NEA ARP Avatar Patch Panel Installation Manual

ARP AVATAR PATCH PANEL

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing an Avatar Patch Panel Kit! These instruc­tions are intended to guide you through installing and using this kit.
Before we get started, let’s go over a few guidelines:

Never open the Avatar or perform any service on it when the unit is
plugged in to AC power. Take your time when drilling in to the front
panel and when making cuts to traces on the circuit boards. Careless
work can damage your instrument and diminish its resale value. This
work should be performed by persons experienced with electronics
and mechanical construction. This modication is considered ad­vanced and should not be undertaken by the novice. Please consider
hiring a professional technician or engineer to do this work if you are
not comfortable. This kit will take 8-10 hours for an experienced tech-

nician to install

Kit Contents

• Polycarbonate Graphic Panel

• (2) Potentiometers

• Two Knobs (both black.)

• Heat Shrink Tubing

• (2) 50 pin IDC cables

• (2) PCBs, 1 x Left Panel, 1 x Right Panel

• (36) 1/8” Switching Jacks

• (36) 3/8” Mounting Nuts

• (1) 1M Resistor

• (2) 50-Pin IDC Connectors

Tools Required For Installation

• Electric Drill

• 5/16” Drill Bit

• 3/8” Drill Bit

• Center Punch

• Wire cutters

• Wire strippers

• Solder

• Soldering Iron

• Dremel or Exact-O Knife

• 1/4”Socket Driver

• 3/8” Socket Driver

• Phillips Head Screwdriver

• Heat Gun or Hair Dryer

Positioning, Marking, and Drilling of Panel

The vinyl New England Analog adhesive panel overlay is used as a
template for marking and drilling the ARP Avatar front panel.

Line up the graphics horizontally and adjust vertically so the top edge
of the vinyl overlay just meets the orange front panel graphic under
the LFO Repeat switch. The bottom edge of the vinyl overlay should
be approximately 33mm from the bottom edge of the Avatar front
panel. Secure in position with removable tape taking care not to ob­struct the holes in the overlay.

Accurately mark the center of the openings, remove the overlay, and
drill the VCO1 glide and VCO2 glide locations to 3/8” and all other
holes to 5/16”. Deburr the holes on both sides of the panel. If drilling
the panel by hand, cover the internal components adequately with a
dropcloth and use a sharp center punch to prep each drilling location
to minimize the drill bit wandering. If using a drill press, remove the
circuit boards from the front panel and remove the panel from the
case. Wooden spacer blocks will be needed under the panel to level it
while drilling.

Figure 1A - Alignment of Overlay

Figure 1B - Alignment of Overlay

Assembled PCB (Top View)

Assembled PCB (Bottom View)