Re: Mobius in a rack unit

[Sylvain Poitras <sylvain.trombone@gmail.com>]

Thanks for the info, James.  I've been thinking about this for a while
and this may give me the final push to finally get it done.
Sylvain

On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 10:52 AM, james fowler <twostroke@gmail.com> wrote:
> sure.  here goes:
>
> COMPUTER
>
> case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811165083
> motherboard: 
>http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121357
> processor: 
>http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041
> ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134582
> hd: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136098
> cd drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827140042
>
> i bought a power supply locally...forgot to order at the time...but some 
>$50
> unit from best buy works just fine.  search "power supply 500w" and it'll
> pull up what you need.
>
> that's it for the basic computer components.  all of that crap just kinda
> plugs together.  you might want a 3.5" drive for drivers/software that 
>come
> only in that format...i got an external usb off craigslist and i used it
> once just to load software.  you could always but an internal 
>multi-format
> card reader/3.5" drive/sandwich press but i opted against as it seemed
> superfluous.
>
> check out that hp monitor i mentioned: TFT5600.  it's 1u high and slides 
>in
> and out...but you gotta get it with the sliding rack rails, which it is
> normally sold with.  trackball kinda blows so i have a usb mouse sitting 
>on
> some spare keyboard real estate.
>
> this all makes for a 4u setup, which will fit in this:
> 
>http://www.skbcases.com/music/products/proddetail.php?f=sku_rack_space_units-4-80&id=125&o=&offset=1&c=80&s=80
>
> i'm sure there are others, but the server case is deep and you'll need a
> rack case that will afford you the extra room.  plus, you can put your
> interfaces in the rear as you'll have some spare room.
>
> INSTRUMENT/CONTROL INTERFACE
>
> my keyboard and percussion pad are both usb, which the motherboard 
>already
> accommodates amply.  my foot controller is midi so i have an m-audio 2x2 
>usb
> interface that works great for getting midi in and out of the computer.
> midi output distribution (to various processors and hardware synths) is
> handled by a midi solutions thru box.
>
> AUDIO INTERFACE
>
> here's where you can spend a lot or a little.  i initially spent a little
> and bought an m-audio delta 66 (4 i/o, spdif i/o) and it sounded pretty
> crappy.  all my soft synths sounded thin and two-dimensional.  per boysen
> (from this list) suggested checking out rme.  here again, very expensive 
>new
> but second hand is very affordable.  the converters are great...much 
>better
> fidelity and now all my thin soft synths sound SO much better.  so my 
>advice
> is to buy something worth buying.  you don't have to spend 3 grand on the
> baddest thing out there, but there are some high-end-of-the-mid-range 
>guys
> out there that will do the job very well.  lynx, rme, etc...you'll need 
>to
> look around and of course consider what's enough for your personal needs.
> as well, you can go pci, firewire or usb.  i prefer pci, but that's just
> me.  i picked up an rme multiface for 200 bucks and couldn't be happier.
>
> SOFTWARE
>
> super-subjective, but just so you know:
>
> i have a non-registered (but legit) copy of xp.  service pack 3, i
> think...anyhow, last major update i reckon.  works great.  seems most
> everything is written with xp in mind.  i mean EVERYBODY supports it.  i 
>run
> mobius (among other things) inside plogue bidule.  it's a modular graphic
> host that actually has a lot under the hood if you need it.  but on the
> surface you just click and drag virtual cables (audio, midi, etc.) from
> inputs to outputs and that's it.  can be very quick and easy if you're 
>just
> hustling trying new shit.  i love it.
>
> MISCELLANY
>
> i have a few old analog synths.  one cool perk is that people have 
>written
> software editors for them.  so...it's sort of the best of both worlds:
> analog fidelity and digital/graphical manipulation.  i also have a usb
> wireless card...good for downloading software.  in hindsight, i would 
>have
> gone with an internal wireless carb but no big deal.
>
>
> On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 4:12 PM, Sylvain Poitras
> <sylvain.trombone@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hey James,
>> Can you give us your parts list for that rack pc?
>> Sylvain
>>
>> On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:29 AM, james fowler <twostroke@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > i built my own rackmount pc.  cost me about 700 bucks and everything
