Building a modular live performance rig with two Arturia RackBrutes

[@Klocaine237]

I'm not sure if you're a teacher or a wizard or just some mad man, but you are a blast to watch

[@dikmugget]

He is all three😂

[@Ast3rixMusic]

@@dikmugget LOL I agree the power thing is mad. I would not have done it personally. He is a blast to watch... see how his mind works.

[@chridmeister]

I have the 6U and the 3U Rackbrute. My first mistake, as a n00b, was to buy the 3U. A few weeks later I ran out of space and bought the 6U. I would strongly advise against the 3U as a first rack unless you have a very specific reason to get it. If your reason is, "I'm just starting out so I'll buy a small rack", then you are wrong. Get the big one. I'm not saying that the 3U is bad - it's just small.

[@Ast3rixMusic]

I agree also the power rating for both should be a consideration. Using modular grid to guesstimate the amount of power your gear is going to consume is a thing.

[@ntsarb]

If the laptop power supply can provide at least the sum of both Arturia power supplies' Amperage, it shoud be fine. If, however, your laptop power supply can't deliver as much Amperage as required by your modules, it will get hot, it will likely die prematurely, worst case scenario it can potentially get on fire. Also, make sure your longer cable resistance is low, ie that it's not reducing the voltage much and doesn't act like a heater by itself inside the case. One more thing. It's possible that the power module has its case linked to the negative pole of the power source and by mounting it on the rack the metal plates (of the rack) act as an EMI shield. You can test whether this is true / false using a multimetre.

[@benpolzin9235]

It is Saturday morning and I have the best time of my life watching you fiddling cables and telling me beautiful things

[@ScottofOakland]

I might be wrong, but the power supply switch on the actual module MAY have some sort of soft powering on situation whereas plugging it in directly may create a surge or something. I hope that makes sense.

[@musicwombat74]

As other people mentioned, the one thing you might want to consider is power cable safety. You don't want to pull on your power cable and have the power supply inside get off the velcro. Considering your general low tech approach to this mod, I would suggest simply tying a knot on the power cable on the inside of the case. So if you pull on the cable it will stop when the knot hits the hole in the case.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

I appreciate the low tech solution

[@brokenscart7989]

Or even a cable tie or something around the cable I guess

[@omoerbeek]

One thing: make sure the power cables get some sort of strain relief. Yanking the power cables can cause damage now, e.g. pulling the internal power supply from its velcro, causing shorts that might damage it or the modules.

[@ScottofOakland]

The patch at the end is so beautiful! Thanks for the video, Robin!!

[@attichatchsound-bobkowal5328]

Very Nice! If you have any heartburn about the bottom module power connector section being upside-down: I THINK you can swap the wooden cheeks (left on right side, right on left) and you will have the rack support connectors in the correct place AND the module power strip right side up again. Of course you would have to drill another hole for the power but it is doable.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Oh, didn’t think of that.

[@attichatchsound-bobkowal5328]

@@MoltenMusicTech Sadly your jellyfish would then be upside down . . .

[@MoltenMusicTech]

It wouldn't be because if i was doing that i would have done it before putting the sticker on.... i'm not changing it now :D

[@soniklink-WKD4496]

What a great problem solving exercise, nice to see the end result which seems perfect for you. Hope it serves you well for time to come. My only thought was maybe every now & again the cables may moves knob position slightly upon closing, but i'm sure you'd be aware what was not what prior to performing. Nice job dude! :)

[@jamiefayefenton]

I did the "cheek swap" and flipped the power panel on one of my RackBrute 6Us so both of bus-boards are on top as several of your other viewers suggested. I will probably relocate the power panels when I get desperate for another 10 hp of rack space! :-) I wonder about linking the "select bus" as I now have my Expert Sleepers EX and my Make Noise Rene in the two different racks.

[@parlefeuproject3115]

Again you are there to help me:) Did you know lol. Merci! Much love from Montréal

[@JorbLovesGear]

I considered doing the exact thing, modding those cases. Great chat, great approach, cheers.

[@jonnymartin6177]

Just got my second 6U RackBrute today along with the gig bag. I'd pulled the trigger before seeing your video, but watching it made me feel I had made the right decision. I'm using the Tesseract Modular Tukra for my drums btw. It's awesome. Can't imagine either of us will want to stick with just the two RackBrutes for long but, as you say, it's good discipline to concentrate on specific modules.

