VG8 Rackmount

Started by thebrushwithin, February 11, 2013, 10:41:32 AM

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Francis 7

Thanks, brush, but I wrote him last year and I didn't get any answer. I'm sure he's busy and I don't want to bother him. It's so frustrating!

LinzHenderson

Well, quite unexpectedly, the eBay seller I was dealing with offered me a full refund. After looking into the costs and time involved, I decided it would be best to take him up on his offer.

I'm going to hold off and look at the GP-10 instead of looking for another VG-8 (for now).

I think most of you here are more than capable of carrying out a VG-8 rackmount conversion yourselves. I'll try looking out some of the old pictures of my project and post them here to give you an idea of what I did. To be honest, the most difficult thing was creating a cut-out for the display. I used a rack enclosure with a 3mm thick steel front, and getting a neat job on that wide cut-out was almost impossible. The buttons and switches were a lot easier as they were just round holes.

Thanks for the PMs :-)

thebrushwithin

Linz,
Any pics you have, would be appreciated. Thanks!

Francis 7

Definitely any pics or advice, parts list or anything would be greatly appreciated. I have no idea how I would do it, but it would be a huge help. Thanks for the help and I'm glad your situation worked out for you!

MrSparkle

Bump in case anything comes of this!..
;)

Anyone with experience doing it, if you could make a little blog or step-by-step.... :o

Would LOVE to rack mount my VG88...

Francis 7

Finally, after years of searching, I was able to get a rackmount VG-88 on ebay yesterday! It's the same one I missed out on back in November. So now I have an extra VG to sell :) Keeping one for backup, of course. I'm ecstatic!

Now all that's left is to rack the 8, so just posting to second MrSparkle. It looks to me that the 8 is more difficult, due to the size of the mainboard. Hopefully, Linz can find some pics if he still has any, other than that I'm not sure what the next step is.

thebrushwithin

Yes, here is hoping Linz can find them. Congrats on your rackmount VG88! I am still very happy with mine. Is yours the Keith McMillen rack?

Francis 7

Thanks, brush! I'm over the moon. Yes, apparently it belonged to Keith and it's a 'version 3.' I wonder how many kits were actually produced? Not to mention any Proix ones. I'll tell you, between this and codesmart's multi-guitar gkmx-42 pedal, my musical life is much easier now  ;D

Mo Tanner

#33
I'm still using a VG8 for some things and plan to for the foreseeable future.
I'm also in a bit of a downsizing mode... so I was wondering if any one wanted to
sell their old racked VG8.
I know there's some out there and I recon a few aren't getting used.
Can I have one please?
For a fair price of course.

Peace        Mo

Headless68

If you can't find one here is an alternative
On a tilted shelf you can see the screen fine and still use the pedals if required

Mo Tanner

Thanks, I already have some thing like that.  I'm looking for one of the 1 space rack mods.  I'm looking to get small....


Francis 7

+1 been searching for one as well. Finally got a racked 88, just need the 8 and I'm done!

thebrushwithin

#37
I have a one space racked 88, but any racked 8's I have seen, were at least 2 spaces, some are 3 spaces. If anyone knows how to do it, I sure would be interested! Still adore the VG8 !

thebrushwithin

@Headless 68 - super sonic combo there! I can hear it now!

Elantric

#39
https://web.archive.org/web/20050425010113/http://www.proix.com/product/sys_gr_vg/index.html








Above are 19" rack conversions of Roland GR-33 and VG-88  - by TSC  / PROIX
I recall seeing a modified VG-8EX in a single space 19" rack ( done by TSC/PROIX in Japan circa 1998) - owned by Aure Prochaska on the original E-Groups VG-8 mail list  - now owned by Thomas Nordegg

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.proix.com&edit-text=

aliensporebomb

They do such beautiful work.  I'd love a rackmount VG-99 but some of the features of the 99 are part and parcel to its form factor.  Proix also does wonderful internal GK installs on instruments sometimes multiple GK pickups on the same instrument.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

Elantric

#41
QuoteThey do such beautiful work.  I'd love a rackmount VG-99 but some of the features of the 99 are part and parcel to its form factor.  Proix also does wonderful internal GK installs on instruments sometimes multiple GK pickups on the same instrument.

Too bad Proix no longer is allowed to do these VG Rackmount mods - due to recent changes in Japanese law its now illegal to modify and resell old electronic items in Japan

http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2006/02/vintage-synths-to-be-banned-in-japan.html

http://www.meti.go.jp/english/policy/economy/consumer/pse/index.html

QuoteJuly 14, 2006  - Jun writes: "Here in Japan, a New Law [the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law] will be in effect and almost of all the electric musical instruments and audio/visual devices which have been produced before 2000 will be banned to be sold commercially.
"This means quite a lot of those devices in Japan will be disposed or exported to foreign countries. Already many second hand musical instrument shops have stopped purchasing these devices.
"I don't know what is exactly happening here but it is worth for all the musical instrument lovers to watch the situation.
"Here is a very brief info about Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law."
Thanks, Jun. I've no idea if he's right about the new law (he says anything with an external AC adapter is excluded at the moment, but those adaptors will be considered later), but it could be time to get over to Japan and fill up a a shipping container with all those dangerous Jupiter-8s and TR-808s they'll be so keen to get rid of.

aliensporebomb

What a scam that is!  It's obvious to stimulate the economy by always buying something new but they don't really make a suitable replacement for a VG-99.  I wonder if there are black market used electronics emporiums.  What happens to all of the old gear?  I can't imagine.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

Elantric

QuoteJun writes: "Here in Japan, a New Law [the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law] will be in effect and almost of all the electric musical instruments and audio/visual devices which have been produced before 2000 will be banned to be sold commercially.
"This means quite a lot of those devices in Japan will be disposed or exported to foreign countries. Already many second hand musical instrument shops have stopped purchasing these devices.
"I don't know what is exactly happening here but it is worth for all the musical instrument lovers to watch the situation.
"Here is a very brief info about Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law."
Thanks, Jun. I've no idea if he's right about the new law (he says anything with an external AC adapter is excluded at the moment, but those adaptors will be considered later), but it could be time to get over to Japan and fill up a a shipping container with all those dangerous Jupiter-8s and TR-808s they'll be so keen to get rid of.

Tonato

Really interesting thread. I'm trying to set up 5 different Vsynth units in a studio and having them all racked would be really cool. I guess that after these years there hasn't been any news about people actually doing this?

Thanks!

gumbo

#45
...apart from the fact that I have built about half-a-dozen "(Synth-Linx) Jack Extensions" for people who have built synth units into rack or other enclosures over the last few years..

..simply a Synth-Linx Jack for front mounting, with an attached cable WITH ANOTHER 13-pin jackplug on the other end, so it can be permanently plugged in to the original rear-mounted Roland jack on the particular synth-unit.

It has been done...just not by a lot of people.

HTH
Peter


...oh, and one more thing..
"Powering-up" Roland synths from a mains switch being turned on, doesn't really work!  In some, not well, in others, not at all..
..which means you have to maintain access to the "power" switch of the respective synth unit, in order for it to boot up properly. 
(Or figure out how to re-engineer that circuit so that you can effectively remote the switch to an accessible location.)

As one of Oz's Prime Ministers once said, "Life wasn't meant to be easy!"

::)

It pays to be aware of this when you design and build your proposed studio furniture.
Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...