4093 NAND Synth Assembly Instructions

Welcome to the NAND Synth Assembly Instructions.   Hopefully, you have received your kit in the mail and are ready to build your circuit.  Let’s get started!

BOM Layout

NAND Synth Kit

The first step in any successful electronics project is to make sure that you have all of the parts necessary to complete the circuit.

Check your kit against the BOM.  If you are missing a part, we’ll send it to you free of charge.

Circuit Construction

On-Board Components

16 pin socket on board

First solder the 16 pin socket to the board to hold the IC later.

Make sure the little notch on top off the socket matches the lines on the circuit board.

PCB with resistors

 Locate the component identifiers for R1, R2, R3, R4,  and R5.  Insert the resistors and solder all components onto the PCB.

Capacitors

 Our next step will be to add all of the capacitors to our circuit.  C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 identify the placement of the 0.1μF capacitors.  Insert them into the PCB and solder to make the connections permanent.

Switches on board

Now, solder the switches to the board.  If you’re planning to put your circuit into a case, you may want to wire these components instead of soldering them directly to the board.

Wired Components

Potentiometer

 The next major step in our project assembly will be the wired components.  Attach wires to all of the potentiometers, switches, and jacks beforehand.  This will save time and the construction of the circuit will be much simpler.

Make sure that the wires connected to the solder terminals on the potentiometer match up with the numbers on the PCB 1, 2, and 3.

Wiring the pots to the board

Start by inserting all of the wires from the pots into the proper location.  For a quick reference, R1 and R8 are the potentiometers labeled B1M, R4 is labeled B100K, and R2 is labeled A100K.

Power jacks

To supply our circuit with power, our next step is to attach the 9V battery jack and the DC jack.  The red wire from 9V battery jack goes to the square hole labeled ‘+’ and the black wire goes to the circular hole labeled ‘-’.

Put the wires through the extra wholes before they are soldered to the board. This will add extra stability and relieve tension on the power jack wires.

Mono jack

Our last component to add is the 1/4″ jack.  On the PCB, the jack is labeled ‘OUT’ with a ‘T’ and ‘S’ labeling near the holes.  Ensure the wires from the jack are soldered to the positions designated (see picture for reference).

Nand Synth

Place the IC chip into the circuit. Bend the pins on the chip inward slightly to fit the socket.

Complete Nand Synth

Congratulations, your NAND Synth circuit is complete!  Plug in a 9V battery and connect your circuit to an amplifier to see if your circuit is operational.  If not, go back through the steps in these instructions and look for any mistakes.  When you have a fully functional circuit, check out the Mods section below for ways to modify your circuit.  Have fun with your hand-made NAND Synth!

Mods

Updated pictures coming soon!

CV Input

This mod allows you to use an external Control Voltage signal to alter the NAND Synth’s output pitch. Using the CV Out from a Synthrotek 8/10 Step Sequencer or Synthrotek Clock Capture Module, you can easily create a dynamic and rhythmic pattern.  I highly recommend this mod; it really opens up the potential for some amazing sounds.

You will need a 1/4″ Jack, an SPDT switch, and wire for this mod.

Start by de-soldering the two wires labeled ‘S’ and ‘C’  on the PCB from the DC Jack.

Connect the wire from the ‘C’ PCB position to the DC Jack in the position shown above.  The ‘S’ wire is connected to the common (middle) terminal of the SPDT switch.

Connect a wire from the DC Jack terminal that you just attached a wire to.  The other end is connected to one of the remaining SPDT switch’s solder lug connections.

Connect a wire from the remaining SPDT switch solder terminal to the tip connection of your 1/4″ jack.  The sleeve connection of the 1/4″ jack is connected to the pin terminal of the DC Jack (in the same location as the wire running from the ‘P’ label on the PCB).

Alright, you’re finished!  Now go grab your sequencer and start making some noise!

Dive Bomb

This mod allows you to momentarily cut the power off to the circuit, resulting in an an awesome-sounding Dive Bomb effect.  It’s a simple mod and only requires a SPDT switch and some wire. For maximum playability, we suggest using a momentary pushbutton SPDT switch.

These instructions use the 9V battery source for these instructions. If you choose to use this mod with both jacks, you will need a separate pushbutton switch for each power source. Because of the PCB layout, this mod is only able to be used with one power source.

Locate the red wire of the 9V Battery Jack, clip it halfway down the length of the wire, and strip the ends (if you are using the DC Jack instead, cut the wire connected to the DC Jack through-hole labeled ‘S’).

Attach two long wires to the stripped leads and solder.

Next, find the COM (common) and N.C. (normally closed) connections on the switch. Connect the newly-attached wires from the 9V battery adapter to these solder lug positions on the switch (it does not matter where each goes).

That’s all there is to it!  Now your NAND Synth circuit is capable of Dive Bombing like a guitarist!

Note: The length of the Dive Bomb can also be shortened or lengthened depending on the capacitor value used. More on this coming soon!

Power Supplies

DC Jack Only

If you are not going to be using a 9V Battery Jack with your circuit, the circuit will require a slight modification because of how the PCB was designed. Attach the DC Jack as per the instructions above and leave the 9V battery clip out of your circuit. That’s it!

9V Battery Jack Only

If you opt to not use a DC Jack, insert a jumper wire into the ‘S’ and ‘C’ holes of the DC Jack and solder these connections together. When both jacks are present, the DC Jack opens the 9V battery’s path to the circuit, ensuring only one power source is used at one time. If you were to remove the plug from the DC Jack, the 9V battery would supply the circuit.