2021: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2021)

[elxsound]

Damn, Whyterabbit. I'm sure a future self will experience that at some point

[elxsound]

I ordered a mmMidi module. Pam turns out to be a great fit for my small setup.

In rack news, I'm toying around with the idea of just converting two 3U 19" rack spots on my desk instead of buying a case. All the cases I've seen are either too big or pricier than I'd like and ultimately too soon to justify getting. I just have to work out a power supply and since I've only got 84hp x2 to work with, I'm hoping to find a way to do it without getting a µZeus.

[justin3am]

I just have to work out a power supply and since I've only got 84hp x2 to work with, I'm hoping to find a way to do it without getting a µZeus.

A lot of folks will tell you that it's not necessary but I'm an advocate for using the best power option you can afford, especially since you will be patching between standalone boxes and your main rack. You could get lucky with a lower quality power option but there is a lot that can go wrong. There is nothing worse than spending a lot of money on modules, only to run into issues with noise or crosstalk or grounding issues.

High quality power supply/distribution can be expensive but the more you are able to do yourself the less expensive it will be. Even some of the DIY kits don't require any soldering. If I remember, the Doepfer kits use spade connectors, so you don't need to worry about soldering but you still need to figure out how to mount the PSU and bus boards in the rack. I've used peg board and L-brackets for that.

If you install your synth in a rack, make sure that the power switch is accessible. I hate using rack space for a power switch, so I mounted a switch on a blank 1U panel that was also a patch bay.

[elxsound]

I have some logistical kinks to work out, but going this route would definitely increase the budget for a proper PSU.

The biggest issue I have with this setup is connecting two separate racks (3U 84hp) to just one PSU vs 2 separate PSUs.I have an Output Platform desk and the space is deep, with a wooden divider between them. I'd like to avoid drilling or cutting openings, but I'm not against it either.

Same for me and the power switch. If I was going the route of a 12U rack, I wouldn't mind leaving space for something like the µZeus, but I'd like to hopefully keep it free for another module. I think I can make this work. I saw some really nice racks on Etsy with the power switch positioned on the side. I think I can create something like it.

[imrae]

A uZeus can just about power two rows of 84hp and is a low-stress and fairly economical way of doing so.
There are loads of them on the used market (presumably from people upgrading their Tiptop starter bundle.)

Since I put a bigger (Ikea!) case together with BoardPWR I'm still keepin the uZeus around for testing DIY modules

[elxsound]

A uZeus can just about power two rows of 84hp and is a low-stress and fairly economical way of doing so.
There are loads of them on the used market (presumably from people upgrading their Tiptop starter bundle.)

Since I put a bigger (Ikea!) case together with BoardPWR I'm still keepin the uZeus around for testing DIY modules

What Ikea furniture are you modifying? I kept seeing something about an Ikea Rast case that I don't think is available any more?

I really like the 12u case from thomann that pekbro posted earlier for ghettosynth. If it wasn't for the size, I'd be into it.

The µZeus is definitely economical compared the doepfer PSU3 wr upgraded to. I have to finish building my wishlist on modular grid before choosing to get a better idea of what my needs are.

For an ultimate compromise, I could just get used to flipping the power on in the back and have the µZeus mounted on the reverse side. This is how I power my monitors/on-off (when I turn them off). Mostly, I just know It'd be a terrible letdown to get it all set up and then realize you don't have enough power to make it work.

I was planning on getting a powered intellijel case before realizing that maybe the best solution, for now, is one that doesn't require setup/takedown and was literally in front of me this whole time. I just have to create a new space for the Push controller.

[imrae]

What Ikea furniture are you modifying? I kept seeing something about an Ikea Rast case that I don't think is available any more?

State of the rack, May 2021:

ikea-rack.jpg

The case is a £15 Ikea BESTÅ, from their modular TV cabinets / living-room range: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/besta-fram ... -80247413/

Be aware that the back board is very thin; it's ok supporting a bus board but you should plan to mount anything substantial on the back. There is also a shorter version of this case. and a few colour options:

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/besta-fram ... -00260875/

At that price one could just chuck out the smaller one when upgrading to a larger case... but as you can see I'm using the extra space to keep things tidy

The width came in just slightly short of 110hp, so I sent measurements to synthracks to get a perfect set of rails with end plates. I expect there are cheaper sources of rail if you don't mind cutting it yourself.

[vurt]

that's great, love the cable tidy area

[whyterabbyt]

Hmm, this isn't a great endorsement of the Doepfer supply kits!

Its not intended to be an end-user upgrade. Everything on Doepfer's site relating to doing that says 'no, dont try this at home' as does the two page warning document enclosed with the PSU3.

