Accessories for Effects Modules

The A-Designs 500HR is a simple two space 500 series rack casing. Usually 500 series racks come in six or ten space casings, so it’s rare to see one that only has two spaces. The unit is a single space rack mountable piece of gear, fitting in any traditional rack casing, which is also rare for a 500 series rack unit. It’s got XLR inputs and outputs for each of the two channels, and has a standard power cord jack in the back as well. There are a few different pros and cons concerning this unit. I’ll start off by saying that this is the cheapest way you can rack your 500 series modules, although it’s also the most limited in it’s expansion since it’s only got two spaces. The upside with this is that it’s got it’s own power supply so it’s a low start up cost for racking two 500 series modules. I haven’t seen any others out there that have less than six spaces for modules, which are of course more expensive. If you’re planning on only using two 500 series modules in your rig, this is the way to go as it costs the least to rack them. However, if you decided in the future that you wanted to add more modules, you’d be out of luck, as with something like the 6 slot API or Brent Averill, you’d have the option of adding more modules. In my opinion, it’s worth it to get the extra spaces unless you’re really tight or space, and/or you’re looking for something a bit more portable. Even though it costs a little bit more to get a six slot 500 series rack, in my opinion it’s well worth it as you can add more modules. More and more companies are making 500 series racks, so even though the A-Designs 500HR offers the lowest start up cost, I think you’ll find that it’s worth it to spend a few extra bucks to live yourself options in the future…

The API Audio 500-6B Lunchbox is six slot casing, designed for 500 series modules made by API and other companies. The 500-6B has a built in power supply, which is very nice as you don't have to get a separate one to power up your modules. It will fit just about any 500 module as far as I know... UTILIZATION There isn't anything that you really need to know about using the API Audio 500-6B Lunchbox, as once you've got it set up, you're good to go. It isn't hard to place the modules into the 500-6B as they slide right in without any problems. I don't think that you really need a manual, but if you're new to the make up of 500 series racks and cases, it might be a good idea to have it around anyway. SOUND QUALITY There isn't anything at all that you can judge the API Audio 500-6B Lunchbox on sound quality, as it is merely as casing for 500 series modules. No sounds whatsoever are made or processed through this piece of gear - it only houses modules that do. It doesn't have the means to color or add to any of the sounds that you hear in the modules either... OVERALL OPINION As far as 500 series casings go, the API Audio 500-6B Lunchbox is one of the best out there for a few different reasons. First, since API does manufacture most of the 500 series modules out there, this casing is absolutely fully compatible with their modules and other out there. They really invented the lunch box and 500 series design, so getting it from the source isn't a bad idea. It is also great that it comes with the power supply, which is a considerable amount of money if you need to buy one on its own. So even though you might have to pay a bit more for this 500 series casing than you would another, it makes up for this with the power supply being included. If you're looking to put together a 500 series rack, I'd highly recommend going with the API Audio 500-6B Lunchbox.

Note : This review is after 10 days of use so i expect more options or tricks to find. EDIT 06 Jan 2022 : Warning Message !!!! From the people of Cranborne Audio !!! these racks can't handle stereo cards which use the input port as output or output as input using a XLR gender changer due the use of the internal electronics like the DA convertors. Ports will be driven in the wrong direction and may damage your build in DA convertors. Thank you for the warning Cranbone Audio :mrg: The review : I got this machine with eight camden preamps and four N22 breakout boxes as a gift because my previous audio interface broke down after many years of service. They knew i love the small build of the 500 series and if done correctly you can stack a lot of equipment in less space which in the end cleans up your studio. This unit is mainly the replacement of my audio interface and thus for recording purposes with the extra 500 series which can be used as both input device as well as an effect device . I think this unit is one of a kind in the pond of 500 series racks. The standard option to use breakout boxes or standalone preamps with CAST ports is game changing. No clutter and millions of cables to make a connection with these preamps or breakout boxes and you got two channel in and two channel out at the same time over one CAT 5/6 cable. So you actually need only 4 CAT cables to handle 8 channels and some return channels. Due the adat interface inside you can add up to two multi mic preamp interfaces like focusrite octo preamp giving you 24 inputs and 16 outputs. ( note : 16 because the 500r8 does not have multi outputs only the stereo daw out ( ** I think that you also can use the direct outputs of the camden mic pre amp but i did not test that yet ) The rack is build according to very high quality standards. Nicely done and very heavy for what is inside. The sound is clean ( maybe to clean but i think my previous interface was not ... it was also a lot cheaper ) The monitor section with talkback is very nice and made me take out the monitor / talkback rack i used because it was no longer necessary. It supports dynamic mics as well as condensor mics ( don't use Ribbon mics on that port because their is 48VDC on that port all the time ) It has 2 monitor outputs and the ability to switch between them. There is so much more to explain and tell but i guess it would be more like a book than a review :facepalm: So the machine it self is a big plus. And even do it is a wonderful machine i have some pointers to make. these pointers are not pros and cons but just my opinion what i like and what i like to see ( so basicly this last past is more for Cranborne Audio :clin: ) I think the rack unit is very solid . It is more like a tank than a rack. It is also very clean without big logos that will distract you while working with it. Good job Cranborne Audio The toggle switches : I have my doubts about the switches. They look cool and shiny but feels a bit fragile. they toggle and i can't help to think if it was better to use push buttons. but like i said i work with this for 10 days so they still can prove me wrong. Indicators : I actually mis some indicators of the chosen slot function for example : red for cast , orange for DAC etc In the dark you can not see which function is chosen. VU meters are a bit to bright but that is just personal taste ( a smal switch on the back of the machine that can set the brightness would be great as a future option as well as dimmable status/ slot function leds. ) - The following has nothing to do with the rack but with the Camden modules. - The stand-alone preamps have nice small indicators . The Camden modules have none. And this hurts me to say. In the dark you can't see the status of anything . no indicators for phase inverse, 48v or the the selector for mic, line or Direct. ( this is really a downside : Sorry guys )

