LeafAudio Knapplada User manual

Knappla
da
User Manual &
DIY Instructions
DIY Eurorack Case
104 HP incl. Busboard
and Power Supply
Version 1v0r1

Knappla
da
User Manual & DIY Instructions
What is Knappla
da?
1. Intro
Oftentimes we got questions about entry-level
cases and power solutions for the world of
Eurorack. Now we came up with an answer: An
affordable Do It Yourself case with the best
functionality and quality we could afford at the
desired market price. Thanks for buing it and
we hope you like it. Knappla
da features 104 HP
space for your modules, a bus board with 16
bus-connectors and ~1 Ampere on +12V, -12V
and +5V and a cover, which also acts as a
stand, so you have your modules placed in a
nice angle in front of you.
Do It Yourself
We we deliver all parts, you build it together on
your own risk. We can’t accept any
responsibility for damage to the synthesizer
caused by improper installation or shitty DIY
skills. The build is tested multiple times, the
electronics are measured and tested. Now it’s
your turn. You need some soldering and wood
working skills, some tools which are listed in
chapter two. If you experience wrong parts,
please get in contact with us. Before powering
up, please check everything carefully. That’s
your part of the success.
Intended use and savety instructions
The case and it’s electronic components are
intended to be used in dry places within a
temperature range between 10°C/50°F and
70°C/158°F. It is designed to operate on a
voltage of DC +15V, center positive. Always use
signal sources and/or sinks for the built-in
modules that meet the usual requirements of
the Eurorack standard in terms of audio and CV
levels. Avoid mechanical shock and stress.
Make sure to check the functionality before you
insert any modules into it. More about this in
chapter 2.8.
Contact & responsible
Tech Creation Lab Leipzig UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
Nonnenstr. 19
04229 Leipzig / Germany
+49 (0) 341 / 392 965 30
[email protected]
WEEE Reg-Nr.: DE94097895

Disposal
For private households: Information on
disposal for users of WEEE
This symbol (gure on the right) on the
product(s) and / or accompanying documents
means that used electrical and electronic
equipment (WEEE) should not be mixed with
general household waste. For proper treatment,
recovery and recycling, please take this
product(s) to designated collection points
where it will be accepted free of charge.
Alternatively, in some countries, you may be
able to return your products to your local retailer
upon purchase of an equivalent new product.
Disposing of this product correctly will help save
valuable resources and prevent any potential
negative effects on human health and the
environment, which could otherwise arise from
inappropriate waste handling. Please contact
your local authority for further details of your
nearest designated collection point. Penalties
may be applicable for incorrect disposal of this
waste, in accordance with your national
legislation.
For professional users in the European
Union
If you wish to discard electrical and electronic
equipment (EEE), please contact your dealer
or supplier for further information.
For disposal in countries outside of the
European Union
This symbol is only valid in the European Union
(EU). If you wish to discard this product please
contact your local authorities or dealer and ask
for the correct method of disposal.
Specications
Mechanical
Inner width: 104 HP
Length: 550 mm
Height: 135 mm
Depth: 144 mm
Max. module depth: 48 mm
Weight:
1690 g case with busboard
187 g power supply
Power
~1 Ampere at +12V, -12V and +5V when used
with the delivered power supply.
Power supply: DC +15V, center positive.
Knappla
da
User Manual & DIY Instructions

Knappla
da
User Manual & DIY Instructions
2. How to build the damned thing?
You need at least medium DIY and soldering
skills. We tried to make the guide beginner
friendly, but it's not the easiest „rst project“.
Specially the woodwork might be a bit unusual,
even to people who solder quite a lot. If you are
a beginner, make sure to read the tools
recommendation list and watch at least one of
the recommended tutorials for electronics:
www.exploding-shed.com/info
Also you should have a minimum knowledge
about how to identify the polarity of electronic
parts. We do our best to highlight these
important info on the little bags. Instead of long
step by step manuals, we now work with iBoms
for the electronic parts. Besides the manuals
you should nd a html-le in the download
package, which you can simply click to open it
in your browser.
As said - the woodwork might be unusual to
many DIYers and you should be aware that you
have limited time once the glue is applied. This
means that you should have understood the
sequence of steps before you start.
We took many pictures of the building process
and organised the process in various
sequences. The name of the sequence is the
same as the corresponding folder name which
includes the pictures. As they are too many we
can’t put them all here in the document, but we
are sure you will nd your way through the
process. Within one or two evenings you
should have your case ready!
Good luck!
General info
• Wood Glue
• Tesa masking tape or clambs (for glueing)
• Some little wood pieces for usage with the
clambs
• Screw driver size PH1
• Screw driver Torx size T10
• Allen key (Hex) 2mm & 4mm
• Universal pliers
• Nut wrench size 14mm
• Hot-Air gun (or a usual lighter)
• Wet cloth to wipe off the glue
• Dry cloth
• Wirecutter
• Wire stripper
• Soldering iron
• Solder
• Multimeter
• Sandpaper
• Possibly some wood oil to give your case a
beautiful nish
Needed tools
You will need the following tools or just adapt the process to what you have at home. It’s DIY, please
be a little creative. Generally it is no bad idea to have some basic woodworking skills.

