Help me put a Hig-End studio into a 8U Rack for $18k

[jindrich]

I'm reorganizing all my toys for the Nth time. As I've been moving/travelling a lot thru Europe for the last 2 years, I definetely need an easily moveable setup that allows me put a serious *studio* anywhere.

I already have a pretty good idea of what I want and what I need to sell/buy, but would like to ask here, maybe you guys come up with some ideas I never thought of. The plan is to reduce EVERYTHING to a simple 8U rack of gear, plus 2speakers, Mics (+cables and stands) and laptop.
(If you think hard, you'll realize 8U allows for a LOT of things, giving the current state of modern gear)

The 8U rack must include:
-a hi-end 8ch A/D/A interface (to go with a MacbookPro running logic),
-a hi-end Fx unit, (my plugins are Waves' SSL and Altiverb)
-as many hi-end Pres and Comps as possible, plus some EQ

all that considering I track pretty much anything, from a rock band to a solo cello playing a Bach sonata. I rarely need more than 8 simultaneous chs when tracking, even with rock/pop bands. Also, I'm considering a small mixer (onyx 1620?) strictly for monitoring duties. A Midas Venice would be ideal but it's too heavy.
I want only great, hi-end gear, in a "*less is more* moto.

So, what are your takes for that 8U rack? There's no budget limits (well, don't go beyond 18k ). All input is welcomed




On antoher note, I'd like to ask, how would you ideally move all that? (airplanes)
Until now, I've been carrying into a bag as hand-luggage the most fragile and expensive things, namely, the Powerbook, Mics and a 1U 8ch A/D/A, and then having the rest into standard big suitcase/s that are normally checked in, with units wrapped with air-bubble plastic and surrounded by lots of clothes.

Now would you still do the same thing, or would put the whole gear instead into a big 8U hard-case that will be checked in? Or rather rather put the 8U of gear into two of those 4U softbags and try to pass it as hand-luggage?...

thx in advance

[T.RayBullard]

well...for 8ch AD/DA, I highly reccomend the Mytek 8 x 192


the Digital Audio Denmark gear is great too because it is modular and can be upgraded when needed. These are my next purchase..DXD/DSD compatibility as well as standard PCM..

[snappydad]

Breaking the 8u rack into two 4u is a pretty good idea if you ask me. You could have one set up for smaller projects so you wouldn't be dragging the whole mess around for a 2 channel acoustic gig, and your back will like you a lot more when you get to the stairwell.

[jdjustice]

Originally Posted by jindrich

The 8U rack must include:
-a hi-end 8ch A/D/A interface (to go with a MacbookPro running logic),
-a hi-end Fx unit, (my plugins are Waves' SSL and Altiverb)
-as many hi-end Pres and Comps as possible, plus some EQ

I want only great, hi-end gear, in a "*less is more* moto.

So, what are your takes for that 8U rack? There's no budget limits (well, don't go beyond 18k ). All input is welcomed

01. Apogee Ensemble Multichannel FireWire Interface with 8-Channel A/D/A, $2000 USD ( 1RU )
02. Kurzweil KSP8 8-Channel Digital Effects Processor, $2800 USD ( 2 RU )
03. Great River MP-2NV Dual-Channel Preamplifier, $2150 USD ( 1 RU )
04. A Designs Audio PACIFICA Dual-Channel Preamplifier, $1950 USD ( 1 RU )
05. Great River EQ-2NV Dual-Channel Equalizer, $2750 USD ( 1 RU )
06. Alan Smart Research C2 Stereo or Dual Mono Compressor, $3000 USD ( 1 RU )
07. Crane Song TRAKKER Single-Channel Compressor/Limiter, $2150 USD ( 1 RU )

This takes up all 8 rack spaces and would cost $16,800.00 USD. i chose most products looking for compactness; the only exception is the Kurzweil with 2 rack units taken up; i don't know a great effects unit that i have used that is 1RU.

the Apogee Ensemble is ideal since you are running Logic, and is both the interface and has 8-channel A/D/A and 4-channel preamplification.

for the two preamps i chose the GR and the PACIFICA because i feel they complement each other; the only other pre i would add if there were one more space would be the API 3124+. the GR preamp and eq together gives you numerous options for sound sculpting.

the TRAKKER is great for (what?) tracking... other choices here are a Distressor, an LA-2A, and an 1176 of course, but the LA-2A is not space friendly of course, so i went with the TRAKKER (the Distressor is a good and less expensive choice here too, and only 1RU).

the Alan Smart C2 is a great, modern-sounding mixbuss compressor that can be used for other duties. again i chose the Alan Smart C2 partly based on compactness; i would ideally use (just me) a Focusrite Red 3 or Crane Song STC-8 on the mixbuss (if you even need a mixbuss compressor) but they were bigger and i like the C2 so that's why i chose it.

TA-DA!!


cheers,
J.D.

[kittonian]

Here's what I'd do for a seriously high end setup that you can both track and mix on in only 8U:

1. Lynx Aurora 16 (the firewire lslot option will be out shortly) - 1U
2. Lexicon PCM 81 (covers stereo delay/reverb/effects) - 1U
3. Daking Mic-Pre IV - 1U
4. (2) Daking FET Compressor - 2U, 1U/each
5. SSL G384 Compressor (stereo) - 1U
6. Neve 8816 Summing Mixer (covers analog summing and monitoring functions as well as allows for the insert of the ssl comp on the mixbuss) - 2U

Hope that helps!