[@electricdawn2258]

I know I'm a bit late to the party. Just want to let you know that most likely the initial power draw of all modules when turning on the power supply is probably too much for your laptop power brick. If you power them on one after the other, it will probably work. PS: Very nice patch at the end!

[@matttechmodular6059]

Cheers for the shout-out on your video Robin - always very much appreciated! xxx (and glad the cables worked out ok)

[@MoltenMusicTech]

You’re welcome mate and they are definitely doing the job. Need more colours 😁

[@matttechmodular6059]

@@MoltenMusicTech i was actually considering that....although they don't have any more options in the straight ones. lots of different colours in the angled ones though....although it's hard to keep on top of all the variations, in terms of stock - I've already got 47 different ones! :)

[@illustrationmaking]

You do know you’ve now got lots of holes in your other racks that you’ll just HAVE to fill now….. 🤣 wonderful vid as usual.

[@scottharris7222]

I like the form factor. There has to be some limit beyond budget and common sense to constrain the endless possibilities of the restless imagination. A pair of 6u Rackbrutes is about a big as I would want to go. Excellent video.

[@milwaukeeTed]

Brilliant!!! Great solution, on the hunt for one of those travel bags.

[@jonnymartin6177]

Befaco cables seem to be a good size - a full patch using a combo of the Befacos and right angled cables folded up without any problems. The two side pockets are a nice touch for the two PSUs as well. Mind you, I did plan it out so that there wasn't too much chance of the cables colliding from the two units when folded up.

[@Ast3rixMusic]

I have major power concerns about this modification. That case is rated for 1600ma total and you used a power splitter to power both cases. Did you measure the amount of power being provided to each rail? I thought the right thing to do was to balance each rail out with the cards your going to use to make sure your not overloaded the circuits. This under powers both racks and makes them less stable. How did all of this work out in the end? Did you experience power issues? I just purchased one of these cases and while I was using modular grid to make sure things would fit I found that I am overloading the case by 330ma, but I have spread the load between both sides of the circuit. I haven't seen any issues with my digital modules. I just wish this case offered more than 1600ma total maybe more like 2200ma. I bet that would make the 5hp card much bigger to accommodate the capacitors needed for power. I would have gotten my name logo made like the jellyfish sticker to make the look more balanced.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

It's performed brilliantly so far. But, you know, if you've got worries then don't so this - use two power supplies.

[@skippymcgillicuddy1489]

re: getting a rack stolen, this is the perfect use case for AirTags taped into the box behind the modules. :)

[@everynamealreadygone]

Only just discovered you so too late now, but would it have made sense (if possible) to switch the sides around on the bottom unit so that the electronics are in the correct orientation?

[@MoltenMusicTech]

hmmm could be :D but, you know, you do what you did.

[@surrealchemist]

I got the Dysphonia and now I am thinking about putting it in a case and going all out with the 7U 104HP intellijel case. I like the idea of having the inputs/outputs up top that I can tap into with 1U modules. I think your plan is good, you can double the space and have it pack up neatly.

[@GhostKitchenBand]

I had the exact same thought about my rackbrute. I could really use the extra HP that the power module takes up.

[@DrVimto]

Lovely hack work on this.. I've been tempted to get a 2nd 6u to expand, and retire the 104hp tiptop portable zeus. my only issue is 1 module not compatible. the doepfer 199 sprv. the rcas would block it. I don't know electronics to hack something up.

[@brokenscart7989]

Do you advertise when you do gigs? Would like to see you play.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

If i ever had one that was more than an "open mic" then i would probably say :D let's see what 2022 brings.

[@nicolalancerotti]

you may try the trippy cables by Endorphines, they have short slender ends and feel quite nice

[@BrewsterBee]

Is there a update to this video? Would love to see how much things have changed since the 1st day

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Not a specific part 2 but all my videos show how far I’ve come since

[@BrewsterBee]

@@MoltenMusicTech i like the idea of moving the Rack 6U power mod i was thinking of mounting on the side in the timber .😁

[@TheTechnobear]

nice setup , and exciting times ahead ... look forward to seeing how this evolves, as you get used to it. I like the tendrils (I use the right angle ones) since they are flexible enough to organise... perhaps if you don't like the right angle, just use them near the 'hinge' where there is less room. tendrils now also do right angle at one end, straight at the other.

[@ADKGlobetrotter]

Awesome setup! Just got a second Rackbrute 6U, I may have to drill some holes in it now...

