Project

Projecttitel: Arp1601 Clone

Status: FINISHED

Startdate: end of 2014

Duedate: Summer 2015

last update: 08/2020 rev.6B infos


the Name and logo "ARP" is under license by Korg, this pages are for private usage only.

Its not allowed to sell your 1601 Sequencer with the brand or logo of "Arp1601"

pay attention to your PCB Version.

the latest Version is rev.6b (available from Synthcube), which is different from rev.5

(DC-DC adaptor on rev.6A is the same as in rev.1-5)

(DC-DC Adaptor on rev.6B is a Meanwell 6Watt Version)


you find the BOMs on the left side navigation/subpages



  File Modified
PDF File ARP 1601 Panel with dimensions.pdf Feb 17, 2015 by LED-man
PDF File ARP 1601 Sequencer - Schematic (round 1).pdf May 12, 2015 by LED-man
PDF File Arp1601 Sequencer Service Manual HQ.pdf May 28, 2015 by LED-man
PDF File ARP 1601 Patch chart.pdf May 28, 2015 by LED-man
PDF File ARP Sequencer Owners Manual.pdf May 28, 2015 by LED-man
PDF File ARP 1601 Sequencer Build Doc (Rev 2).pdf Jun 12, 2015 by LED-man
Microsoft Excel Sheet Mouser BOM (round 2 Rev 2 PCBs).xls Jun 12, 2015 by LED-man



Buildeguide for rev.5 which is mostly the same like rev.6b (except the PSU, SMT resistor network)

old rev.1-4 in left navigation or here: Buildguide rev.1-4, there are a lot of documents in this older buildguide version

PCB Designator/Component Numbers

ARP 1601 Sequencer Rev 4 - PCB (full).pdf


the most important change to earlier versions:

Changed:

2x LM3046M SMT instead of CA3086 THT (rare part)

1x MC14528 SMT instead of rare THT Version

All Slider Switches changed to other versions.

Panel holes for 3.5mm jacks bigger


lets start:

we start with the SMT Parts:

use 0.3mm or 0.5mm soldercore with lead and a small soldertip, add a small solderpoint at one solderpad on pcb.

doublecheck the IC orientation - check my picture for details.

touch with the solder iron the pad where you added before the soldercore, now is your IC fixed, check the correct allignment between the IC pins to the pads.

solder at the outer pins at beginning followed by the other side, dont give the too much heat, good tutorials are at youtube for SMT soldering or ask me to assist you.


second step, Powersupply 

what you need to know:

you can power the Sequencer without the internal PSU, if you have a Arp2600 or TTSH, you can use the -15V/15V  for the sequencer too, thats why you find a power input (3pin MTA100 close to the DC-DC part) (PL1 on PCB)

internal power:

place and solder (with a big soldertip) the DC-DC adapter on the PCB, solder one middle pin and check the correct placement, sometimes its not close enough on the pcb.

add the L3 (12uH inductor), L1&L2 are ferrite beads., place and solder the 47uF, 2x10uF capacitor and 2x 100nF ceramic disc cap, feel free to add the 3 pin MTA100 header for external input(output)

add the 2 big MTA156 2 pin header on pcb (on left side)  thats for the powerswitch and one for the 12V DC-36V DC Power input (PL1)

for testing you can bridge the PL4 header (switchheader), 

solder all powersupply parts and cut the "part legs/pins " short.

now you can test the powersupply for correct output, it must be measured at the MTA100 power input header (PL1) -15V/15V

only if this voltage is correct, build further steps (around +/- 14.8-15.2V)

 


Step 3:

Add few spacer on the pcb to have a distance between the desk and pcb

start with the 0.1% resistors..

followed by fat 650R/680R/750R resistors (LED DRIVER Resistors)

then:  1K,10K,100K, 22K

followed by all other values, solder from top side one pin, turn the pcb and solder from solderside (thats what i prefer)


Step 4:

add all capacitors and Transistors and solder ..


Step 5: IC sockets and more

add all IC sockets on same pcb side like the resistors, ignore the silkscreen notice about sockets (that means the 6.3mm jacks)

place and solder the 2pin MTA100 (PL2 ) thats the external footswitch input,


remove all spacer and mount the 11mm spacer on the solderside of the pcb.

