Plastic and wood have quite poor thermal conductivity. A metal case and rails will be better at wicking the heat away from your modules and into the environment. (Coincidentally, this is also a great argument against PCB panels.) I think the Intellijel 7U’s all-aluminum construction will be a much better choice than a Mantis.
Internal airflow is quite a tricky thing and I’m not convinced it is meaningful with shallow, low power cases. Likely the jumble of ribbon cables, plus the modern tendency for flat, tightly sandwiched PCB construction, greatly reduces the effectiveness of convection. Forced convection with fans is even trickier and could introduce pitch stability issues in analog oscillators, not to mention dust.
I’m not saying that convective cooling isn’t useful, but maybe take some temperature measurements within your new case before spending too much effort on it.
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Anybody have any recommendations for a floor stand to put a Doepfer 12u x 168hp monster case on? I’m possibly upgrading from a 9u x 104hp case and the OnStage Mix400 stand Ive been using is maxed out on width. I’ve thought about rigging two of them together but that seems like a hassle and maybe not as stable as an off-the-shelf solution.
K&M 18953
Got one for my monster base + 12u monster case. Can hold 80 kg and is very sturdy and foldable.
seconded – I’ve had mine for 7 years, and at one point I had two but have the 2nd out on long-term loan.
it currently holds my Rhodes but has been a true workhorse in various setups. setting the height is an upfront hassle because you have to adjust height at each individual leg, but once you have it set, it simply folds right up. it’s MUCH more stable at standing height than X-stands.
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I have a K&M 18810 and yeah it’s a beast, but I feel like Id be worried about it tipping over on such a narrow base, plus would prefer if I could have it at a slight angle.
What do you mean by slight angle?
This is what I’m currently using, the stand just doesnt get any wider, preventing me from increasing the width of my case.
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orbit_f
1563
I see a bass hiding behind the cable holder 
Probably a Fender?
Precision, yes. There’s a Hartke Kickback 12 back there as well 
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Thanks, I see what you mean now. I have my Intellijel 7u always angled. But for my 12u I’d find that very unpractical. But if you insist, this type of guitar amp/monitor stand might be an option:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GFWGTRAMP200--gator-frameworks-gfwgtramp200-combo-amp-stand-high
A fully filled Doepfer 12u weighs a lot. I would never put it on a cheap stand for sure. I did a lot of research before I settled on the K&M 18953. There is so much stuff out there that looks nice on photo, but is of poor quality material and manufacturing.
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I use a guitar amp stand that is very similar than this, more often than not also to hold my Intellijel 7U Performance Case, but also with other instruments such as a Monorocket 12U case. . I’ve been using it for a very long time and I’ve been very pleased with it, I’ve never felt worried that I was getting even close to overloading it with too much weight.
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xmacex
1567
I got into Eurorack yesterday. It is power (4hp) and Maths (20hp) so far, and uO_c (8hp) arrives during the weekend. That seems like a pretty complete system I am going for¹. A norns friend 
I was considering just having the modules laying on a table, handheld style, but the power connectors are awkward.
Anyway, seems that cardboard is a stellar, and very interesting material for a case. Absolutely ubiquitous, generic, comfortable and interesting to the touch and eye, environmentally friendly. Not imagined in terms of hp. Tinkerable, malleable, non-committal, replaceable and recyclable. And so on and so forth. I am huge on portability and battery stuff, so cardboard is super light. A box often has a lid for quick packing and slipping into pocket/bag. Also kind of meta since most/all the modules ship in one.
In short: beautiful.
Anyone here having their modulars in cardboard?
PS. wups posted before searching. Googling: it’s a thing apparently. A few links to a DIY guide for an enormous cardboard case upthread.
¹ next to given up on hope to get a crow
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I haven’t used a cardboard case because power supplies freak me out, so it was easiest to go for powered cases from established manufacturers. But I did use cardboard blanks extensively when I first started building my system. I cut up the boxes that the modules came in, and it looked pretty cool.
Cardboard is not a very cat-proof material, unfortunately. Most of my blanks looked a bit worse for wear after a couple of feline run-ins. I’ve since switched to boring old aluminium or PCB, but it just lacks the charm of cardboard.
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xmacex
1569
…cats… 
Indeed looking nice! Makes sense about power, relatable. I have the uZeus for power, and am imagining having it on the side or back of the case/box, as I am not convinced it needs to be on the frontpanel for me to look at.
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scrag
1570
Yes, once upon a time. This picture is of my very first foray into Eurorack after buying the Mother-32 gateway drug; if you look closely at my - ahem - “skiff” you can see it’s actually the box that the White Whale (my first module) came in. And some Scotch tape.
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xmacex
1571
Stellar, that’s how I want to rock =} Did it work out for you?
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On this topic, I’m reminded of this (I think) white-labeled Mylar Melodies explainer from 8 years ago 
Direct link to PDF guide: http://cdn.mos.musicradar.com/images/aaaroot/tech/7july15/DIY-Eurorack-case/CardboardCaseGuide.zip
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Whenever I see picture of a Zeus in a cardboard case I remember this warning about heat 
from the manual:
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xmacex
1574
I upgraded=downgraded to this box I bought redcurrants in the other day. Next the battery to untether from my apartment and get back out.
Noted @maceq687 , will keep an eye on it and never leave unattended. It has a warning on the front panel too. I wonder if uZeus gets any warmer than alternatives.
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It does, though that probably won’t be much of a concern with so little power drawn in your current (groan) setup.
If you ever do feel the urge to get more modules, I would replace the uZeus with something more robust: I’ve had good experiences with the 4ms Row Power series.
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