Why are the 500 series modules costs so much?

[mofat]

culture shock

 

[citizen77]

Back to the point of 500 series... they are primarily used in the USA, though I wouldn't doubt they will become more popular around the world soon.

The problem with 500s vs rack is the power supply. Rack mounts have a dedicated power supply that is "tuned" to that specific piece of equipment. 500 series is more generic, which means a power supply from a different company paired with a module from a different company my not sound the best. I haven't tested this, nor do I own any 500. I've only read discussions from manufactures and boutique dealers about how they do this when I was building my own gear. My guess is if you stay with the same company for the modules and power supply, there wouldn't be any degradation of sound. I was tempted at one point to go with 500 series equipment, since most everything I do is location recording, but I can't justify the chance that the audio quality might be less. So... I haul around 300lbs of rack gear. Who needs a gym membership when you're a recording engineer?

 

[miroslav]

I'm sure each 500 module brand manufacturer is well aware of the 500 series power specs, so I wouldn't really worry about comparing PS for the full racked versions VS the 500 versions...and often, the 500 versions tend to be somewhat more feature limited in many cases compared to their full rack versions....so the designs are not always 100% identical...and therefore the 500 PS considerations are most likely taken into account.

The real selling point of the 500 series modules is their compactness and portability....which has been driven by the new studio mindset of pro-engineers moving around a lot from studio to studio and being able to bring with them basically a full rack of gear----in just one 10-space 500 box.
Many engineers/producers like having their go-to gear with them regardless where they are working...so the 500 series provides that. Also, you get all the modules up at eye-level or on the desktop....rather than having them fill out an entire rack to the floor....which sounds minor, but a real PITA if you have to get on your knees to tweak a comp or preamp...etc.

I've been considering a 10-space 500 box to primarily fill it with EQ modules....but even at the low end, it's like $4k to do that with decent modules + the 10-space box.....even buying used.

 

[ecc83]

Back to the point of 500 series... they are primarily used in the USA, though I wouldn't doubt they will become more popular around the world soon.

The problem with 500s vs rack is the power supply. Rack mounts have a dedicated power supply that is "tuned" to that specific piece of equipment. 500 series is more generic, which means a power supply from a different company paired with a module from a different company my not sound the best. I haven't tested this, nor do I own any 500. I've only read discussions from manufactures and boutique dealers about how they do this when I was building my own gear. My guess is if you stay with the same company for the modules and power supply, there wouldn't be any degradation of sound. I was tempted at one point to go with 500 series equipment, since most everything I do is location recording, but I can't justify the chance that the audio quality might be less. So... I haul around 300lbs of rack gear. Who needs a gym membership when you're a recording engineer?

"Tuned" power suppplies is horse feathers. It is no great task with today's components to make an essentially "perfect" power supply, i.e. one that delivers the correct voltages within very close limits regardless of load and supply variations. These can be "linear" 50/60Hz supplies or Switch Mode Supplies.

Then, any electronic device (especially one costing ~$1000!) that is at all "fussy" about the supply it is given should be regarded as a poor design.

The only device where the PSU does have some sonic effect is the guitar amplifier. Valve rectifiers are revered* for their "sag" properties, when in truth it is very unlikely that the player would notice if you replaced his beloved 5Y4 with a silicon bridge and a bloody big resistor!

There is no doubt that audio, recording and its allied aspects demand the greatest skills and artistry to get fine results but let us K.I.S.S. those things that ARE realtively simple (or easily designed out of the equation) and move on?

*I revile the wasteful, unreliable things!

Dave.

 

[Johnny Don't!]

Wow, lots of good info here. Just learned a bunch of stuff about the 500 series I didn't know. Excellent.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong: most of the 500 series modules I've seen aren't just smaller versions of a full-size rackmount processor/effect unit/EQ/etc; they seem to be a clever way of accomplishing three fantastic things:

1. making previously unportable gear easily mobile;
B: making sections of high-end console channel strips available to those of us who want those sounds but don't have $250K to spend on the console;
4: Both at the same time.

In fact, the only instances I can recall seeing a 19" rack unit mentioned in association with any 500 series module are when the modules are being put into a 19" rack via some sort of adapter.

If I'm totally off here, fill me in, yo!

 

[ecc83]

Wow, lots of good info here. Just learned a bunch of stuff about the 500 series I didn't know. Excellent.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong: most of the 500 series modules I've seen aren't just smaller versions of a full-size rackmount processor/effect unit/EQ/etc; they seem to be a clever way of accomplishing three fantastic things:

1. making previously unportable gear easily mobile;
B: making sections of high-end console channel strips available to those of us who want those sounds but don't have $250K to spend on the console;
4: Both at the same time.

In fact, the only instances I can recall seeing a 19" rack unit mentioned in association with any 500 series module are when the modules are being put into a 19" rack via some sort of adapter.

If I'm totally off here, fill me in, yo!

Neve 1073LB & 1073LB EQ

Them^! Very quickly come to mind as standard rack or standalone units that have been "fivehundredized". I agree, not all of the functionality has been retained but choices have to be made in such a confined space...Yer pays yer money?

Dave.