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Looking for recommendations on large rack and case manufacturers for minimum 1600hp/140 modules of full-size modules plus an additional 500hp/40 modules of 1U?
Things I like to hear:
high-quality / durable
well-spec'd power
stylish
reasonably affordable but not expecting miracles
Any and all advice is welcome.
Looking for one GIANT case for the studio, and can take out as needed to populate smaller travel / gig cases.
Christian at NICU
NICU on YouTube
NICUmusic on Instagram
For my baby daughter Luna who fought very hard to be here
Solution simple: Case From Lake. Not only do they do custom builds, you can have them add custom features to their "standard" fare. Power supplies on those are always overspecced, they're super-solid, and you might even wind up working with them to come up with a fully portable solution...yes, even for THAT MANY modules! https://www.casefromlake.com/
Another source for gawdawfully-huge studio cabs is ADDAC...they've long offered cabs that offer 197 hp (ie: 1 meter) rows, plus they share CFL's philosophy about having enough current capacity...and then some. You can even get some 2U 19" rack toppers for those, and there's 2 x 168 of tile rows right there just by adding some tile frames and power connections.
Then for the ultimate in Eurorack case overkill, there's https://eurorackmodularcase.com/. Just click it...no explanation needed there!
Looking for recommendations on large rack and case manufacturers for minimum 1600hp/140 modules of full-size modules plus an additional 500hp/40 modules of 1U?
My new (not very large, only 4 x 104 hp) custom powered case was built by Uryan Modular, a small business that happens to be operating in my country. The prices are pretty friendly, the build quality is great. They use Meanwell PSUs with plenty of reserve power. One example for a larger case (17U/168 hp, 160 module slots, 4 x 2800 mA +12v, 4 x 500 mA -12v):
My new (not very large, only 4 x 104 hp) custom powered case was built by Uryan Modular, a small business that happens to be operating in my country. The prices are pretty friendly, the build quality is great. They use Meanwell PSUs with plenty of reserve power. One example for a larger case (17U/168 hp, 160 module slots, 4 x 2800 mA +12v, 4 x 500 mA -12v):
-- aphew_goodman
Damn, that's a big honker! That price is right, though...840 in 3U and 336 in tiles for EUR 1100, with some clearly BEEFED-UP power, is a helluva deal!
What I like about Doepfer is they're widely available in stock, are stackable (with some basic hardware), have great reputation for PSUs, and I imagine they'll be available for a while so in the future when I need another case, I don't have to mix and match, I can probably get another Doepfer.
Case From Lake is super responsive, nice, easy to deal with, does wide customization, and made me a real nice case.
I'm looking to get an extra large, closeable, ~portable case. It's ok if it's bulky and couldn't possibly fit as a carry-on on a plane, but I hope to transport it in a car and occasionally clear it off my desk and store it in a corner/closet. Major bonus points if it can be closed while patched.
I like having 1U rows, so I've discussed a custom build with Case from Lake about adding two 1U rows to the middle section, bringing it to 17U 126HP. This is totally feasible and really a dream case for me. I want this to be my main case for the next 10+ years. I may make the big investment in it sometime next year, but I am concerned about power. I want to hear others' thoughts and get my math checked before I go really overboard and compromise or spend extra money unnecessarily.
The case would come with three power supplies by default, powering the top two rows, the middle three (1U + 3U + 1U), and the bottom two. It has quite a few power-hungry modules. In my estimate, I could be using up to 1850/795 mA (12V/-12V) per power supply based on the totals in the last two rows.
Case from Lake says the default power supplies (Meanwell RT65Bs) can go to 2000/800 mA without overstressing. 795 mA is very close to 800 mA on the -12V rail, which is why I'm concerned. Maybe some modules have under-reported power usage, or maybe I'll buy even more power-hungry digital modules in the future. I don't want to have to compromise the rack's layout and be worrying about power if I'm going to invest in this.
