Make Noise 7u Steel Case w/CVBus

tnktni · Post by **tnktni** » Wed Apr 11, 2018 6:25 pm

0BSRVR wrote:Is anyone else planning on getting one of these and swapping the power supply out for something with more amps? I love the way this case is setup with the CV bus. I have an elite modular case with the same make noise bus board in it, and I doesn't have enough power for what I want to do with it. I was thinking about trying to drop a tip top Zeus into this case. Has anyone successfully done this, or swapped in any other power supply?

In the BST forum a month or so ago someone was selling an Elite 208 case with an Intellijel TPS80(?) power. I think it had sideways headers like the Make Noise one, not sure if Intellijel still make those.

uebl · Post by **uebl** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 2:29 am

I once emailed Oliver from Elite Modular and asked him whether it's possible to replace the MN bus board with an Intellijel TPS80. He said it should work just fine. You can even re-use the original on/off switch and power inlet of the E208 -- it has the same diameter as the power brick the TPS80 needs.

0BSRVR · Post by **0BSRVR** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:46 pm

Thanks for the replies. But I'm actually looking to ditch the elite 208 case because I want a 7U case with the 1U row in the middle. The Make Noise case with the CV bus in the middle is perfect for what I want do, except for the wimpy power supply.

Let me know if any of you successfully swap power supplies on this make noise 7u case.

uebl · Post by **uebl** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 1:12 pm

The MN 7U steel case shouldn't be any different from the E208 w.r.t. to bus board/power inlet/power brick, so swapping these should be just as easy.

tnktni · Post by **tnktni** » Thu Apr 12, 2018 2:46 pm

+1, they should be the same in terms of installation.

0BSRVR · Post by **0BSRVR** » Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:48 pm

Thanks again. Now just gotta wait for them to come back in stock. I really wish we could get it in tolex instead of steel. Growing up playing guitar with amps everywhere I just prefer the look and feel of tolex.

VZvision · Post by **VZvision** » Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:56 pm

0BSRVR wrote:Thanks again. Now just gotta wait for them to come back in stock. I really wish we could get it in tolex instead of steel. Growing up playing guitar with amps everywhere I just prefer the look and feel of tolex.

If you still want the Tolex, you may want to contact Elite Modular direct and see if they will build the 7U case for you. Prior to these steel cases, Elite was the builder of the case for the Make Noise Shared System, so its not too much of a leap to say that they could manufacture the 7U in tolex like they did before...

tnktni · Post by **tnktni** » Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:37 pm

I've sent Elite modular emails before and they were very prompt in their reply. Might be worth giving it a shot.

stephentrask · Post by **stephentrask** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 8:37 am

I am thinking at this point Make Noise should be saying something public. There are a number of products that I expected, based on manufacturer claims, to be released much closer to NAMM but this is the only one that was available for pre-order.

pseudopatch · Post by **pseudopatch** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:12 am

stephentrask wrote:I am thinking at this point Make Noise should be saying something public. There are a number of products that I expected, based on manufacturer claims, to be released much closer to NAMM but this is the only one that was available for pre-order.

i feel ya....

did you write MN? just curious about their response

stephentrask · Post by **stephentrask** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 1:20 pm

pseudopatch wrote:
stephentrask wrote:I am thinking at this point Make Noise should be saying something public. There are a number of products that I expected, based on manufacturer claims, to be released much closer to NAMM but this is the only one that was available for pre-order.
i feel ya.... did you write MN? just curious about their response

I did a while ago and I know someone responded but for the life of me I can't find the response. Whatever it was, the projected date I was given has past. Now I want some news. Personally I am trying to plan a rig for use this summer in a live context. I needed to start rehearsing with and tweaking my live set up by now and am a bit frustrated. Also, not having the case means not having housing for other things which means not buying those. Argh. I just feel like some statement is owed.

micahabinadimoses · Post by **micahabinadimoses** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 3:37 pm

Yeah I ordered in early February for shows that I just played this weekend. Getting frustrating

Foghorn · Post by **Foghorn** » Wed Apr 25, 2018 4:29 pm

When I came across the thread about the steel CV bus case I emailed Make Noise about buying one directly.
This was on Jan 22nd.
They told me "We are sold out through June."
I preordered one that same day from perfect Circuit and they recently told me (mid march) that "it would ship sometime in mid May".

