginner
Been watching your videos! I feel like i got the courage to go forth into both DIY and modular because of your videos! Very down to earth and fun to watch!
I don't have this kit, but from others that I've been building, the thing that immediately attracts my positive attention is that the solder pads are not tiny like in some other kits. Nothing has been more unpleasantly challenging in my experience building these than tiny solder pads and exposed via coppers that are dangerously close to the component pads, but aren't meant to be soldered themselves.
I'm speaking specifically of the Synthrotek Quadrangle, which is a good module, but grazed me with a potential disaster when I plugged it in and smoke came out. Fortunately, it survived with only an additional brown stripe on an inrush resistor. I'm mentioning it as a consideration to new solderers, and encouragement that they aren't all that difficult. It's a highly populated module though, so good practice in patience.
bravo, Robin. Keep these up, you're proof that anything is possible with the right attitude.
nice work mate. this was my first DIY-project in which I bought all the electronic components separately. I almost went crazy.
are you sure you didn't start crazy?
@@MoltenMusicTech I could say yes, but that would be a lie.
hola!! hace poco empece a interesarme en la síntesis modular y eso me llevo al armado de modulos ,,, estoy agradecido de encontrar tus videos .. le pones muy buena onda y el humor que tenes los hace divertidos y mas didácticos todavía ,,,disfruto verlos ! saludos!!
De nada. Diviértete en tu aventura de bricolaje.
So here I go, a few years behind but I have finally done it. My first DIY module is this. Can not wait to build. This hobby is going to be expensive. Can not wait to learn how to use its full capability. Thank you for the video’s. p.s thank you for getting me into the crazy world of euro rack
You’re welcome 😉
Just watched through all the diy series trying to gather the guts to get the diy erica synths bassline, loved the series :D
Can't wait for "Molten Metaphysical Mumblings"... It's a nailed-on hit! Having said that... Isn't your channel that already? (that's supposed to be a compliment...not sure it comes across that way!)
This is a year and a half out, but I can fill in some blanks so far. 1. Heat. -The temp needed to melt solder will destroy the component. What you want is to be able to quickly melt the solder so that the heat source doesn't have time to work toward the component. That is partially why the legs are as long as they are, they act as heat sinks to pull the heat away from the sensitive parts. If your temp is too low the heat bleeds off and you risk damaging your part because the WHOLE part has to heat up past the point where it bleeds off. Flux basically helps the solder melt and stick to the max surface area between the solder and the two parts. If the bond is not good, the heat expansion and contraction of the module over time(from running electricity through it) can cause the two soldered surfaces to separate and can get noisy, pop, and crackle like when a headphone jack starts to wear out. If you lose enough contact it may not work at all.
Love this, really shows that DIY isn't as scary as it seems at first and that as long as you're careful you'll be rewarded with something cool (and the process is fun too)!
I think it was mentioned below but if solder is sticking to the iron tip and pooling, the problem isn't the heat, rather it's time to clean the tip :)
Well, turning up the heat solved the issue i was having
@@MoltenMusicTech oh yeah turning up the heat will work, it's just you increase the chances of lifting a pad or something else nasty like that
2. Calibration. If you've ever tuned a something like a guitar, you know that by the time you tune the last string, the tension on the other strings has changed and thrown off their tune. To properly tune a stringed instrument, you need to go back and re-tune all the strings several times (3-4 usually). Each successive time you re-tune, the instrument as a whole, shifts the tune a little less until you hit the sweet spot where it's "good enough" for your purpose. The calibration is very similar in concept. Each change in those trim pots throws off all of the prior one's tunings slightly. With each repetition of the process, you see less less drift until you hit your personal limit of how much imprecision you can tolerate.
