Extended side panels for Grace Lunatec V3

[DSatz]

Hi. I'm pretty sure I've seen photos on this board of Grace Lunatec V3 preamps with custom-made, longer side panels that let the preamp stand "face-up" while cables are connected to its back panel. (I hope that description is at least halfway clear to someone.)

Where do people get those? And does the preamp have any tendency to topple over when used with them?

--best regards

[perks]

I believe tgakidis was making them at one time. From the ones I've seen they look like they would tip over if the V3 was out of a gear bag on its own but as long as the bag is standing up the V3 inside it wont tip over.

I've never run a V3 so I'm just speaking about what I've seen with other peoples' rigs.

Edit: I just looked at the pics in the link below. Apparently a V3 on stilts will stand on its own.

[flipp]

perks is correct, tgakidis made them at one time - click for some pics - as well as a few other folks. Search for "stilts" and you'll find about a hundred returns though not all are for Grace units.

tgak's modified stilts

Disclaimer: I've never owned, nor used, a Grace unit. My only experience with stilts were some that came with a UA5 I used to run. They were attached with Velcro. I vaguely recall some of the Grace stilts mounted with Velcro while others were drilled so if you used longer bolts they actually screwed to the sides of the V2/3.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

DIY:
(wooden yard stick / 2 X" lengths) + sticky Velcro > V3 = stilts

The end panels of the v3 are also the heatsinks for the voltage regulators.  That makes them the hottest part of the preamp, especially when running at higher voltages.  As a result, some tape adhesives would melt.  The v3 can get very warm.

A couple of industrial zip ties (possibly doubled up for additional length) should be able to hold stilts in place so long as the stilts have some padding to generate friction against the case.

For a long while I ran my v3+battery, and 722, within a "target" dish rack cage.  This protected both units in the bag, and allowed access and strain relief for cabling. The 722 hung by the face plate handles, with velcro or zip ties. That allowed me to remove it for gigs where I needed it to be out of the rack.  At some gigs I would strap that little rack under a shelf or rail, when a bag wouldn't work.  It's a really slick setup and cost less than $10 to make.

I'd actually prefer a rack like that to stilts, because the v3 can be made to come in and out easily, and it is very well protected.  You lace zip ties through the rack grid to support the v3 across the bottom.

Here is that rack in action, on an evening where I am running the v3, aerco, 722, and microtrack.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=92547.msg1260989#msg1260989

[tgakidis]

I stopped making them but it is super easy to DIY.  You can pick up some alluminum stock (1.5' wide I think) from home depot.  Cut to your desired length, Drill Some holes and use some stick on felt.  You will need to get longer bolts also.  I can't rember the size of the bolts but if you bring in your V3 bolts to homedepot, they can match it up for you.

[Gutbucket]

As a quick work-around I cut some cubes out of some stiff closed-cell packaging foam sized to fit between cables on the back and long enough to support the V3 vertically, providing room for the cables to exit and 'make the turn' above the bottom of the recorder bag.  They are gaff-taped in place with the tape adhearing to the top and bottom of the preamp instead of the sides.  Easy enough to remove and replace them as necessary and I've had no cable problems.  I would not trust it to stand vertically alone, but as support inside a bag it works fine and is out of sight.  I was planning to make some stilts but never got around to doing so.

[tapjunkie]

I use two rulers and a couple of large elastics.  I can stand up a V2 and the AD2K this way.