The Fulltone ETC-1 is a Replacement Tape Cartridge for the Fulltone Tube Tape Echo delay boxes. I don't think that they can be used to fill other real tape delay effects, as they are specifically designed for the Tube Tape Echo. For those who want to know more about the Tube Tape Echo, you can check out my review of it on my page, but it's one of my favorite delay devices period. It simply sounds awesome. These tapes are to replace the tape inside of it that will wear out after a certain period of time, of which length I'm not 100% sure about, but some seem to wear out faster than others. While I don't own a Tube Tape Echo, one of the studio that I work out of has it and I know that they've had some trouble with these tapes recently, as they're wearing out way quicker than they should. I'm not sure if anyone else has this problem with these, as perhaps it could be a slight issue with the Tube Tape Echo itself, although while the tape was on, there were no audible problems. To make matters worse, I think that Fulltone has stopped making these tapes, although I'm not 100% sure on this. Either way, they are difficult to find now and at the very least they are on back order if you try to get one online. This is of course a major issue that I'm sure Fulltone will address. Hopefully not too many people out there are having the same problems with these tapes, and if they are Fulltone does something to fix the situation or at least start issuing more tapes. Tube Tape Echo owners will definitely want to keep a close eye on this situation and see how it plays out as it could be a problem going forward if you're planning on using your Tube Tape Echo for years to come.

The Valley Audio TR804 is a rack enclosure that cases certain Valley People outboard gain like the Gain Brain gates. It can host a variety of gear as far as I know, but I think it's only for Valley Audio gear, although I could be wrong about this. I've only used the TR804 rack with Kepex II Gain Brain modules, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't use other modules as well. Each can fit four modules and it comes with a power supply for powering everything up. This is very similar to the API Lunchboxes, but this doesn't have the same sort of flexibility that you will get with a 500 series casing since there are know so many 500 series modules to choose from. So unless you're going to get some Gain Brain modules or you already have some, you're probably not going to need the TR804. If you want something that you can build upon with different modules, a 500 series casing is the way go as these are not interchangeable due to the lack of flexibility with modules with the TR804. The price isn't too bad for the TR804, but that doesn't matter much as if you've got the Gain Brain/Kepex modules, you're going to need to regardless, but at least it's nice to know that you won't be getting gouged for something that is necessary. I've seen these in all different types of studios, as I think they were really more necessary before the digital age as now gates just aren't used for tracking as much. Still, the Gain Brain series of gates are some of the best around, so if you need a bunch of them, you'll need the Valley Audio TR804. I don't believe you can even use one of the modules unless you've got this, so it's essential for them...

The Inward Connections Vac Rac 4000 is a signal processing module system that consists of spaces for four different modules. It's much like a 500 series rack, but it's got it's own format and I believe only Inward Connections has modules that will fit it. The casing takes up three spaces in a traditional rack space, with it's own vacuum tube power supply, as all of the modules for it are indeed vacuum tube based. Each also has it's own connections, so it's not like a 500 series rack where you'll have connections built into the casing. There are four different modules to choose from that fit the Vac Rac 4000, including the TEQ-1 Tube Step Equalizer, TMP- 1 Tube Mic Preamp, the TLM-1 Tube Limiter, and TII-1 Tube Instrument Interface. The rack that I've used had two of the TEQ-1 Tube Step EQ's as well as one of the TLM-1's and one of the TMP-1's, giving you the ability to have a really nice all in one chain. The studio that I work at has this, but it isn't always at the studio as the owner uses it at his home studio a good bit. I was really excited to get to try it out recently when he brought it in, and was not at all disappointed! These modules sound incredible and the Vac Rac 4000 is really a great idea from the smart thinkers over at Inward Connections. It's the only rack of it's kind that I'm aware of that actually lets you mix and match vacuum tube based gear. Inward isn't all that well known, but they make some of the best gear out there when it comes to finely made devices. This is definitely expensive, but if you're a professional looking for some tube gear that allows you to mix and match modules, the Vac Rac 4000 is the only way to do it!