Hope this helps.

Now where is the M. I. Stages I paid for.

stephentrask · Post by **stephentrask** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 8:22 am

I'm starting to look at other options. I love that CV bus but is it the most important thing ever? Intelligel makes a 7u 104hp case with a much more robust power supply and in a lighter and slimmer form factor. Does anyone have experience with that?

Foghorn · Post by **Foghorn** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 10:31 am

I have an Intellijel 7U by 104HP case on preorder also.
I had tried everywhere I could think of in the US to buy one.
The 84HP cases are available all over but the 104HP cases were not, even though some places advertised that they were in stock until you tried to order one.
I finally ordered this from Sweetwater maybe 3 weeks ago.
It should ship in 2 to 3 weeks I believe.
.
I think the 1U row and the CV bus are equally useful.

Anyway,
Foghorn

Case arrived, within all the pluses and minuses mentioned in this thread (this page) I like it.
I have it set up as here.

Think I am going to lose Echophon to build this case.
The Pico DSP seems to work well here and maybe effectively replaces an Erbe verb and an Echophon, in a much smaller package.
I am just glad that I now have a good home for all of these modules.

amop · Post by **amop** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 2:54 pm

stephentrask wrote:I'm starting to look at other options. I love that CV bus but is it the most important thing ever? Intelligel makes a 7u 104hp case with a much more robust power supply and in a lighter and slimmer form factor. Does anyone have experience with that?

I was lucky to get one of the first batches. And I got it mostly for the CV bus, plus it’s got a nifty audio input with gain setting, and stereo out. These are nice, but 1-2 simple audio interface modules and a mult or two could do the same.

The downside is the sliding nuts. Such a PITA. And replacing them with threads is very not easy.

If I could start over probably would have gone with another case. So not sure it’s worth the wait.

Richie Jape · Post by **Richie Jape** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 3:07 pm

does anyone know what kind of pre amp the input uses ?

stephentrask · Post by **stephentrask** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:16 pm

amop wrote:
stephentrask wrote:I'm starting to look at other options. I love that CV bus but is it the most important thing ever? Intelligel makes a 7u 104hp case with a much more robust power supply and in a lighter and slimmer form factor. Does anyone have experience with that?
I was lucky to get one of the first batches. And I got it mostly for the CV bus, plus it’s got a nifty audio input with gain setting, and stereo out. These are nice, but 1-2 simple audio interface modules and a mult or two could do the same.

The downside is the sliding nuts. Such a PITA. And replacing them with threads is very not easy.

If I could start over probably would have gone with another case. So not sure it’s worth the wait.

Even before reading this I canceled my order and went for the new Intellijel Stealth Case. 7U, weighs almost 10lbs. less because it's aluminum, has a touch more robust power supply and uses the 1U row in an a la carte way that will probably be more suitable to my needs.

modbear · Post by **modbear** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:54 pm

I have both the Intellijel 7U 104 and the Make Noise 7U Steel Case. I like both, but overall prefer the Intellijel and ended buying a second. It has fixed holes rather than sliding nuts, the built in stand is excellent and ergonomic, it allows me to stand my 2nd Intellijel case vertically, it’s lighter, and I also happen to like Intellijel’s 1U modules. On the other hand, the Intellijel is more expensive when you factor in the cost of the 1U modules and is difficult to find in stock. The mult on the Make Noise case lights up, which is also nice.

stephentrask · Post by **stephentrask** » Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:04 pm

modbear wrote:I have both the Intellijel 7U 104 and the Make Noise 7U Steel Case. I like both, but overall prefer the Intellijel and ended buying a second. It has fixed holes rather than sliding nuts, the built in stand is excellent and ergonomic, it allows me to stand my 2nd Intellijel case vertically, it’s lighter, and I also happen to like Intellijel’s 1U modules. On the other hand, the Intellijel is more expensive when you factor in the cost of the 1U modules and is difficult to find in stock. The mult on the Make Noise case lights up, which is also nice.

