La2a Dual 2HE Case Design and Front-Panel discussion

[who]

Hi all,

i am designing a front panel for a great looking la2a dual since long time ago.
The project was freezed cause of no budget and having no time to finish the pcb stuff.
But now i want to recover it and let them produce.
The la2a Panels are very expensive to engrave cause those many lines and elements on its face but if there are anough interests i´d run a silkscreen batch >10 panels required. Here it is. Anodized grey aluminum.

Ordering and shipping -->
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=38026.0



I need to talk a little bit about the design. Sorry, i thought so much about it i need to talk it out. If you have seen my g-pultec design you know i try to catch the original touch and put it into a smaller design. There are several things i loved the la-2a design. At first the knob axis is placed at the heigh of the meter line bottom. This gives a little car radio touch that must be preserved! I saw many other designs that had not those moving numbers to the knob axis as the original la-2a. Also the position of the LIMIT/COMPRESS switch is on the left site beside the gain knob. Stereo/Dual and In/Bypass and all other knobs are on the initiativest positions that make sense. I put the power knob many times to different positions and felt well putting it up to the right site. No Power-Lamp with those great looking glowing meters

And i am talking to a case manufacturer for an air open 2HE case. I skizzed the elements how they would be possible to produce:

 

[Ilya]

The whole thing would be around 160 euro, right? (82 enclosure + 80 panel)

 

[who]

yes, depending on qty it becomes more affordable.
I touched different panel services for prices.

Schaeffer:151,67 (engraving)
panel-pool.com: 95,87 EUR (they do digital-print)
NRG Service: 106EUR (engraving) best price for engraved panels

With silkscreening the price is much more cheaper but only if we get more than 10panels printed.
We need two color silkscreen cause the red logo. That a second expense that costs more.

The Steel and Aluminium Processing company here in germany sayed 1 Case for 157EUR
Scale price:
>10 85,68EUR
>20 71,75EUR
>30 60,69EUR

this case is an aluminum case for heavy weights. It does conduct away heat better than steel, is more light and you can cut the backsite better for your needs.

I will get a Prototyp for my own dual la2a build next weeks for posting pics.

 

[[silent:arts]]

22cm deep won't fit. go at least 30cm.

 

[who]

Hi silent:arts,
well, i have your pcb from 2008 "rev02". It´s size is 17cm deep.
It would be tight but it would fit with those deep meters from hairballaudio if you put the xlrs a little bit upper the midle chassi axis.
The pcb can be placed with a bit space to the right site that the black cons do not touch the meter lamp legs.

Heres a pic with component sizes:

 

[[silent:arts]]

I can't see the input and output transformers ...

 

[who]

good point! i did not draw them into the graphic but i measured ones ago. they need to be screwed as a package on the left site:

 

[Ilya]

Won't it be better to fit the input/output trafos near their corresponding XLRs? It looks like the wires will be quite long for the right channel, and may pick up some hum from the power trafo...

 

[who]

hi Ilya,
i´ve got the proto cases last week and was disappointed with the bottom plate that was to thin for being stable so i gone for a thicker 2mm bottom aluminum tray. Awesome! Very stable and everything is alu. I Put the trafos on the site cause the site plates have rails with the measuries of the trafo fixing holes - you do not need to drill anything there. I don´t think there is any noise problem putting them to the left site. They are most far away from the power cables and power stuff / trafo there. The i/o cables should be shielded like in any build. There are some builds out there did it simlar as from "inputoutput" check the thread:
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=32511.msg394870#msg394870
He did not use shielded cables and no hum. But i prever to use ones. I will post some pics of the case and fp when it is almost done. i still wait on some parts and work on the panel layout.

 

[jensenmann]

Frank at NRG can do silkscreening,too, did you know that? The frontpanel looks very nice. At first sight your idea was very tempting but then I realized that you´re talking about an aluminium case. That´s a no-go for me. Aluminium doesn´t shield magnetic fields so you have no rejection of external magnetic hum sources. Besides that aluminium is not so stable from a mechanical point of view. I carry my DIY gear with me when I´m touring so I need a case that can be mistreated. Just some thought´s.
Will you frontpanels be predrilled for your case or is there an undrilled option, that it can be used with any other case?

