SOUND ON SOUND

[MarkOne]

If there's one 'old guy' skill we need to pass on it is soldering. If *I* can do it, ANYONE can!

You will never need to buy another over-priced jack-to-jack cable again...

As a gentleman of a certain age, my close-focus ability is getting worse. (like everybody's - As we age the lens in our eye gets stiffer and the muscles that focus it cant pull it to the right shape to close focus)

For years as a youff I made my living sat at a bench with a soldering iron but these days soldering up an XLR is just as likely to end up with burned fingers and dry joints.

Until I bought one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01882K0OC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's transformed things for me... I have just soldered up 8 XLR panel sockets and 8 plugs to add mic inputs to the front of my rack from the rear of the Focusrite Liquid 56. How did live without one of these? Ever?

[Wonks]

That's great. I've just ordered one for myself!

[Hugh Robjohns]

I think I've probably boogered something up somewhere.

Leave it for a couple of days, just so you come back to it afresh, then under a good light (or on a sunny day), check the solder side of the board carefully, looking for dry joints, solder hairs, shorts and that kind of thing. Use a magnifying glass if necessary.

If you're happy that everything is good there, look at the component side of the board, and check first for all those standing resistors touching and shorting each other. Then check all the diodes and transistors are in the right way around, then the polarised capacitors, and finally the ICs. Also make sure all the IC legs go through the holes and you haven't got one folded back under the chip.

If there's nothing obvious there, you'll need to start with a voltmeter and 'scope to check power rails and the signal generation and through the signal path.

H

[Martin Walker]

I'd say a 40-60W temperature controlled iron is much better - I've had my current temperature controlled iron for over 30 years.

I've had mine for around 40 years now, and it's still going strong :thumbup:


Martin

[blinddrew]

Cheers Hugh, Darren at Rakits has given me some pointers to check but I've also got doubts about my 3.5mm > 1/4" adaptor so I should have another of those turning up tomorrow.

And the magnifier stand looks bang on MarkOne - I've got one of those little helping-hands things but the lens isn't good enough to actually help.

[Alan25]

Coming to Lidl on Sunday https://www.lidl.co.uk/en/MiddleofLidl. ... leId=16847 - looks like it might to the same job?

[blinddrew]

Just thought I'd give a quick update on this.
After much back and thought and careful analysis of photos of my dodgy soldering I ended up popping this in the post back to Darren at Rakits to have a look at physically.
Somewhat amazingly my normal diagnostic routine* had let me down.
It turned out to have been a dodgy VCA chip. Statistically these must occur occasionaly and I guess i was the lucky punter this time...
Anyway, that has now been replaced and I have a working box of tricks whoops, bangs and whizzes in all the right ways.
Now I just have to figure out how to use it... :)

* My normal problem solving technique goes in approximately this order:
1) Was it something I made? Start with that.
2) Cables: is everything actually plugged into the right sockets.
3) Cables: test and replace in sequence.
4) Software: install latest drivers and reboot.
5) Software: reboot programme / computer.
6) Hardware: Sweep all pots that haven't been used for a while, waggle all faders, unplug and plug anything that has been static for a while, contact cleaner if required.
7) Hardware: check anything obvious with multimeter, especially grounds.
8) Hardware: check mains plug sockets with tester.
9) RTFM. :D

[Martin Walker]

Glad to hear you're back in action Drew, and also good to hear that Rakits helped you sort it out and acknowledged that the problem was a faulty chip :thumbup:

Looking forward to hearing what you do with this Rakit Drum Synth beastie!


Martin