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| My old Doepfer G6 rack w. power supply 2 |
Sometimes new ideas don’t come from buying something shiny and new, but from simply looking around at what’s already there.
As I’ve been planning to create more content for the blog, I realized I needed a smaller, more portable setup to complement my ‘main’ Eurorack modular. Something I could easily pick up, move to the living room or outside, and experiment with whenever inspiration hits.
This weekend, I wasn’t able to go out much because of too much pain, so I decided to finally tackle a project that had been waiting in the corner for far too long: transforming my old, clunky Doepfer G6 rack (2 × 84HP) into a more portable case.
Yes, I know... there are already plenty of companies making beautiful cases ( Casefromthelake, 2egress, and so on). But this G6 had been lying around for ages, unsold, unused. And since I love recycling whenever I can... most of my art projects are made from reclaimed or leftover materials. It only felt natural to give it a second life.
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| From 84HP to 126 HP wide |
My original plan was modest: one row, 126HP wide.
But, like most of my projects, the idea grew while I was working on it. I cut one rail in half, connected it to another with a piece of threaded rod, and suddenly I had the width I wanted.
At first, I thought this would be enough for a small experimental rig. But then the big question came: where would I put the power supply? That’s when I noticed I could reuse a few more rails from the back. Why stop at one row when I could make it two?
So instead of downsizing, I ended up with a larger, more flexible case; two rows high, 1 x 126HP plus one 42HP wide = 168HP in total, while still recycling almost everything.
At first, I thought this would be enough for a small experimental rig. But then the big question came: where would I put the power supply? That’s when I noticed I could reuse a few more rails from the back. Why stop at one row when I could make it two?
So instead of downsizing, I ended up with a larger, more flexible case; two rows high, 1 x 126HP plus one 42HP wide = 168HP in total, while still recycling almost everything.
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| Connection of the rails, side-view |
The prototype front panel is now almost finished. The wooden top is in place, and I’m considering putting the whole thing at an angle for easy access. That part will probably be a story for another blogpost.
If I can find some nice wooden panels, the build should be finished in a few days. Maybe I’ll even paint this plywood case with a water-based color, but honestly, I already love the raw look it has now.
Sometimes staying home leads to unexpected creations, and I’m already looking forward to experimenting with this new recycled setup.
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| Almost finished front of the new portable case prototype |
Soon after the last picture, I realized I’d made things harder for myself. Of course the power supply should go in the bottom row, so the top stays nice and deep for my modules.
...To be continued....
Check out my other modular case inspiration blogposts HERE