 

[who]

Hi jensenmann,
yes i am in contact with Frank Frank did all my other panel jobs very well. He does silkscreening but it is only worth if there are anough interests >10 min. For the prototyp and photos i need to bite the bullet cause engraving is very expensive but i can change everything in the layout if something does not look as it should. You point some right facts with the material, i need to think about it if i should go for a steel top or bottom-plate for shielding reasons. The site plates are very heavy, it is robust like a tank yet instead of the top plate that is thin and might loose some stability cause of the holes. The site plates are 12mm thick! Similar to those modu shop case sites:
http://www.modushop.biz/ecommerce/cat136.php?n=1#1
horizontal radiation can be killed with a shielding sheet but vertical radiation,... i ll request steel for the top plate.
The bottom plate is also very thick. You might be put a steel sheet under the trafo, if needed. But i don´t guess so.
Good thing with aluminum is that you have more fun drilling the back plate or sent it to Frank It looks better too.
... i am almost done with the pcb and waiting for some parts to rack this. Then i will do some crash tests ;D

 

[desol]

I hate to be stickler for integrity...but didn't purusha get banned for doing this exact thing...copying cases with a currently made logo? Someone please correct me if i'm wrong...and forgive the intrusion.

http://www.uaudio.com/hardware/compressors/la-2a.html

 

[jensenmann]

he got banned because he posted in the white market without paying

 

[who]

and the logo and types are just a gesture of respect to the originals in my case. I am also not going to build an original 3HE copy and i am not Mr. P.. (btw. But i know him, his cases... one reason i started building my own cases and panels).
I do design the day long (not panels) and this is just fun to me. I will let this panel engrave only myself at least if nobody is interested but maybe it is an inspiration for someone or someone wants to jump on the boat that i and you can get it for a more decent price. My two cents to this great forum.

I also would love to have it silkscreened but this is only worth >10 cause the costs of the two screens.
Most respect to teletronix and this famous machine... desol, you say i would copy a current made logo? i don´t "copy" the UA logo. I redrawed the logo in front-panel-express myself. The diy la2a has nothing to do with UA. i just want to have teletronix tatooed on my own diy dual la2a. What logo you want to have printed on your panel is your decision. It would be another story if someone copy the UA logo for any other reason, i understand you there. But I don´t. I work most often with the la2a UAD software stuff. I also have UA hardware, i don´t think they´ll get evil if i diy my things and put them under some originals with teletronix typed on it. Everyone knows that this 2HE Dual build is not an original. But might work similar. hopefully That roots of the diy la2a point to the "teletronix" la2a. It has nothing to do with UA. And everyone will recognize this. What logo you go for is your own privat decision. Everything is open at moment and nothing is made far.

 

[jensenmann]

I´m stillvery interested in the frontpanel because it looks seriously nice. Is it predrilled to mount on your case or is this optional?

 

[MatthisD]

I was planning on a D-la2a in a few months when I have the €€€ but if interest reaches 10 units I'll go for one.
The panel is a gray finish and not aluminium?
Is the limit/compress switch a neccessity for you?
thanks
Matt

 

[Nobru]

I'm interrested in one frontplate and box with the namebrand "Nobrutronix"  ;D

 

[ArnauTS]

looks good ;D

 

[who]

thanks to everyones feedback. I am in contact with Frank/NRG for the panel, silkscreening and drills.
does any one knows the pcb size of the poor man pcbs? Maybe it would be worth going for a deeper case as silent:arts suggested for using those pm builds too But maybe it does fit well. Please if you have a pm pcb, type the measures in here that i can check this.



@Matt
the panel is anodized aluminum like the la2a was originally.
yes, if i let print 10 panles those will have limit/compress. Why don´t you need it if i may ask?

 

[[silent:arts]]

Please if you have a pm pcb, type the measures in here that i can check this.

well, check the "Component Placement and Dimensions" PDFs:
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=28274.0

hint: I won't put a pm in a 2U case since it is getting very hot