Tiptop Audio has announced that its new Mantis Eurorack cases are now available.
The cases are designed to be a low-cost solution that can house and power two rows of 104HP of modules.
Here’s their official intro video:
[veo class=”veo-vimeo” string=”179656115″]Features:
- Use it in three different positions: 0, 45, 90 degrees
- Zeus power supply that delivers plenty of power
- Legs are offered in 4 different colors
- Mantis is easy to operate because it comes with Z-Rails according to Eurorack enclosure standards.
- Keyed power connectors to help protect your modules from burning by plugging power in reverse.
- Weighs only 3kg/6.5lb
Pricing and Availability
The Mantis Eurorack cases are available now, with an introductory price of US $335.
was that a usb power input next to the regular power input? can this be usb powered? lol would buy 2 if so
Guessing USB power is a joke lol, probably for midi if there is one.
Looks more like Thunderbolt… wich could deliver enough power compared to USB.
Posts on MW confirm that it’s a passive cable to sync clock signals between cases. It uses a Thunderbolt port but does not work with Thunderbolt cables (which have active electronics inside). Not sure why they bothered to do this specialized tech on a “low cost” case when you can just patch between cases.
Good solution, looks good, but at a rediculous price. When the same rack, without power supply, would be sold to a different public the price would be about 30 Euros at most.
your way off base. the rails alone would be like 60 something for 2 sets. this is a great deal.
You’ve obviously never designed and sold a physical product before.
I always knew that rurorack was like Tupperware for really rich kids!
Xbox360 meets eurorack.
looks great but it seems like it doesn’t have a handle. how are you suppose to carry it?
good question. a handle and also a cover would make sense…
the “feet” look a bit unstable…maybe i´m wrong.
but hey four different colors…ha.
I think the handle is that recessed area on the back, under the top of the fold out stand.
i am not really sure if this recessed area is so comfortable to hold your xxx$ modules, and still no idea why there isn´t any cover, since this is made to be used in nature 😉 (….so the association in the vid).
The recessed area is certainly not intended to be a handle. Its purpose is to support the weight when in 45 degree angle stand.
“low cost” has become an empty buzzword in the synthworld like “analog” or “monster”
depends on what you drive is where it is getting screwed up
drive a Bugatti it is low cost
drive a yugo it is expensive
Low cost has just been redefined? That seems very expensive or is it that a lot of new generation modular owners are wealthy.
Expensive compared to what? You can buy a Pelican case of the same size and it won’t have a power supply, rails, etc. It’s half the price of a comparable Monorocket case.
Just wish it included a row for 1U modules.
Not keen on the huge name on the front. A simple logo there would be better. However, I like the idea that more people can get into it as the costs go down a bit.
If by “low cost” they mean “cheap-looking”… Are these made of plastic? Would anyone put 4k of modules inside something that looks like a lunch box? Is $335 cheap when you can get a Doepfer wood case for roughly the same price?
Creating plastic molds is expensive, especially when you’re building products for niche markets. It’s nice to have an option that doesn’t involve a giant wooden box or tolex wrapped road case that looks like it escaped from the 1970s.
Synthopia’s comment section is frustrating; so many people pour their hearts and souls into new music devices, only to have them ripped apart by commenters because they’re not quite what they envision themselves owning, too expensive, or don’t have VCOs and cv/gate in.
It is nice to have an option for a eurorack case that is not made of wood or a kind of metal, and i like new ideas (also plastic ones). Even the pricetag is in my eyes okay for this case…but what about the needs of musicians, speaking again about the portability factor… i think this a justified question., isn´t it?
So what’s the use of the light weight if it doesn’t include a handle and a cover? And yes, it may be expensive to design and create a plastic mold. But there are such things as good design and bad design. And one “I don’t like the way it looks” shouldn’t discourage anyone from continuing to do their work.
I would like this comment a million times if I could.
What’s wrong with his comment? It says over and over again it’s a low cost option. That is not low cost. It’s the same as everything else. It’s expensive. Maybe your flush with cash and have lost perspective but when you say affordable and then say $335, It’s quite a letdown. I personally think all opinions are welcome to the forum. Don’t you? It sounds like you’d rather he didn’t post anything at all. What’s the point then?
If you think this is expensive then Eurorack is not for you! Personally I was shocked how inexpensive this is and would gladly replace my heavy cases with this.
It’s frustrating when people complain about pricing when they obviously have no clue what existing options cost.
This case is very inexpensive, per HP, of modules that you can house and power.
