Re: Mobius in a rack unit

["Stephen Goodman" <spgoodman@earthlight.net>]

?From the looks of it you'd have to probably replace the fans with the 
silent variety.  Cool though!

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Art Simon" <simart@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2010 1:06 AM
To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Subject: Re: Mobius in a rack unit

> Just a heads up for any potential rack mount music PC builders. Newegg
> has a server case on sale today for $59 free shipping.
> 
>http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-TechBargains&cm_mmc=AFC-TechBargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16811147154
> I'm thinking about it. . .
>
> On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 5:12 PM, Sylvain Poitras
> <sylvain.trombone@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 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
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Art Simon
> simart@gmail.com
> myspace [dot] com/artsimon
>