Tiptop Mantis

Close up of the new case

My synth suitcase is very cool.  I enjoyed setting up the inside of the case, spending hours building modules and experimenting on my first patches.  

Final shot of the synth suitcase

But, with the last modules I bought (some of them still to be revealed), it became too small. Also, I reckon the power supply is at its limits.  I find that it starts to heat up too much during long sessions.  Finally, the fact that I don't have a removable lid makes it a bit uncomfortable to use.  Although I have used it a few times as a stand for the sequencer or an additional Volca, it's not very convenient to have the lid in the way.

So I decided to buy another modular synthesizer case.
The Mantis from Tiptop Audio is elegant, widely recommended, of a manageable size and not too expensive.

Assembly, following my Modular Grid plan on my phone

Bob pulls the module

Internally, there is a comfortable power supply (more than twice the power of my previous power supply) with shrouded connectors.  
Some of these connectors are mounted horizontally, freeing up space at the bottom of the case (61mm deep at most).

Not enough space

Despite this, there is not enough space for my deepest modules: in the top part modules cannot be deeper than 50 mm. My sample&hold can hardly fit in there because what is sticking out can slip behind the bus board.

 

Also, the feet take up some space, which drastically limits the depth of the modules on the left and right of the bottom row. 

I had to revise my plans by inverting the two rows in relation to the synth-valise. For the better I think.  Anyway, no other choice.

 

 

 

I thought I was indifferent to having threaded rails or sliding nuts. Or even that I liked the fact that I could quickly reposition modules with the sliding nuts. I was wrong.  The threaded rails are much more practical.  The assembly went smoothly.  I just had to plan to run two power cables from the bottom modules to the second row, as there is only room for 12 horizontal connectors and there will be 13 modules in the first row.

Bob plugs the cables

Finally, being able to position the box at 45° is a real space saver and is ergonomically pleasing.  On the other hand, at 90°, I am not confident enough in the two plastic legs.

The cable of the external power adapter is too short. The 230V power cord can be changed easily.  But the connection to the box could be 2x longer.  If you want to have the box vertical, the power supply hangs down and it's a shame.

Oscillators, filters, resonator

No sound example today.   But a quiz: a new module has slipped into the set, can you spot it?
The answer will be the subject of the next article.