lunchboxes....more bang for the buck???

[jourdan11]

i know this is a broad question(all gear costs different)would the whole lunchbox route be a good idea for me??i love the whole different flavors in one box thing.

[pan60]

their are a lot of variables to consider, at least in my view.
you can buy top shelf gear in the 500 format, gear that can be, a much more affordable way to go, or not, it depends on what you are getting.
some 500 format gear can be costly, but, once you have you lunchbox, and / or rack, you can choose just what you want.
also one need to balance, space verses cost, my space is valuable, to many small project studios, space is a very limited commodity, the 500 format become much more valuable is this setting.
some engineers that do a lot of field work will often place more value on the 500 format as it is much more portable.
just some thoughts: )~

jump in and join the 500 format gang here!

[Dean Roddey]

On the whole, depending on what parts you are interested in, you can do well in terms of bang for the buck. Even if the savings is only $200 relative to a rack mounted equivalent per module, that's $1200 in savings by the time you fill it up (assuming no 2 slot modules in a 6 slot lunchbox.) And there are various deals out there that will save you even more bucks.

[lrieves]

it's really just how you play your cards. i think if you are buying gear secondhand, then there are generally more 500 series goodies for sale in the classifieds than there are 19" units, mostly because part of the point of the lunchbox is having that kind of flexibility to sell a preamp or two and replace it with another flavor more easily and affordably.


out of curiosity i just put the pencil to the pad and figured, for a pacifica, great river, and two channels of chandler germaniums (so six channels altogether) it works out to be $6,806.94 (from sweetwater). that's including a 6 space rack unit of $120.

for a lunchbox consisting of a pair of brent averills, p1's, and ma5's , it works out to be about $4,958.88. that's including the lunchbox.

that's not mentioning the pair of power outlets you save with a lunchbox (since the germs run off the same power supply), so it could potentially cost you another furman, so depending on how much you want to invest in a good power supply, it could cost you another 20-500 bucks, respectively.

bear in mind that formula drastically changes when you change the preamps, and/or stumble upon a good deal here on the GS classifieds.

[Kronos147]

One of the big considerations that I don't see get much mention is if you are thinking about ONLY having 500 series, is how do you get stereo compression? Food for thought.

I personally have 22 slots and am going for more. I still have 4 slots to fill as it is now though.

[NathanEldred]

Originally Posted by pan60

their are a lot of variables to consider, at least in my view.
you can buy top shelf gear in the 500 format, gear that can be, a much more affordable way to go, or not, it depends on what you are getting.
some 500 format gear can be costly, but, once you have you lunchbox, and / or rack, you can choose just what you want.
also one need to balance, space verses cost, my space is valuable, to many small project studios, space is a very limited commodity, the 500 format become much more valuable is this setting.
some engineers that do a lot of field work will often place more value on the 500 format as it is much more portable.
just some thoughts: )~

jump in and join the 500 format gang here!

+1 Many good points.

You can't really lose with the 500 format. It's much easier to get into, to add at any pace that suits you. To sell off anything you're no longer in love with, and to replace with other modules when the need arises. Portability is great if you go with a smaller rack, or maximize value with getting a larger rack. Just depends on your needs.

[lozion]

=pan60;3092813
jump in and join the 500 format gang here!

I'm about to!

I'll start with a 6B-LB and a API 512c.
Then I plan to add:

-Arsenal Audio V14
-Purple Audio Action
-Burgin Mcd. Komit
-Standard Audio Level-Or
-Anamod 660 or another pre, Mint Julep, Ma5, etc...

Yep, I love comps thumbsup!

[Dean Roddey]

for a lunchbox consisting of a pair of brent averills, p1's, and ma5's , it works out to be about $4,958.88. that's including the lunchbox.

Is that also counting the various deals you can get? For instance, if you get a $50 discount per slot you fill, that's $300 saved if you have all single slot ones. Some folks have a free lunchbox if you buy four modules, etc...

[lrieves]

Originally Posted by Dean Roddey

Is that also counting the various deals you can get? For instance, if you get a $50 discount per slot you fill, that's $300 saved if you have all single slot ones. Some folks have a free lunchbox if you buy four modules, etc...

no it isn't, just trying to keep it black and white for a simple answer (which is almost never the way it plays out, but it was a black and white question). and yes, there are some great 500 series specials, so further affirmation for the lunchbox.