In retrospect, it'd have been a lot easier if i'd taped the cables down, and disconnected the shield.

[elxsound]

What Ikea furniture are you modifying? I kept seeing something about an Ikea Rast case that I don't think is available any more?

State of the rack, May 2021:
ikea-rack.jpg

The case is a £15 Ikea BESTÅ, from their modular TV cabinets / living-room range: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/besta-fram ... -80247413/

Be aware that the back board is very thin; it's ok supporting a bus board but you should plan to mount anything substantial on the back. There is also a shorter version of this case. and a few colour options:

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/besta-fram ... -00260875/

At that price one could just chuck out the smaller one when upgrading to a larger case... but as you can see I'm using the extra space to keep things tidy

The width came in just slightly short of 110hp, so I sent measurements to synthracks to get a perfect set of rails with end plates. I expect there are cheaper sources of rail if you don't mind cutting it yourself.

Like Vurt said, very clean and it gives me some idea about cable management! The love of my life already nixed the idea of those very convenient-looking cable racks. She loves the colors of the cables but still doesn't want to see them. I don't blame her either!

I love plants there.

We have an Ikea trip this weekend, so I'll have to do some homework. I think the current idea will make the most sense with housing the modules in the desk, but since we're officially staying in our apartment for another 1-2 years this would be a good time to explore options.

[vurt]

What Ikea furniture are you modifying? I kept seeing something about an Ikea Rast case that I don't think is available any more?

State of the rack, May 2021:
ikea-rack.jpg

The case is a £15 Ikea BESTÅ, from their modular TV cabinets / living-room range: https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/besta-fram ... -80247413/

Be aware that the back board is very thin; it's ok supporting a bus board but you should plan to mount anything substantial on the back. There is also a shorter version of this case. and a few colour options:

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/besta-fram ... -00260875/

At that price one could just chuck out the smaller one when upgrading to a larger case... but as you can see I'm using the extra space to keep things tidy

The width came in just slightly short of 110hp, so I sent measurements to synthracks to get a perfect set of rails with end plates. I expect there are cheaper sources of rail if you don't mind cutting it yourself.

Like Vurt said, very clean and it gives me some idea about cable management! The love of my life already nixed the idea of those very convenient-looking cable racks. She loves the colors of the cables but still doesn't want to see them. I don't blame her either!

I love plants there.

We have an Ikea trip this weekend, so I'll have to do some homework. I think the current idea will make the most sense with housing the modules in the desk, but since we're officially staying in our apartment for another 1-2 years this would be a good time to explore options.

re- not seeing stuff when not in use...

hopefully foosnark will post, but his mum made him a lovely fitted cover for his rack.
a reasonably thin, so it's not too heavy, wall hanging, can come in handy

get a nice design and everybody is happy

i use a shamagh as more of a dust cover, it's only a scarf, so is light enough to through over even with it patched up, on the horizontal one.

my other two have plastic moulded covers, but for some reason the price of those rocketed so im not getting a third! 50 odd quid for a cat litter tray lol
the first 2 were 25 quid each, even that felt a bit much

[imrae]

Yeah, patch cables are an issue! The glass jars (from Ikea's kitchen range) are quite nice because when the cables are stuffed in with the lids on it "displays" the colours while staying fairly tidy. And when I do add another 6U they can sit on top of the case.

For ultra-clean setup I'm planning to have some wires running down the back to my patchbay, but so far my DIY output module (ST Modular UIT) isn't quite working right. Would be nice to have another module with rear connections and some gain to bring external signals in as well, but as far as I know it doesn't exist yet. Could end up being my first proper stripboard project...

[elxsound]

Those dust cover prices are insane!

For the gear, she's into it as long as it can be presented decently.

She likes the pedals (and even the pods that are temporarily there). Her favorite is MOODS and she misses Blooper because of the color.

[elxsound]

Yeah, patch cables are an issue! The glass jars (from Ikea's kitchen range) are quite nice because when the cables are stuffed in with the lids on it "displays" the colours while staying fairly tidy. And when I do add another 6U they can sit on top of the case.

For ultra-clean setup I'm planning to have some wires running down the back to my patchbay, but so far my DIY output module (ST Modular UIT) isn't quite working right. Would be nice to have another module with rear connections and some gain to bring external signals in as well, but as far as I know it doesn't exist yet. Could end up being my first proper stripboard project...

You might find another photo from me with the same jars after this weekend. I think I can get away with those ones.

[imrae]

That is a pretty handsome display! Maybe the Mood needs an orange companion - Phase 100?