[supaheef]

I just did this, well not with the buget you're talking about, but have just spent a year working in the UK with a pretty high-end 6RU rig.

My rig is:

SCA Preamp Rack (2RU)
RME Fireface (1RU)
FMR Audio RNC and RNLA (1RU)
Apogee Mini-Me (next to the FMR's)
TC M300 (1RU. Cheap reverb while tracking - not used at mix time)

My remaining 1RU will get a patchbay really soon, just to save me hanging over the back of the unit trying to patch things round! The rack is one those foam-lined ones, with an aluminium exterior. To get it around, (from Australia to UK and back) I used www.excessbaggage.com who can either fly or ship your box to pretty much any country/city in the world. They are UK based (I think) but they have agents all over the world.

Now for the gear! Having trolleyed the above-mentioned f@$*ing rack halfway around the world, I would say "KEEP IT SMALL". The SCA's don't just sound awesome, they pack 8 great quality pres into 2RU, and you can choose the flavours. BUT if you pack the rack out you could have up to 16 transformers in 2RU, which is really heavy. Splitting into two racks is also a very good idea, also don't forget that (depth dependent, of course) you can pack a rack front and back, and use a patch bay for re-wiring your chain. I have often thought of having the "tracking" gear on one side, then the "mixing" gear on the other. Anyways, just thoughts.

-heath.

[Steamy Williams]

Some of this stuff you guys are suggesting really needs spaces for ventilation above, and sometimes below too. It might be worth taking that into consideration.

[jindrich]

Many thanks for your kind and useful responses. The suggestions are great, and include things that I'm already considering.

My goal is to cram as many great pieces as possible into the most portable rig in terms of size and weight. I don't mind carrying lots of things, but sometimes that's not easily achievable or cheap -planes-, and I do flight very often.

One of the units I'm having more trouble with is the computer interface/converter. As it has to go with a laptop, everything that runs with PCI/-e has to be discarded, although I'm trying yo find whether one of the magma adaptors would ever properly work. On the other side, all of the (hi-quality) firewire interfaces appear to either have some kind of problem or bug, or they are not yet released (vaporware?).

Also not sure about which hardware FX would be ideal here.

Btw, pieces that get too hot and need lots of (rack space) ventilation, or have noisy fans are not welcomed.

What's your experience when flying with (checked in) hard rack cases?. Any trouble stories?


Plese keep the suggestions coming! (it's not necessary to include the prices)

thx again.

PS: are there any transparent (classical) pres for the 500 series? And what about compressors?

[Steamy Williams]

Originally Posted by jindrich

PS: are there any transparent (classical) pres for the 500 series?

I haven't heard it, but I would imagine the Buzz Elixir might be the most transparent pre currently available for the 500 series, although there will be a some colour from the output transformer. The John Hardy 500 series pre that is due to be released shortly may also be clean sounding alternative for the format.

[raal]

Originally Posted by jindrich

One of the units I'm having more trouble with is the computer interface/converter. As it has to go with a laptop, everything that runs with PCI/-e has to be discarded

m-audio 1814. doesn't get much smaller than that, w/WC input. syncs up to 96kHz. there's also the 'Project Mix' by m-audio. same thing with 8 moving faders and some encoders. that's what i'm using with HEDD converters + macbook for overdubs right now. you can use PT, Logic or whatever.

[BCains]

I'll give it ago.

(1RU) Apogee Ensemble $1,950.00
(1RU) Kurzweil Rumor $549.00
(1RU) API 3124+ $2,400.00
(1RU) Daking IV $1,895.00
(1RU) Phoenix Audio $2,150.00
(1RU) Manely Stereo Pultec EQP-1A $2,950.00
(1RU) Empirical Labs Fatso Jr $2,250.00
(1RU) Alan Smart C2 $2,950.00

$17K - 8RU

[NathanEldred]

Originally Posted by Steamy Williams

I haven't heard it, but I would imagine the Buzz Elixir might be the most transparent pre currently available for the 500 series, although there will be a some colour from the output transformer.

The Elixir sounds very fast and articulate (but not as fast as it's big brother the MA2.2), very appropriate for classical music or anywhere fast transients and detailed highs are desired (vocals, acoustic guitar, snare, drum overheads, and of course any form of acedemic music where things are recorded at a distance but don't require 'vintage' coloration, only slight euphonics: orchestral, chamber, choral, etc). The output transformer gives a slight bump in the lows but it's not anything that is going to take away from the recording sounding 'there in the room', it's only a subtle enhancement that makes things sound slightly bigger than real life and more flattering than reality. It's also DEAD quiet at high gain settings, even up to 70db (which is great for ribbons too).

[Jim vanBergen]

My take on what you migh consider:
RU#1: Lynx Aurora 8
RU 2/3: API L200 rack loaded with: 8x API 212L Mic Pre's & 4x API 225L Comp/lims
RU 4: Lexicon PCM90 (or PCM70 with Jim Williams' upgrade)
RU 5: Manley Mini Massive, or 2x API 550B's in a 500H horizontal rack
RU 6/7: 2x Aurora Audio GTQ-2 (4x 1073-esque channels)
RU 8: 2x Neve Portico 5043 Dual Comp/Lim



8 Ch conversion, (Lynx)
High Quality EFX unit (Lexicon)
6 really useful & good EQs (don't like Aurora GTQ2? Try Portico 5032s instead)
8 Comps (API & Neve)
12 preamps (API & Neve-ish)
But does not include the sherpa with the strong back to carry this f*kker, it's gonna be heavy!