[@Makinthadough]

I’m so happy to see this and have been trying it out on my batch of Arturia cases. I’m finding them to actually be nearer 89 hp and that I can get away without drilling if I just run the cable up under the red thing in the space left over. The lower half of your rig looks like it leaves enough space to sneak a cable out where that little red thing is if you oriented your modules to the right. Am I not able to count to 88 or am I on to something?

[@Makinthadough]

Also I’m not trying to travel with mine and I’m using two power sources Velcroed to the sides with the power in up so I just plug them in and they’re on. No lag in the power coming on in that setup. Again cheers to you I would never thought to try this until you did just offering some insight on how it worked out over here.

[@hieroglitch_noise]

Great watch. What’s your thoughts on it after using it in a live setting?

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Yeah, brilliant, good form factor, good angles, large amount of modular only problem is that it ends up being very heavy.

[@hieroglitch_noise]

@@MoltenMusicTech ah nice one. Glad it worked out for the most part - good reason for me to get to the gym then :D

[@parlefeuproject3115]

1h13min nice patch great mood

[@okeribok]

So you mention "let's see if there are problems" and it has been a year. Have there been problems? Because that metal part you velcro'd is definately a heat sink. And though putting duct tape on the side of the case to prevent the power module from touching it is a good idea, it does add to the thermal isolation. Also curious to see wether your PSU brick is still alive, after having experience the jolts of turning on two loaded rigs for a while. I calculated the total power of my filled rackbrutes and came up to 38W, which does not leave much headroom on the 45W PSU brick. I am interested, because I am doing the same mods you are. Minus jelly fish. Only I am planning to mount power connectors on the case.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

It’s all been working very well. I had it running as my main case for months

[@okeribok]

@@MoltenMusicTech Cool! That will save me 10hp (and cost me X,-). thanks for the reply.

[@AndyVonal]

Genius as always!!! really loved this! But heck - what a faff!!! rather you than me! Thanks loads, as ever, for the fab (and instructive) entertainment! Hope to see you playing live as soon as possible! (Sheffield is somewhere near Norwich, isn't it?)

[@Hellseeker1]

Yep just ordered my second rack brute for the same thing

[@michaelwredfearn]

Great setup!

[@Radar23]

MM such a cool presenter!

[@vinylarchaeologist]

Correction: the Rackbrute is 89 HP wide, not 84. Arturia themselves have their stats wrong. It’s 89 HP per row, minus 5 HP for the power supply on one of the rows.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Cool, i just gained another 10hp

[@Vilendank]

I would make certain that the tape you are using is specifically for non-conductive purposes, I've encountered this wiring in wring up my own battery supplies: spend for the non-conductive tape. or use glue and a rubber sheet

[@jjca2917]

Great review man. Thank you for that. I got a quick question though. Can I plug a 4ms 45 row power supply in it? Thanks again.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Sure, why not? It has a power supply already but you can replace it with something else if you want.

[@jjca2917]

@@MoltenMusicTech thank you. I was wondering because of the pins and connectivity + wires. Thank you

[@geertmaertens7372]

I wonder why Decksaver have not come up with an elevated lid for all those Rackbrutes out there, like they did for the Moog Mother 32?

[@telegraph_hill]

the Y power cable is going to make the power brick work twicw as hard. each rackbrude draws 45 watts. that's 3 amps of 15v dc. the default power brick is only rated for 45w. get a bigger Mean Well brick and you should be set. i recommend an external in line switch so you can let the brick stabilize after you plug in the mains before turning on the modular. nice work!

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Thanks, yes I got a switch and I use a slightly beefier laptop supply and it’s fine.

[@SparksOnModular]

Hey Robin. - The big question is: Did this work out in the end ? + Can you recommend it for live purpose? - It would save me some big money, but it looks a bit instable and risky - I consider to do this, because I have allready one Rackbrute.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Yes, indeed it did. Using two Rackbrutes together is not uncommon. If you check out my video on the Synth East all star patch off you'll see both myself and Loula Yorke use a pair of Rackbrutes - they are designed to work in that clamshell format. If you are only referring to the power supply hack then I am happy to report that it's worked fine for me. I've had the rack running all day for many days without issue. However, I am moving to a different, smaller live rig because I need it to be lighter so i can carry it on my motorbike. The dual rackbrute is a bit of a beast.

[@linewizard]

Hi! I'm thinking about doing this with my double rackbrute setup. Did the internal power module mounting hold up well over time? That's the part I'm most concerned about.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Yes, no problems

[@linewizard]

@@MoltenMusicTech Awesome, thanks for the quick reply!!

