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Custom/Modified Gear and Gadgets


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I love custom stuff. On rare occasion when I need something that doesn't exist I like coming up with the detailed concept and specs and then either attempting to build/modify it myself or work with a pro builder.

 

Both my RME AES-32 soundcard and Aurora 16 use DB25 connectors exclusively. The Aurora does have an optional card slot which I have filled with a USB card for contingencies but that's not much help. Any other options are no longer available and they were sort of pricey.

 

What I want to do is connect my Eventide Eclipse up digitally. It has AES/EBU on XLRs, SPDIF and ADAT. It also has analog ins/outs which I've been using since I got it. One of our forum members who shall remain blameless got me curious. I was going to splice into one of the AES cables to separate out a channel (1 AES/EBU digital = 2 analog chn). I even ordered the cable and connectors with this in mind. But I started thinking about flexibility and what if I end up with another piece of digital hardware?

 

I thought about building something but cutting out holes for DB25 connectors is just a bit much for my skills and tool set. After looking around I found this on the Redco site:

 

db25mult.jpg

Mult Box

 

I thought about buying a stock version and modifying it myself, but after a couple of phone calls Redco is building this to my spec:

 

zAZJn1Tl.jpg

 

Redco is awesome to work with and the price is extremely reasonable.

 

 

I thought this would be a good topic for folks to show their custom or modified gear. Furniture, stands, speakers, synths, audio, whatever. Except cables please. I can't look at one more custom length cable. :D

 

So...watcha got?

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I thought about building something but cutting out holes for DB25 connectors is just a bit much for my skills and tool set. After looking around I found this on the Redco site:

 

Redco is awesome to work with and the price is extremely reasonable.

 

Greenlee makes a DB-25 Chassis Punch, but I'll bet it cost more than the Redco Mult panel or your custom version of it.

 

PUNDB25_500x500_View1.jpg

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...but I'll bet it cost more than the Redco Mult panel or your custom version of it.

 

 

I think you"re right by at least a factor of 2. And then you need the tool and all the components. I"ll stick with Redco.

 

Besides I"m way more about burning or electrocuting myself than punching 25 pin shell holes in my body parts. :lolol:

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2 widgets and a thingamabob.

 

Visual theme is "not real pretty". All of these are useful and used often.

 

1st photo shows a pedalboard I slapped together for a Roland Cube 40 GSX amp, this makes it a great amp for smaller gigs or practices. I had the project box set up with a TRS jack on the end and 2 TS jacks on the side for another purpose but it's perfect for adding the recommended footswitches (which I somehow already had). It works perfectly, not much else to say.

 

Also in that photo is an EMG BTC (Bass/Treble Control) that I installed in a Peavey box that used to house a Speaker Out to DI box, similar to an early H&K Red Box (and like the H&K it sounded thin, yet harsh).

I've got it running on 2 9v batteries for generous headroom. http://www.emgpickups.com/btccontrol.html

 

I've found that deciding which instrument is going to cover the low frequencies AFTER you've recorded them is fraught with peril. Your properly recorded instrument will bump up past zero in a heartbeat with a bit of bass boost post recording. By using this going in I can get the bottom end right and a safe volume. Studio quiet, works great on bass or kick, can be patched into an insert loop or run directly. As the link mentions, there are 4 different settings for boost/cut in the treble frequencies, when I mounted this I made sure to leave access to that switch. One of these days...

 

This is great because I have 2 basses, a Korg Wavedrum and a Roland Handsonic and any one of those can potentially provide the low end. All of them sound great run through this mighty contraption.

 

Final photo shows the mini-patch bay I wired up for my studio rack. I got a deal on a Focusrite ISA One and it's a great mic pre/Di but a stupid form factor. I have no space for a rackmount patch bay and I don't need very many channels to bring all my input out to the front of the box. This does the trick, including fully functional phantom power for the 3 mic inputs. From left to right are mic inputs for the Focusrite and a pair of Presonus Eureka channel strips. The 1/4" jack is TRS and splits down to two TS jacks on the back. Those run line in on channels 7/8. I got the Handsonic stupid cheap but the left output jack is wonky. This lets me run out of the headphone jack and split that signal back into the intended stereo output.

 

Simple stuff but all of it is useful and gets used.

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It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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That little BTC looks way cool- never knew such a thing existed. Nice job on your custom boxes. Curious ,what did you use to label the BTC box?

 

I had that BTC laying around in the parts stash for decades. It's "vintage" now.

They make a 3 band with mid too. It really is handy often and just two cords with battery power. As long as you remember to unplug the input the batteries will last well over a year.

And pure DC power cannot generate any sort of noise. The bass EQ goes down to 20hz, according to EMG. I believe it, my Tech 21 Bass Driver DI has a 40hz switch and the bass sounds deeper through the BTC.

Crazy.

 

BTC is probably the bomb fattening up a Moog bass track!

 

I used a silver (metallic) Sharpie to label the BTC box. That was after rough sanding most of the beat up greyish green Peavy paint job off. I thought it would match well with my theme of "Go ugly early."

Now I am thinking of getting a 1 space rack shelf and a couple of project boxes and re-doing my mini patch bay with new options. I have 3 mic preamps with Send and Return and an FMR RNC that has Ins and Outs for 2 channels. That's 10 more 1/4" jacks right there. I probably have the other parts laying around, would not be expensive or difficult in any case. Could also mount the RNC up there and the Cloudlifter CL-1. That would make room in the bottom the rack to put some oddly shaped piece of audio gear next to my Focusrite ISA One. Groove Tube Brick comes to mind but there are other ugly boxes. UA makea 2 or 3, just for one...

It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Update to my OP: After 3 months of broken promises I gave up on Redco doing a custom mod for me. I did end up purchasing the stock mult box and modding it myself. Not too bad actually. They do use some heavy gauge metal and I wasn't sure about drilling using what I have available, but fortunately it turned out OK.

 

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4xq9MjPl.jpg

 

The kicker is that during this 3 months I've sent my Lynx Aurora 16 converter in for repair twice and it's about to go again as it died on me for a 3rd time last week. This mult box has therefore been low priority since without the Aurora it's kind of useless for recording/playback of the Eventide Eclipse.

 

Or so I thought until I realized the other day that I could use my Eventide Eclipse in bypass mode as a stereo channel converter. Duh! Works and sounds great and I'm using it to play my soft synths which I couldn't otherwise do. Once again..Duh!

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