11 Slot DIY API 500 series rack

[Echo North]

Awesome!

I'm definitely in.

Thanks for all the hard work Sahib and Volker.

Mike

 

[dandeurloo]

looks great.  Any pricing or time line ideas yet?

 

[TomWaterman]

Awesome work guys!

Trying to cook two things up for this!

-T

 

[[silent:arts]]

looks great.  Any pricing or time line ideas yet?

pricing idea: low
with the force of the GDIY 51X Alliance we will have lowest prices on the connectors, for example.
together we can purchase in K quantities. something like a group buy, only in the white market 

 

[ultra-alex]

much respect, guys! 

 

[Mike D]

Congratulations! I'm very much looking forward to this.

 

[unwrittenmike]

Amazing!! 

 

[Hammond]

Super ;D
I'm in!

 

[[silent:arts]]

received some nice Blank Panels from Frank yesterday  ;D

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[Grooveteer]

Looking good!!!

Me wanna. 

 

[TomWaterman]

Cool!

Was there a design finalised for a PSU?

Did you ever develop some kind of current spec per slot? Cooking up an idea but it will draw a lot.

-T

 

[sahib]

Volker designed one but below is the one that I designed for my mic-amps quite a while ago. Although the phantom power regulator did not require a heatsink for a two channel amp  I will re-design that part with with a suitable heatsink. Anyhow, I don't think there will be a shortage of PSU. I will design a new case for it very soon but there are also so many ready made boxes out there which may turn out cheaper.

 

[TomWaterman]

Great thanks Sahib.

Was just curious as I see that the VPR alliance doesn't relaly recommend current heavy modules in the slots.

I'm looking at something that could be well over 175mA.

-T

 

[joe-electro]

Why not mount the PSU to the back of the rack?

---Joe

I will design a new case for it very soon but there are also so many ready made boxes out there which may turn out cheaper.

 

[jdbakker]

I'm looking at something that could be well over 175mA.

The bus and connectors could supply more, but you'll run into heat/dissipation problems. A max load VPR-compliant module produces 5W, multiply that by 11 and you get a pretty toasty rack (especially considering a 500-series rack is relatively shallow).

What do you have in mind? Does it perchance involve tubes? Any use going for a two-slotter?

JDB.

 

[[silent:arts]]

Did you ever develop some kind of current spec per slot? ...

I did a small run of PCBs for this
some minor mislabeling of resistors, but works fine.
disadvantage: needs a custom transformer.

main thing:
the 51x 18pin Racks need an internal PSU, unless Neutrik releases a 7 pin PCB mount XLR  ;D
I fear the first batch of the shown prototype case is only 15pin compatible.
this will need a PSU too, but can be done external.

 

[Biasrocks]

for the other "API" options:
I will ignore them. I doubt "modern" modules will have all this +4/-2 input output stuff, nor the gain resistor feature. all of this, incl. termination resistors, should be placed directly on the modules. otherwise it is not plug and play.

I know this is late in the game, but termination resistors are not a part of any API module I've come across. In fact, termination is provided in the console frame itself. In my home made API rack I've soldered termination resistors directly to the 15 pin connectors, which is obviously not possible with this design.

This is a crucial feature which changes the sound of the modules and should be included on the back plane PCB IMO.

Mark

 

[[silent:arts]]

I know this is late in the game, but termination resistors are not a part of any API module I've come across. In fact, termination is provided in the console frame itself. In my home made API rack I've soldered termination resistors directly to the 15 pin connectors, which is obviously not possible with this design.

This is a crucial feature which changes the sound of the modules and should be included on the back plane PCB IMO.

mhm - the backplane will get some changes, mainly for some cheaper connectors than the Edacs.
but soldering termination resistors on the backplane doesn't give you the freedom of exchanging modules as you might want. I would still do this on in the module if needed, or in the outgoing XLR connector.
anyhow, it is still possible doing it directly with the backplane.

 

[sahib]

Tom,

My power supply has a 3A rating, as far as I remember Volker's too. Enough juice there. I am writing from home just now and I don't have Volker's board with me but I am sure the supply line tracks are capable of handling 175mA per module.

For your last post, I will be ordering custom toroidal transformer for this application.


Joe-Electro,

That is the idea. I am working on the design of an internal psu version which has the PSU located at the back but still takes up almost two thirds of the space. Connectors are located on the remaining third. However, this version will naturally be much deeper.

 

[3nity]

looks good!!
has anyonw look at this?

The benefit of having something handwired over a pcb is that if you plug and unplug something too many times, the circuit board traces can break. When its handwired the wire flexes so this will never be a problem. Also this makes repinning a breeze as you just move one wire after another. Not possible on a circuit board.