MOTM

I've got to jump in too.

Even though I just got on Larry's cabinet waiting list, I've been thinking
about all this myself. The reason is I'm trying to plan out my system for
what
I want today vs. where I want to go in the future. Ultimately, I've
concluded
that I really want more flexibility than even what a cabinet-mounted modular
gives. But I'm a ways off from there!

I would love to be able to easily pull modules out of the cabinet and
re-arrange
them within minutes. If I want a classic "boston-style" layout (as Cynthia
recently posted somewhere), then I can place them in a cabinet that way. If
I
want to experiment with some wild envelope modulations, I can arrange a
bunch
of VCOs, LFOs, etc. around/near some EGs. If I want to emulate a classic
mono/poly keyboard's architecture, then I can plug them in that way. I think
you get the idea.

Anyway, what I'm cooking up in my head is a pluggable cabinet, sort of like
what I've seen in some old electronic lab equipment many years ago. Each
module has a standard backplane that plugs into a cabinet bus. Want to
rearrange
your modules, just pull 'em out and plug 'em back in the way you want.

This would require a pretty slick mounting system (read $$$). Instead of
stationary screws through the face-plate's mounting holes, posts would be
inserted that fit through the bracket's holes. Perhaps these posts would
be a rubber material that provides the perfect amount of friction to hold
the modules in, but also allow easy removal. There would also have to be
some
elegant way of being able to remove the modules without having to resort
to screwdrivers - we don't want rack rash or screwdriver scars all over our
faceplates!

I'm just dreaming - but someday I might really sit down and try this. But
there's
a lot of details. Ahhhh, details, details. In the meantime, I'm looking
forward
to some real, nice, classic walnut cabinets...

-Greg