PLAN B analog blog

OK, I have my first lot of Plan B modules here (they're very
impressive, they sound great in fact), I'm rolling some ideas around
in my head for a case for them.  I don't want to go for the garden
variety rack case, it takes up too much space. ideally I want to build
something up like a smaller version of the Buchla scissor case.  Three
or maybe four rows, and it'll fold in half so I can take it out and
play live  and it won't eat up a load of space in the car or onstage.
 I've got a couple of questions, one for Peter, one a more general
euro-rack format related one.

Firstly, what is likely to be the maximum depth of any Plan B module,
is there a "this is as deep as it's going to get" standard?  I'd like
to make the boats as shallow as possible.  The deepest thing I have
here is the dual timbral gate, if there's going to be many modules
that are that deep, then it's going to be hard to construct a scissor
case that'll fold up nicely.  I guess this is a plea for shallower
modules, like the VCO!  What is the deepest module in the current
lineup, and is anything in the future likely to go further back?

The second thing is regarding the width of rack rails.  Is it possible
to get these in widths wider than 84 units?  I don't want to go too
wide, but it did occur to me that something wide enough to take the
big sequencer and the tap clock in the same row, or 4 VCOs, 4 of the
little expanders and a couple of 4u mults that Doepfer does (it would
rock if Plan B did a similar 4u mult) would make for a more logical
layout, seeing as I'm not too bothered about rack mounting.  As with
my frac racks, I look at euro rack ears and think "you could fit
another module in there!
 
best wishes & all that.

4 1/4 inches form the back of the faceplate is the deepest a Doepfer
standard module can go.  Ours adhere to those standards.  Can't speak
for the others, although I think (I may be wrong) that the Zero VCO is
a bit deeper than this?

but remember you have to leave slop room in the back for the power
rail and those connectors, unless you can mount those behind modules
that yo know don't go all that deep (like the new M15 for instance).







--- In PLAN_B_analog_blog@yahoogroups.com, "NoRMaN PHaY"
<vietgrove@...> wrote:

>
> OK, I have my first lot of Plan B modules here (they're very
> impressive, they sound great in fact), I'm rolling some ideas around
> in my head for a case for them.  I don't want to go for the garden
> variety rack case, it takes up too much space. ideally I want to build
> something up like a smaller version of the Buchla scissor case.  Three
> or maybe four rows, and it'll fold in half so I can take it out and
> play live  and it won't eat up a load of space in the car or onstage.
>  I've got a couple of questions, one for Peter, one a more general
> euro-rack format related one.
> 
> Firstly, what is likely to be the maximum depth of any Plan B module,
> is there a "this is as deep as it's going to get" standard?  I'd like
> to make the boats as shallow as possible.  The deepest thing I have
> here is the dual timbral gate, if there's going to be many modules
> that are that deep, then it's going to be hard to construct a scissor
> case that'll fold up nicely.  I guess this is a plea for shallower
> modules, like the VCO!  What is the deepest module in the current
> lineup, and is anything in the future likely to go further back?
> 
> The second thing is regarding the width of rack rails.  Is it possible
> to get these in widths wider than 84 units?  I don't want to go too
> wide, but it did occur to me that something wide enough to take the
> big sequencer and the tap clock in the same row, or 4 VCOs, 4 of the
> little expanders and a couple of 4u mults that Doepfer does (it would
> rock if Plan B did a similar 4u mult) would make for a more logical
> layout, seeing as I'm not too bothered about rack mounting.  As with
> my frac racks, I look at euro rack ears and think "you could fit
> another module in there!
>  
> best wishes & all that.
>

--- In PLAN_B_analog_blog@yahoogroups.com, "(i think you can figure
that out)" <peter@...> wrote:

4 1/4 inches from the back of the faceplate is the deepest a Doepfer
standard module can go.  Ours adhere to those standards.  (.....) but
remember you have to leave slop room in the back for the power rail
and those connectors, unless you can mount those behind modules that
yo know don't go all that deep (like the new M15 for instance).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yeah, I figured I'd have to site the model 1s behind the shallower
modules in the rack!  
I originally had the idea of laying out a 4-row case, VCOs at the top,
audio processors next down, CV sources/modifiers next down again, and
a wide sequencer across the bottom.  The top row can be shallow, as
that's just going to have VCOs and mults in it, depth of the bottom
row depends on the depth of the tap clock I just ordered. I guess I
could make the middle 2 boats somewhat deeper and be flexible as to
what goes where.  Maybe have audio processing at the left, CV sources
at the right.  Looking at the photos on the site, the dual voltage
processor appears to be the deepest?  I'll hold off on any serious
case-building efforts 'till I get a few more modules anyway.

A quick other question - there are links to places where one can buy
the standard sized knobs in some older posts - where can one buy the
narrower knobs (VCO fine tune, VCF bandwidth) and are they avaiolable
in different colours?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Can't speak for the others, although I think (I may be wrong) that the
Zero VCO is a bit deeper than this?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I don't know about Doepfer or Analogue Systems (or the Euro-format
Zero VCO) but Cwejman's modules are all flat-backed, and very shallow
front-back, I believe?

best etc.