Somebody suggested this should be 30 Euros. You can’t buy just the distribution board that’s in this thing for that price, let alone a decent power supply and case.
I get people saying that they don’t like the looks of this, because it’s different than what people are used to and aesthetics are subjective.
But if you’re complaining about pricing – please do us the favor of finding out what products of comparable capabilities and quality cost first.
335 is very cheap. I think you should stay away from Eurorack. Maybe an iPad is better for you.
Nope. Those are pretty expensive, too…
Hear hear! Anyone saying anything is “too expensive” has never made anything themselves. And at this price, it’s actually one of the lowest cost cases around. Make Noise skiff is $2.40 per powered hp, and this one is $1.61 per powered hp. It’s UNQUESTIONABLY a low cost rack, so sit down complainers. It’s also sexy and can tilt. It would’ve been nice to have covers, but that would have also made it cost more. Maybe they’ll make one with covers in the future, but for plenty of people this is perfect.
ALSO, Remember everyone, if you bought Eurorack modules with individual power (as if they were all guitar pedals or something), you would end up paying more in circuitboard size, engineering time, and redundant components. The whole modular case thing is psychological, and only neophytes complain about it. If you had your own choice of faceplates for every module, but they cost $10 ea, people would complain about the cost.
“It would’ve been nice to have covers, but that would have also made it cost more. Maybe they’ll make one with covers in the future, but for plenty of people this is perfect.”
> what is “perfect” about a lightweight case, which is actually really cool, and this is something tiptop emphasizes, if you hardy can grab the case, and as it seems you can´t even place it vertical without putting out the colored feet.
(sorry if i might be wrong, since i haven´t touched it yet, but from the pictures and the PDFs on the tiptop website it looks like this…)
The purpose of the colored feet are to place it vertical. For a two rack 104hp case to be stable standing up it needs a wide base. Instead of having a large body for the case, which would make it suffer in portability, weight, and cost, you have the colored feet. As far as “hardly grabbing it” – really? It’s pretty small, you could carry it under one arm like a trapper keeper.
Like I said, it’s perfect for plenty of people, which leaves room for some people for whom it’s not perfect.
Besides, people don’t think about this, but handles are a possible warranty issue. Think about if the handle snaps and the case goes flying down a hill with thousands of dollars of gear in it. If people want handles and durability, get a flight case with some foam around it and put it in there.
totally agree with you that the case would need a larger body to stand stable…
talking about warranty…some properly implemented handles should not be a problem.
At least some kind of straps would have been a good choice.
but i still don´t get the idea producing a lightweight case that is a PITA to carry…
it seems that the design was more important than the usability.
this reminds me a bit of computers from the 90´s that were difficult to carry until some people thought about adding some handles…
actually i don´t wanna blame encouraged people that produce quality gear and i have much respect for what they are doing and there are for sure people that will like this case…and i will look forward to an extended version…
Looking more closely at it, it actually looks like there *is* a handle in the back – it’s right in the middle where the stand comes out.
My 100lbs Twin Reverb was a PITA to carry – this is nothing.
this is what Ad van Gerven wrote:
“The recessed area is certainly not intended to be a handle. Its purpose is to support the weight when in 45 degree angle stand.”
and makes sense for me…
well said. I have been visiting Synthtopia daily for years, and I can safely say I do not like many synthtopia readers. A product could be given away for free, and some would find something to complain about. I stop short of wishing the comments section would just go away, as a minority of people share very useful information that usually makes up for people only proclaiming they are not interested in a particular product, as if the rest of us care or find that comment helpful. I wish more people thought about the comments section as a community resource.
I don’t understand the complaints about the price. It seems like a bargain to me, considering Elite or Monorocket cases that size will run $800 or so.
Creating plastic molds can be expensive. That’s why its done only when expecting large production numbers, and then suddenly the cost per individual product dramatically decreases.
Apparently TipTop expects these large production numbers and is taking the risk for it, at the cost of the customer.
Either way, it remains a plastic lunchbox and it may be very worth wile to look for alternitives from other markets (like Ikea) that, be it by accident or not, also support the 3U height format.
agreed 100 %. TTA is an amazing company that has a knack for putting practical stuff out for cheap, by the way to anybody knocking this, TTA also offers high end cases. I can’t believe the negativity in these comments. Slick looking case with great power for a great price. Aren’t You tired of the expensive cases? I am.
Practical stuff for cheap = $8 patch cable?
I like it when there are new different products for in this case a niche market. But it’s all a matter of taste. I find them ugly to be honest. The Moog Mother rack is also new but more in the line with the product itself.
