Docking Station... Crazy?

M

metal190

Experienced
Maybe this is crazy/stupid, or maybe tons of people have already requested something along these lines - I'd love a module I could plug the rear of my Fractal into that would interface with a docking station with all the right cords coming out the back. For now I only have 1 Axe FX and unplugging everything and replugging everything in the back keeps me from taking it between home and the studio as much as I'd like. Does that make sense? I bet you could sell those things for several hundred dollars all day long to people who couldn't afford the extra $2k plus to keep one at home and one at the studio.
 
NiceChris said:
I can make you a patch panel for only £500.
Click to expand...

It would be nice to have it in a more accessible place like the front of the rack, but ideally you could just slide the unit in and out so it would click into place and not plug and unplug each cable.
 
Wow. I just can't see spending $299 to save plugging in cables. I wish I made $33 every time I plugged in a cable!! I just plug them back in when I go to a gig and then back home to my computer setup. I even take my foot controller out of the case.

Why is it so inaccessible?
 
metal190 said:
It would be nice to have it in a more accessible place like the front of the rack, but ideally you could just slide the unit in and out so it would click into place and not plug and unplug each cable.
Click to expand...

The issue with this idea is the collective resistance from all the plugs would make it very difficult to force the Axe-Fx into the "dock." It would probably have to have a special all-in-on connector for it to really work.

A better solution might be to have a breakout cable with an Elco connector at one end. You'd have a panel both in your studio and at home with an Elco receptacle on it, and could easily plug from one to the other.

AVX-008016-056-000-608.jpg
 
Rane said:
The issue with this idea is the collective resistance from all the plugs would make it very difficult to force the Axe-Fx into the "dock." It would probably have to have a special all-in-on connector for it to really work.

A better solution might be to have a breakout cable with an Elco connector at one end. You'd have a panel both in your studio and at home with an Elco receptacle on it, and could easily plug from one to the other.

AVX-008016-056-000-608.jpg
Click to expand...

Exactly! Rather than having each cable plug and out each time, the idea is you you could slip a case over the back that would semi-permanently affix to it, leaving all plugs connected on the inside, and leaving one special, all-in-one connector on the outside. It would be a two piece kit. The part that stays on the Axe FX, and the part that lives in the rack.

Or your idea with the cable would work quite nicely as well.
 
metal190 said:
Maybe this is crazy/stupid, or maybe tons of people have already requested something along these lines - I'd love a module I could plug the rear of my Fractal into that would interface with a docking station with all the right cords coming out the back. For now I only have 1 Axe FX and unplugging everything and replugging everything in the back keeps me from taking it between home and the studio as much as I'd like. Does that make sense? I bet you could sell those things for several hundred dollars all day long to people who couldn't afford the extra $2k plus to keep one at home and one at the studio.
Click to expand...

Not that it's a silly idea but I'm betting it would be pretty expensive to build it. If one needed all of the connections to be made on the back for whatever reason the all connectors alone might cost several hundred dollars.

You basically get the same result having a patch panel made and mounting in the rack with the Axe FX, unless the rack you have is loaded with a bunch of other gear.

I have a 4 space SKB that contains a wireless,Axe and a 16 hole VAFAM panel on the back with all but a few of the outs that I never use, takes literally less than a minute to unplug all 4 cables stash them in the lid put on both lids and carry it off plus the benefit of having it already racked up and kept safe for travel.
 
I agree with the Elco or Molex connector approach if you don't want a separate patch panel with separate cables.

Docks are too fragile.

With the combo cable / connector approach you can refactor for much cheaper too.
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
Wow. I just can't see spending $299 to save plugging in cables. I wish I made $33 every time I plugged in a cable!! I just plug them back in when I go to a gig and then back home to my computer setup. I even take my foot controller out of the case.

Why is it so inaccessible?
Click to expand...

Your math is WAY off (maybe that's intentional - for dramatic effect?) 9 cables plugged in twice a night and unplugged twice a night. That's 36 cable plug ins / unplugs per night. 4 times a week. That's 144 plug ins / unplugs a week. 7488 per year. Figure five years before I buy Fractal's next gen unit, which I'm okay assuming wouldn't be compatible with the docking station. That's 37,440 times plugging in / unplugging those cables in order to have access to the unit at home AND at the studio. Don't know how big your studio or home practice space is, but my gear tends to be up against walls in very crowded areas with other not easily moved gear (4x12 cabs and the like). A larger practice space is about an extra $100 a month. A larger home is a lot more expensive than that. Another unit is a couple grand. If you're truly offering to be my most cost effective option for plugging and unplugging cables, I would rather pay the $299 to you - I think we'd have some great conversations about music and gear in the process, and would likely become great friends. I'm just afraid, my future friend, that you won't be making nearly as much as you think you will.

In the meanwhile, the obvious and unfortunate outcome is that I DON'T end up taking the unit between home and studio. And it would be worth it to me to spend an extra few hundred dollars to easily have an Axe FX at both locations.

Considering how many people paid $500 to $700 to upgrade from a II to an XL for several hundred extra preset slots and cab slots when there's already a way to save unlimited presets and cabs on a computer and AES connection when there's already ample I/O, I don't think I'm the only one with money I'm willing to spend on added convenience / flexibility.
 
Sixstring said:
Not that it's a silly idea but I'm betting it would be pretty expensive to build it. If one needed all of the connections to be made on the back for whatever reason the all connectors alone might cost several hundred dollars.

You basically get the same result having a patch panel made and mounting in the rack with the Axe FX, unless the rack you have is loaded with a bunch of other gear.

