Modular DIY 01 - Introduction to building your own modules and the gear you'll need

[@synthsocialist]

Quite glad you're doing this. The DIY modular scene is absolutely brimming with great designs! My advice to anyone jumping in to the DIY scene is to buy the thinnest solder you can get your hands on (and to avoid the tubes of solder, you get more value from a reel) and to not skimp on a multimeter if you plan on doing anything other than measuring resistances or continuity or low voltages (safety and all that, you don't need to spend big money, 50 quid will buy you a pretty great multimeter) Also, big fan of the Erica line of DIY kits!

[@SouryaSen]

My whole rack is mostly DIY! Aside from getting full kits which a lot of manufacturers offer, there's also the whole other world of just getting bare PCBs, sourcing all the components and then building it. Check out the Barton musical instruments PCBs, my rack is half full of his PCBs... I started building modules and got into it last year, with the Doepfer DIY synth as my first module, and right now, apart from a Function and STO, my whole 84HP 9U is full of DIY modules :)

[@alanc6752]

Sourya Sen do you get good sounds out your diy modular stuff? I am planning on doing the same diy and some secondhand stuff.

[@SouryaSen]

Yup! I've taken the Doepfer DIY out of the rack because I wasn't happy with it but my main oscillators are the STO and the Erica synths Polivoks VCO (DIY). Filters at the moment are the Polivoks VCF and the Barton Switched Resistor VCF (DIY). That's my main 'voice'. Otherwise I have the Barton Analog Drum, Barton FM Drum and the Radio Music. Also the noise from the Turing machine through filters. So yeah, quite happy with all the sounds I'm getting out of these. For sequencing and modulation (+ triggers) I use the Turing machine (+Pulses), Transient 8S Sequencer, 2LFOSH (Barton), VCA-Mixer (Barton), 4xDecay Generator (Barton). Enveloping is what I'm lacking right now, with only one Function, but getting a simple AR from Barton and simple Quantiser from Barton again soon to solve my envelopes + also get some more 'musical' sequences. Oh I also have RYO Logic gates + Shakmat Time Wizard for some more triggers. See... lots and lots of DIY :D

[@MoltenMusicTech]

I'll need to get some longer rails

[@SouryaSen]

Buy the rails, DIY the case! Or a DIY case altogether. Befaco?

[@alanc6752]

Sourya Sen wow sound pretty cool.

[@collinember]

I came across your channel several times, but to be honest, I was never that much interested in building modules myself. Last year I sold all of my eurorack gear to finance other dreams, but now that I want to get back I realized how expensive things are. Long story short, just after deleting all modules I planned to buy in the shopping cart for a new skiff, YT suggested this video to me. So I watched, and watched some more - just out of pure frustration that I probably cannot even afford to fill a skiff because things are so expensive these days. After your DIY video number 3 I placed the order for a solder iron instead. and then for 2 DIY modules. You inspired me to give it a try. Absolutely no experience in electronics and soldering here, but hey, lets give it a try. Seems there is a lot to learn and watch on this channel - so thanks for all the work and personality you put in your videos! Will let you know I get along, Cheers, Collin

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Nice one - all the best with it :D

[@lachlanmacquarrie3129]

I've been wanting to build a synth for years so this is great Robin, looking forward to the next vid.

The good thing about learning something and sharing the knowledge you'ver earned is that there is always someone who knows less than you, that would be me. This piece of content was really helpful and encouraging. I was a little scared of soldering and manipulating small components, but you made me see it differently, so... thank you for that. Here is my suscription and like!

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Nice one

[@OB1techno]

Awesome! I'm just embarking on my third case/fourth row of DIY modules. Started with some simple kits and recently I've been doing increasingly complex surface mount builds. Look forward to this series.

[@mortenrobinson5421]

7:01 I just upgraded from a no-name with no station and no temperature adjustment to a Hakko fx-888d and so far I am very satisfied. It's a bit pricy, but the real good thing about buying well known brands such as Hakko or Weller is that there are always plenty of accesories available. For example you're gonna have a hard time finding matching soldering tips for noname brands, but it's pretty painless to find specialised soldering tips for Hakko and Weller soldering irons.

[@alanc6752]

This is great. I bought a soldering iron last week, a multi meter yesterday and have a diy oscilloscope kit to build. I am planning on doing diy modular stuff after that subject to getting hold of some kits.

[@cillobillo1059]

How did it go?

[@alanc6752]

@@cillobillo1059 The cheapo soldering iron is still going strong. Various eurorack kits have been built and work! The DSO138 oscilloscope kit was copy of the JYE Tech which i found out as i was building it. That didnt work but it as a first kit it was good introduction to the components, soldering, electronics. A lot of hands on practice and googling for like 7 quid. I was much more confident building a eurorack module after that and my soldering was much better. If you are thinking of giving it a go do it. Just go slow and follow the instructions and don't be in a rush.

[@NiamorH]

Pliers are useful when you need to bend transistor legs for instance, I also use them to tighten jacks & pots nuts. Multimeter is a must have whenever you need to calibrate trimmers or debug your board. I use a small drop of rosin flux (syringe) when I mess up a solder joint (often because the pad or the component leg is not hot enough when I put solder on it) and it instantly melt everything clean and nice. I also use desoldering braid and I like it. You just apply the braid onto the unwanted solder and then your iron on top, press a little, then you wait and watch the solder being sucked into the braid magically :)

[@thewolfin]

Braid is only good for clearing already-empty holes or excess solder - everything else is better done with a pump or vacuum desoldering tool. If I could only have one I'd choose the pump, especially for through hole. Braid is nicer to have around if you're doing mostly SMD work

[@nickm8134]

Nice thoughtful video! I've been building DIY for years and Euro for about 2. Good advice on tools here. I would definitely invest in a decent pair of cutters and pliers - if you make any amount of gear you will save money, and your sanity. I find the multi-meter is absolutely essential, use it to check resistance values if you are a bit unsure (sometimes resistor codes can be a bit confusing or hard to make out the colours), use the resistance range to check continuity (i.e. for good/bad solder joints) not just the beeper - you are looking for a low resistance for a good connection. Use it to check for shorts (solder bridges or pcb faults) and for checking voltages when things don't work quite like they should. I have a bunch of test gear, but for euro DIY stuff the multimer is used like 95% of the time. The rest is my capacitance meter - but that's another story.

[@hndmrsh]

SMD is far easier than it seems! I'm a novice solderer, and I think I actually enjoy SMD builds more than through hole builds. I had no problems putting together an Ornament & Crime (it was my third DIY module after a couple of Befaco kits) - all you need is tweezers, a flux pen, a jeweller's loupe, some ~0.5mm solder and a soldering iron. Like you said in the video: don't be scared, just give it a go!

[@Krakli]

Good start.. If anyone is attempting soldering for the first time I would recommend a simple passive Mult or something similar as the first build as it would be a shame to make a mistake on a relatively expensive filter or oscillator while you are learning the basics..

[@MoltenMusicTech]

It's good advice.... except for me I wanted a bigger payoff. I don't want to spend a couple of hours on something and come away with a mult - that's why i went for something more ambitious. I think you make a lot of sense but when has that ever stopped me :)

[@devicex62]

just your wonderful, lets go for it attitude is a great inspiration . thank you Sir .

[@AmericanAstroMonkey]

You'll also need a watch maker style screw driver for adjusting trim pots. Also I use the DVM in two ways. 1. For checking every single resistor value. The colour coding is terrible to read these days. 2. For the necessary calibration voltages set by adjusting those trim pots. On one build I did use an oscilloscope to calibrate the timing. If you have time on your hands you can save money, but this isn't always the case. I've built Bastl Tea Kick and Cinnamon filter both very nice modules. Also the Rebel Technology Stoicia, where I used the oscilloscope for calibration. Do remember it is best to calibrate with a room temperature of 22 degree C plus or minus 1 degree C. With the current heat many of my analogue modules are drifting. That's analogue for you!!!!

[@_c_y_p_3]

And you MUST have the coolest shirt on the block, one that will bring COLOR and warmth to your project.

[@_c_y_p_3]

I think this dude has the best shirts on all of KZbin.

