These cards are now sold.

Standard 4U 19 inch panel model with three Distribution Card positions

Custom 6U and 3U frames in a 10U Gator case

The above system consists of our standard 3U 84HP Eurorack four rail frame and a custom 6U frame to house two rows of 28HP Eurorack together with four Wiard 300 series modules. A +/-12V FullPower PSU on the rear supplies the Euroracks with >1.5A and a custom +/-15V supply beneath the Wiard modules provides their power. All PSUs are soak tested continuously for two days with over their rated loads.

Two custom 5U FullPower PSUs in a custom Eurorack case

This system has two custom FullPower PSUs on 5U panels, arranged to position the Distribution Cards midway between rows. It illustrates our recommended mounting on 19 inch rack bars with ventilation panels at the lowest and highest positions. (We did not build this case or frames.)

20 module 5U system in shallow flightcase

8 module Wiard 300 frame with integral +/-15V PSU

6 module Wiard 300 series in Gator 6U flightcase

Eurorack +/-12V and +5V

All systems can deliver up to 1.5A on each rail without dropping out of regulation and without the use of fan cooling. We recommend rear mounted 4U 19″ panel configurations with ventilation above and below for convection cooling and our heavy duty, low impedance distribution cards.

Power supplies may be built for 230Vac, 115Vac or both with +/-12V or +/-15V output rails and an optional third rail, +5V, +9V, +24V, +48V or any other, all adjustable.

Euromodule EMS Oscillator Bank

Hinton Instruments has provided a custom rebuild of an EMS Board “C” into a 3U 62HP Eurorack format module incorporating all of Graham Hinton’s modifications and more, all within a 40mm depth. This is not a clone, we don’t do clones so don’t ask.

The module is shown here mounted in our new four rail open Euro frame with rear mounted Triple 1A PSU module and our new ModMix module. The combination provides a very high specification, comprehensive modular synthesizer front end.

Original EMS Board C (fully modified for stability and sync)

Please note: this module is neither a product of Hinton Instruments nor EMS (Cornwall), nor is it going to be. It was only possible to produce because a client had a spare vintage EMS pcb, but it does illustrate the type of custom work we can turn around.

Custom DAW Interface

Two of our Quad Line Input eurocards were used to provide balanced to unbalanced conversion, ±10dB (÷3 to x3) level trim with LED indicators and dedicated high level V-trig and Moog type S-trig outputs. Although this particular system was intended for CV outputs the cards may also be used for DAW Output or Input level matching and may be switched between DC coupling and AC coupling with DC servoing.

Custom rear panel

The Quad Line Input may also be supplied as a Eurocard module or bare pcb to be built into other systems allowing a variety of interfacing functions between DAWs and unbalanced systems to be easily configured.

MIDIX30 Front View

Guthrie Theater Machine Room

MIDIX is fully RS232 controlled and has many advanced features including MIDI Recall, Illegal routing definitions, Events, Messages and diagnostic monitoring. The mergers are also RS232 controlled and have comprehensive filtering of all MIDI Statuses and large buffers.

All MIDI I/O is on DB25 connectors with 5 ports per connector. Heavy duty tie bars support multicore cable looms.

Guthrie Theater wiring

MIDIX30 Rear View

Connector changed to MC3F, original Reslo insert on right

The sound from the microphone was intermittent as it was moved so there was probably a loose wire inside. On opening the microphone cage one of the cover screens was broken too.

Front view with nylon screen removed

The wiring proved intact, but removing the stainless steel mesh covering the ribbon revealed a fracture in the ribbon itself.

Fracture in ribbon along one of the corrugations

Removing the ribbon frame shows the break more clearly.

It is a wonder that it worked at all

Broken ribbon removed from frame

Nothing else for it, but to make a new ribbon:

Replacement ribbon reassembled

Just the screen tab to repair:

Rear internal view

One working Reslo RB/M with Amphenol cable:

Good for a few more years

For further information or to discuss other microphone repairs please contact us.

A compact switched routing matrix for both audio and dc coupled control voltages. All the advantages of pin matrices without the problems.

SwitchMix may have balanced or unbalanced compatible inputs and outputs, extending its use beyond synthesizer patching to other audio routing applications including multitrack and effects routing and headphone mixes. The balanced inputs make it suitable for interfacing DAW sound cards into a synthesizer for Silent Way and Volta users.

SwitchMix SMX8EJ

Two Eurorack versions of the SMX8 are available, with or without front panel jacks. Rear connections are via DB25 sockets conforming to the Tascam balanced analogue pinout. The SMX8EJ (shown) has front panel 3.5mm unbalanced jacks for synthesizer connections and occupies 42HP of Eurorack space. The SMX8EB has balanced Bantam/TT jacks. Other combinations and custom normalling are possible.

We can custom build different sized SwitchMix systems with different features, but have engineered an 8×8 matrix to fit within the popular Eurorack format. Larger systems can be made in Eurocard Rack format, incorporating our Eurocard interfacing modules, or on custom 19″ or other sized panels. Prices start from £399, EC orders received before 1st January 2010 will be charged with 15% VAT (don’t forget it increases to 17.5% after that).

More details…

For further information or to discuss custom orders please contact us.

AKG C414 comb showing original Cannon connector

After discussing the options with the customer we tested the microphones and checked that they were actually working. This was done by soldering wires to the rear of the Cannon connector to a free XLR plug. Both 414s were in perfect working order so we then made metal plates to support “Klein Tuchel” plugs and mounted them in the frame filling the hole left from the Cannon connector.

Modified C414 with Tuchel Plug

The smaller Tuchel plug protrudes from the microphone a lot less than an XLR stub plus XLR cable connector.

C414 with Tuchel to XLR cable

This left the problem of how to mount the microphones on a stand. The 30 x 40 mm base rectangle and sloping sides made the use of available shockmounts difficult so we designed and built a pair of adjustable stand adapters.

Custom C414 Stand Adapters in use as Faulkner Phased Array

The only permanent alterations made to the microphones were filing the two small lugs off the bases and filing the frame to clear two M3 fixing screws. By removing the Cannon connectors the mysterious rattle also disappeared and this was found to be due to loose unused contacts.

EAB V65C 6 into 1 valve mixer

Hinton Instruments recently converted a vintage EAB valve 6:1 mixer into six separate microphone preamplifier channels with full facilities.

The mixer was modified to bring all the channel outputs to a 7 pin XLR. A multicore cable connects it to a 3U Eurocard rack containing six high specification line driver modules. The valve amplifiers could produce 50Vp-p signals, but at high impedance, so it was necessary to pad and buffer without loading the valves. Almost the same requirements as buffering a high impedance pickup, so a customisation of our new ILD Instrument Line Driver solved the problem. The rack has XLR outputs at standard line level for connection to a DAW.

The custom modules provide a -20dB pad, phase inversion, mute and output level control and feature Graham Hinton’s CLEAR™ LED meter design covering a 42dB range. This metering system will be used on a lot of new products to be released in the near future.

Eurocard Rack line driver modules.