2.1. Assembling the case top
Knappla
da
User Manual & DIY Instructions
Some of the needed tools
• Arrange the parts like on picture 2.1-01 and
possibly do a „dry run“ with no glue rst to
understand the process.
• Apply wood glue now. Please check
carefully which positions to include here
and understand why. This are the contact
points between the different parts.
• Do not apply too much glue, not too less.
• Put the parts together.
• Then use the masking tape (or clambs) to
press the parts together slighhtly.
• On picture 2.1-08 you see the gaps, which
should be closed by some pressure.
• It’s not about tons of tape, it is about the
correct technique. You could say it’s about
giving pressure around the edges.
• Do not put tape/pressure across the case at
the position of the big holes, this would
spread the parts on the lower end again.
• Wipe off the excess glue with a dry or
slightly damp cloth.
• Check if all parts really t together nicely
and nothing is bent in a strange way how it
shouldn’t be. When the glue dried, it’s over.
• Almost the same process will be used for
the lower case part later.
Here we show the process with the masking tape technique. In picture 2.1-13 you see the downside
of it. It bends the wood slightly. In chapter 2.3 we will show the clamb technique, which is more
professinal. If you have clamps you should pferer that one.

2.2. Soldering the busboard (Bag A)
• Generally you start with the most at
components and „work your way up“.
• Start with resistors R1-R3 and cut off the
legs after soldering.
• Then go on with the LEDs (D2-D4). Long
leg is plus, short is minus. The short leg (-)
goes through the square solder pad, long
leg (+) goes through the round solder pad.
• Do the Diode D1.
• Then go for the boxed headers. Make sure
the little arrows face towards the white
stripe on the PCB. Solder one pin rst,
make sure it is perfectly in place, then do
the others. The 6 middle pins are connected
to GND and might need a longer solder
duration/more heat than the outer ones.
• The big TDK power converter for +/-12V
(U1) is next. It only ts in one direction onto
the board.
• Then follows the 5V regulator (U2), it ts
only in one direction if it should be placed
within the white printed borders.
• Then follows the big electrolytic capacitor
C1. It’s body has a notch on one side, what
should align with the silk screen print. It’s
also a + mark on the print.
• Place the terminal block (+15V In) in the
direction, so the input holes face towards
the edge on the PCB like on the picture.
• Next are the two red low ESR capacitors
C4, C5. They have a white stripe (-) which
has to align with the white silkscreen print.
• Then follow the 2 black 22uF electrolytic
capacitors C3, C6. Same here, white stripe
is minus.
You need basic soldering skills, a good iron and solder wire. We already mentioned the tutorials
before. Some parts have a polarity, this is mentioned on the bag-labels in red. You should know
about how to identify the polarity. If not, do your research rst. Please check the corresponding
pictures carefully before you solder the parts.
Please check for mistakes now! You need a multimeter. Switch on diode „beep“ mode to check if
you have short circuits somewhere. Try if it works by connecting its both pins directly, it should beep.
Read the silkscreen print on the PCB and make sure to understand which voltage runs on which
pins. Chose one boxed header (one is 2.8-01 This Is How Sucess Looks Likeenough), measure
between GND and +12V. Then GND and -12V and then GND and +5V. Then from +12V to -12V and
so on, until you have checked all possible combinations. Finally measure between + and - of the
input like seen on picture XY. When nothing beeped, no short circuits occured. Congratulations.
Knappla
da
User Manual & DIY Instructions