[@nrbarnard]

Love your approach - just diving in there! I'm new to Eurorack and new to electronics, started in January and currently have 18 modules built, mostly SMT. A few non-expert points: -While I'm sure your soldering iron will be fine, you'll have a much better time with a soldering station with temperature control, generally mine sits at the same temp for most stuff (~320C seems to do the trick for pretty much everything), but it's good to be able to put the temperature up when doing larger components or using braid. Will also be better if you go down the SMD route in the future. -You're really going to want to invest in some way to clean your boards, get some IPA (not the beer ;) ) and an old clean toothbrush. Leaving flux on the boards is nasty and can cause issues. -I'd get some flush cutters, much better than vanilla snips as you can get right in there. -Hopefully your multimeter has continuity mode - this is by far my most used feature on mine and essential for trouble shooting! Looking forward to this, good luck!

[@MoltenMusicTech]

ok, good tips

[@AdamTheAd-vanc3d]

Is dry flux conductive ?. Only asking as I sometimes use my heavier gauge solder which tends to leave flux on the boards between the header connector pads . I haven't made a habit of cleaning before hand to be honest. Thou just wondering if isopropyl contact cleaning alcohol would suffice to clean up ?

[@deniskobozev3916]

Looking forward to this series! I hope you'll cover some patch building basics along the way as well, and we can help you out with DIY advice if you're having issues. Here's one important piece of advice that i haven't really seen mentioned explicitly, though I'm sure many experienced people do it: after you're done soldering all the components, take your multimeter, switch to the continuity setting and make sure there is NO continuity between -12, ground and +12 rails. If there is, you know you have a short somewhere.

[@deniskobozev3916]

That's the least amount of effort to give you some confidence that you haven't messed up before plugging your module in.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

good advice - thank you - please remind me when i forget to do it :)

[@christophergray7434]

Hi Robin, a brilliant idea. I’ve been following your modular series & would like to get into it myself; but the cost! This looks like a better way in for me to consider. Keep up the great work.

[@BottleBass1977]

Hi Robin :) Great idea for a series. About half of my Euro-rack is DIY - mostly Thonk kits. Great value for money. Tools-wise, a decent pair of small snips/sidecutters is essential.

[@TH-gu4wj]

I have to admit, I'm impressed with how far you've come with this video series. Much appreciated. I've found it pretty informative thus far. I'm very very interested in getting into Eurorack. But I'm where you were when you were testing out softube modular (which I just bought the other day).

[@albedo0point39]

It’s not lead that ends up in the smoke, it’s acidic rosin flux (which is contained as a core in the solder, and burns oxidation off the components to create a clean joint). Just get a small fan so you don’t end up breathing so much of this cloud in. The recommendation to get extra flux is a good one. It usually comes as a liquid in a pen - dab it on the PCB before soldering or before re-work and it will burn off oxidation and make for cleaner joints. Lead solder melts at a lower temperature, so it’s easier to use, and also reduces the risk of you overheating your components. It also changes more quickly from liquid to solid - and this makes for a more reliable joint. Any movement in the component while unleaded solder is ‘drying’ will give you an unreliable joint.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Acidic rosin flux sounds awesome - that sort of thing that turns you into a superhero

[@flyesenmusic]

"I'm not gonna get hold of the kit version of the Deckard's Dream from Black Corporation and try to put that together" You jinxed it.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Ha! Did I say that? 😂

[@flyesenmusic]

@@MoltenMusicTech Yep, at 4:24 :)

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Awww i was so idealistic

[@lesstalkmoredisco9445]

@@MoltenMusicTech naive is what it was ;) (came here to say exactly the same thing as @flye Sen after just seeing you say it:)

[@fullyard-art]

Wow. Discovering this today, so cool!!

[@DjPrespley]

desoldering braids are useful when you link two rings for instance, you press it in between the two rings and you heat it up with your iron

[@DjPrespley]

I don't have much experience but it seems like a pain in the ass to use for desoldering in a socket or whatever you call that

[@A-Grat-A]

For a couple of seconds I thought that you're speaking about Mutable Instruments modules, they have Braids and Rings 😅

[@t3chnod3lic]

That crocodile clip/magnifier thingy is called a 'Helping Hands' :)

[@Alphastare23]

This is exciting...the first module I got was a kit almost a year ago and I've already started to fill a 104hp case with pre-manufactured modules, but have yet to build the kit! Hahaha! Maybe this will encourage me.

[@robertkilbourne323]

I get a lot of enjoyment out of kit building. I get them from a place called Banggood (unfortunately they don't have Eurorack modules). I just finished building an MP3 player. After going insane soldering a bunch of SMD resistors and capacitors, it was amazing to plug it in (having it pass the smoke test), inserting an SD card and listening to my music on something I had built myself.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Nice one

[@the2d]

I am not an engineer. I work in human services. I learned to design pcbs in my spare time and built a diy LoFi looper/sampler. It's a proper module that is quite fun and cheap. Most of the rest of my modules are Barton diy boards.

[@thestinkyweasel6297]

Wonderful! Can't wait to see where this series goes!

[@TokiKiri]

I'm considering the God's Box Humpback filter kit available on Thonk. Would be good to see one of those put together. Module looks great and I think the instructions are quite easy to follow.

[@oliverquinlan3676]

rickystinger I've done one of these. It was a relatively straightforward build and sounds amazing.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

I'll stick it on the list

[@briancassidy6678]

One of those scrubby green kitchen things to clean the leads of your components. If using PCBs, carefully wipe them with 90% alcohol to clean the oil/grease off the board. Flux helps solder flow, gets a bit messy/sticky but will clean up with that 90% alcohol you've got laying around.

[@InvertedPopesMusic]

This is awesome. Just like you I am out of cash so the only option is to build my own. I have looked at the available modules but am also considering scratch building. I will be very interested in what you show and what others bring to the party. Modular DIY here we go.

[@robertkilbourne323]

I could never get a solder sucker to work and finally figured out how to use a desoldering wick. Works best on boards with plated through-hole pads.

[@rayderrich]

I used to spend all my money on modules. From now on I will spend all my money on soldering gear and home insurances. As long as we enjoy the ride, right?

[@TomLeg]

You place the braid on top of the joint you want to remove, apply the soldering iron, which melts the solder and heats the braid, so the solder sucks up into the braid. I find it removed 95 percent of the solder, but the DIP leg or transistor leg or resistor is stil stuck to the board.

[@AdamTheAd-vanc3d]

I tend to put a bit of flux from my flux pen on first. Or add a bit of new solder first . This in my experience helps it flow on to the wick quicker .

[@brianbrill]

Cool, looking forward to the rest of the series. Also for equipment...Tip Tinner is great for de-oxidizing your iron tip.

[@slick8086]

Some soldering tips... GET A BETTER IRON!!! You want one that has REAL temperature control ESPECIALLY if you are stuck using lead free solder. Adjustable temperature is not the same as temperature controlled. Temperature controlled means that the iron can sense its temperature and add power when it senses itself dropping from soldering a joint. A TS100 soldering iron is a nice starting point. Second thing it needs is replaceable tips, because CONICAL TYPES ARE SHIT for soldering pcbs. You want either a chisel tip or a truncated cone like the TS-D24 or the TS-BC2 tips for the TS100. You need the iron to heat up the solder pad and the lead so that the solder doesn't just stick to your tip. The TS100 is just one option and it works best with a 24v power supply. Third, get some side cutters/flush cutter with a lead catcher (lead catcher not strictly necessary but it keeps the clipped leads from flying all over the place and making a mess to clean up later.) Cut the leads off right after you finish the joint or the part, working around a forest of leads is ridiculous. A good soldering iron is a fraction of the price of a module and will make a world of difference in the quality of your self assembled kits.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Thanks for the tips! This is a journey and a learning experience - you might want to watch the whole video to see how that unfurls. But my iron appeared to heat things up and solder appeared to flow - components were soldered, all good :)

[@poisonapple1991]

I also manage to bring together £100 or so every now and then to buy something in a bag! The problem is I always smoke it all too fast...

[@MmostlyRandom]

i find myself buying DIY kits for common things that will be in every ones rack ADSR's VCA's attenuators, utility modules etc. out of about 35 modules in my rack 11 of them I built myself. (yesterday I finished an ADDAC manual latches which was my 1st SMD kit) I always shied away from surface mount for the reasons you say but if you have a magnifying glass and a steady hand they are real easy to do. (you can SMD with a soldering iron with a fine tip and tweezers.... melt some solder onto the tip then a dab of flux on the pad you want to solder the component to and touch the pad with the soldering iron... this transfers a little solder to the pad... then you hold your component with the tweezers on top of the pad and remelt the solder.... once its held in place the other side is easy to solder. for startup equipment I would defo say a multi meter is a must have (especially for checking resistor values as most kits won't have these marked and it's a pain in the arse to check colour band codes (thonk bag them up in labeled bags tho) the smoke that comes off of solder isn't the lead, that is coming from the flux core. (lead free solder also smokes) and yes lead free is crap. (for a device to be ROHS compliant tho it MUST use lead free solder, so it's maybe something to think about if you ever got into it in a big way and planned to sell modules) for a low production run of 1 DIY module, the tiny amount of leaded solder you use isn't much of an environmental issue. (its when companies do production runs of millions of units that will eventually go to landfill that it becomes a problem) the de solder wick is impregnated with flux... solder is attracted to flux.