I have a 4 space SKB that contains a wireless,Axe and a 16 hole VAFAM panel on the back with all but a few of the outs that I never use, takes literally less than a minute to unplug all 4 cables stash them in the lid put on both lids and carry it off plus the benefit of having it already racked up and kept safe for travel.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'd really be interested to know the cost to build one of these. Obviously the more they could mass produce, the more they could get the cost down. Admittedly there's a good chance it's a limited market. I liked the thought that there would be no real R&D or programming / software costs... but I don't have much of a handle on how much it costs to fabricate custom connectors. I figure there would only be one single, large custom connector (male and female) - everything else would be your standard 1/4" etc that would plug into the back of the unit. All the same, no idea how much that costs.

Thanks for the ideas though Sixstring and Barhrecords. I may have to reconsider how I have the gear racked. Right now the Axe FX is in with my GT1000FX, which I leave at the studio. I also do like the cables all running to the back for the clutter, I'm just tired of the obvious trade off with the inaccessibility of having them back there. Combo Cable / Connector may be the best option. And I hadn't thought about the advantage of being able to refactor it. Good thoughts.
 
I leave all the cables physically connected to the back of the Axe in my rack.

All the cables are labelled, so I know what goes where.

It takes me 5 minutes to set up plugging in to whatever equipment is there, no matter the environment I go.

I don't understand the need for an Elco terminated master snake or docking station, but that's just me.
 
Fine my pricing comments earlier were a bit facetious. :)

If I have to put my rack against a wall, I turn the rack to the side, plug in cables, then turn it and push it against the wall.

I'm not against a product like this. But it's not like you are changing guitar strings 2x a night. Maybe make a "loom" by just Velcro-ing your cables together on the axe side so they are just ready to plug in and you aren't grabbing cables one-by-one. Wrap them all up together at the end of the session.

I'll leave this thread alone now, but I'm just trying to offer another view since you yourself think it might be deemed as crazy. I just don't think it can or would be created. I do sound, and there are WAY more cables to plug in there for the same setup every night, and no quick dock there :)
 
This weekend I made a 'patch panel' for $25... Looks clean, eliminates the need to remove the rear rack case door, and keeps things organized.

It's a 1U steel mesh grille. I cut out the grille mesh and installed rubber grommets in 8 locations, equally spaced (8 total). Then I just fished the cables through the holes and plug them into the back of the AFX. Power Cable, XLR, 1/4", USB, MIDI... whatever you want.

I'll make you one for $75, shipped :) lol

RPVM1.jpg

77988.jpg
 
Chris@AxeFxTutorials said:
Fine my pricing comments earlier were a bit facetious. :)

If I have to put my rack against a wall, I turn the rack to the side, plug in cables, then turn it and push it against the wall.

I'm not against a product like this. But it's not like you are changing guitar strings 2x a night. Maybe make a "loom" by just Velcro-ing your cables together on the axe side so they are just ready to plug in and you aren't grabbing cables one-by-one. Wrap them all up together at the end of the session.

I'll leave this thread alone now, but I'm just trying to offer another view since you yourself think it might be deemed as crazy. I just don't think it can or would be created. I do sound, and there are WAY more cables to plug in there for the same setup every night, and no quick dock there :)
Click to expand...

Yeah - again, I acknowledge it's not something a ton of people necessarily need. Although trust me, the idea sounds downright genius with a few beers in you.

The challenge with the patch panel is that you still end up plugging / unplugging everything, although it's not nearly as a big a deal with labeled cables and the panel solves the access challenge. I'm out of rack spaces in my current rack, and I'm restricted by current cable lengths. So any solution I use will entail spending around $100 - either for another rack or for cables. I like the thought of spending the extra couple hundred bucks and never dealing with plugging and unplugging cables again. The docking station on my lap top has been a Godsend and I figure it would be similar with my AFX.

But alas - I agree Chris that I don't think anyone's going to create it (although I'm tempted to take a stab at a makeshift protoype). In the meanwhile, it will stay appropriately as a "wish list" type item.
 
JRod4928 said:
This weekend I made a 'patch panel' for $25... Looks clean, eliminates the need to remove the rear rack case door, and keeps things organized.

It's a 1U steel mesh grille. I cut out the grille mesh and installed rubber grommets in 8 locations, equally spaced (8 total). Then I just fished the cables through the holes and plug them into the back of the AFX. Power Cable, XLR, 1/4", USB, MIDI... whatever you want.

I'll make you one for $75, shipped :) lol

View attachment 25735

View attachment 25736
Click to expand...

If I send you a design and a proper endorsement, will you make me a "Signature Series"? ;)
 



Don't know that it sheds any light on the subject, but since you asked about my set up and I just took this picture the other night...
 
metal190 said:
Yeah, I'd really be interested to know the cost to build one of these. Obviously the more they could mass produce, the more they could get the cost down. Admittedly there's a good chance it's a limited market. I liked the thought that there would be no real R&D or programming / software costs... but I don't have much of a handle on how much it costs to fabricate custom connectors. I figure there would only be one single, large custom connector (male and female) - everything else would be your standard 1/4" etc that would plug into the back of the unit. All the same, no idea how much that costs.

Thanks for the ideas though Sixstring and Barhrecords. I may have to reconsider how I have the gear racked. Right now the Axe FX is in with my GT1000FX, which I leave at the studio. I also do like the cables all running to the back for the clutter, I'm just tired of the obvious trade off with the inaccessibility of having them back there. Combo Cable / Connector may be the best option. And I hadn't thought about the advantage of being able to refactor it. Good thoughts.
Click to expand...

Looking at your rig I would see if you could break it up in to two 3 space rack cases, Axe FX and Wireless in one and power amp and conditioner in the other. Have some panels made for the connections with custom length cables. You might have to rethink the stand or just leave the power amp and conditioner on the ground and place the Axe and Wireless on the stand, just a thought.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom