Like the headline says. I see a clear usage case for a row or two of shorter and wider modules with utilities like mixers, mults and so on.
For my own planned rack I have designed five tile like modules so far.
A combined main power switch and rails indicator leds
A simple 6:1 mixer
A Ken Stone CGS60 stomp box adapter for better interfacing between effect pedal, and synth level signals
A 4x passive isolation transformer to eliminate ground loops
A dual 1:8 buffered mult
I have designed my tiles at half the height of standard kosmo modules at 100mm. I feel like something like a mixer is more easy to use in this orientation but fast becomes too big in standard height.
But I didnāt proceed with it, I suppose partly because I havenāt done new Eurorack modules and havenāt needed the jumbler panel. My first case was mixed Kosmo and Eurorack and has a full width 7 cm high panel with jumbler multiples and attenuators.
It could be my setup is highly specific to me, since I interface with a bunch of standalone units like a matrix mixer, pedal board, and various contact micāed up scrap metal parts. This makes a bottom row of these kind of modules make very much sense.
I have a center 10cm high row in my case, exactly for utility modules.
I have built the following 10cm modules: power switch, clock, clock divider, speakers + amp, (passive, planning to upgrade to buffered) multiples, and several attenuators.
I am very happy I chose this 10cm utility row!
Just my two hapāworth, I donāt use Kosmo myself so I have no skin in the game. But I advise against diluting the āmarketā for the Kosmo format by splitting up the module options. Will Kosmo users then have to adopt two heights of rack in order to have certain Kosmo modules?
Good point. But to some extentā¦ Kosmo is and is likely to remain a fully DIY format, with a lot of the users used to making their own front panels, so if thereās a ātileā they want but donāt have a tile row in their case, they could make a full-height panel for it. Or even a single panel for two ātileā modules. Not an ideal solution but possible.
I should make an Imperial version of kosmo, because part of the design philosophy for kosmo was that it was an easy round number that matched a lot of dimensions.
In the UK, wood offcuts are measured in metric, but go to a home depot here in the states and ask them to cut some wood for you in metric.
The point of DiY is to make thing yourself. There is no risk around diluting anything because if you want it some way, you can just make it work your way. Mix and match!
I was just looking at that @Caustic - making my case 8" for the modules, or 4" for the tiles??
Iām from the US, and have been in London for a few years - I expected them to use metric, but its such a wild mishmash.
Half the people here - anyone over 35 or so - weighs themselves in stone (14 pounds)
You drive distances in miles, and measure fuel economy in mpg, but but fuel by the liter.
In order to get better mileage than the US, a UK Gallon is 1.2 US Gallons (ok maybe there is some historical reason)
And they make fun of the US for not changing - But then, we tried, and decided it was better having a consistent system
I was thinking about mounting 10cm (wide) regular Kosmo modules sideways, it would only require the pcbs in the background to be 2cm narrower to have space fo the rails. the module would be 90deg turnableā¦
Well if you intend to use Kosmo PCBs I expect you would best use the nearest Imperial module height larger than Kosmo, (which I understand to be 200mm) and that would be 8.75" (5U) 222.25mm. Before Euro came along, this was widely used by Moog, Synthesisers.com, Oakley, CGS Catgirl, Encore, MOTM and many others. Power was usually from Ā±15v rails. Connectors were 1/4" jacks. An advantage is that 5U racks could be used.
Kosmo is a pretty good format, actually. 1/4" jacks are much sturdier than 3.5mm jacks, which are frankly dreadful and fragile.
Youāve misunderstood what I am proposing. This is not another format, itās a complement to Kosmo.
No one will have to do anything at all. Kosmo racks are for the most part DIY ones and those who want this will build this, those who donāt, wonāt.
If people are wanting to use or share Kosmo designs, or buy Samās kits, then having two different form factors may mean that a desired module is only available in one of the two formats.
If you are making your own PCBs, panels, etc., thatās not a problem for you.
Still donāt understand what you are on about. This is a supplemental design idea that takes into account cases where a horizontal design makes more sense than a vertical one. As this thread already has shown, Iām not the only one who finds this concept worth contemplating. You see a problem that is non-existent.