[@deniskobozev3916]

I got some solder wick ages ago when I just started with electronics. Didn't work for me, I much preferred the solder sucker. Turned out that wick had no flux to speak of and worked like an absolute charm once I added some liquid rosin.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

SMD are my destiny i imagine

[@MmostlyRandom]

and I Imagine you'll be fine... it's really no more difficult than through hole. if you can build a thru hole you can build an SMD. just make sure you have some decent magnification and a pair of SMD tweezers (the ones with curved tips) and a flux pen. I was actually amazed at how easy it was to do.

[@davidsimons5944]

Robin please can you recommend either a good normal iron or pro soldering gun if cheap enough that works properly? My Antex 25 watt iron has stopped getting hot enough to melt solder despite my using leaded solder, a new bit that's pushed on hard, waiting long enough for it to heat up & (when I can find it!) using flux paste. Can irons inexplicably lose efficiency over time? I don't seem to have much luck. I bought a 60 or 70 watter online for heavy duty jobs with temp control. I think I only used it once & it packed up. Stupidly I never told the seller!

[@MoltenMusicTech]

I am absolutely no expert in these matters. I got a £20 one off Amazon that's been working fine - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0753GWV83/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It does the job nicely. But i then invested in a more expensive one because i do have an awful lot of soldering to do and people kept recommending it. It heats up quick and maintains it all day. But it's not so much different from the £20 one - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077B9Q6SJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have no special knowledge, i just picked one! :D

[@isaacgraham8070]

smoke extraction contraption I use my fan lol

[@jayhu6075]

I am very glad to find your channel. For a beginner help me to start with this modular stuff. Were can I bought equipment?

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Cool - there are plenty of shops - where do you live in the world?

[@jayhu6075]

@@MoltenMusicTech First thanks for your info. I live in the Netherlands.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Well, try that old google thing, here's the first result - www.modularsynthesizers.nl/

[@jayhu6075]

@@MoltenMusicTech Thanks.

[@localtechnique]

I'm assuming that people suggesting against a solder sucker do so because you're working with PCBs. The danger is you might lift a trace when trying to suck up some solder. I could be wrong though as I haven't even made it as far as buying a soldering iron yet. But the idea of building some modules is tempting. Both as a way of getting them a bit cheaper but also for the learning experience.

[@FileTransferProtocol]

Local Technique You are correct, but in my experience, you are far more likely to lift a trace from overheating the board, than you are from the actual suction. I find that a solder sucker and solder braid are both effective in different situations. Using a solder braid to wick up melted solder from bridged pins on an IC chip is a good technique as is using lots of flux, then sucking the solder out of a trace when you have removed a through hole component is also effective. You just want to be careful about how long you leave the iron on that trace. Most lifted traces happen when you apply too much heat to it, and the board underneath it melts. Hope that helps.

[@localtechnique]

Thanks! That does help. "The more you know" :)

[@thewolfin]

Sometimes you need to add more solder to remove what's there. I don't know whether this is because of the flux, or the added momentum from more mass, but I do know that more solder means more places for the heat to go rather than the pad itself, which helps to prevent lifting. Personally I think I've lifted more pads with braid than a pump.

[@mariusrbech573]

This is really cool! I'm at the same point as you where there's no money left for bigger modules. Just got notice that my first package from Thonk arrived today, and its a Ginko Synthese Grains. How brilliant would(n't?) it be if you build it first, ey...? :) Looking forward to watch more from this series!

