Cases / Power / Portability

Price and full specs yet to be announced.
How does that power supply look like?

Someone in the MW thread claimed to have seen a spec of ā€œ3 zones, each of which can provide up to 1 A of powerā€
If i remember correctly, the model D fills 70 hp, so 2*70 x 2 rows -> 280 hp.
If this is a proper 1A on both +12V and -12V, this does deliver more than the magical 10 ma/hp
I guess the question comes down to the big ifs and then how clean the power is.

1 Like

I already have a PS3 Doepfer P9, but as it gets filled with LZX modules, I am aware I will run out of power fast.

I was thinking of adding an extra power supply for one row. My thought had been that I could get a Row Power or Microzeus, unplug the connectors to the passive busboard and feed it that way, but Iā€™m reading here that the Row Power would be too glitchy and am thinking the Mantis might be too. Any ideas? Also, any thoughts about unplugging the bus board to pass the power?

1 Like

I recommend the Malekko PSU and the TTA Access module. Iā€™m using a Dual Access to power two Malekko PSUs in a 12U rack cab. I needed some help mounting the PSUs, however.

If you use this PSU, check you have some Faston 250 connectors and a crimping tool. I had to buy mine for the job, but that was easy.

Now I have a full set of various Faston250 connectors, so I can make all kinds of funny internal power cables. :grinning:

2 Likes

I just bought a Doepfer Monster base to upgrade the 3 Happy Ending Kits Iā€™ve been using in a 9U ā€œbentoā€ flight case from Black Market. Iā€™ve though about putting a Malekko board in the flight case - Iā€™m not that much of an electronics or DIY guy, but it seems pretty easy to mount the Malekko if you have the right tools. I was thinking I was gonna have to punch holes in the case for a switch and DC barrel, but I like this solution better.

1 Like

That looks too complicated for me, looking for an easier solution. Iā€™m wondering is some modules might care less about power supply than others (Liquid TV? Bridge?)

1 Like

Maybe Liquid TV, esp if you use the 12V DC socket on the back. Iā€™ve yet to try that option as Iā€™ve been happy powering it from first an RP40 and now a Mantis case/PSU. Iā€™m still evaluating the Mantis PSU. Itā€™s a big improvement over the RP40, but Iā€™ve yet to test it to its limits. I should try an A/B keying test. Keying tends to expose noise rather well, I find. (E.g. A=Mantis/B=Malekko.)

Consider this recent video: https://vimeo.com/381878754. Is there some small noise in there? Did it come from the Mantis PSU, where the ramps are generated? The keying was done by a Doorway on the Malekko PSU. The ramps come from a Diver and a VC in the Mantis case.

Ugh, so according to modular grid, Iā€™m definitely overvoltage on the -12V range and thatā€™s with some of my modules having incomplete specs.

Iā€™ve purchased a A100 base. Iā€™m going to take my PSU3 P9 and split it between an older PSU2 P6 and the PSU3 P9. That should work, right? The PSU2 wonā€™t matter since the 1200V on -12 has been the limiting factor thus far.

I know @creatorlars and everyone else is super busy, but there are some power specs missing from Modular Grid, for example for the Cadet Ramps.

The general rule of thumb for LZX modules is to plan on needing 10mA per HP. Since the Cadets are all 4 HP, itā€™s fairly safe to assume that theyā€™ll need around 40mA on the +12V and 40mA on the -12V. The actual numbers vary, but more often than not theyā€™ll be less than 10mA per HP.

i measured my cadets some weeks ago with the joranalogue test3, i remember some of them consumed more mA than indicated by modulargrid

The problem Iā€™m currently wrestling with is how to cleanly power my next cabinet. A 12U 19" rack cabinet made of steel.

I really like the Malekko PSU but mounting that on a steel panel is way beyond anything I can imagine, nevermind build. I canā€™t even buy the power bricks Malekko recommend thanks to CE restrictions. A shop could sell me one, if any shop here sold them, but of course they donā€™t.

I canā€™t even be sure I can buy a Malekko PSU in the UK. I know of two shops who might. One has in the past, but this PSU is currently out of stock. The other shop talks mysteriously about not having stuff in stock, but being able to solve that in just a matter of days, with a vague reference to distributers.

