Assembly procedure for Mixer 4 V1.0

Here is the recommended order for assembling Mixer 4 V1.0 module. Please read through the entire procedure before beginning to solder. Feel free to adapt the procedure to your preference.

I highly recommend not soldering the components that are attached to or aligned with the front panel immediately.

Instead, follow these steps: First, position the jack sockets and potentiometers on the PCB without soldering them. Second, place the front panel over the components and secure it by tightening the nuts of a couple of jack sockets (preferably the two furthest apart) and the potentiometers. If possible, tighten all the nuts.

With everything held in place, solder a single pin on each component. Check the alignement and reflow the soldered pad of any component that needs adjustment.

When you're satisfied with the alignment, finish by soldering the remaining pads.

This process can be tedious, but the goal is to achieve perfect alignment of the controls while avoiding any tension on the solder joints. If you solder the pins before tightening the nuts and screws, you risk damaging the PCB pads, bending the front panel, and misaligning the components. The main challenge is holding everything in place prior to soldering. If necessary, you can tack-solder one pin per component before positioning the front panel. Just remember to reflow that solder joint after tightening all nuts to release any tension on the pad.

And here is the finished board