11 Slot DIY API 500 series rack

[sahib]

I have still been waiting for a price from two metal fabricators up here. However, if I don't receive anything this week I will move onto some people down south.  I price jobs literally within two days at the latest, but man, these guys are so slow, a bit slower they'll go backwards. Please bear with me for a couple of days.

 

[okgb]

I have a quote from Winnipeg  , good price for 500 panels as well
waiting to see how it compares to Sahib's

 

[dandeurloo]

great news on the progress.  thanks guys!

 

[dandeurloo]

anything?

 

[[silent:arts]]

anything?

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
we are working out details in the dark 
fact is: sahib ordered the first prototype  8)
the prices he mailed me today are unexpected ...
(to me, at least)
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[Cpartipilo]

When, when, when will we know price, how to order etc?  ???  ???

 

[jdbakker]

When, when, when will we know price, how to order etc?  ???  ???

When [silent:arts] and sahib are good and ready.

JD 'just a guess' B.

 

[Skylar]

anything?

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
we are working out details in the dark 
fact is: sahib ordered the first prototype  8)
the prices he mailed me today are unexpected ...
(to me, at least)
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

So, I'm assuming that your smiley faces mean the prices were unexpected in a good way?

 

[RAM]

How the hell did I miss this?! Awesome work guys! I'll be keeping an eye on it.  ;D

Definitely interested if I have the money.

Rob

 

[Ptownkid]

I;ve been trying my hardest not to keep asking about this project... ;D

 

[dandeurloo]

I;ve been trying my hardest not to keep asking about this project... ;D

I know, I had to ask.  I was afraid I was gonna get railed for it since I am a newbie but I am dying to get my hands on this!  Do we have any idea on what a price range may be at all?  I'm trying to make sure I have budget for it. 


Most of all thanks for doing this!

 

[[silent:arts]]

... Do we have any idea on what a price range may be at all?  I'm trying to make sure I have budget for it.

this project wouldn't make sense if we come up with a price higher than the price in the first post for a standard 11 Slot version without PSU, wouldn't it ? ;D ;D ;D

 

[dandeurloo]

I love you.

Im wondering how far you guys are taking the development as well.  I think if I understood all of the talk, you had talked about making it a rack that could be turned into a moduler mixer as well.  Something that we could add on a master section and faders and all of that down the road.  Are you guys digging into all of the sections now or just the rack and leaving it flexible enought to turn into a mixer.  I just need to know how exsited I should be.  Ha

 

[[silent:arts]]

there might be a misunderstanding ???

the only addition to a standard API Rack are the +/- 24V rails.
possible to do a completely other backplane for summing, only using the rack.
but this is not in my book for now.

 

[mohthom]

Long time reader, first time poster.

Just to piggyback on the previous poster; for what I do it would make the unit far more versatile if a couple of things could be done.

I love the idea of a mixer, as I regularly record to multitrack and to 2mix as a backup and haven't found a solution I really like yet.  While it would be tough to do this with the current racks (with only 1 output per channel, no splits), an alternative could be a super-minimal mixer with level, pan and a couple of headphone/speaker outs, but with splits (xformer or Y) on the way in to the mixer (maybe doing XLR in to the rack and DSUB out?) - retaining the ability to get direct outs for multitracking as well as to perform a 2-mix using the same signals.  Also able double as a summing mixer in the studio at the mixdown stage maybe . . . ?  

Is this likely to be possible or desirable?

 

[[silent:arts]]

where to get all those necessary connections from ?
the main goal was to keep it compatible to all the old modules around.
yes, today there are "unused" connections, and on my backplane there are quite a lot.
but we don't want to heart or blow up anybody's vintage module he might plug in.

anyhow, we have seen different discussions for a DIY Rack standard, with no result.
let us see this solution as an API500 compatible Rack, with (at least) one added feature.

 

[mohthom]

Only one alternative connection (no new connections per se) - XLR ins, DSUB out (for the preamp rack at least).  I guess what I'm saying is it would be great if the end-user could choose between XLR and DSUB I/O dependant on the application they have in mind for the rack, which would make it more versatile - especially when connecting multiple units together.

E.g. XLR ins -> Preamps -> DSUB out -> Mixer -> 2mix out + direct outs (this is the configuration I fancy)
XLR ins -> Preamps -> DSUB out -> EQ rack -> DSUB out -> Dynamics rack -> XLR outs
DSUB in -> EQ rack -> DSUB out

I can see genuine applications for all of these systems - and to have the flexibility to choose on a case-by-case basis (or even to be able to swap out the connectors - and don't worry, I KNOW that this isn't possible) what the I/O is going to be like.  DSUBs and XLRs are already catered for in the design, but not together - it would be great to be able to choose (and to be able to cascade racks more easily).  I don't see any reason for non-compatibility with the 500 series design - it's just line level signals travelling through a different connector, isn't it?

 

[joe-electro]

A simple mixer wouldn't require any additional connections per sé, since the signals are already available at the output connectors. If the mixer used bridging-style input impredances, it should be pretty easy to do. I think Purple already does something similar with their API-style rack.

Joe

 

[[silent:arts]]

you can always hand wire the I/Os to whatever connector you want.

 

[mohthom]

I've been back over the drawings again and I see that what I'm talking about may be possible.  Here's to hoping!