That was a fun video. Thank you. Makes me feel brave enough to do some repair on my own vintage synths
Excellent. I was cracking up.
hugely inspiring. Didn't think I could do it. But now I want to give it a go thanks to your DIY videos. Have bought some cheap soldering practice kits to build a small AM radio & some flashing lights thing. If that works okay i'm ordering some stuff from Thonk. Really like the idea of the DIY spring reverb module.
You did really well on the build, module sounds great too.
I'm no expert, but if your soldering iron stops melting the solder, do NOT turn the iron up; rather clean and tin the tip!
I think this is a cool idea. I like these videos. I have been pondering DIY for years so this is fun to vicariously experience. I would love to see an Erica kit (Erica, Robin needs a kit to build). Did you ever figure out how to use the soldering wick? JIK, its just like a lamp wick, and does leave less residue than the solder sucker (it's closer to soldering time machine, its like it never happened). When the end piece is full, just trim off that bit and keep wicking. I want to add my Jove filter came in, bought solely on your thoughts about it and it delivers as promised I love it. :) I also use a Surface, Bitwig, an ES-8 etc... lots of stuff you have talked about. I find your approach, well... very approachable. :) Never too cool for school like a lot of the "Prosers" on UA-cam. Thanks for doing it. :) Cheers Mate!
We could be twins :) no i havent tried the wick yet - i should get some.
I've done a few Befaco kits and the unlabelled resistors are a right PITA as I'm colour blind. I have to get my son to help me identify them or use a multimeter to test them.
I think you have to multimeter all components where possible to make sure they are what they say and also that they are not defective. Looking for a defective part after you have completed a crowded module would be a nightmare for me as i am a noob at this stuff and my knowledge is thin.
For the price all these kits are bringing, they should be ashamed of the quality of them. Might as well buy the PCB and face plate, download the build sheet and purchases the parts online and save a lot of cash. Oh wait ! I already do that. lol
Well done! The only thing I am reluctant to do is inserting the IC's when there is still soldering to do. I tend to wait untill all is done and then insert them in their sockets. Curious to see your next project, smd?
No i don't see myself doing any smd any time soon
It looks daunting but you woul be amazed how easy it actually is. You need a bottle of flux and a good loupe...
Snuckyfication - drum loupe?
@Left Mono lol!
Glad it works. I would like to get that kit. Good stuff.
"It's a party resistor, that one." 😀
Great and inspiring video, maybe i buy a kit someday and try myself too.
did you find out what the deal is with the off semitones that are not really constant... how did you managed it? or how to manage it perfectly? thank you
not really - i'm just sort of going with it for now
3. Your Power Supply solution is sketchy at best. From what i recall from the earlier videos, your old laptop Brick's voltage starts at +15V on the low end and your rack module takes a max of +15V. This means you risk overvolting the modules. Think of volts as the pressure of the electricity and the amps as the volume or flow. High pressure , but low flow water can cut through steel, but doesn't pool as fast as lower pressure water with a higher flow. A burst water main will flood an area very fast. With electricity the volts have to overcome the resistance of the materials of the circuit, including the solder in a way that is sort of like water trying to flow uphill against gravity. You need the higher voltage to go uphill through a circuit. If your input voltage is too high and your amps are too low, your circuit will sputter like a spray bottle of bathroom cleaner that only shoots liquid every 4-5 squeezes. Additionally, if your amps are too low, your gear will still try to pull what it needs, which often creates more heat in the "brick" than it's components were designed to handle. It may just stop working or it may melt the plastic housing and start a fire. Try to match the required power range closely.
Your into Warhammer too? I've got an original Hero Quest set I'm going to be painting soon. Had one as a kiddo but probably got rid of at some point, but found a full complete box set in a charity shop in Fakenham for £2.50 a few years back.
Nice!
This fella loves him some knurlies.
Hey Robin, have you ever tried VCVRack? I know you're using Softube Modular but you should give VCVRack a try. It's open source and ever growing, and it's free. The Befaco VCO is the one i'm always using there.
