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i dont know if that link will work, hopefully it does
so that is what i want to start with, im pretty ignorant to the modular world but hopefully what i have made makes sense for someone
My main question is about the power supply, i dont know enough about how electrics work and am nervous about using american modules in the UK
I have an analogue solutions AS0084 case with 12-15V AC external power supply 500mA, im planning on building my own case and just using the power supply from the 0084
is there anyone out there who can give me a simple answer/explanation as to if i should be concerned with how im planning on doing this setup?
I do not believe that your concern should be tied up with the differences between the power supply module you own and it's associated Power Supply Unit (PSU) when it comes to using your existing power supply with UK or USA supplied modules. Electronics work the same way around the world and its physics is not impacted by national borders.
A Module that uses 200ma on a +12VDC rail, 50ma on -12VDC rail and 10ma on a +5VDC rail will do so regardless of where it is used in a rack anyplace in the world. Your concern should be placed in knowing what your Eurorack Power Supply module can safely supply on those rails and whether the modules that you are adding to your system fall within those parameters.
You can use this website to build a model of your Eurorack with the PS and Modules you have and the site will generate the list of all your modules and their individual and combine power requirement in order to stay under what you power supply module can deliver. If you see that your module are taking more than what you are able to power them with, you will then be forced to buy additional power supply modules to allow for expansion.
Don't let the AC voltage and frequency source enter into the equation because all of these modules rely on clean rectified, stepped down DC voltages coming from the Power Supply Module(s).
My 120 VAC 60 Hz source and a 240 VAC 50 Hz source in a different country do not matter because the cards are supplied with +12 VDC, -12 VDC, and +5 VDC only. Your Power Supply Unit (PSU) that you plug into the wall should be the only component different between countries with different AC supplies.
Oh, and do not plead ignorance. The first step in learning is the one you have taken.
thanks very much for the reply, it is what i suspected but having emigrated the uk years ago i have had my share of electronic devices melt or malfunction, i was just worried because of the significant cost involved and wanted some reassurance, so thanks again.
how do i specify what power supply i have on modulargrid? is it to do with what rack you choose? my rack isnt listed so im not sure what is the equivalent
I need to establish a reference point before answering you question(s) any further so that I do not tred into a discussion about stuff you already know and/or have done.
Is the photo you used to start this thread your actual system or is it one that you used ModularGrid to reconstruct?
Do you have all of the modules depicted?
Does your Analogue Solutions rack have an internal supply to supply +12 vdc, -12 vdc, and +5 vdc to the internal rails of the skiff and if so, do you know the specs for the current supplied to each rail?
Is this the first time you have used ModularGrid?
These questions and their answers will be good to start answering the question you have and the big one, "How do I prevent smoking my system?"
i have the sv-01 and a-118, the maths and reverb are extras i would eventually like to get
yes this is my first time using modular grid (well first week), how could you tell!
this is what the user manual for the AS0084 says re-power supply:
"Power input:
12-15V AC external power supply 500mA or higher, 2.1mm DC socket.
230v mains adaptor only supplied for Euro models. 115V US adaptors are available from Noisebug.
Width:
84HP
Introduction
This is a lower cost alternative to the pricey aluminium
style cases.
The AS0084 will take any combination of Concussor,
A100 or Integrator modules with no problems of gaps or
lining up because it does not use tapped strips.
Power Supply
The power supply board has 9 Doepfer style connectors
and 3 Integrator sockets. A 5V power rail is
provided for those modules that require it. It uses an external power supply of 15VAC. This case uses 15V AC (NOT
DC!) Use a minimum of 500mA external power supply (not supplied). We can only supply 230V external adaptors with
either UK or Euro plugs.
As the power supply requires AC, it does not matter which way round you fit the connector. If you accidentally use
a 15V DC power supply, it will not cause any damage, but the system won’t work.
The case will generally supply a full set of modules unless there are too many power hungry modules."
I have been tryong to dig up info on the Analogue Solutions AS0084 case and so far, have only found the Concussor User Manual which unfortunately, only gives you the AC power supply requirements (12-15 vac at 500 ma) and does not delineate the actual internal +12 vdc, -12 vdc, +5 vdc supply current output which is really what you need to make sure you stay under the supply maximums. It is not a good idea or statement to say, "The case will generally supply a full set of modules unless there are too many power hungry modules," because you have no idea what your power supply will deliver and therefore cannot ensure you do not exceed the limits of the supply.
