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Blue travel case by Tom

This is my first attempt at building a Eurorack case. I really enjoyed it and I want to share a few of the lessons I learned for others trying the same. Although I’ve been producing electronic music on and off for about 20years I’ve only just got into Eurorack and I wanted a 7u 84hp portable case for my modules that wasn’t going to cost too much. After a lot of time planning and measuring, it was great to find all the parts including an affordable power supply in one place at ModularSynthLab.

Lessons learnt:

  • Some vital tools: Gorilla Wood glue, extra-large joiners vices, flat/belt sander, 240grit sandpaper, 3mm drill bit, wire strippers, crimp tool
  • At 75mm height in this case, the space above the MeanWell power supply box is tight – 80mm would be better but still doesn’t leave much space for modules so take care to check the depth of your modules.
  • Using 9mm plywood is good because it is lightweight but take care to select short screws that will not go right through. Also, instead of fitting 3mm dowels to strengthen the joints between wooden panels, consider using small right-angle brackets on the inside to brace the box together.
  • For a wooden case, either get the specific edges routed (by someone who knows what they are doing) before starting to construct it or round the edges by hand – just know that sanding is slower and not as easy to get a uniform curve on all the edges.
  • If using plywood, really take time, care, and patience to fill all the roughness and holes on the cut edges, especially if the finish will be painted (wood glue can be useful for this) – you’ll thank yourself once it’s done.
  • Use Fork-type crimps on the ends of wires connecting to the MeanWell Powersupply – a lot easier to slide them in and tighten rather than try to wrap the bare wire around the terminal screws.
  • Plywood comes up nicely with oil and varnish but if painting the case, use a primer that is not too thick – this will prevent spending a lot of time sanding it back down (something I didn’t enjoy). Also, for a matt finish spray paint for graffiti art is an excellent choice but consider using a ‘lower’ pressure type rather than ‘high pressure’ (the latter is harder to get an even finish) and apply at least two coats.
  • When choosing where on the base of the case to fit the distribution board, consider the length of the power cables from each module – the placement, in this case, isn’t too far away from the top row but should have been slightly more central.

Blue travel case by Tom Read More »

Case for Marc

Delivery of this eurorack case to USA took a loot of time due to coronavirus crisis….but finally it was delivered and Marc shared some good words:

Waited extremely patiently for this **beautiful** case to arrive (had ordered it prior to Corona lockdown). The craftsmanship is perfect. Going to go fill it up now. Thank you, Robert!

Case for Marc Read More »

DIY Eurorack Suitcase_full video tutorial by Ralf

Take a look at this orange 12U suitcase!
If you have doubts are you capable to build own eurorack case – this video is for you. You get a chance to see all the details of what it takes to succeed with a project like that.
When we found this video online we have immediately contacted the author, Ralf.
Ralf has built the whole case by himself with some basic tools and hardware from our store. Well ok… 3D printer might not fit into the category of “basic tools” 🙂 but it wasn’t critical for this build.
Great case Ralf! And thanks for making an effort and sharing the video. It will inspire others!

 

 

 

DIY Eurorack Suitcase_full video tutorial by Ralf Read More »

Eurorack Blank Panels

We are proud to present new Eurorack Blank Panels in our store!

Unlike other boring single color panels, we wanted our euorack blank panels to stand out from the crowd – for that reason we have decided to cover them with a beautiful pattern inspired by electronic paths. You can place any size blank panels side by side in any configuration and the printed graphic design will always create one continuous pattern. If you prefer not printed white or black surface, just flip over the panels.

Our panels are made out of fiberglass material – therefore they are really lightweight. Fiberglass material is also very easy to drill therefore our eurorack blank panels are perfect for DIY projects. The printed pattern of electronic paths will fit nicely with any DIY eurorack modules projects. Simple idea to reuse blank panels might be to drill some holes, add some 3.5mm jacks and make own, usefull multiple module!

 

Eurorack Blank Panels Read More »

Mean Well RT65B

Changes in construction of famous Mean Well RT65B PSU

RT65B power supply from MeanWell is one of hot items at ModularSytnhLab webshop. It is super popular among modular synthesizers users all over the world becouse it is powerful and it is cheap. Sure it is not perfect – it is not designed to be used in audio equipment so compering it with other specialized power supplies that cost houndreds of euro has no sense.
But RT65B is for sure leading in category of “what you get for less than €35!”
Low price of RT65B power supply has allowed many users to start the adventure with eurorack.

Few days ago we have been contacting MeanWell with some topics about RT65B and we got interesting information from technical service department, we think it is  worth to share with others:
“…starts from this year July we upgrade RT-65 to remove minimum load requirment”

For us as eurorack users this mean one stress less during case build – good job MeanWell!

 

Changes in construction of famous Mean Well RT65B PSU Read More »

Upcycling army case into massive portable modular synth – by Sean

Sean from USA shared with us photos of what he has build using some of products from our store…and it took our breath away. Take a look…

Here is what Sean says about his case:

“The case is a military surplus case from Hardigg. Waterproof and air tight with a pressure release valve. It’s military surplus and was used to carry around satellite communications dishes.  I managed to get it for $60.00 and it fits 126hp perfectly on top and bottom with room to spare for closing it when patched. The legs attach and detach using wingnuts so the whole thing is very portable for shows. The stand is actually a converted portable workbench that supports over 200lbs so when it’s connected the whole thing is very stable on stage or at a meetup. I am loving it for live performances. And the best part is that the stand only cost $34.00 on Amazon, so it was incredibly inexpensive. Thank you for the power supplies and distribution boards – I am incredibly happy with the performance and stability. I’ll definitely be buying from you again in the future! “

– Sean –

Want to see this case in action? Check Sean instagram account https://www.instagram.com/filetransferprotocol/

 

                               

Upcycling army case into massive portable modular synth – by Sean Read More »

Custom 360HP Monster Case made for Ryan

I have to be honest – I love the feeling when another case built come out better than expected and when the client is truly happy with his case. For Ryan we made 120HP 9U case powered with Doepfer PSU3. Case was large so to reduce the weight we decided to use special very light plywood – thanks to that even large case like that weight only about 7kg.

Here is what Ryan says about his case:

“Robert at Modular Synth Lab was very helpful and informative in specing a custom build portable eurorack case. I was given updates and pictures during the build. The finished case is 120hp/9u and I’m very pleased with the excellent build quality. It looks great and is the perfect housing for my modules.”

– Ryan-

    

Custom 360HP Monster Case made for Ryan Read More »

Desktop case by Alan

Another interesting eurorack case.  Alan made his 168HP 12U desktop case full of power…from those four meanwell PSU units he can take around 12A. All PSU units are installed on the backside of the case – smart solution to keep the main voltage away from modules, keep the busboards nice and tidy and give those PSU units good airflow cooling… Great job Alan!

Materials used in this project:

Desktop case by Alan Read More »

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