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Summary of Contents for GM LAB PICOSYNTH
- Page 1 PICOSYNTH MONOPHONIC SYNTHESIZER A DIGITAL SYNTHESIZER PROJECT BASED ON RASPBERRY PI PICO...
- Page 2 6.3 jack plug: you can use them at the same time. The MIDI connector of GMLab Picosynth is a MIDI IN port, there you are supposed to plug a device capable of sending MIDI, typically MIDI NOTE ON/OFF messages.
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Page 3: Mounting Instructions
GMLAB Picosynth monophonic synthesizer. To assemble this kit correctly and set it up to work properly, a good skill and experience with electronics and computers is required, plus some tools and a little bit of patience and attention. - Page 4 20x REDCUBE 5x Rubber feet 5x M3x20 M/F HEX spacers 28x M3x5 screws 3x M3 nuts 7x Push switch 2x 7-Segment display 30x Transparent potentiometers 2x 40 pin long female headers 4x 20 pin long male headers 4x 20 pin short female headers 4x 20 pin short male headers 1x 2 pin short male headers 1x Jumper...
- Page 5 NOTE ABOUT REDCUBES Redcubes are little components that allow to fix the side panels of the synthesizer without compromising aesthetical result product. They need soldered bottom PCBs. procedure is not very easy and we suggest to do this operation before anything else.
- Page 6 - You will notice that the pad is a little bit bigger in the inside area: that is the place where you have to start soldering it. Put the tip of your soldering iron there and start applying the soldering tin wire to it: hold them firmly, don't apply the solder tin on the pad before positioning the REDCUBE, otherwise it will be difficult then to re- position it again.
- Page 7 - The soldering tip needs to heat both the PCB and the REDCUBE before the tin starts melting. This requires time, it can be from 10 to 30 seconds depending on the temperature. - When the solder tin starts melting you will see the tin going everywhere in the pad and also underneath the REDCUBE, firmly attaching it to the PCB.
- Page 8 ACTIVE BOTTOM BOARD fig. 1 fig. 2...
- Page 9 STEP 1: Let's start from the electronics. All passive components first, starting from the lowest till the tallest. Take the resistors, bend the terminals 90 degrees (if not already bent) and add them to the main PCB in the correct positions (check the schematics, silkscreen on the PCB and the component numbering and value).
- Page 10 There are two more headers that you need to add: they are those for the DAC board: Now we are ready for the next step: integrated circuits and the two Raspberry Pi Pico boards. STEP 3: Add the Integrated Circuits. Pay attention not to keep the solder pin for too long, and that all pins have been soldered correctly.
- Page 11 Let's now proceed with the voltage regulators: they are special integrated circuits that, in this case, also need to be screwed onto the PCB using three 3x5 screws and three M3 nuts. Before soldering them, you have to bend the pins; please also pay attention on their codes, they are three different ones.
- Page 12 Last thing to do in this step is adding the brains of your synthesizer: the two Raspberry PI PICO boards. There's a smart way to do this. First of all, plug the four 1x20 male headers in the four 1x20 female headers you previously soldered, like this: Then insert there the two Raspberry PI PICO boards.
- Page 13 STEP 4: Add the MIDI connector, the DC plug and the TRS 6.3 jack and solder them: this is an easy procedure. STEP 5: this is the last step for the bottom board and consists in mounting the 5 plastic Hex spacer and the 5 rubber feet, one for each corner of the PCB and one in the middle.
- Page 14 This should be the end-result: Now your bottom board is complete and it should look as the fig. 1 and fig. 2 on page 8. Let's now proceed with the top board.
- Page 15 TOP PANEL BOARD Fig. 3 Fig. 4...
- Page 16 STEP 6: the top panel board, once mounted, will be the the control surface of your GMLab Picosynth, where you will find all the potentiometers, display pushbuttons. potentiometers selected, have transparent shaft, when the jumper in the header named "LED_PWR" in the bottom board is plugged in, the SMD LEDs premounted on this PCB will lit illuminating the potentiometer's shaft.
- Page 17 Then insert the two displays and solder them: PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE DIRECTION! The two dots must face towards the bottom. See this photo. Then insert the potentiometers one by one in the board and start soldering them. When you are done, the board should look as the photos fig. 3 and fig. 4 on page 15.
- Page 18 So, just screw five M3 screws there. STEP 9: The very last step is mounting the four side panels for your Picosynth. Please note that they are all different. You have one for the rear side, where you will also find the labelings for the connections.
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