ruffrecords
Well-known member
Anyone know where I can get a 500 series case only, no motherboard, for a reasonable price?
Cheers
Ian
Cheers
Ian
500 series mechanics
- Thread starter ruffrecords
- Start date
Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:
sahib
Well-known member
Hi Ian,
Check your PM.
Check your PM.
gemini86
Well-known member
Jeff has his 500 series console buckets for sale on his site (classicapi.com)
ruffrecords
Well-known member
gemini86 said:
Appears to be currently out of stock.
Cheers
Ian
gemini86
Well-known member
ah... bummer.
ruffrecords
Well-known member
Nobody?
Cheers
Ian
Cheers
Ian
I have done 2 with Vector Electronics cases.
One I used an Vector EMC case and connected the modules with 3/4" inch standoffs on sliding square nuts (solid but not a case I would drag around). And I did the backplane by hand point to point. Fit 10 modules.
The other I found a backplane and used the vector case and drilled the side brackets to move the rails and drilled the rails at 1 1/2" centers and tapped them. This worked "sort of" but my alignment was imperfect.
The vector vera and DIN stuff in general uses a 0.2" spacing (HP) so that makes it tough.
Are you trying to use this for 500? or for the tube lunchbox? I have a big pile of vector stuff (including top and bottom EMC panels which would be nice to keep fingers and tubes apart). I bought a bunch of racks a long time ago and I have only used 3. PM me if you want to go that way.
bb
One I used an Vector EMC case and connected the modules with 3/4" inch standoffs on sliding square nuts (solid but not a case I would drag around). And I did the backplane by hand point to point. Fit 10 modules.
The other I found a backplane and used the vector case and drilled the side brackets to move the rails and drilled the rails at 1 1/2" centers and tapped them. This worked "sort of" but my alignment was imperfect.
The vector vera and DIN stuff in general uses a 0.2" spacing (HP) so that makes it tough.
Are you trying to use this for 500? or for the tube lunchbox? I have a big pile of vector stuff (including top and bottom EMC panels which would be nice to keep fingers and tubes apart). I bought a bunch of racks a long time ago and I have only used 3. PM me if you want to go that way.
bb
ruffrecords said:
ruffrecords
Well-known member
bruce0 said:
It's principally for the tube lunch box. I was seriously tempted to adopt 500 mechanics series for the EZ Tube Mixer. The cases are fully enclosed which is great from the safety point of view, but they are made of steel which makes them harder to work. The other problem is the fixed 1.5 inch module spacing. This really means there's room for 5 and a half modules - inconvenient in a mixer but might house a power supply in a lunchbox. In the end I went the more flexible Eurorack route for the EZ Tube Mixer if for no other reason than I could not find a source of 500 series cases.. So I am re-visiting it for the lunchbox. I may well end up coming to the same conclusion.
Cheers
Ian
Vector makes "Eurorack" stuff (DIN rack stuff) . Sent you an email with some pics of the spare stuff I have.
Recommend and agree that you don't adopt 500 mechanics. The only advantage is the market for modules (weak for all but non-existent for your product because you are not using the 500 pinout).
You also need venting for tube gear. I think side venting in the 19inch rack cases is under utilized.
Recommend and agree that you don't adopt 500 mechanics. The only advantage is the market for modules (weak for all but non-existent for your product because you are not using the 500 pinout).
You also need venting for tube gear. I think side venting in the 19inch rack cases is under utilized.
ramshackles
Well-known member
I've been watching this thread, it's very interesting.
Just interested - how did you come to the conclusion that the market is weak for 500 series?
Just interested - how did you come to the conclusion that the market is weak for 500 series?
Weak is a relative term, I apologize.
My real point was that Ian would not have the benefit of the 500 market if he was planning a non-compatible format and was considering the 500 format. So all he would get was tight faceplates and not enough room or ventilation for tubes.
To explain my "estimation" (some may say guess) that the 500 market is small, boutique and in the end fading (weak).
I think the reason DIY people like the 500 (including me) is that it reduces the amount of metalwork and power supply work you have to do.
The other reason I think is that there is a perceived market for 500 gear, and to be sure there is one, so other folks can build your stuff easily or buy it.
The reason that I think that market is weak is that I don't see many companies thriving in the marketplace. (There are a few small players, and some underfunded new players and players fading away, dropping out, etc.). If there was a substantial market, even a high end only market, then I would expect to see Avid buy or build a company in that space or Behringer making cheap knockoffs.
Also over the last few years I have watched the various announcements of so-and-so's new preamp, or module. I have kept track of comments like "we have sold over 100 of ..." (which was something I saw on a preamp that had been out for several years.) I know what the preamp sells for, I can guess what marketing costs, I can guess what the manufacturing and development costs, and I know what it costs to eat and keep a roof over your head in part of the world (a large part). And that company exists because they have some other sources of revenue or because they are a hobby or obsession (see below).
So based upon all of that, I am assuming that the market for 500 modules is a weak market. What I mean by that is that it would be unwise to invest money in developing a company in that market if your goal was to get a return.