Step 6:  Sliders

Place the Slider on opposite side of the resistors (you see it on my pictures),

bend few pins to give the slider a temporarily position. 

about the 3x 45mm sliders: the FM slider (R14) in the middle is 100K log. (ignore the google doc BOM)


Step 7: jacks

add 2 jacks at the outer positions in place and solder one pin, that helps us later to fix the frontpanel here, because there's no spacer on this side.

only 2 jacks yet.. more on step 9 later


Step 8: Switches

add all switches and the 3 cherry pushbutton switches, solder only the middlepin on the switches temporarily !


Step 9: more jacks

add all other jacks in the position, DONT solder it yet.


Step 10:  Frontpanel & more

mount the frontpanel, use the 2 jacks to give the panel on the right side a temporarily fix.

now you must carefully check the alignment, hight, positions of all sliders, jacks, switches.

my best practice tip: solder not so much yet, only 1-2 pins per switch than check again the alignment by using of the switch.


Step 11: IC´s

turn the sequencer on a clean flat desk/table and insert all  ICs, double check the orientation.


Step 12: first test

before that: use a jumper at  the 2pin MTA100 (PL2 ) thats the external foot switch input, or the sequencer wont start.

move the Switch to trigger, move the clock speed slider to 10-30%, the FM and PW slider to zero.

turn on the sequencer, the STEP LEDS must be move from step to step . clock LED blinks (if not move the slider) and the FM/PWM slider must be illuminated all the time.

IF NOT, power off the machine, remove power, check IC orientation


Step 13: Calibration

use the original ARP1601 service manual for it.




Step 14: finishing it up

about the Footswitch, if you dont need the footswitch: use a PC jumper for the PL2 (same as Step12) or connect a switched stereo 6.3mm jack, the TIP is the signal, ground must be normalized to switch pin - when you dont have a 6.3mm plug inside, the tip must be flow to ground.

mount the frontpanel in the boat, the boat is not in the correct allignment - because the metalboat was bend by machine and the metal bounce more or less after this process in different way, that was happen on all metalboats over the last years.



→>> not

OLD rev.2  buildguide only for reference - thats not the actual guide, but it helps you in case of failure

  




NOT APPROVED for REV.5  version !

Schematics from rev.1, not compared to rev.5 !  but its 99.9% the same inside.

ARP 1601 Sequencer - Schematic (round 1).pdf


Panel:






8 Comments

  1. hi, i'm quite noob with synths, what do you think about the possibility to use the 1601 without a ttsh?  are there musical chances with 3 modern oscillators (es. eurorack or minibrute) or fits well just with an arp?

    1. The 1601 works great with other gear.

      i used them with many other synths- 101, Jasper wasp clone, modularsystem..

      its a good concept because of the 3 gate outputs.

      you can trigger more than one device at the same time.

      1. Hi , can you please read my note below? thanks, Udo

  2. I love the sequencer but I find the calibration difficult. 

    I would like to understand if  the calibration screws in this clone are named the same as in the original Arp Service Manual (R19, R26, R205/207,R226/222, R217/218, R5, R11) ?

    @LED Man , can you please comment on this ?


    thanks


  3. Yes. Same designators.
    And the pcb label like offset is called in the way like in the service-manual.

  4. thanks for your quick response. I'm eager to see if I can do this ;- ) When played over the scale, there is currently a variation of half an octave over the 16 steps.


    thanks again

  5. I'm not yet building this, rather collecting the components at this stage, but I've noticed that the gate switches don't fit in their locations. I've not checked but it seems I will need to cut the legs of the outmost contacts, maybe the four middle contacts will enter the holes.

    Any thoughts on this problem ? Curious nobody asked this or am I missing something ?

    I don't understand either how the power (rightmost) switch is supposed to be fixed, this switch is not on the board and there are no holes in the front panel to fix it. My front panel & PCB are from SynthCube.

  6. the last version used: 

    17x G-628S-0001  gateswitch and SW22

    1x GF-642-6010   4PDT switch

    2x 629-GF-326-0001 


    the power switch:

    its on the header on which I bridged the 2 poles.

    IMG_0270.JPG