2.3. Assembling the case bottom (Bag C)
• Organise the parts and put everything in
place like on the rst picture 2.3-01
• The logo will later face to the front, the
power inlet and switch will face to the back.
• The side parts have a laser cut ring around
the holes, which faces outward later.
• Now insert the M5 screws to the
corresponding holes on the sides of the
rails to pre-cut the thread so it will be easier
to insert the screws later.
• Insert the Slide-Nut into the side of the rail,
then put the slider on top of it like seen on
the pictures.
• Now attach the rails to the sides using the
M3 screws and place the rails exactly in the
middle before xating. In one of the next
steps you will need the rails to hold the side
parts.
• Put everything in place that it looks like on
pics 2.3-01 and 2.3-12
• Apply glue like you did for the case top.
• Put it all together, rst front and back, then
the sides.
• In the next step you insert the M5 screws
into the pre-cut threads which should be
easy now. Do it tight but not too tight as this
will cause tension inside the long front and
back parts.
• Wipe off excess glue.
• Use clambs across the long and short
sides.
• Wipe off excess glue on the inside, then let
it dry for a couple of hours.
You have already seen the masking tape technique in chapter 2.1. The process is basically identical
for the case bottom but now we show you the more professional variant using clambs. Please don’t
use the clambs directly on the case, better is to use small wood-parts to transfer the pressure across
a larger area and less punctual. While using the clambs and also while xating the rails by the M5
screws please use enough pressure but not too much, as the long wood parts might bend towards
the middle then. Also here possibly do a dry run rst to make sure you understood the process.
2.4. Assembling the closing mechanism (Bag F)
• In the rst step you peel off half of the paper
from an adhesive felt-dot.
• Then insert a screw through the moddle
hole. This helps you to center the dot while
glueing on on the knob.
• Then put in on the at side of one of the 3D
printed knobs, make the shape align.
• Press and make it stick.
• Do the same with the other one.
• Insert the M3 savety nuts with the at side
facing down and push them down into the
hole.
• Put the knobs on the case from the outside
and xate it with the screw from the inside.
• The screw should sit so far into the sacety
nut that its end sticks in the nylon ring. That
makes sure it doesn’t fall off when used a
lot.
• It should sit tight but should be easily
possible to turn the knob.
• Now you should be able to open and close
your case.
Knappla
da
User Manual & DIY Instructions

Knappla
da
User Manual & DIY Instructions
2.5. Assembling the rubber feet (Bag D)
• On picture 2.5-01 you see all parts.
• The washers are laid into the rubber feet.
• If you should have more washers than on
the picture, add these on the inside of the
case between wood and nut.
• This chapter is dead-easy and with the
pictures and a little imagination you will
clearly master this!
2.6. Assembling switch and input connector (Bag B)
• Connect both red cables with the cable
clamps to the terminals on the rear side of
the power switch. Push it on and make sure
they sit tight.
• Cut off long enough pieces of the bigger
shrink tube and insert them over the cable
clambs so that it looks like on picture
2.6-04.
• Use a hot-air gun or a lighter to shrink the
tube. Be careful, don’t burn down the house
or whatever.
• On picture 2.6-06 you see the pinout of the
power input connector. +15V DC will be red,
GND will be black.
• Strip ~2mm of the black wire, twist the
ending and solder it to the corresponding
pin like seen on picture 2.6-06.
• Now put the switch through the case. We
recommend that „On“ faces up, „Off“ down.
• Stick the power input connector through the
hole in the case and xate it utilizing the
right tools for that so it sits tight. The plus-
pin should face upwards so it is easy to
access for the next step.
• Strip ~2mm of the red wire which comes
from the top of the switch (switch = on),
twist it and put a piece of the smaller shrink
tube over it.
• Then solder it to the plus-pin of the input
connector (pic 2.6-06).
• Take a piece of the smaller shrink tube and
put it over the black wire.
• If both, red and black wire are soldered
correctly to the input connector, you can
shrink the tube over this two.
•
2.7. Mounting the busboard (Bag E)
• Be aware that the input terminal on the
busboard has to face towards the switch
and power input.
• Stick the screws upwards through the case
bottom, put the spacers on each screw,
then add the busboard.
• Use the nuts to xate everything. It’s a bit
tricky to hold them with small pliers and
screw them from under the case.
• Do one by one, rst the two diagonal ones,
then re rest.

Knappla
da
User Manual & DIY Instructions
2.8. Connecting power input to busboard and nal test
• Shorten red and black wire to the same,
adequate length and strip the ends by
approx. 9mm.
• Twist the endings carefully but do not tin
them!
• Press the orange actuators and insert the
wire completely, then release them.
• The red wire on the side with the „+15V In“
print.
• The black wire on the other side.
Here again the reminder: It’s DIY and you took over responsibility for it by building the
project. We are not responsible for damages on your equipment when build uncorrectly.
Before you power it up now: Please check everything carefully. Is the polarity of all components
correct? Are the wires (red/black) connected correctly to the power connector and the busboard?
All solder joints are as good as possible etc?
Then go for it. Power it up without any connected modules to it. Only the busboard! When all
is correct, the three LEDs should light up. When this is not the case, unplug the power supply
immerdiately and nd the mistake.
2.9. Final touches
If you like you can use some sandpaper (grain 150/180) to smoothen the wood surfaces. It’s also
possible to use some wood oil to add a nice nish to your case and make it look more noble.
We hope you are happy with our case project and will make good music with all the modules. We
really gave everything we could to deliver the best thing we could come up with.
Fee free to post pictures about your build on instagram and facebook and let people know about
us and what we do. This kind of positive community support is very important to us. Thank you!
www.leaf-audio.com
www.facebook.com/leafaudio
www.instagram.com/leafaudio
Main distributor for Knappla
da in the EU is: www.exploding-shed.com