Yes I have - i told myself I'd wait for an official release before i delved in too deep, but it's been in beta for over a year now! I think it's great except..... that it rather destroys the concept of limitations that i enjoy in hardware - but that's just me. Softube Modular is similar which is why i dont use that much either.... or Voltage Modular - all good... just.... :D
@@MoltenMusicTech yes, i really hope the official release will fix all the current issues. but so far VCVRack have been a great way for me and surely a lot of beginner modular synth enthusias to dive in into the modular world and learn all of its charming complexities without being broke haha! Thanks for the reply Robin cheers
Jaja single parent my hands are so tie, enough I could turn on the euro rack system once a week 😂, when I was single used to putting amps together and even built my own compressor and Eq’s, good times enjoyed, life it’s a constant change...
Some people advocate wearing latex gloves while soldering. To me, I suspect gloves would decrease my ability to grip and hold the tiny bits so I wonder what benefit that would provide. Maybe it keeps the oils from our hands from getting on the components? Maybe they protect our fingers from hot solder?
Sounds like a fetish to me
ha!
Its mainly to do with oils on your hands. If you handle component leads or touch the pads on a board enough the solder will not stick to them without extra flux or a solvent (alcohol) scrub.
A little more about Amperage(Amps) . If you know what each component in your rack needs for amps, you can sum them together. WIth 5 modules requiring amps of 0.5, 0.5. 1.0, 1.5, and 0.5: you will need a power supply with a minimum of 4 amps (+20% for supply fault tolerance) total power @ 12 Volts because the supply voltage is usually constant at 12V DC. In your rack, I would search amazon for a 12V DC to DC Buck Converter. It acts as a voltage regulator and will take more than 12V in from your power brick, but only let 12V out to your rack. They are about $10-15 USD for the over priced ones.
Thanks!
I think '"Solder Solder" may of been the forgotten spin off from "Soldier Soldier".
TP is a Test Point designation and TP#s should be marked on PCB. Ground is electrical ground, several places but may require schematic to find (to be safe) usually the ground (ring) on your in/out jacks are grounded.
Looks like the kit has gone up in price a fair bit since this vid was made - it’s now over £130, so outside your £100 limit if you were building today 🤔
Great video Robin, you did it and it didn't go bang or catch fire, nice one! ;D Love your enthusiasm too. Can I point you in the direction of Bigclivedotcom and Julian Ilett on here for more tips, tricks and loads of info and electrical fun and games? Cheers!
Is that a roger dean poster behind you?
No, it's Forbidden Planet by Vincent Di Fate (i think)
An easy way to remember diodes is the 'bar' is a wall the electrons are stopped by and the arrowhead (triangle) is the electrons hitting the wall. electrons >| no electrons
Competitive soldering made me laugh. Watching you do what I’ve done thousands of times... and experiencing your firsts with you, was fun, Robin. Ooooh... you have watched the synth DIY guy! Good! He’s the best at telling you the order with which to install things. Also... he’s very Cool! ! ! Trouble shooting is the most important skill, isn’t it?! I mean, it beats having a bin full of failures that reminds you why you stopped building things. Ha ha At some point you will be so good at this kind of thing your earrings will be electronic components. That’s when we know you have transcended! Ok... moving on to where you are in your video. Looks populated to me, almost. I thought you were done when you put in the chips. Lol but... we are doing transistors now. Now trimmers. Headers. Remember... the measure of a big project, is if you get two hair cuts during said activity. 🤦🏻♂️😝👍🏼 It’s a ZEN building kind of thing, in any event. Will it work? Hmmmmmm always the question nagging us in the back of our head while building. Tip: avoid party resistors until the end. They will get you high... and then you can’t focus properly on prime fudging. This... is going to be an awesome module! Turning the rotors switch is very cathartic, is it not?! Sometimes, if I’m upset... I will just get one from my parts bin and rotate. Passing on gold to you, Robin! I Dig the knobs on this thing. Well done! well done! Duuuuuuude... you are a proper Pimp module building DIY Dude! I didn’t realize how happy I would be at the finish. Wow! Great job! Fun fact: One can not have too many oscillators.