I will miss the lights. I love the layout of that Make Noise Bus. On the other hand, the stand is expensive: $150. The feet on the Intellijel come gratis. that buys a few 1U tiles.

denneyjs · Post by **denneyjs** » Wed May 30, 2018 1:46 am

After reading through the entire thread, it sounds like Intellijel 7U is better in every way except the CV bus.

Intellijel 7U:
+ Half the weight
+ 2x more 12v Amps
+ 10 more heads (28 total)
+ Buit in stand make it ergonomic & playable
+ Well designed rubber pads on edges
+ Can connect to 2nd case
- 1U row is on top instead of center
- 1U tiles from Intellijel aren’t super compelling

Make Noise CV Bus Case:
- Sliding nuts PITA
- Optional 4 lb steel stand is a poor afterthought
+ 1U row is in middle
+ MN CV Bus is simple but awesome

I think if you could lower one rail in the Intellijel 7U so the 1U row was in the middle, and add the MN CV Bus you’d have the perfect case.

nolongerhuman · Post by **nolongerhuman** » Wed May 30, 2018 2:17 am

I've owned both the Intellijel and the Make Noise CV Bus case (not metal, the bedliner coated one), my thoughts...

CV Bus placement vs Tile Placement: Make Noise wins hands down. It's incredibly annoying to patch at the top, especially since the majority of the tiles are utilities. Adding to the that, the available tiles are not particularly generous in selection, and add to the cost of the case in a large way. Also, if you are a bit OCD like myself, good luck trying to make a uniform 104hp row of tiles, the widths are all over the place.

Make Noise VS Intelljel Power: Intellijel wins hands down. The Intellijel power is quite a bit more robust spec wise, and I am having to be careful not to overload the Make Noise case. It's a bit of a pain. Headers don't much matter, grab a power bus cable and you have 5 more headers.

Power placement: Make Noise wins. The Intellijel case has the power headers at the very bottom of the case. Both a curse and a blessing. You have ample room up top for deeper modules, but you essentially have to pull out sections of the bottom row to plug anything in. Including tiles. That *really* annoyed me.

Durability: Make Noise (again, I can only speak to the the spray coated, not metal version) The Intellijel case is exceptionally scratchable, and I wouldn't take it anywhere without the additional, fairly expensive soft case, which is kind of ridiculous really. It's a travel case, it shouldn't need a case. The Make Noise is incredibly durable. Time will tell with the metal version.

The stand on the Intellijel case is a great idea, and well thought out, but any number of guitar stands, music stands, etc... do the same basic thing. It's a non-issue for me.

The weight of either case isn't substantial enough for me to be bothered, even fully loaded with modules.

The Make Noise case has the stupid sliding nuts, remedied by buying more sliding nuts and filling the strips, workable, not ideal.

The handle on the Intellijel case is as unergonomic as it gets. It adds to the overall size of the case, is hard, non foldable and painful to carry it by. The lid is very thin metal and has relatively sharp edges, the whole lid feels wonky.

I kept the Make Noise case. I could't fathom having a travel case that really needed an additional padded case to avoid bumps and bruises, and I hated the power placement, and rarely used the tiles because I hated having to patch top to bottom running cables vertically across everything else (knobs, jacks, etc) it was a mess waiting to happen since I rarely plan my patches.