That is not to say that a boutique company cannot survive in that market (API) or that a couple of small symbiotic competitors can't develop (purple, lindell, cartec) or that existing companies with boutique businesses can't feed modules into the market profitably (Neve, SSL). But kicking your way out of the heap of 500 series smallguys would be a lot of (expensive) work, and probably not financially worth it.
Some hobbies are just hobbies. When the get to be too big or too expensive or too time consuming to be called hobbies I guess they are "obsessions". If they get to the point where the investment is going in to make some sort of a return or living, well that would be a business.
I think a lot of these efforts are not financial... some appear to be hobbies, and some are clearly obsessions (and I think I see signs of at least a couple of "entrepreneurial rehab" cases ). I don't see many businesses developing.
But it is a lot of fun.
My real point was that Ian would not have the benefit of the 500 market if he was planning a non-compatible format and was considering the 500 format. So all he would get was tight faceplates and not enough room or ventilation for tubes.
To explain my "estimation" (some may say guess) that the 500 market is small, boutique and in the end fading (weak).
I think the reason DIY people like the 500 (including me) is that it reduces the amount of metalwork and power supply work you have to do.
The other reason I think is that there is a perceived market for 500 gear, and to be sure there is one, so other folks can build your stuff easily or buy it.
The reason that I think that market is weak is that I don't see many companies thriving in the marketplace. (There are a few small players, and some underfunded new players and players fading away, dropping out, etc.). If there was a substantial market, even a high end only market, then I would expect to see Avid buy or build a company in that space or Behringer making cheap knockoffs.
Also over the last few years I have watched the various announcements of so-and-so's new preamp, or module. I have kept track of comments like "we have sold over 100 of ..." (which was something I saw on a preamp that had been out for several years.) I know what the preamp sells for, I can guess what marketing costs, I can guess what the manufacturing and development costs, and I know what it costs to eat and keep a roof over your head in part of the world (a large part). And that company exists because they have some other sources of revenue or because they are a hobby or obsession (see below).
So based upon all of that, I am assuming that the market for 500 modules is a weak market. What I mean by that is that it would be unwise to invest money in developing a company in that market if your goal was to get a return.
That is not to say that a boutique company cannot survive in that market (API) or that a couple of small symbiotic competitors can't develop (purple, lindell, cartec) or that existing companies with boutique businesses can't feed modules into the market profitably (Neve, SSL). But kicking your way out of the heap of 500 series smallguys would be a lot of (expensive) work, and probably not financially worth it.
Some hobbies are just hobbies. When the get to be too big or too expensive or too time consuming to be called hobbies I guess they are "obsessions". If they get to the point where the investment is going in to make some sort of a return or living, well that would be a business.
I think a lot of these efforts are not financial... some appear to be hobbies, and some are clearly obsessions (and I think I see signs of at least a couple of "entrepreneurial rehab" cases ). I don't see many businesses developing.
But it is a lot of fun.
ramshackles
Well-known member
Cheers.
So you would say...go for it with euroracks and din connectors if someone were going to bring out some other kind of modular stuff...
So you would say...go for it with euroracks and din connectors if someone were going to bring out some other kind of modular stuff...
ruffrecords
Well-known member
Judging markets is difficult at best. There are plenty of 500 series module vendors and plenty of 500 lunch box and full size rack suppliers (Vintage King list over a dozen different racks). Then there's the brave band of entrepreneurs who developed the 51X/511 extension to it. The 500 series has the tremendous advantage that it is the only standard for building racks with your own choice of outboard.
Cheers
Ian
Cheers
Ian
sahib
Well-known member
I can confirm that we have sold 530 units. Yes, we certainly made a profit but it is not what you would think. Shipping to Jeff in US swamped over £10 per unit. Similar was to Volker.
We could never imagine that it would reach to this level of success. But the credit goes to this forum and its members who supported us.
I am not sure if the 500 market is weak but it is certainly very small comparing to normal U standard. Investing into the rack and the power supply is the difficult part as you can be out of pocket by £500 and still have no sound coming out of it. But the real savings start after that both in monetary terms and the rack space. So if one is starting out new then it makes a lot of sense to invest into 500.
We could never imagine that it would reach to this level of success. But the credit goes to this forum and its members who supported us.
I am not sure if the 500 market is weak but it is certainly very small comparing to normal U standard. Investing into the rack and the power supply is the difficult part as you can be out of pocket by £500 and still have no sound coming out of it. But the real savings start after that both in monetary terms and the rack space. So if one is starting out new then it makes a lot of sense to invest into 500.
sahib
Well-known member
bruce0 said:I really didn't meant to start this, or to be on this side of the fence
I surrender!
b
Not good enough ;D
No. no. I really didn't mean to be defensive about it. Actually we are working on 1 and 2U versions of our modules.
ruffrecords
Well-known member
bruce0 said:I really didn't meant to start this, or to be on this side of the fence
I surrender!
b
Don't worry. We are all entitled to our opinions. You may well be right. There is little real evidence for either case. It's mostly gut feel.
Cheers
Ian