[@PaulJBurns]

Critical to all soldering is correct temperature. Get it wrong with a cheap iron and you will overheat and float / volatilize pcb pads and tracks faster than the proverbial through a goose. Get a soldering station with temperature indicators and the added bonus of a hot air gun. They really do what they say on the tin. It doesn't have to be a 2K Hakko but a good station is worth every penny as your soldering can look really good with practice.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

I don't really care what it looks like mate :)

[@PaulJBurns]

Ah , you should , because a good looking solder joint is likely to be a good joint. It goes hand in hand.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Fair enough. Well you can store up your “told you so’s” until I’ve done a couple of videos 😀

[@thewolfin]

It's true, that's why lead-free is seen as worse, more often makes cloudy cold joints which are not as strong and will fracture sooner under vibration. You want to be able to see your own beautiful mug in the shiny reflection!

[@__-cd9ug]

sorry for the absolute newbie comment - what's inside those modules? Is it some kind of super complex engineered circuit that you can't reproduce? Or is it possible for example to take apart a broken appliance or electronic instrument of some kind and build from there? Of course there wouldn't be a universal way to do this but is it possible or not at all? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I don't know much about modular synths, the way they work etc; but from what I gather it's all about managing current? Would love a link or something to dive deeper. The Wikipedia page is very descriptive and also gets quite technical (or maybe I'm too dumb) - but it's not a great introduction into this world

[@MoltenMusicTech]

No, not at all. Analogue modules are some of the simplest circuits you'll find using regular components (resistors, capacitors etc) and often based on designs from the 1970s. Modular is all about voltage. You've started with my first video on modular DIY - there are more. And also check out my series on Eurorack in general - i've tried to make it as accessible as possible to non-techy people. So i'd recommend exploring my channel a bit more and hopefully you'll find it helpful.

[@krishna34674]

Lead solder is totally safe to handle as the thin oxide layer on it is not absorbable through your skin just don't eat it, lead only vaporizes at 800*C however flux fumes are the biggest cause of occupational asthma. Solder suckers are great there's just a technique to using them. The sponge vs wire thing argument is BS my £500 metcal iron came with a sponge. Helping hands tools are sometimes useful if you have to tin lots of wire but crap for holding PCBs. If your using good quality multi core solder you shouldn't need extra flux unless your doing SMD work. THE best side cutters are "Engineer Ns-04" the ones with the handles that look like transformers. Get the middle out of a role of packing tape the wide stuff and put your module pcbs on top of it so you can solder parts from the top ;)

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Good stuff, thank you

[@leftmono1016]

Top tip for anyone thinking of building their own modules, first get a Baby8 sequencer kit for £20 on eBay and hone your skills that way. Plus it's a useful little gadget in its own right!

[@MoltenMusicTech]

It's cool, but not Eurorack - although you can i think get a kit from Error Instruments for a version with a front panel and Eurorack power - costs nearer £99 though.

[@leftmono1016]

It's far less scary putting together a cheap device for the first time solderer! That's why I suggested the Baby8. It's perfect practice and helps to demistify the whole process before you fork out your hundred squids.

[@elliotlocochon]

I work at a place that has a pretty controlled environment for soldering cables and cable harnesses. It has a bunch of high grade tools and all sorts of cool shit for someone who’s hobbies include electronics. However, at home, I try to keep my set ups as cost-effective (cheap as fuck) as I can. Fune extractor!?!? Fuck it! I have my set up next to a window and computer fans stacked up, blowing the fumes out the window. Solder tip cleaner!?!? Altoids tin with a copper wool shit thing inside of it, that I occasionally pour a bit of liquid flux on, and I also use a wet sponge. Desoldering wick is very useful, especially with a bit of flux. Also, don’t forget to clean your shit up with isopropyl alcohol!! These are my most important, basic needs for a decent work space, that has given me good results. Nice soldering iron by the way! I’ve got the same one at home. At my work, we have some ridiculously expensive, soldering stations that are self regulating and stuff.

[@TomLeg]

When a plumber solders copper pipe, he/she applies flux, first, to clean the metal and make it easier for the solder to stick. Solder for electronics contains flux in the center of the wire, that's what makes a bit of smoke. Used to be acid-based flux, once upon a time, nowadays it's resin-based. Besides being harmful to you, the acid was harmful to the circuit board.

[@gwugluud]

A good analog self-contained synth such as a Korg Minilogue does a lot with twiddling and a seemingly endless array of sounds. Isn't modular kind of a pain in the arse? Lol. I did buy the VST called Voltage Modular, and I did buy a few Vult filters and oscillators to add in. Just cos it was cheap to get into. Thx for your down to earth informative posts.

