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SCROOGE HW
v1/v2
by neutral labs
Build Guide
Scrooge comes with all SMD components presoldered, and as such it is a
very
straightforward
build.
Due
to
the
number
of
front
panel
components, it will take some time though (1-3 hours depending on
level of experience). Some of the soldering will be in close proximity
to SMD parts, so care must be taken. The kit is intended for builders
of medium or advanced skill level, but can be completed by a motivated
and
diligent
beginner
(ideally
with
some
previous
soldering
experience). It is of course possible to complete the build by simply
placing the components according to their IDs and soldering them, but
there are some peculiarities to observe if you want the best physical
appearance and ergonomics. So it is highly recommended to read the
guide thoroughly and follow it step by step.
Note that this guide covers both the HW v1 and v2 versions, there are
only minor differences between the two.
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Summary of Contents for neutral labs SCROOGE HW v1
- Page 1 SCROOGE HW v1/v2 by neutral labs Build Guide Scrooge comes with all SMD components presoldered, and as such it is a very straightforward build. number front panel components, it will take some time though (1-3 hours depending on level of experience). Some of the soldering will be in close proximity to SMD parts, so care must be taken.
- Page 2 Component List (common parts for Eurorack + desktop) Part ID Count Component type Polarity matters? 10-pin male header Thonkiconn TRS (stereo) socket + nut J4, J5, J21 Thonkiconn TS (mono) switching socket + nut J6-J20 LED 3 mm orange D90, D91 LED housing 470 µF electrolytic capacitor (1000 µF electrolytic capacitor –...
- Page 3 Step-by-step instructions Use a pair of pliers to snap off the edge rails from the PCB. These are remnants from the manufacturing process. Keep both edge rails for now, as you’ll need them later in the build! Insert the 10-pin Eurorack power header (J3) into the PCB footprint and solder from the other side.
- Page 4 Only the Eurorack version has a 10-pin female connector for an expander module or for DIY projects that work directly with the 8 sequencer track outputs (J22). This is optional and not needed in order to use Scrooge by itself. If you want to use it, put it in place and solder.
- Page 5 Fit the front panel on top of the sliders. Now you need to flip everything over while holding the front panel against the PCB, and lay it down so that the panel will be supported in the corners. If you’re building a desktop unit, you can simply use the desktop case for that.
- Page 6 the alignment of the buttons. It’s best to look from all possible angles. Make sure none of them rub against their neighbours when being pressed. Insert the pots (RV1-RV14) and all the Thonkiconn sockets (J4-J21) without soldering yet! 3 of the sockets are marked “TRS” on the PCB. These are the green (stereo) sockets which are a little wider than the black ones.
- Page 7 Now that all the components are in place, it’s time to combine front panel and PCB. Make sure all inserted components are standing up straight, and carefully place the front panel onto the PCB, keeping both of them parallel to each other and making sure all the components find their way through the holes.
- Page 8 Perform one last check of the buttons (SW11-SW29). Make sure they’re well aligned with the front panel and don’t snag on either the front panel or neighbouring buttons when pressed. Now very carefully flip everything over. Pull back on the LED (D90, D91) legs as far as they will go, and spread them to the sides so that the LEDs sit close to the PCB, and away from the front panel.
- Page 9 Snip off the LED and capacitor legs with a wire cutter. Now on to the remaining pads on the spacer PCB. The best way to solder them is to place the end of your solder wire across the pad as shown, and slowly move your (ideally very hot) soldering iron over it.
- Page 10 If your spacer PCB is tilted towards the lower edge of the panel, you can reheat those pads one by one and slowly move it back into place. For HW v1, you can optionally put small blobs of super glue on the spots where the spacer PCB meets the main PCB (right picture).
- Page 11 can spot any solder bridges, or stray solder blobs on SMD components. When everything is working correctly, you can now put the knobs on the shafts of the metal potentiometers, and the caps on the sliders. You may want to check the website for firmware upgrades before putting the device to use.
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