Colossus Synth Kit: Part 1

Having successfully built a Tubbys style dub siren based on a simple kit from Maplin, I was eager to create more delights.

The Colossus Mini Synth by ClockworkRobot.com

I purchased the Colossus Synthesiser from www.clockworkrobot.com. This modular synth is based on an Atari Punk Console and all components are provided in the bundle to build your own portable synth that will fit inside an altoids mint tin. Neat.

I decided with this kit I wanted to house the ciruit in a larger enclosure. I also picked up some standard linear pots and extra wire to house the buttons and knobs free from the pcb board.

Very comprehensive instructions can be found on the clockworkrobot.com website and the board is clearly marked.

The completed kit

 

Linear variable resistors replance the surface mount mini pots

 

Minijack outputs, again, mounted away from the board.

 

This kit makes use of two IC chips for the oscillators. The Led flashs in time with the wave of Osc 1.

 An onboard speaker augments the minjack out.

Overall the soldering went well on this project. There are a couple of joints that could have been neater and I have strengthened the joins around the ground and LED, as they were naturally rather weak and exposed. On reflection, I think in future projects I will use a finer tip for the iron and experiment using copper wire instead of single core. The kit was completed in 3 sittings, totalling around 5 hours. 

Now to to think about the enclosure. I'll post a short video of the machine in operation and document the enclosure in my next posts.