[@cosmogallaro4609]

Love your channel! Just a quick question: Can you recommend any resources for learning the circuitry behind different modules? As in, if one were to *design* their own module, how could one learn about what the resistors and capacitors specifically do and how they effect the sound? Thanks to anyone for any recommendations!

[@MoltenMusicTech]

It's a good question and one that i mean to look into some time - i haven't got beyond the kit stage. I would recommend Sam at Look Mum No Computer as he goes into a lot of detail about his modules and fosters a community of builders. I'd be interested to see any other recommendations.

[@TheStonerman123]

Moritz Klein is a good channel for it. Lantertronics has a whole series on basically the history of analog synth design with some really good circuitry knowledge in there.

[@thewolfin]

Aoyue makes some decent Hakko knockoffs. I have the 469 and it is surprisingly good for its size. And yeah agreed that lead-free is crap, the joint quality is generally much worse. The fumes are mostly from the flux but there is some lead, simply a fan blowing it out of your face is enough if you aren't doing it for a living.

[@NiamorH]

From what I read here and there, lead will not go into fumes under 400°C which should be well above the temperature you are supposed to use for melting lead solder. The risk of inhaling lead is quite low. However you absolutely should wash your hands. The fumes are in fact flux fumes (solder wire core contains flux), which is also pretty bad unfortunately.

[@CybreSmee]

Excited to follow this.

[@jamdiversified9698]

Subscribed purely because of your shirt.

[@badmonkeyspilljuice]

Ooooo, the grand finale of this series. Building a mini Ornament and Crime? ;)

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Yeah maybe - it's not something that appeals to me but i'll probably put it to a vote.

[@badmonkeyspilljuice]

Hah, well it looks like a ball ache of a build. Just thinking of the most finicky module to cap off this series. It'll be fantastic if you manage to find/build some of the more weird and wonderful custom modules out there.

[@submersion4686]

Mlmp

[@aeropilot4419]

Hi Robin, one OT question if I may ... what is that strobing thing behind you in the middle rack ? 🙂

[@MoltenMusicTech]

That’s a TINRS Edgecutter that I’m using for my video on envelopes -coming soon.

[@dualtrx]

what's the crazy (guess what) module in your case? ...

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Edgecutter

[@dualtrx]

works great with that shirt ^_^

[@DjPrespley]

do these modules bag cost a lot? I was thinking of buying lots of pieces and the chips I need

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Depends what you mean. Kits are generally cheaper than assembled modules - try looking at shops for prices like thonk.co.uk

[@DjPrespley]

@@MoltenMusicTech I meant kinda making them from scratch, but kits don't seem so expensive so I might use them when I feel lazier, haven't even made my atari punk console yet but getting into modular means being overwhelmed with projects before even starting :D

[@DjPrespley]

@@MoltenMusicTech getting premade boards and not having to use a breadboard seems worth it tho

[@roguedragondraksis9114]

Just get a fan by your set up and and open window and your all good on fumes. Probably taking this route to get into modular. Then you get the pride in building the module too insteady just buying one

[@AndyVonal]

Is the poster in the background a Yes album cover?

[@MoltenMusicTech]

It's Forbidden Planet

[@AndyVonal]

Ahhhh....thnx!

[@AndyVonal]

I so wanted to ask a question about sucking but thought better of it... Great, erm...job...once again. Can't wait for the next installments!

[@stefanhansen5882]

This is great! Any chance you can tell how much a DIY module costs compared to buying a module? Is it 30 % less, half price, a tenth or...?

[@MoltenMusicTech]

It depends. Usually the shop selling them will have the prices- try Thonk.co.uk

[@stefanhansen5882]

@@MoltenMusicTech Thanks. :) I just figured there might be a rule of thumb. Saving 10 % is not worth the hassle to me. But e.g. getting 3 DIY modules for the price of 1 would make it worth it. Thank you for your wonderful videos. :)

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Oh i see. Well if you think about it you're saving someone 1-2 hours work so that would be around 20 quid so it's not as cheap as you think. Unless you just buy PCBs and source the components yourself - you can make savings there if you buy your own components in bulk.