So maybe the ideal PSU for me would be a small board that plugs into the power socket on the back of a module. On the other side could be a 12V DC socket and the circuitry for a single-module PSU. Maybe 300ma on each rail. If that existed, Iā€™d buy a dozen without hesitating. Esp if itā€™s not fussy about the power brick. I.e. vapourware.

I could just abandon the cabinet idea (and sell the modules I have that require a cabinet due to depth) and switch to Vessels. Then Iā€™d be limited to a maximum of 4 Vessels (2 horizontal, 2 vertical). Thatā€™s 2 x 204hp x 4 = 816hp. With cabinets using the same tablespace I could still have room for 2 Vessels.

My cabinets are elevated on 3U cabinets, giving me space for extra gear under the synth, but also making it easier to use skiffs in front. That would be 84hp x 4 x 3 = 1008hp just for the cabs. The 2 Vessels in front would add another 416hp.

So, Iā€™m very pleased to see new modules like Topogram and the forthcoming Automata series.

Mounting a Malekko Power on a sheet-steel panel isnā€™t hard. Assuming youā€™re drilling holes through, itā€™s easier than trying to anchor pocket standoffs in a wood case.

All you need is a hand drill, a half dozen machine screws and nuts, and 1/2ā€ spacers. Malekko supplies a drill template in the documentation but itā€™s unfortunately not to scale and not downloadable to print at scale, so I made this one. If you can print it on 11x17 paper all you need to do is cut it out, tape it on, and use something sharp to tap divots in the hole centers before you drill. (There are a lot of holes, but Malekko docs say you only have to use the six marked with red arrows below.)

EDIT: I canā€™t upload a PDF, but hereā€™s a PNG:

Fusion drawing link:
https://a360.co/2WLE4Pq

I canā€™t do any of that. Trust me on that. I know my limits. Thatā€™s way over on the ā€œI canā€™t do thatā€ side.

Might be worth it to find someone who can do it for you, then. Itā€™s a simple enough task that anyone who owns a drill can probably manage it, so no need to draw a professional into it unless you really want. Just ask a friend.

Would folks like to share their experiences with wider cases - 126hp or 140hp? It seems the 10mA per 1hp rule means power per row gets trickier (or at least expensive) at these widths, as 1260 or 1400 per row means one PSU per row? What solutions have people found work for them here?

Could you please share more info on your setup?

Malekko has been out of stock for a while and the genusmodu stuff looks like a good alternative to it but i couldnā€™t find as many people using it. Using the Row Power 40 would also help with the fact that I wouldnā€™t have to create holes for the power supply in the case as it would power from the front. Do you feel that it provides enough power for your system? Iā€™m going for a 6U 104HP and +12V @ 1.5A, -12V @ 1.3A, +5V @ 1.5A might not be enough.

you may be okay with that
but, itā€™s not just about is there enough power - is it clean enough too - most eurorack psus are fine for audio, but a lot have issues with really high frequency noise, which can affect video - this is why the latest modules (at least topogram and chromagnon) have on board power conditioning - so they can cope with noisier power
I would mock whatever you are intending up on Modular grid and see - if you are intending to rack some of the newer modules then pay attention to what can be powered from an adapter (say if you have a Memory Palace and a Chromagnon) - there is a module due to allow power input for these from the front of the case - so no cutting involved

1 Like

Hi all,
I am wondering if anyone has actually tried the power from MDLR cases. I am thinking of ordering a case and I am wondering if I will need to take steps to fix power - their power supply looks really hefty but I am asking for experiences.

1 Like

Iā€™m in the process of ordering the 3.4A model of the Bel Power Linear Supply as suggested in this post by Lars ā€” https://community.lzxindustries.net/t/eurorack-case-and-power-supply-options/

I have decided to go for the best quality possible sacrificing on the portability factor. Iā€™m going to design an external case for the power supply and a separate one just for the modules.

As far as my understanding goes, LZX series modules use only the +12V and -12V rails so a 5V scenario doesnā€™t need to be included for now.

Iā€™m thinking about having three of these in total (see image below). The first one would be used to connect AC and the power supply case. The second and third one between the power supply and the modular case.

Iā€™ll probably be working on this the following months. I intend to share some of the process by the end of it.

1 Like