Pretty sure Synthtopia is the land of trolls, just trailing behind youtube in the user to troll ratio. So many people saying this isn’t cheap. You could spend 180 bucks alone on the power supply and ribbon cables. This is a steal and, yes it looks plastic, but metal isn’t cheap. If you want metal, be prepared to spend a lot more if you want the power supply included.
only site I know of that is worse is Brooklyn Vegan. Holy crap, I hate that site.
3kg is a fuckin lot, my 84 cases have less than a kg each, my 12u case has 4kgs.
without an option to transport like a bag or a lid or anything this is kind of weird, and it looks like an xbox indeed. usually i dont complain just because, but here … bang for the buckwise, there will be (imo) cheaper, cooler and lighter solutions soon from a small german manufacturer.
LOL, the comments seem to be split between those complaining that the price is too high (compared to, I suppose, avocados), and ones complaining that it’s too cheap (which is, as far as I can tell, the *entire point* of this particular product).
God I love this place.
…you forgot those that complain about the fact that this is a lightweight case, that has no handles to transport …but maybe this is not the point at all…
I believe it’s light weight is incidental to it being made of plastic.
The price is reasonable and the case can certainly be labeled “low cost” considering that the same 208hp sized case from Pittsburgh Modular runs $699.
Did they have to brand this thing everywhere? It might be nitpicking but I don’t think a case manufacturer should slap their name on almost every available surface.
It’s hard to imagine carrying this thing when full of modules but I suspect they at least tried that. Same for the legs supporting the weight.
The price point DOES seem very reasonable considering this case comes with power, rails, and bus boards. I might just buy one as my traveling case.
Eurorack companies, from what I know, range from 1 to 20 employees. Branding is the name of the game. Nobody is cranking out products on the level of Elektron or Moog but everyone wants to look like they are.
So many dumabasses commenting here… If you don’t know the market, why would you open your mouth? This is clearly competitively priced for a powered 6u case with z-rails. My only gripe is that it doesn’t have a lid.
43 comments and still no “instant GAS” confession? Not exactly what you might call a no-brainer. Eurorack neoliberalism gone crazy. Quoting a previous comment: “Tupperware for really rich kids”.
Where is Slavoj Žižek when you need him?
Though I don’t currently own a euro rack system, I’ve been looking into getting started with one. Mostly focused on which modules sound and seem the most interesting to me. A proper case is a big starting expense. Seems to me that a 208hp case, fully powered, is a great thing @ $335. It does need a cover though. Maybe TipTop can create a cover as an accessory. That way those who are looking for more of a “studio only” case won’t need to bother with the extra expense that the cover might add. Thanks for bringing this to us TipTop.
Beautiful design, nice price, lightweight but your client consensus guys is that it would be better if portable.
Listen to them!
This is some entry level, modules on display BS.
If you’re going to put somewhere between 3000-5000 dollars worth of modules in a case, which you would with 2 rows at 104hp, it needs to have a lid and look like it’s not going to break with regular use. It’s just my opinion but a solidly built case (and power supply) is the most important thing when you’re building a system.
I’d rather get the Synthrotek cases:
http://store.synthrotek.com/Eurorack_Enclosures
You must not have seen the MW thread about the Synthrotek power supply bursting into flames when it wasn’t even switched on. The guy happened to be in his studio at that moment and saw the smoke. I guess there’s a reason that Synthrotek puts skulls, coffins, and lightning bolts on his power supply faceplate graphics! Also a reason that his stuff is dirt cheap.
It looks nice, but I can’t stand the white, not for me I’ afraid.
Now available usually means available now. If you can purchase this right now, from where can this purchase be made? Pretty hard to find.
http://www.schneidersladen.de/en/tiptop-audio-mantis-green.html
they seem to have them in stock…
They will sell a ton of these as they are.
They would sell more in black.
They would sell more if a lid was included.
But they will still sell a ton.
I’m excited by this. Getting a case set up is the biggest barrier to starting eurorack. Per hp this price is in line with the happy ending kit. 2 hek would be 168 hp for 250$ and you’d have to use 2 wall warts and you would probably want to mount them in a rack which would be additional $. I like the threaded strips better than sliding nuts.
I love the design of this and think they put a lot of brilliant thought into some great details, but I also can’t understand why traveling and portability are mentioned in the TipTop materials and yet there’s no lid.
I know a bag is supposedly coming eventually, but it seems like they couldn’t solve the financial side of a lid, which means it’s not really a travel case. If the bag is able to address that challenge, I’ll buy one and love it.