[@geoffreyhoffman2739]

Where is the next video? Love the shirt.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

They're all here kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4jYZnSZptWMa8k

[@harryvincent]

Great video and should be a really interesting series. Shameless plug but I'm building my first euro case and doing a lot of it DIY to save money. I'm making videos of all of it on my channel if anyone is interested in this type of thing :) Edit: I can recommend the Frequency central power, that was my first time properly soldering and it was a really easy build and very cheap.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Thanks - and also thanks for the video you did on the Frequency Central Microbus. I have been through a lot of power supply videos and all of them are scary, complicated and yet too vague to give me the confidence to actually do it and here you are doing it for real. Simple, works - awesome. I'll definitely mention it in my case and psu video. I've chickened out and gone for something a bit more pre-built which i will tell you all about with all my reasons very soon :)

[@harryvincent]

Thanks for watching the video, look forward to seeing the next few in your series! Got a video coming next week probably building a frequency central looping envelope and hopefully a troubleshooting video this friday. It will be great to have another channel showing how to get into DIY :)

[@gugenet]

I love the shirt

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

I suck at this kind of handy electronic fine motor work so assembled gear is better for me. BTW, Robin we pronounce solder as "sodder" here in the USA. Must be your British pronunciation :-)

[@MoltenMusicTech]

I thought you'd appreciate the value for money angle? My aim is to educate all nations in the correct pronunciation, and spelling of things.

[@ciatangallaghe2485]

That's what she said.

[@sackblubberd7750]

I DUNNO!!

[@time4anew1]

Under 20 minutes? It's a TRAP!

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Even I run out of things to say from time to time

[@time4anew1]

Lol Robin you rock. Keep it up!

[@attackman4458]

I probably live the closest to this guy in this comment section. This is like the exact accent I have and I even recognise some of the gear he has used and probably bought form the same place as me😂. Not a common experience on the internet.

[@thephantom8865]

Would anybody from London be willing to help me build a Dannysound oscillator for a fee? I’m desperate to get this done lol

[@lasarusproject1984]

Your fucking computer i s working lately.....!

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Thanks - i have no idea what this means.

[@JohnEmuu]

yeah lead is really good if you want to have children born with no ears XD

[@thewolfin]

Probably more lead in tap water than you would get from solder fumes

[@mattsynth]

Assembling my instruments from scratch is not on my favorite to do list. Sorry, I would rather be making music.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

good for you!

[@thewolfin]

Thanks for letting us know

[@stoopidnametag]

Thanks for your input

[@PaulJBurns]

Time is money. DIY saves nothing. You need a shed load (years) of electronics and soldering experience unless you like grief. Invest in proper gear too, like a solder station. You will make mistakes, therefore be prepared to debug your build - designers are sometimes amateurs and not pro EE trained... they make mistakes too. Expect frustration. Learn to read schematics. There is only one solder sucker , and that is the Engineer Inc Precision SS-02. Nothing else comes close. And buy an oscilloscope. You will need one. Look at good brands for kit, like Hakko, not Amazon Prime bargain basement. I would say good luck , but it's meaningless when compared to study, preparation , using high end kit and years of experience.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Cor geez, you really know how to suck the joy out of things. This is precisely why I’m doing this sort of thing - to test out whether what you say is true or can you actually build a synth with no gear and bugger all experience. I also hope it might be fun. Time isn’t money, it’s a resource that I can invest in whatever I choose 😊

[@PaulJBurns]

I considered doing exactly this series 5 years ago.The pain and suffering I went through prevented me from doing so. ;-)

[@PaulJBurns]

Be aware - a LOT of modular designers are not EE trained. You will have to "snag" stuff when you find out it doesn't work as intended. Enjoy! ;-)

[@brianbrill]

More than 1/2 my modular rig is DIY. I only started last year. It's fun and rewarding. And educational. I've had a couple of frustrations early on (which I learned from), but overall my experience is miles away from "pain and suffering". YMMV and of course DIY isn't for everyone, but those who are interested should at least give it a try.

[@nrbarnard]

Hi Paul - just as a counterpoint, I started building with no experience in electronics or soldering. It's easily one of the most rewarding and engrossing things I've done. Mistakes were made by the bucket load at the start, but the amount of learning resources and help within communities is just mind blowing. I'd agree on two points - a better soldering iron makes for a happier experience and most definitely designers are not professionals, before getting a kit do as much research as you can, get on MW and see how other people have got on with the kit and whether any bodges are required! Cheers, Nick