Diy 500 series chassis
#DIY 500 SERIES CHASSIS MOD#
A switched input and output gain mod is available as a separate purchase, which swaps the two potentiometers on the front panel for switches, making it much easier to work with the Colours in stereo. The results were fantastic, and although it took a little time to set the levels evenly on each module – using tones and some very fine metering – the end result delivered everything we’d hoped. The CTX uses a custom-wound Cinemag transformer to produce a softer, less marked saturation than the JFT, while the 15IPS uses a resonant high-pass filter and new old-stock germanium diodes to emulate the head-bump and soft-clipping of a tape machine running at 15ips. The JFT uses a new old-stock 2SK170 JFET in a discreet Class A circuit to add a little low-order even harmonics to the signal, producing a similar distortion characteristic to a triode valve. This is basically Lego with a soldering iron. We were given two each of the JFT, CTX and 15IPS modules, and the building couldn’t have been easier. Moving on to the modules we managed to build all six without any hiccup. The Palette itself is incredibly simple to build, with detailed instructions, and only gets a little fiddly when it comes to fitting the LEDs to the front panel – something we advise you take a little extra time on. We set to work building two Colour Palettes simultaneously, and were finished within a couple of hours. The finished product is a DIY kit made of the Colour Palette – the 500-series module itself – which in turn houses three Colour Modules.
![diy 500 series chassis diy 500 series chassis](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/h6AAAOSw19dhJr3-/s-l300.jpg)
I highly recommend checking out 500 series.In the spirit of the DIY community, Peterson detailed every stage on the blog, taking on board various community recommendations as it worked its way from inception to the eventual release. MSRP on the lunchbox is 450 dollars, street prices you may be able to find one for 350 dollars. The newer versions of the lunchbox also feature D-sub in and D-sub out-pretty handy.
#DIY 500 SERIES CHASSIS PORTABLE#
The lunchbox is a portable desktop unit that has 6 XLR inputs and 6 XLR outputs. The 6 space unit made by API is called the lunchbox. The chassis comes in a variety of sizes 2 space, 4 space, 6 space, 8 space, 10 space, and 11 space. I personally have a 10 space internal API unit I haven’t had any problems with headroom. Some engineers consider the external power supply unit to be better, as more power means more headroom. There are a couple different chassis designs out there ones with an internal power supply and ones with an external power supply. Of course there is the initial investment of the chassis. These factors allow 500 series modules to be quite a bit cheaper than the 19” mountable versions. Also, the modules do not need a power supply as the chassis contains the power supply and provides power to each module. The modules have a reduced footprint compared to 19” rack mount alternatives. Each module is purchased separately allowing engineers to build a custom piece of gear that fits perfectly in their studio setup. This format is absolutely fantastic for home/project studios. Nowadays it seems most manufactures carry 500 compatible modules. In recent years the 500 series format has exploded with popularity. Engineers favorite console cards were now available to take out of the studio without having to bring the entire console- very cool. Thus, it was possible to use console module cards independently without any major modifications. In 1978 the first rack mountable 500 series chassis became available. (API) began building consoles in the early 1970’s that featured a modular design coined 500 series. All you need to know is a company by the name of Automated Processes Inc. I don’t want to go too far into the history of the 500 series. For those who may not be familiar, it is absolutely worth discussing.
![diy 500 series chassis diy 500 series chassis](http://i0.wp.com/wiki.diyrecordingequipment.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/GDIY511_05.jpg)
When writing that blog I made the assumption that readers were familiar with the 500 series format.
![diy 500 series chassis diy 500 series chassis](https://www.themusickitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Radial-Workhorse-Six-Pack-500-Series-Lunchbox.jpg)
A few months back Recording Reviews did a blog about a DIY 500 series preamp, the Classic API VP28.