[@anothercouture]

I've had the two rackbrutes for a couple of years now, they are a great mobile solution with the bag. I've considered something the similar myself but the need never got greater then my inertia 😁 How have found the velcro when you move the cases about? Seems like it might come loose. Any issues with the glue on the heat sink coming loose or over heating?

[@MoltenMusicTech]

No issues so far but it’s been like a day and I haven’t taken it further than the edge of my desk

[@anothercouture]

@@MoltenMusicTech what no field test on the back of the bike? 😁😁😁. It would be really good to get a follow up video after you've tried it out though.

[@medusajapan]

Try the elbow type patch cables, you will be able to close the racks patched. Make sure the red screws on the side of the brutes are properly tighten up to avoid any mishaps.

[@bubblegumscifi3450]

Do you find the Rackbrute to be noisy? If so, is it because of too many modules on the rack or bad power supply?

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Not that i noticed although I'm not really listening very closely

[@LeonTrimble]

Are you using modular grid? if so it will tell you if power is sufficient for the modules in the case. i blew a rackbrute 6u up by mounting my koma field kit in there alongside a full rack - it's HUNGRY! and when i contacted arturia they wouldn't replace it when i sent them the modular grid page. luckily the shop, Anderton's did replace it. but just be wary of power! it works until it doesn't and then it's terrible haha.

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Not really and I don't think it should work like that. A case with an included power supply should be able to run a case full of modules - there shouldn't be any requirement for the user to have to measure the amps or voltage or be mindful of such things. And the case/psu should have enough protection to prevent damage if there's an unruly module - my two cents :D

[@danbowen7883]

I think you need more than velcro holding the PSU.

[@mrsulcus674]

That's what I'd be a bit worried about - it dislodging in transit and taking out a few modules on power up.

[@mrhappystacks]

yeah.. i want to give this a go.. but the velcro over the heat sync thing is worrying me.. trying to figure out another method to secure it inside.. but nothing is coming to me.

[@RBAOLP]

Buenas!!! No me disgusta la idea que la fuente este fuera del rack, mas que nada por el conector del pin de frente que puede dañar la placa base o switchear por un falso contacto. En el caso de acomodar el modulo adentro, habría que ver que no se tape la disipación de calor de la fuente con el velcro y pueda sobrecalentarla cuando esté lleno de módulos, Saludos!

[@ScottofOakland]

I'd be worried about heat issues. It looks like you covered the heatsink with the velcro! Please be careful!

[@kenfuller9907]

I think it’s trying to turn right.

[@kabood777]

That is a beautiful setup, although I love Arturia too but I have to agree that A is just too big 😂

[@TheNimasan]

great work molten, looks great. but to be honest tho, as much i love arturia 1 6u costs 359 euro so 2 of the costs 720 euro. for 718 euro. i can get the greatest. most beautiful performance suitcase, handmade!! all that work didn't look fun..... at least to me!!!

[@KeksosDerGrosse]

I think the correct term for your creation would be "modular sandwich".

[@andydavies_me]

Know it's more of a faff… but I'd have been tempted to drill the holes in the top of each half (when it's folded) so the cable isn't dangling down the side

[@MoltenMusicTech]

Yes, that would work, i think a bit of tape will sort it out though

[@Klocaine237]

Another fire shirt.

[@Hellseeker1]

👍

[@neilconway8388]

Thank god! A warning for rational people and not written by the "Sultans of No", lawyers.

[@darklydreamingdejeur]

"I love you Arturia but..." (A) 😹

[@Vilendank]

for a company that's really on the ball with their product and tech they put waaaay too much energy into self-promotion and hype in ways that are very very off-putting (like the mutable instruments fiasco, and awful promo videos) for anyone with a modicum of self-awareness

[@richarquis]

What was the "MI fiasco" that you mention? Using the Plaits code for the Microfreak? Or was there something else? Personally, I own a lot of gear by both companies and am happy with all of it. Just curious.

[@fasterdetail]

bonkers

Thank lord I never fell into this dumb modular game

[@MoltenMusicTech]

But you just can't stay away.... it will eat away at you... over time... you'll start thinking that perhaps it might be a groovy thing to get into.... don't be afraid.

[@rhomboman]

Thank you Robin!! Arturia's fake wood and other shitty design decisions really prevent me from buying their products ever again!! This particular case is A DOG WITH TOO MANY FLEAS!!!