EMUSIC-L Digest Volume 46, Issue 03 This issue's topics: can you rack mount a keyboard yourself? (2 messages) Rack To The Future Racks (9 messages) Your EMUSIC-L Digest moderator is Joe McMahon . You may subscribe to EMUSIC-L by sending mail to listserv@american.edu with the line "SUB EMUSIC-L your name" as the text. The EMUSIC-L archive is a service of SunSite (sunsite.unc.edu) at the University of North Carolina. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1992 04:50:13 GMT From: "(Todd J Sines)" Subject: can you rack mount a keyboard yourself? how possible, and what expense would be to rack mount say....an ensoniq Mirage keyboard? i am interested to see if this could work. gliding on my VCF filters sines -- >>> e n h a n c e m e n t >>>> body release. sinewave.time filtered. | pulsed >>> respond by: tsines@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu | oscillated 384 e17th ave columbus oh 43201 >>614.299.9529 | stretched ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1992 10:36:35 PST From: Leigh Smith Subject: Re: can you rack mount a keyboard yourself? DIALix!pucc.princeton.edu!uniwa!auvm.bitnet!emusic-l Writes: > > how possible, and what expense would be to rack mount say....an ensoniq Mirage > keyboard? i am interested to see if this could work. > > > gliding on my VCF filters > > sines Some time back, I had absolute fun in attempting to clean up the crap on the audio outputs of my keyboard Mirage. While partially successful (shitty power transistors proved to be much of the noise), I found the Mirage would operate ok without its keyboard plugged in. I had a latter model with the elastomeric front panel (like a Sinclair ZX-80 Wowee! :-)), so I would think this would be the biggest problem trying to rack mount. I too am considering it (not enuf space in the studio), but seeing Wendy Carlos with an SY-77/99 leaning on its side, I think I'll just settle for that. Perhaps I could just hang it flush on the wall like a surf board and paint it fluoro colours? the mind boggles! :-). -- =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= | Leigh Smith _--_|\ Email: leigh@psychok.DIALix.oz.au | | / \ Tel (H): +61-9-450-2014 | | Perth --> *_.--._/ Perth, Western Australia | | v | =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1992 11:39:26 EST From: Mark Simon Subject: Re: Rack To The Future Everything I've heard says that the Powerbooks are unusable for MIDI, but Nick says that Doug Wyatt at Opcode has sorted out the mess. What did he do, and whe re can we get it? --Mark Simon tip@cornellc.cit.cornell.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 16:18:14 +0000 From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Racks Gearhead alert. I'm currently in mid-investigation of flight racks. I've come across some reasonably decent-looking American ones made by SBA or SBX or something like that - all curved, extrusion-moulded plastic with rubber-lined rounded-corner aluminium frame front and back, rackmount hardware on front only, fixed side carrying handles, and deep, removable front and back lids. Anyone over there heard of these things? They don't feel as tough as full-flight hardware, but certainly beat the hell out of the half-flight junk I've seen (1/4" plywood covered in silver foil as far as I can tell) and they're light and look impressive (or will with a CASSIEL logo stencil-sprayed onto the sides). And the curvature means that there's 1/2" of clearance above/below the top/bottom 1U space, good for ventilation. I'm just not quite 100% convinced of their robustness for touring; anyone else using these? Onto the second problem: the racks are 15" deep, with another 1.75"-2" or so clearance in the front and read lids. (So, what *is* 1/2 plus 5/8?) Roland 2U racks are (hang on, where's my tape measure...) 16" deep. Grr, that means 1" protrusion when in use, which is ugly, and more importantly means only 1" of rear clearance when the lid is on. I can find right-angle MIDI and 1/4" phono connectors which (with luck) are less obtrusive than that, but I'm stumped by the MKS-70 and D-550 mains connectors which are almost but not quite entirely unlike something totally different to the US mains connector. Oh-oh: how deep is the rack case holding the two Quantum 280's, and how much can you bend a SCSI cable...? Why don't the magazines run reviews and product line-ups of flight cases? Oh-oh: how deep is the Fostex MIDI mixer? 358mm, that's, what, 14"... Nick Rothwell | cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance | cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 16:42:12 GMT From: Timothy D Fullerton Subject: Re: Racks In article <9211211618.aa02911@gate.demon.co.uk> Nick Rothwell writes: >Gearhead alert. > >I'm currently in mid-investigation of flight racks. I've come across some >reasonably decent-looking American ones made by SBA or SBX or something > >Onto the second problem: the racks are 15" deep, with another 1.75"-2" or >so clearance in the front and read lids. (So, what *is* 1/2 plus 5/8?) Might I suggest you have the rack custom made? I had one made for myself by Cabbage Cases. You can specify all of the dimensions and recieve an Anvil-like case. I am really happy with what I got. Cabbage Cases 1166 Steelwood Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43212 USA (614) - 486 - 2495 Tim. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 19:26:43 +0000 From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Re: Racks > Might I suggest you have the rack custom made? Hmm, that's a possibility. There are some firms in the UK that custom-make cases, but I think I can get by with pre-made ones. I had a phone chat with Mike Metlay (Tran$$$Atlantic...) and the general conclusion is that the SKB racks are good. I need to check closely whether I can fit the MKS-70 and D-550 into them with right-angle connectors. And I need to check the weld seals on the edges; they looked fine on the SKB's I saw, but also looked like the potential weak point. (Thanks to Ken Morton for pointing this out.) Nick Rothwell | cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance | cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 13:36:29 EST From: The Radio Gnome Subject: Re: Racks Hi, I've been using an 8 space SKB molded rack for several months now and am very satisfied. Its strength/weight ratio is fantastic. The snap in 10-32 nuts are much better than dedicated tapped rails (snap ins have been standard on computing equipment racks for years). I have two minor reservations, though. 1st is the use of aluminum rather than steel for the rails. 2nd is the tendency of the thin polypropylene shell to resonate at bass frequencies. I wrote to SKB and pointed out that their racks did exhibit this acoustic behaviour, still haven't gotten any response. Andy Wing ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 14:30:51 EST From: JOHN MAGUIRE Subject: Re: Racks On Sat, 21 Nov 1992 16:18:14 +0000 Nick Rothwell said: >Gearhead alert. > >I'm currently in mid-investigation of flight racks. I've come across some >reasonably decent-looking American ones made by SBA or SBX or something TEXT DELETED >stencil-sprayed onto the sides). And the curvature means that there's 1/2" >of clearance above/below the top/bottom 1U space, good for ventilation. I'm I am also considering buying an SKB. I have heard they are pretty tough. I haven't found anything that comes close as far as price. I've seen 6 space SKBs for $95 ( at either Venamins or AMS). That's still a lot of money for a box.!! WHY do these things cost so much? My major concern is ventilation. I'm going to mount a DM 400 watt solid state bass head. The amp has a temporature controlled fan inside and vents on the both sides. The SKBs curve in on the sides, to allow room for the handles. This would probably put the plastic right up against the vents on my amp. I don't know how much room is required for ventilation. I think I'm going to bring my amp to Venamins to check it out. If it doesn't work, I'll have to pay $40 more for a Forge II rack. Do you have any Rules of Thumb for ventilation? John A. Maguire JMAGUIRE@ERS.BITNET ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 21:18:14 +0000 From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Re: Racks > I've been using an 8 space SKB molded rack for several months now >and am very satisfied. Its strength/weight ratio is fantastic. The snap >in 10-32 nuts are much better than dedicated tapped rails (snap ins have >been standard on computing equipment racks for years). I've been *using* computing equipment racks for my rig so far, so I'm used to snap-in nuts. Much better than the other stuff I've seen. > I have two minor reservations, though. 1st is the use of aluminum >rather than steel for the rails. Noted; also, the lids of the racks are made of bent aluminium. >2nd is the tendency of the thin >polypropylene shell to resonate at bass frequencies. Oooh. I tend to do rather a lot with bass frequencies... but it can't be worse than the computer racks I'm using right now. I presume, by the way, that it's not wise to let one's roadie stub his fag out on an SKB? Nick Rothwell | cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance | cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Nov 1992 21:19:29 +0000 From: Nick Rothwell Subject: Re: Racks >I haven't found anything that comes close as far as price. I've seen 6 >space SKBs for $95 ( at either Venamins or AMS). That's still a lot of >money for a box.!! Not at all. What's the value of the equipment you're going to put into it? >I'm going to mount a DM 400 watt solid state bass head. What's a bass head? Is that like a dead-head? >The amp >has a temporature controlled fan inside and vents on the both sides. >The SKBs curve in on the sides, to allow room for the handles. Hmm, OK. Can't you put the, erm, bass head elsewhere in the rack? >If it doesn't work, I'll have to pay >$40 more for a Forge II rack. But if $95 is too much, then... >Do you have any Rules of Thumb for ventilation? Only to allow space wherever a rack unit has vent holes. In my case, it's top and bottom, and I have enough shallow rack units that I can keep them clear. And the SKB's have clearance top and bottom. Nick Rothwell | cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk CASSIEL Contemporary Music/Dance | cassiel@cix.compulink.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1992 13:52:40 PST From: metlay Subject: Re: Racks >I presume, by the way, that it's not wise to let one's roadie stub his fag >out on an SKB? Gaw-DAMN, talk about idiom differences! You talk about stubbing out a fag in my neck of the woods, a burly guy with a bandanna in the pocket of his jeans and a purple-triangle tattoo is gonna stomp yer face into the asphalt. |-> |-> |-> > Nick Rothwell | cassiel@cassiel.demon.co.uk -- dr. michael metlay | Today's "Context is Everything" quote: atomic city | p. o. box 81175 | "Life's a bitch, and then you get timed out." pittsburgh pa 15217-0675 | metlay@netcom.com | (m. cook) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1992 13:54:20 PST From: metlay Subject: Re: Racks > >What's a bass head? Is that like a dead-head? > It's the part of a bass guitar amplifier that has the guts, as opposed to the speakers. It usually sits on top of the speakers, like a head on a person. -- dr. michael metlay | Today's "Context is Everything" quote: atomic city | p. o. box 81175 | "Life's a bitch, and then you get timed out." pittsburgh pa 15217-0675 | metlay@netcom.com | (m. cook) ------------------------------ End of the EMUSIC-L Digest ******************************