Pure

VCA Build Document

V2.1

Intro

The GMSN! Pure range is aimed squarely at Synth DIY. Weve stripped it right
back to the bare essentials. No bells. No whistles. Just Pure Modular Synthesis.

The GMSN! Pure VCA is one of the simplest, but also one of the most essential
and powerful modules in the range. Its often been said You Can Never Have
Enough VCAs. Using the world renowned THAT2180 VCA chip, it features audio
in and out, CV in, with controls over the overall volume, or Offset, and a lvel
control for the amount the CV affects the signal. It can also be overdriven quite
nicely and can be used for DC signals.

The circuit board is laid out cleanly to make component population and
soldering a breeze and this build documentation includes step by step
instructions, as well as test points and fault finding hints and tips.

The GMSN! Pure VCA is available as a PCB, PCB and Panel, Full Kit or Pre Built
and Tested Module.

The build document is the one you are reading and describes the step by step
instructions to follow. It has also has a BoM. This is a list of components, what
values they are and where they go on the board.

The PCB is 2 sided, which means there are tracks on both sides. One side also has
screen printed labels for all the components. This is the side the components go
on. One important thing to note is that some of the component labels have
special markings which let you know which way round the components go. As
we go through the step by step instructions, we will call out if a component has
to go in a certain way round.

Lastly there is a pile of components. The components in the Pure GMSN! VCA are
very similar to those found in Synth A. If this is the first time of soldering or
building a synth kit, it is highly recommended to start with Synth A. This is
available for 10 from the gmsn.co.uk/shop.

GMSN!(Pure(VCA(BoM

Component Value Qty Ref0Name

Diode 1N4002 2 D1,0D2
Resistor 2K 1 R3
Resistor 5.1K 1 R6
Resistor 10k 1 R2
Resistor 33K 1 R1
Resistor 100K 2 R5,0R7
Resistor 150K 1 R4
Capacitor0(ceramic) 100nF 4 C3,0C4,0C5,0C6
Capacitor0(ceramic) 15pF 1 C7
Capacitor0Electrolytic 10uF 2 C1,0C2
DIL0Socket 80Pin 1
SIL0Socket 80Pin 1
Euro0Power 1 PWR2
PJ302M0Right0angled03.5mm0Jack 3 JK1,0JK2,0JK3
Alpha09mm0Horizontal 100K 2 VR1,0VR2
THAT2180 1 IC1
TL072 1 IC2
Knobs 2
IDC 1
IDC 1
Ribbon0Cable 1
M30Screw 2
Panel 1
PCB 1

Resistor(Colour(Codes

Black 0
Brown 1
Red 2
Orange 3
Yellow 4
Green 5
Blue 6
Voilet 7
Grey 8

Tools

In order to build the Pure VCA you will need the following tools:

Soldering Iron
Solder Wire
Snips
Multimeter

If this is your first kit, it is highly recommended that you either start with Synth
A, or at least check out the Synth A Build Document.

Synth A is just 10 and available from the GMSN! Shop.

The Synth A Build Doc can be found in the GMSN! Support Documentation.

If you are new to soldering, this is a good point to check out the GMSN! Soldering
Video.

Populating the PCB

Overview

Populating the PCB is best done starting with the lowest components in height,
moving up to the highest. This helps to keep the board stable whilst soldering.


Diodes

First off we will start with the diodes.

The black line on the diode has to go on the same side as the white line on the
PCB.

Resistors

The resistors can be done in any order and can go any way round. The tricky part
is working out the values and this is done with the coloured bands.

Theres a lot of information on the web about resistor colour codes. This is a
good primer on the Modular Parts Website.

Once youve worked out the value of the resistor, you can use the BoM to find out
where it goes on the PCB.

You can also use the photo below to double check they are all in the correct
place.

IC Sockets

Check out the GMSN! Soldering Video for more info on soldering DIL sockets.

Note the notch on the 8 Pin DIL Socket matches the notch on the screen printing.

The 8 Pin SIL socket, is just a 16 Pin DIL socket snipped in half.

DIL: Dual In Line Package
SIL: Single In Line Package.

These are ways of identifying how the IC is packaged in silicon.

Ceramic Capacitors

Check out the Synth A Build Doc for more info on identifying capacitors.

Electrolytic Capacitors and Power Header

Again check out the Synth A Build Doc for how to identify the components. The
long leg goes in the hole marked with a +.

Pot and Sockets

Front Panel

Attach the front panel and secure with the nuts and washer.

Power Cable

The power cable is made up of a ribbon cable with an Insulation Displacement
Connector, IDC, at each end.

Some IDCs are keyed meaning they have a notch to ensure they can only be
connected on way round.

The ribbon cable should have a red stripe on one side. This should be the -12v
line. (Theres a lot of discussion about making this standard, as a couple of
manufacturers do it the other way round, so always check the documentation.
The Pure LFO has diodes to protect against inverse polarity.)

The red stripe should go to the left when the IDC key is facing you:

To connect the IDC to the cable, align the end of the cable with the red stripe on
the correct side. Place in a vice and tighten until the IDC has clicked closed.

Fold the cable back across the IDC and clip on the anti stress clip.

The only components left should be two chips and two M3 screw for mounting
the module.