>> > came
>> > from newegg.com  it's 3u high and skb makes a deep shock rack that 
>will
>> > accommodate server cases.  for the money it's far more powerful than
>> > anything you could buy off the shelf.  plenty of memory, ram, 
>processor
>> > is
>> > plenty fast, etc.  and i'm not a computer-y person, so don't be
>> > dissuaded if
>> > you feel that you lack the requisite know-how.  it's pretty much
>> > bone-simple.
>> >
>> > touch screens are dope and all but hp makes a slide-out 
>keyboard/monitor
>> > combo that works great.  i'm typing on it right now, actually.  google
>> > "TFT5600" and see what comes up.  i paid 30 bucks for mine on
>> > ebay...apparently they're absurdly expensive new and absurdly cheap 
>when
>> > bought used.  i use bidule and on anything but the simplest of presets
>> > i'm
>> > needing all the screen i can get.  a tiny touch screen would be
>> > infuriating.
>> >
>> > only things left are a good pci audio interface and midi i/o and 
>you're
>> > all
>> > set.
>> >
>> > if anybody is seriously considering something similar, feel free to
>> > email me
>> > off (or on, i suppose) for gory details.
>> >
>> > - jim
>> >
>> > On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:39 AM, Art Simon <simart@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> I've toyed with the idea of building a rack mount music computer. I
>> >> especially like the idea of built-in touchscreen, so you wouldn't 
>need
>> >> to
>> >> have a keyboard and monitor on stage. Here's an example:
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> 
>http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811321006&Tpk=RPC-919T
>> >>
>> >> What's kept me from doing it is that most of the rack mount server
>> >> cases
>> >> are too deep for the typical musicians 19" flight case, and while it
>> >> would
>> >> be portable, it would be awkward and heavy to carry. Also, the costs
>> >> start
>> >> to add up. A laptop seems much more cost effective, unless you 
>already
>> >> have
>> >> a good desktop and just want to transfer it to a new case. The
>> >> alienware
>> >> M11x is slightly larger than a netbook and costs under $1000. It 
>could
>> >> make
>> >> a very portable and unobtrusive music laptop.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> 
>http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/notebooks/alienware-m11x/pd.aspx?refid=alienware-m11x&cs=19&s=dhs
>> >>
>> >> On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 12:58 AM, G <gigs@paradise.net.nz> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>> To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
>> >>> Subject: Re: Mobius in a rack unit
>> >>> From: Rainer Straschill <moinsound@googlemail.com>
>> >>> Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2010 23:10:53 +0200
>> >>> >
>> >>> >Jeff Larson said (with regard to the Altium NanoBoard):
>> >>> >> I've looked at things like this before, the problem with them for
>> >>> >> me
>> >>> >> boils down to the operating system.  Besides the big things like
>> >>> >> how
>> >>> >> you interface with MIDI, audio, and display devices, Mobius was
>> >>> >> also
>> >>> >> designed with certain OS assumptions like virtual memory and a 
>file
>> >>> >> system.
>> >>> 8<
>> >>> >> At the moment I barely have enough time to keep the Windows and 
>Mac
>> >>> >> versions going so I doubt this will ever happen.
>> >>> >>
>> >>> 8<
>> >>> >I just had this idea because a) this hardware has everything you'd
>> >>> > need,
>> >>> >b) the "you can't fit Möbius into a rack unit" topic had come up 
>just
>> >>> >recently and c) the fact that I assume that something like Möbius
>> >>> > (due
>> >>> >to its eight parallel engines and a state-machine-oriented logic)
>> >>> > really
>> >>> >lends itself to be implemented on a FPGA.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >But there was a reason I neded my originall message with a
>> >>> >smileyface...I perfectly understand that you don't want to get into
>> >>> > yet
>> >>> >another version to support.
>> >>> >
>> >>> >Yours,
>> >>> >
>> >>> >          Rainer
>> >>>
>> >>> Hi
>> >>> Since deciding to go the rack route, fitting a laptop or pc into a
>> >>> rack
>> >>> is something I'm pondering.  I missed the earlier thread.
>> >>> In IT server rooms, generally multiple servers are housed in 19"
>> >>> racks.
>> >>> I'm thinking about getting such a rack PC case installing an 
>adequate
>> >>> computer into it.  I've yet to look into the keyboard/mouse/monitor.
>> >>> -- G.
>> >>>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Art Simon
>> >> simart@gmail.com
>> >> myspace [dot] com/artsimon
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>