Ken,
I agree with you 100%. My MOTM is in a tall 7' freestanding rack instead of
a cabinet but I still want my ASM and other stuff to have at least the same
color scheme and knob/jack type. I see it as a fine instrument too. I
personally like to be able to see the "guts" as well. Looks high tech.
Do you use the same type of paint as is on the MOTM panels? If so how does
it spray? I have yet to find a place that sells it. I heard sherman williams
does but can't find one that carries it. I don't mind drilling aluminum and
painting it. I just wish there was a good way to get the knob patterns and
labels silk screened for a reasonable price.
>From: "Tkacs, Ken" <ken.tkacs@...>
>Reply-To: motm@egroups.com
>To: "'motm@egroups.com'" <motm@egroups.com>
>Subject: RE: [motm] Blacet Chop-Up Question
>Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 09:43:12 -0400
>
>
>I must echo Mr. Hendry's sentiments regarding the front panels. Simply
>mounting a Blacet module in the center of a 2ux5u panel just seems like
>making a bad thing worse. First of all, it's really ugly, worse than just
>having a separate rack of 'Frac Rack' gear on the side. If that isn't
>enough, you still have the weeny little jacks, tiny knobs, and cramped
>spacing, very important factors in a modular that we decided not to put up
>with when we went MOTM, no?
>
>You can look at the modular and see a big machine like a telephone
>switchboard, or you can see it as a beautiful musical instrument. I see it
>as the latter; I assume so many of us are discussing fine hardwood cabinets
>because we want our modulars to be more than just some sheet metal with
>holes in it and wires sticking out the sides. We want them to look
>beautiful
>and feel beautiful. It's a musical instrument! You have to have a
>relationship with it. We put a lot of work into this stuff; let's put a
>little more in and be really proud of it! (I bought a table saw this past
>Saturday pretty much justified by my wanting to make cabinets for my
>modular
>as good as I can possibly make them.)
>
>The MOTM form factor, in my opinion, is unquestionably the best on the
>market in terms of appearance and functionality. So for my money, anything
>else I have must conform to ∗it∗. Sure, it's a lot of work converting these
>other odd modules to the MOTM style. You can build an MOTM kit in one
>sitting, usually, and be done with it, while converting other PCBs/kits can
>take many hours and a lot of extra money replacing parts to get them to
>match MOTM. But nothing beats having a consistent appearance and
>functionality across the entire modular.
>
>For instance, I plan on converting my old Hot Springs reverb units to MOTM
>format in the near future. If MOTM made a spring reverb unit, I wouldn't
>bother, because it's probably going to take me as much time to create
>panels
>for those units as it would to build ten MOTM-300 VCOs. But if there's
>something that I really want to be a part of my modular, and I can't get it
>through MOTM, then it has to at least match. That goes for old stuff I have
>in my rack, DIY projects, or interesting/unusual circuits from other
>manufacturers. That's all there is to it.
>
>You know, when I decided to build a big modular, there was a reason I
>didn't
>go with Doepfer, Serge, or the 'Frac Rack' camp of Paia & Blacet as my
>basis. It goes beyond the electronics---the ergonomics and the appearance
>are critical factors as well. So when deciding to add a few odd modules
>from
>one of those other manufacturers, or tinkering together a circuit of my
>own,
>it seems clear that making quality front panels for them as well as one can
>is the way to go. If I had no tools or never took shop in school, then
>maybe
>I would be satisfied with sticking my DIY stuff in a shoebox. But if I'm
>coordinated enough to solder these kits together and have them work every
>time, I'm skilled enough to drill holes in aluminum and wave a spray paint
>can at them to do it up right.
>
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