Why hasn't some budget company jumped on the 500 series bandwagon?

[Analogeezer]

Do you have to get approval or something from the VPR alliance to make a 500 series product?

I realize the budget companies can punch out an 8 channel preamp rack for probably the same price as a single 500 series module, but at the same time I am wondering why some budget companies don't look at the 500 rack series as a way to differentiate their products.

Might be a way to get a bunch of different low cost pres into a rack, or other components.

I'm just curious as to why SM Pro Audio, Nady, those sorts of companies have not decided to make 500 series racks and components....

I don't know that I'd actually buy them but like I said it's curious that only high end companies are making stuff in that format.

Analogeezer

[GordZilla]

Good question

I'll betcha it's being kicked around in some R&D section, of some "low end" vendor as we speak... if not already in some prototype form.

Picture M-Audio or Focusrite with a 500 compatable pre and rack system

[emrr]

Very few 500 series products are officially part of the VPR Alliance, and any non-authorized product immediately voids the API lunchbox or rackmount system warranty. I have no idea what it takes to become an authorized vendor, but it must be substantial in some way given the lack of members.

The sheer price of a 500 series rackmount or lunchbox as a starting point is enough to keep budget operations away; how can you sell a $200 device that requires a $400-$900 power supply and mounting frame? Sure, you can, but it's too mind-boggling for most buyers.

[kafka]

I'm going to take a guess here that the whole 500 series thing is very much a niche market, and there really just won't be enough sales to interest anyone but a handful of boutique manufacturers.

[Darm]

Well, why can't they just make a a powersupply and a rackmount for $200 instead of $400?
That would be nice....

[Tomer1]

They can do it for much less then 200$ but they wont because people are willing to pay the price so why mess with a money maker?

[kafka]

Originally Posted by Darm

Well, why can't they just make a a powersupply and a rackmount for $200 instead of $400?
That would be nice....

You can, but it probably wouldn't be something that you want to use to power a half dozen $800 mic pres. In any engineering project, not only is there a point of diminishing returns, but there's also a point of diminishing savings.

[Analogeezer]

I guess my thought was they would also make racks with a PSU, now whether or not you'd want to slap your API's in there or not is another question, but I'm surprised no one like Behringer or SM Pro Audio, or Nady or whatever has not made a rack and a series of modules, just so they can make low end users they have some of that Pro 500 series mojo or whatever.

I'm not saying I'd buy such products, just curious as to if they are in the pipeline.

Analogeezer

[nosebleedaudio]

Originally Posted by Analogeezer

I guess my thought was they would also make racks with a PSU, now whether or not you'd want to slap your API's in there or not is another question, but I'm surprised no one like Behringer or SM Pro Audio, or Nady or whatever has not made a rack and a series of modules, just so they can make low end users they have some of that Pro 500 series mojo or whatever.

I'm not saying I'd buy such products, just curious as to if they are in the pipeline.

Analogeezer

The Mojo COMES from the particular module, if it was a low end rack with low end modules what would be the point?

[bentwookieesound]

Seeing as how much of the cost cutting on cheaper units is in the power supply, I would think that this would be the way to go for a lot of more budget minded companies to release decent, competitive products.

[illacov]

Bring back that dbx 900 series!

That was some classic shit right there!

I was playing a festival last nite and the sound guy had a 900 series lunchbox with dbx compressors and eqs galore oh how I drooled to possess it!

I bet those units would be a excellent for a low end manufacturer to get into since the vcas aren't that hard to source or since there are other ways of doing compression to give classic curves ala Chameleon Labs. Or even classic pre clones like Chameleon Labs or the infamous Group Buy that's going on .

Those JLM Baby Animals would an excellent candidate for these purposes.

However since you can already build a set of 8 of those pres for around 800 bucks which ain't bad for 8 channels of really good pres, why bother screwing it up with Behringer or SM Pro Fab? If anything we should be petitioning JLM to just release their own little 900/500 series units. We have the targeted audience just need somebody to fill the need and JLM meets the bill.

Peace
Illumination

[Analogeezer]

Originally Posted by nosebleedaudio

The Mojo COMES from the particular module, if it was a low end rack with low end modules what would be the point?

It would look like what the high end guys were using....you know how a $100 LDC that looks like a U87 makes people feel?

Hey I'm not saying I would buy one or it's even a good idea but in a market saturated with $100 - $200 cheap rack processors it would be a way to differentiate a low end product.

....and if the cheap racks worked with the good stuff.....well there you go

Analogeezer