Members B. Adams Posted March 25, 2004 Members Share Posted March 25, 2004 Well, my XR-20 finally got here, and I need to get it set up in the rack. If you've ever looked at one of these mixers, you know that you need a seperate connector panel if you want to patch easily, which I've been putting off until I actually got it. So, I would like to find out if anyone has good sources for Neutrik XLR and TRS connectors, and Mid Atlantic UCP Panels. I need a fair amount of mixed XLR and TRS conectors, and 10 mixed UCP panels. So far the best price I've found on connectors was Camel Traders, and for UCP panels it was Performance Audio. Does anyone have any suggestions on other places to look? These are just a couple places that I have in my favorites, so I'm sure there's something else out there. Then again, maybe not... Would it be cheaper to have a custom panel built? I've never shopped around for them, so I have no idea. If a 4 space custom panel is under $100, it might be worth looking at. Man, this soldering job is going to be a project and a half... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members IsildursBane Posted March 25, 2004 Members Share Posted March 25, 2004 Why not just get a rack case that has a top section that tips up? -Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members B. Adams Posted March 25, 2004 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2004 Because I like my shockmounted mixer rack better than any with tops that tip up. I suppose I could modify mine fairly easily, but I don't really want to have to tip it up anyway. I would rather have a panel, but maybe it's just personal preference. I think a panel has a cleaner look, and it seems like it may be a little easier to patch quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 25, 2004 Members Share Posted March 25, 2004 How about a rack panel pre-punched for say 12 XLR's or something like 16 - 1/4" jacks? These would be much cheaper. E-mail me, I think I have a bunch of these on the shelf. agedhorse@aol.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members B. Adams Posted March 25, 2004 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2004 Well, I'm pretty specific about what I want on the panel, so I'll put a list here, so you guys get an idea of what I'm after. 16 Female XLR Inputs11 (or 12) Male XLR Outputs6 TRS Inputs/Outputs1 Edison In4 Edison Out And to patch the board, I'll need:16 Male XLR7 Female XLR10 TRS I also need more insert cables, but that's another thing altogether. I thought about prepunched panels, but I don't think they would have the layout that I want, and they might take up a little more space overall, not that space is really a huge concern. And I figured by using UCP panels, I could change it in the future if I decide I want something different, which seems to happen every year or two. I priced it all out, and with the UCP panels and connectors it was just under $220, minus shipping. The cost for a 4 space panel was about $96, and the connectors were about $120, including the ones for the panel and the ones to plug into the board. I've got cable laying around, so that's not a big deal, although I might get some more just because. With this panel, the layout and look is slightly more important than the price, so I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest way to get the connectors on the back. I'm looking for the cheapest way with the correct layout. If that makes sense. Thanks for your help guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 25, 2004 Members Share Posted March 25, 2004 I would suggest 1 x male XLR panel, 1 x Female XLR panel and 1 X 1/4" panel. That would allow expansion in the future. They are only about $10.00 each, but come punched stock for Switchcraft style jack pattern only unless you get the laser cut universal panel. For edison, how about a rack mount power strip? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members B. Adams Posted March 26, 2004 Author Members Share Posted March 26, 2004 I've actually got two rackmounted strips in there, the second one is mostly for light on the bottom half of the rack. I just figured I've got a few edison flanged inlets laying around, and since I always need an extension cord anyway, I might as well make it a little neater in back. Then I also don't have to worry about an unplugged cord flopping around when it's packed up. Yeah, that's an easy problem to take care of, but I've still got these inlets, and I might as well use them for something. And I don't really like having to look and reach under the back to plug other stuff in, so I want to put a few outlets out on the back panel. And I don't foresee much expansion with this system. Rackmount mixers don't really come bigger than this, so when I need a differrent setup it will be for a different system, which will require it's own stuff. Maybe I'm just too anal, but I had a smaller rack set up in a similar way to what I'm thinking, and it worked great. That one had a Twistlock in, 2 Edison outs, and exactly all the patching stuff that I needed. That panel I made myself from a 3-space blank. It was nice, and worked great, but it took too much work to make, and having to have an Edison to Twistlock cable was this close to being a pain, but I kept a 10' and a 25' around all the time. I think I just want to get exactly the panel I need with as little effort as possible, which is why I was looking at the UCP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 26, 2004 Members Share Posted March 26, 2004 The UCP system is great for semi-custom work, where you can afford to spend a bit more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashivraj Posted March 29, 2004 Members Share Posted March 29, 2004 not very helpful, but my 2p anyway - im working on building a new studio for my church, and im basically in charge of all the cabling and termination. i had to do some research for this, and found the universal panels to be the best. neutrik makes has a D series for pretty much every kind of connector - including BNC, RCA, and RJ45. and if you have more blank spaces than connectors, they also do a neat blanking panel. oooh ... AS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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