building first diy vco, advice on soldering kits

[countrushmore]

I just ordered my first diy VCO from erica synths!! and am wondering about this soldering kit if anyone has had experience with either of them. Or if you had a better recommendation?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-IN-1-SOLDERIN ... Swcu5URnLK
or
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2in1-SMD-Solder ... SwpDdVEMRV.


Also wondering about any soldering wire recommendations, and any other tips you guys have to offer? THANKS!!!!!!!

[micahjonhughes]

I doubt you are going to need or want to use the hot air gun. Just get a nice soldering iron like

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Weller-WLC100-4 ... SwKtlWno2s

- Micah

[Yekuku]

A VCO as a first DIY project ? Way to go !
Do you have any soldering experience ? For starting out, I would not recommend a station but a portable 25W soldering iron.
I use a cheap Weller SPI-27C for over a decade now without any problems.

For tips I recommend chisel type 1.2mm and for solder , a 0.6-0.8mm diameter 60/40 lead solder.
Also some chemtronics solder wick might come handy.

[countrushmore]

I have a little bit of soldering experience but not much, just with cable building like xlrs and stuff ahhaah But I am going to experiment with the soldering iron while waiting for the VCO. I figured I could take some junk electronic i got, desolder it, then re solder it back together for practice. YES I think building the VCO will be best, I am more of a hands on learner, and my infatuation with synthesizers is translating into wanting to build my own, so I figured this is a great place to start. I dont care about difficulty, looks like it will be fun sorta of like building a fragile puzzle that will blow my eardrums out when finished. THANKS FOR TH TIPS MIKAH and YEKUKU!!!! Notes taken on the Weller's, the chisel type tip and the 0.6-0.8mm diameter 60/40.!!!

[Yekuku]

I think that any 25W soldering iron would do for this job, there is no need to buy anything expensive.
I believe that it is easier to start DIY with simpler circuits like mixers , filters and then advance to oscillators , sequencers etc
Electronics are great fun, good luck

[Stab Frenzy]

Yeah I would go with the Weller that Micah linked to for a start. It's a decent iron that will keep you going for a while.

I wouldn't do a VCO as your first DIY project, they're quite complicated and usually need an oscilloscope to get functioning correctly, and if you make a little mistake they don't do anything. I'd start off with a mixer, VCA or similar first, something simpler so you can learn a bit before taking on something complicated like a VCO. I'd recommend the Manhattan Analog designs, they're very well designed, easy to make and very useful in a modular system.

[Musicnow1]

Christ Almighty.... Gotta Luff 'Murica..

15w to begin with... p.s. Have you ever soldered before ?? Rock On !

[Aaron2]

If you've never soldered before, do yourself a favor and watch some instructional videos on YouTube. You'll be glad you did. Soldering isn't rocket science, but it also needs to be done correctly if you want your finished product to work correctly. Good luck!