So I could add an extra power supply to the top section and the bottom section. These Meanwell RT65Bs are pretty cheap, so that doesn't seem like a big deal and might be enough to address my concerns.
Alternately, I could "upgrade" to the Doepfer PSU3, but that supports 2000/1200 mA total, so using the "80% rule" it might start overstressing at 1600/ 960 mA, which is definitely not enough. I'd probably need five Doepfer PSU3s for this case, but those are significantly more expensive and it looks like it might add something like $900 to the cost (practically doubling the price). It seems these Doepfer power supplies are really well regarded, and part of me thinks if I'm going to invest in this as my main case for the next 10+ years, I am willing to spend more for very high quality that I can depend on. I just don't know if it's worth it... Maybe there's (more) detectable noise with the Meanwells? I've heard stories of certain digital modules using a spike in power at boot-up and not working with lower-end power supplies, but I don't know if this is something I should even be worrying about (is this actually a problem for many people?) or if Doepfer vs Meanwell is meaningful for these concerns.
Ooooor, I could get the mdlrcase 14U 126HP case with its 85W power supplies that can provide 4000/2500 mA to each 7U section. These cases seem pretty nice too! I'd be sacraficing a 3U row, but these seems to give plenty of power headroom at a better price point than five Doepfer power supplies. A big question here is if the mdlrcase power supply is significantly better than a couple Meanwells, and if that would make it worth dropping the 3U row.
In summary, things I'm considering:
Get the Case from Lake case with the default three Meanwell PSUs, knowing that I am riding the line of overstressing, but also knowing I could simply not fill the case (probably a good idea anyway?) or learn DIY skills and upgrade/add the PSUs myself later.
Pay a little more for five Meanwell PSUs. Replace them later if there are any issues.
Pay a lot more for five Doepfer PSU3s instead of three or five Meanwells because I want it to be super-dependable
Stop debating all that and just get the mdlrcase with its overpowered PSUs, but lose some rack space.
If you read this far and are willing to share some thoughts, thanks in advance!
I have 1 very nice case from lake, it is big, and kind of too awkward / heavy to move much.
I am getting another Case From Lake, it will be a joinable pair, more HP than the first, but also easier to move due to its being a splitable / joinable pair. If you follow up with Alberto at CFL and ask about some pairs, he'll show you some pictures.
Doepfer monster cases have lids and covers with handles to transport them places. I like the clean aesthetic and power but Case from Lake look fantastic as well.
I have a Doepfer Monster Base (the flightcase version), I don't like the angles (the 45° angle doesn't work for my setup) and it turns out to be too wide for my personal eurorack bandwidth... but what I really really like about them is the solid build, the handles, the PSUs and the fact that it has a lid that actually fits snuggly into place. I'm selling the base btw if anyone's interested, it has two PSU2s that were just about enough to handle my requirements.
It's not a good idea to put stress on any PSU, as it might break (no big deal) and take a few modules with it when it dies (probably a big deal).
(I'd stay away from the Meanwells if possible. Many makers (that don't sell PSUs so they aren't trying to sell their stuff to me) have warned me about issues with those. )
Yeah there are weak points in monster case and sometimes it’s hard to get knurlies screwed into parts of the case.
I would buy something like Cases from Lake as my next large format case.
Yeah there are weak points in monster case and sometimes it’s hard to get knurlies screwed into parts of the case.
I would buy something like Cases from Lake as my next large format case.
-- benscott
Hi Ben
This is easy to solve if you slightly loosen all the screws in a row. Then the modules have room to maneuver again and the knurlies can be screwed in easily.
For the folks who have bought or are planning to buy a Case from Lake case, did you spend the extra money to get Doepfer PSUs? Anyone get the Meanwells? Any issues with those?
I keep hearing hints that there could be problems with the MWs, but I haven’t heard any specifics directly from a person who had a bad experience. And what kind of issues are we talking about? Noise? Modules not behaving correctly? I guess any kind of issue like that is going to be unacceptable.