Testing and Calibration

Do not insert the chips until the power supply has been tested. Applying reverse
voltage to the chip will destroy it in a puff of Magic Smoke

Testing is broken down into three stages:

Supply voltage checks with the chips removed
Initial functional testing with chips inserted.
Fault diagnosis if required

Supply voltage checks

Tools:

+/-12v power supply
Volt meter set to DC volts

Connect the power supply to the VCA noting the alignment of the red stripe:

The next step is to check out the datasheet for the TL072. You are looking for the
Vcc+ and Vcc- on the Terminal Out Drawings.

Place the negative black probe of the Gnd pad, indicated in green. Place the
positive red probe on pin 4 of the 8 pin DIL socket, indicated in blue. The meter
should read -12v. Move the red probe to pin 8, indicated in red. The meter should
read +12v.

If these are incorrect, the following needs to be checked:

The meter probes are the right way round.
The DIL socket is the right way round.
D1 and D2 are the correct way round.
Make sure there are no shorts within the cable. If the IDC is not at right
angles it could be shorting out the wires. Check with the multimeter set to
the bleepy diode check.
The power cable is connected with -12v at the correct side, with the red
stripe aligned to -12v on the VCA and the Power Supply.
Check with the multimeter that there is -12v coming out of the power
supply.
Check the soldering for any shorts.
If it still doesnt work send a few photos showing the top and bottom of
the board to GMSN! Support. (Dont change the subject as theres some
stuff going on at the backend.)

Now do the same for the THAT2180 using the datasheet to identify the correct
V+ and V- pins. Note however there is a 5.1k resistor on the negative supply, so

the voltage might be slightly less than -12v. Just make sure its not a positive
value.

Remove the power cable.

Once the voltages have been tested successfully insert the chips into the sockets.
The TL072 has a dot on one end, this also matches the notch in the socket. The
THAT2180 goes with the notch nearest the TL072. You might need to bend the
legs in slightly until they are perpendicular:

Now reconnect the power and do the sniff test. Watch for any Holy Smoke and
remove the cable straight away. If you have The Smoke, congratulations! You are
now Initiated. Follow the instructions above again and wait for replacement
components to arrive from your preferred electronics supplier.

Functional Testing

You will need:

A sound source. We will assume there a VCO plugged into the Audio In.
A modulation source, for example an LFO or an Envelope Generator,
plugged into the CV In.
Something to plug the Audio Out into, for example a mixer or amp.

Turn on the power.

Start with both knobs fully anti-clockwise.

As you turn the Offset control up, the volume will increase and eventually
overdrive.

Turn the Offset back down.

Ensure there is a modulation source plugged into the CV and turn the CV up. You
should hear the VCA open and close in relation to the incoming CV signal. The
VCA should close completely and go silent at times.

You should now have a fully functioning VCA.

If you have any issues, follow the fault diagnosis steps below.

Fault Diagnosis

To be perfectly honest, its very rare for a circuit to work perfectly first time. If
you are having problems follow the steps below to fix any issues you might have.

Reflow

By far the commonest issue is joints soldered incorrectly. Simply apply the hot
soldering iron to all the joints to melt the solder. Hold the iron on for a couple of
seconds to let the solder suck into the joint. Once youve done this retest.

Components in the wrong places or the wrong way round

Triple check all components are in the right place. The photos above will show
you where all the components should be. Also check the ICs are in the correct
way round

Test Points

If any of the following test points fail, there can only be a few things wrong:

Bad solder joint
Solder joint shorting to another
Incorrect component placement
Component placed the wrong way round

If you have had to unsolder several times, theres a chance the tracks have been
lifted.

+12v

Use a multimeter set to Volts DC. Place the black negative probe on the green test
point and the red positive probe on the red test points indicated below. The
multimeter should show +12v at every test point.

-12v

Place the black negative probe on the green test point and the red positive probe
on the red test points indicated below. The multimeter should show -12v at
every test point.

Ground

Next set the multimeter to the bleepy diode check. Place the negative on the
green test point, then check each red test point. The multimeter should bleep
each time.

Control Voltage Changes

Set the multimeter back to Volts DC. Keep the black probe on the green test
point. Place the red probe on the red test points.

When the Offset is turned up, the voltage should decrease from about 0.2v to -
0.2v

With a modulation source plugged into the CV In, the voltage should swing
inversely in relation to the control voltage, CV In.

This swing will reduce as the CV In knob is turned anti clockwise.

Signal Path

The following test point should be tested with an oscilloscope. If you havent got
a scope and you know your way around Super Collider, there is a way to use it to
view waveforms from an external interface.

For all tests attach the scope ground to the green test point.

Signal In

The scope should show the incoming signal at both red points below.

Signal Out

With a modulation source plugged into the CV In, for example an LFO, and the CV
In Level turned up, the scope should show the signal being affected by the
opening and closing VCA at the points below.

Buffer Amp Output

With the same setup as above, the scope should show an amplified version at the
following test points.

Finally

If you are still struggling, please send an email explaining everything youve tried
with photos of both sides of the board, stating where you got the components
and anything else that might be important to GMSN! Support. (Dont change the
subject line as theres some automated stuff going on in the background)

I hope youve enjoyed building the Pure GMSN! LFO. We cant wait to see what
youre going to do with it.

More kits are available at gmsn.co.uk/shop