FRUKU Glue - DIY Build
FRUKU has some pretty badass modules and one of his latest, Glue is a 4hp compressor module with a lot of grit. Glue is a compressor that has a high pass filter to help clean up any sound tossed through it. The high pass filter is fixed at 20 hrtz.
As for the kit itself, it requires basic soldering knowledge and a fairly steady hand as some of the components are pretty close to one another. With that being said, we didn’t let that sway us away from taking on the FRUKU Glue for our first build of December.
Links and more links…
Below are a series of links that have been provided by FRUKU to help assist with the use, building and buying of the Glue.
Of course, we are here for you as well if you have any questions while building the module. Just hit us up on our Contact Page.
Modular Grid Page – https://www.modulargrid.net/e/fruku-glue
ETSY Store Page – https://www.etsy.com/listing/1238895549/glue-compressor-high-pass-filter
Let’s get on with the build… Resistors
First up are the resistors. These will mount vertically so you will want to make sure you have proper bend on one of the legs as you place it onto the PCB. We like to use top down soldering for vertical mount resistors to help tack down one leg prior to flipping the board over and completing the soldering. Since you don’t have to worry about polarity with resistors, simply match up what the BOM and silk screen say and you are good to to.
Diodes
Next up are the diodes which are polarized. Make sure you match the lines on the diodes with the white lines on the PCB footprint so that they are mounted in the correct position. Use top down soldering to tack everything down and move onto the IC sockets.
FRUKU Glue - Time Lapse Build
IC Sockets and Power Header
When you place and solder the IC sockets, you will leave the ICs out of them. You will not place these until the very last step prior to powering on and testing. Lining up the IC sockets with the notch on the PCB is the way to mount these. Once you have them inserted in their resting place, flip the board over and tack down one of the pins. If the socket lays flat, you are good to go and you can tidy up the rest of the legs. If it doesn’t or there is something off about the socket, simply heat up the solder dab you previously placed and gently push down on the socket to have it “click” to the PCB. Complete tacking everything else down once you have completed this step. Why you are here, go ahead and place the power header as well using the same technique as the IC sockets.
Capacitors
Next up we will be soldering the capacitors. Make sure to look at the BOM for the values and placements as these can get kinda tricky sometimes. Please take notice of the positive and negative side with the electrolytic capacitors by the length of the component legs. The long leg is the positive and the shorter leg is the negative. The electrolytic capacitors need to be placed on the bottom side of the PCB and their legs need to be in the correct orientation prior to tacking them down. Once this is complete, solder everything into place and move onto the transistors.
Transistors
There are only a few transistors for the FRUKU Glue module, but they are very important. Make sure when you are placing the transistors that you line them up with the silk screen on the PCB. There is a flat side and a round side and mis-matching these could fry the module. After you have identified the correct orientation, place the part, flip the module and solder everything into place.
FRUKU Glue - Build Gallery
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- FRUKU – Completed Glue Front
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- FRUKU – Completed Glue Right
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- FRUKU – Completed Glue Rear
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- FRUKU – Completed Glue Left
Pin Headers
Insert the female and male 5 pin headers into place while looking at the BOM for the placement. Solder one pin and check if the header is aligned flat to the PCB. If it is not, slightly press down on the header and reheat the pin, it should slide into place. Now solder all remaining pins. Make sure you repeat this step for all pin headers.
Jacks, pots and LED
Insert the pots, jacks and LED into the top portion of the PCB (control side). Next gently place the front panel onto the jacks/pots and hand tighten a nut or two to hold the panel in place. Once this is done, you can flip the module over and solder everything into place. Make sure you push the LED up into its final resting spot prior to tacking it down.
You also want to mind the orientation of the LED prior to soldering. Line up the LED according to the layout on the PCB. After all of the jacks, pots and LED have been soldered, flip the module and place the ICs (make sure to match the notch with the chip).
Wrapping it all up and our final thoughts
Congrats! You have completed the Glue by FRUKU and you are now ready to use the module. We always run our completed modules through the Synthrotek TST module to ensure we won’t fry our main boards when we install. After complete testing, we loaded up the module and went to town using it as a compressor.
It brought a lot of clarity to a rather muted mix and provided the highs exactly where we needed them. In the end, the Glue by FRUKU is a solid 4hp module that belongs in everyones racks. An intermediate build at a low cost is another reason everyone should have one of these compressor modules. Head over to the FRUKU Etsy page and pick one up today!
If you have questions about the build process or suggestions/feedback about this article, feel free to let us know by contacting us. We look forward to hearing from you!
Until the next build …