So, we need to find out what that limit actually is. Without this, you cannot relly know what your limits are on you rack supply either thru Modular Grid or manually thru a spreadsheet or other means.
Go ahead and try your hand on building a virtual rack like yours on MG with the modules you have and go from there while I try to find out the power supply delivery. No wonder Analogue Solutions no longer makes these.
I have been tryigg to dig up info on the Analogue Solutions AS0084 case and so far, have only found the Concussor User Manual which unfortunately, only gives you the AC power supply requirements (12-15 vac at 500 ma) and does not delineate the actual internal +12 vdc, -12 vdc, +5 vdc supply current output which is really what you need to make sure you stay under the supply maximums. It is not a good idea or statement to say, "The case will generally supply a full set of modules unless there are too many power hungry modules," because you have no idea what your power supply will deliver and therefore cannot ensure you do not exceed the limits of the supply.
So, we need to find out what that limit actually is. Without this, you cannot really know what your limits are on you rack supply either thru Modular Grid or manually thru a spreadsheet or other means.
Go ahead and try your hand on building a virtual rack like yours on MG with the modules you have and go from there while I try to find out the power supply delivery. No wonder Analogue Solutions no longer makes these.
the case is plastic and has predrilled holes so if you want to put anything except what they are built for into it you have to drill your own holes...the plan is to take the power supply out and build my own rack..
Given that you do not know what the Power Supply rail maximum loads would be, if I were in your shoes, i wout rebuild in a new skiff and buyba new Power Supply module so you are aware of the limits. You are much better off knowing your limits than using a module as a fuse.
I still have not been able to fing that info yet. It is obvious since the holes were predrilled tha Analogue Solutions from 2003 to 2007 was intent on the plastic housing to be used only with their modules. In fact they even state in the manual as a rather inaffective warning that they are not responsible for issues caused by modules from other manufacturers. Nice ... Not!
There are some fairly inexpensive skiff solutions out now including TipTop Audio's new skiff line.
I'm a brand new Eurorack user as well... and.. one thing about this ModularGrid format that puzzles me the interface does not allow a planner to add or define a power supply for a rack? I know what my power supply specifications are (an Intellijel TPS30 MAX Triple Power Supply – 30W 3U / 6U busboard) .. and I spent more time than I'd like to admit trying to figure out how to add the power supply to my planned rack, (then realized finally that doing so makes no difference!) It's confusing because the power ratings listed under the rack image do not reflect what you might have ! Is there something I'm missing? In my case my "module" per se... because there is no panel - (its built into the case) but I would think the addition of defining basic Power Supply parameters would not only help inform a user about falling within PS limits but also ensure one is not limited by the number of Power Ports on the busboard or harness available.
Also, It seems like these days there a a TON of commercially available rack cases. Am I wrong? Why are there only 4 or 5 cases available?
Yes, you have to be careful 0f specs listed for the modules you have and what info is pulled up through the ModularGrid entries. Some of the modules have been entered by individuals and shops and there is always that demon called "typo." I generally use the figures as a guideline; but, always double check the module manufacturer's specs to make sure. These values are also steady state values and do not reflect startup loading on the power supplies. They even make adapter modules that delay the start up of modules in order to minimize the extreme loading condions on rack power up.
Power Supplies themselves along with Powered Racks are animals unto themselves and as you pointed out, many are not listed due to variety, the nature of the bus structures, and other factors. I could be wrong; but, I view ModularGrid as a planning and layout tool foremost, with the added features of calculating module loads on the busses as a secondary feature. Like most things, MG is still a growing product/tool backed by a large user community. Things progress slowly and matters are not helped much by the comings and goings of module manufacturers and limited module production runs.
So, when all else fails, I always keep a spreadsheet of everything to make sure I stay under my self-imposed 80% loading rule per rack row. I prefer to use the non-powered racks and supply my own P/S modules and PSUs ... one per rack row using the TipTop Audio uZEUS modules. This gives me an advantage of only turning power on for the rows of modules I might be using as opposed to the whole thing sitting in standby mode doing nothing. The disadvantage would be that my setup is not very portable which does not appeal to most musicians. There again though, this is one of my home hobbies and not a profession that tromps around from one venue to another.
In the end, I use MG more for module and rack layouts more than anything else and the reports as a quick calc on P/S requirements. Then my spreadsheet kicks in ... both the one tracking rack electrical loadings, and the other tracking expenditures, LOL.