Thank you for the adventure!
Music thing modular build instructions are indeed better than Befaco. Erica synths instructions are just basically "here, solder all these components in the right places", so even less beginner friendly. On the other hand, if you're not making mistakes, you're not really learning anything.
Do be careful when using the brass sponge - I quite often get bits of hot solder flicking up onto my hand if I'm jabbing too vigorously, I'd have thought if that was an eye instead of a hand, it could be pretty catastrophic!
Calibration of the Befaco Even VCO is particularly difficult and tedious but when you get it right you get a really precise vco.
With reference to the lack of clear instructions you touch on near the end, yes this can be frustrating at first, but it will help to prepare you for the world of DIY beyond pre-packed kits ;-)
Tip on soldering multi-pin components; solder two points, assure level, melt solder and reposition as needed, solder the rest of the pins.
just a man and his knurlies
I find it very annoying that the resistors are not labeled , esspeecially since Befaco is quite expensive
I can’t stand this line system
Ansis Ozolins That’s a bit like saying you hate music notation. Both are well established & very efficient methods of expressing information quickly in a visual way. You just have to take the trouble to learn how to read the colour code - once you do it becomes second nature.
To hear you talk about soldering in that way is heartbreaking for me. I've worked as a soldering instructor and as a professional solderer for years. And soldering is by far not easy.
Easy to get something that looks ok maybe but be careful it might not work in the end. The pitfalls are many like overheating(destroying components or boards) cold soldering which might work for awhile but eventually will fail, don't get me wrong though soldering your own boards is rewarding in the end.
Well then my channel will be heartbreak city for you my friend
@@MoltenMusicTech If I might offer a small perspective. Mikeal is not wrong, but the things he is talking about are also not "pro level" any more than learning how to change your car tire when you have a flat is a professional mechanic level task. I tried to add some extended explanations up-top in layman's terms as to when and why soldering too cold can actually 'overheat' and damage your components. I will however, add this: What you really want is the tip to be hot enough to melt the solder at the point of bonding very fast so that you can remove the heat source, before the heat flows it's way down the wire lead to the sensitive part of your component. When you have it in the Iron's sweet spot, the higher heat is so brief that the wire heats before it travels down the wire and will cool before the heat can overcome the thermal resistance of the wire and damage anything.
I wish I could offer a good target for your Iron, but there isn't is a single temperature target. I have my Hako Iron set to about 375F at the moment. But that is dependant on my solder type's melt range, the (room) temp of the components, and whether or not I use flux core solder or add flux to the joint to increase the surface adhesion of the solder to the components (or PCB) being joined. it takes me < 4 sec to completely solder a heavier connection like a wire from 120V AC Mains ( standard USA mains) to a transformer. For something like your 100k resistors I am finished soldering a single side of one in < 1.5 sec.
.68K63 is 10% tolerance
.68J63 is 5% tolerance
meaning that the value can be anywhere between 680nf +-5% or +-10%
but this is basically the same component, a film capacitor probably from KEMET
Aha, thank you!
You shouldn't have TUNED it! should have left it to be wierd and your OWN! lol
So u need an oscilloscope that can read notes to build this? wth
A scope is useful if you are building and calibrating oscillators. They need adjusting to get the 1v/oct tracking - a scope would help with that. You could probably do it by ear - I can’t which is why I used a tuner. Or keep your diy to non-oscillator modules.
I have just finished building my VCO :P I made a huge mistake by reading the Temp Upgrade Guide instruction WRONG and removed the T_SENS! Dont do this!!
Grab yourself some solder wick for next time you need to desolder something. Makes the process a bit easier and faster
Holy shit. 150 euros for something I have to build? naahhhhhh
very long vid
uh-huh