Re: API 500 frame data ?

On 2008-02-29, Scott Dorsey <kludge@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Andre Majorel <cheney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Is mechanical and electrical data on the API 500 frames
available ? I like the frame idea but it looks like it uses a
card edge connector which is not DIY friendly.

API says it is available, but I have had no luck getting it. I talked
to several manufacturers of API-compatible modules, and they have had
no luck getting it either, and reverse-engineered it.

Thanks. Have you seen http://www.apiaudio.com/vpr_alliance.html ?

"API Audio announces the VPR Alliance, a program of
standardization and consistency guidelines for manufacturers
wishing to make products designed to fit into API's 500 series
rack format. The program provides complete design
specifications for manufacturers interested in producing third
party products that physically fit and electronically conform
to API's rack specifications."

Speck and Buzz are listed among the members. I imagine that
membership involves a yearly fee and signing an NDA.

It uses a card edge connector, sure, but with cheap online PC board
fabrication that should not be a problem. www.expresspcb.com will let
you make boards that should fit. if you DO lay out a standard board
that fits, though, I'd love to know.

My DIY is usually done on vector board. A VPR500-compatible
proto board would be interesting, though.

I can't easily reverse-engineer anything. The 500VPR frame is
priced at 950 USD. I can't justify spending that much on a
chassis, backplane and PSU. Also, one XLR input and one XLR
output per module is limiting.

Rolling our own with plain old eurorack frames could be a better
solution for DIYers.

Too bad, the API 500 format is nicer than half-width-19"-box-
cum-cradle.

--
André Majorel <URL:http://www.teaser.fr/~amajorel/>
(Counterfeit: bebur@xxxxxxxxxx cuw@xxxxxxxxx)
"I drink, I smoke, I gamble, I chase girls--but postal chess is
one vice I don't have." -- Mikhail Tal
.

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