The Intellijel case is nice. Could be better, and needs way, way more variety of tiles. Just my two cents.

stephentrask · Post by **stephentrask** » Wed May 30, 2018 8:38 am

nolongerhuman wrote:I've owned both the Intellijel and the Make Noise CV Bus case (not metal, the bedliner coated one), my thoughts...

CV Bus placement vs Tile Placement: Make Noise wins hands down. It's incredibly annoying to patch at the top, especially since the majority of the tiles are utilities. Adding to the that, the available tiles are not particularly generous in selection, and add to the cost of the case in a large way. Also, if you are a bit OCD like myself, good luck trying to make a uniform 104hp row of tiles, the widths are all over the place.

Make Noise VS Intelljel Power: Intellijel wins hands down. The Intellijel power is quite a bit more robust spec wise, and I am having to be careful not to overload the Make Noise case. It's a bit of a pain. Headers don't much matter, grab a power bus cable and you have 5 more headers.

Power placement: Make Noise wins. The Intellijel case has the power headers at the very bottom of the case. Both a curse and a blessing. You have ample room up top for deeper modules, but you essentially have to pull out sections of the bottom row to plug anything in. Including tiles. That *really* annoyed me.

Durability: Make Noise (again, I can only speak to the the spray coated, not metal version) The Intellijel case is exceptionally scratchable, and I wouldn't take it anywhere without the additional, fairly expensive soft case, which is kind of ridiculous really. It's a travel case, it shouldn't need a case. The Make Noise is incredibly durable. Time will tell with the metal version.

The stand on the Intellijel case is a great idea, and well thought out, but any number of guitar stands, music stands, etc... do the same basic thing. It's a non-issue for me.

The weight of either case isn't substantial enough for me to be bothered, even fully loaded with modules.

The Make Noise case has the stupid sliding nuts, remedied by buying more sliding nuts and filling the strips, workable, not ideal.

The handle on the Intellijel case is as unergonomic as it gets. It adds to the overall size of the case, is hard, non foldable and painful to carry it by. The lid is very thin metal and has relatively sharp edges, the whole lid feels wonky.

I kept the Make Noise case. I could't fathom having a travel case that really needed an additional padded case to avoid bumps and bruises, and I hated the power placement, and rarely used the tiles because I hated having to patch top to bottom running cables vertically across everything else (knobs, jacks, etc) it was a mess waiting to happen since I rarely plan my patches.

The Intellijel case is nice. Could be better, and needs way, way more variety of tiles. Just my two cents.

I ran all the same calculations. The MN with the stand was about equal to the Intellijel with a few tiles so that equaled out. I don't love the coating on the stealth case. It isn't scratching so much as peeling a bit. I will probably refinish.

I agree about the placement of the tiles at the top being inconvenient but you can run longer cables around the side or underneath and up the back.

The I/O tiles are actually pretty useful, and important to taking full advantage of the case. The USB interface is great. I am annoyed by having 2 unused HP.

The built in stand is fantastic!

I took the intellijel on a plane and there was no scratching. I removed that awful handle and replaced it. On the small puddle jumpers I take often the handle wouldn't have allowed the case to fit.

In the end, I'm pretty happy with the intellijel being 7 pounds lighter. I have been carrying mine around quite a bit and it makes a difference.

I think I would have been happy with the Make Noise but am please to have less weight, the built in stand and the extra power, even if it's placement at the bottom is a pain in the butt.

denneyjs · Post by **denneyjs** » Wed May 30, 2018 12:00 pm

Would it be possible to just drill two new holes in the Intellijel 7U case and move the 2nd rail to a lower position, so the 1U row is in the middle?

Is the Make Noise CV Bus the same height as the Intellijel 1U standard?

hippasus · Post by **hippasus** » Wed May 30, 2018 1:10 pm

@nolonguerhuman Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Very comprehensive review.

MUFF WIGGLER

MUFF WIGGLER

Make Noise 7u Steel Case w/CVBus